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Bucs Owner: 'We Feel Great About Our Situation'

Associated Press file photo

The new Bucs braintrust poses at a news conference on Jan. 17 at One Buc Place.

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 24, 2009

Updated: 03/24/2009 04:51 pm

DANA POINT, Calif. – Buccaneers Co-Chairman Joel Glazer scoffed Tuesday at growing speculation Tampa Bay's owners are financially strapped, saying the 2009 free-agent market didn't warrant a spending spree.

"Absolutely not," he said when asked whether Tampa Bay's owners are in a financial bind. "When we work on something, there has to be a plan and you follow that plan. You don't just sign people for the sake of signing people. History shows the successful teams have to draft well, develop those players and keep those players.

"No team has consistently won by putting a patchwork group of players on the field. You have to resist the temptation to sign a bunch of people for a quick headline. We're doing what we want to do - and nothing is preventing us from doing that. Players we haven't signed are those we felt wouldn't be part of a long-term plan."

In a wide-ranging 30-minute interview with the Tampa Tribune, Glazer was asked about suggestions that head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Mark Dominik will last only one season before the Bucs pursue a big-name head coach in 2010.

"We went with people we know very, very well," said Glazer. "We were 9-7 last year, not 2-14, and we have a core group of young players that we believe in. Raheem and Mark know these guys. A lot of the time, when you go outside, there's a habit in this league of saying, 'I want all my own guys.'

"Mark's been in our organization for 14 years. He's been more than ready for a long time to be a GM in this league. Raheeem's young and dynamic. He's young, but we've seen in this league that young can be successful. These guys are with us for the long haul. This is our head coach, this is our general manager and we feel great about our situation."

Amid rumors that the Bucs are pursuing Denver's Jay Cutler, Glazer said he has ample confidence in Tampa Bay's current group of quarterbacks, led by Luke McCown.

"We're very comfortable," he said. "With Luke, we have a young quarterback with a lot of talent. There will be competition. We have a veteran (Brian Griese) and we have a young quarterback (Josh Johnson), so we have a little bit of everything. The best person will end up on the field. I love Luke's attitude coming in.

"There's no question we need stability at the quarterback position. That's something we haven't had for one reason or another. It's not easy to find a franchise quarterback. In the NFL, quarterbacks are the pillar of your franchise and that situation has to be solved."

Glazer quickly dismissed any suggestion the Bucs are for sale.

"I'm going to give you the same answer every year: No," he said. "It's not even something that's contemplated. I don't even like talking about it. Being in this league for 14 years, at these meetings I look around and realize we're becoming veteran owners in this league. We love being part of the National Football League. We love what the NFL stands for and we love competing for a Super Bowl.

"The key is you have to be patient. There are no short-cuts. The losses still hurt as much as they did on Day One and the wins are still as great. When the draft rolls around, I'm still excited."

With the national economy in turmoil, Glazer acknowledged Tampa Bay is one of many NFL clubs struggling to maintain its fan base.

"There's no question the economy has had an effect on sports and we've seen it with the Buccaneers," he said. "Things are tough right now and a lot of families have been affected. Our season-ticket base has been affected. It's an unfortunate set of circumstances, but the end result may be more people being able to get access to tickets. There's nothing better than a full stadium that is rocking on a Sunday. We have to make it easier for our fans to enjoy the Buccaneers. We're having to look at things a little differently."

Glazer was asked what kind of team Buc fans will see this fall.

"What I know you will see is a young, enthusiastic, hungry, never-say-die attitude that fights to the end," said Glazer. "I think you'll see a little freshness on the field – people rising in leadership roles that they may not recognize they even had in them. That's the way this league is. There comes a time when the baton is handed to players to lead in difficult situations. You can't script it, but there will be times when we find ourselves in a situation where we need someone to step up. They can't look to their left or look to their right … they have to look at themselves with the game on the line.

"These things have a natural way of developing and that's part of what I'm looking forward to seeing."

Amid all the changes, Tampa Bay's offense has a new look.

"I think we've added some pieces," Glazer said. "It's nice to get Earnest Graham back and Kellen Winslow is a dynamic player. With a new coordinator (Jeff Jagodzinski), I think people are going to see a very exciting offense. Jim Bates is a veteran defensive coordinator who is well-respected. He brings great experience and a history of success. The way he approaches defense is an evolution of where this defense has been."

After successive 9-7 seasons, the Bucs may be facing a turning point.

"We're starting to move along the path," said Glazer. "In the past few years, we've added a lot of new players. We're not at the absolute starting line, but we're not a finished product, either. There's still work to be done and we're going to be consistent and disciplined with the plan. We're not going to make knee-jerk reactions. Those quick fixes can give you a boost for the moment, but they can also derail you for years to come.

"We want to build something that can be sustained, something our fans can build a connection to and stay connected for years and years to come."

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