Posted by  Cody Ubben, Cedar Falls, IA on 02/09  at  05:16 PM

Don’t give up a 1st round pick for a 30 year old receiver (Chad Johnson). Only guy I’d give up a 1st rounder for would be Larry Fitzgerald.

Posted by  Brad Iturriaga, Plant City on 02/09  at  01:41 PM

My opinion is to trade the 1st round pick to the Bengals for “Ocho Cinco”. He hates it there and obviously we need another great receiver. Hopefully they’ll take my advice.

Posted by  Michael Harris, Tampa, FL on 02/09  at  12:00 PM

Erik, Dude, I’ll quote Terry Bradshaw, who knows A LOT more about the game than you or me.  On Larry King Live a few years ago, he said: “Larry, football isn’t rocket science.  The team with the best players wins.” Who won the Super Bowl Dude?  Even IF the Bucs had found magic to beat the Gmen, do you honestly think they could have won at Dallas and at Green Bay?  I rest my case Erik, ole buddy, ole pal. Take a chill pill and wait for the draft.

Posted by  Erik, Chester,Pa on 02/08  at  07:57 PM

Mike, go back and watch the first half and then the second half of how the Bucs/Giants game went. Look at the play calling on offense and you tell me what happened dude!?. GRUDEN happened!! Free agency this year is not looking like a feast. I agree that the best thing to do is try to move up in the draft or try to get multiple picks. Keep the youth movement going. Hey, who IS the offensive coordinator?

Posted by  Michael Harris, Tampa, FL on 02/06  at  06:46 AM

I have to agree with Dex for the most part.  Don’t think they’ll be a 4-12 team.  But the time for ALL excuses are over.  Gruden’s been here long enough since he lost all of the first and second round draft picks, to be able to put together the team he wants. I felt that he and Allen did a good job last year of doing that and blending youth with wily veterans. They’ll probably continue to add through the draft, with players they feel can contribute right away. Free agency is a ##### shoot.

Posted by  Dex fields, neptune,n.j. on 02/05  at  09:03 PM

I tell you what-if the bucs do not address alot of needs in free agency,we will be 4-12 again.You must look at the teams we will face this upcoming season and ask youself how many of these teams we could beat right now with this buc team.
I’m glad we can disagree to agree-i always felt that defense carried us since Gruden been here.Our offense has never been ranked in the top 10.Being a genius with Oakland is one thing-Gruden hasn’t really been a genius since he have been here.
The teams we play next season, our defense will not be in the top 15,there is not enough pressure from the front four and our blitzing is very weak and predictable.If we win 11 games next season-then we have improved-last season we beat and lost to weak teams.

Posted by  Patrick Dotson, Tampa,FL on 02/05  at  08:56 PM

also..when you dont have draft picks and no money to spend in free agency its going to delay you of building a solid team...just 2 yrs ago we had money to spend in free agency and most of our draft picks over the last 3 yrs have blossomed into solid players...so to say gruden isnt a good coach or doesnt know what hes doing...the last time i checked he just got a contract extension for 6 mil a yr....guess hes doing something right...go bucs

Posted by  Patrick Dotson, Tampa,FL on 02/05  at  06:01 PM

4-12 to 9-7 and making the playoffs...how is that not accpetable...thats called improvement...moving up 10 spots in rushing offense with your 3 starting backs out and your 4th string back almost getting a thousand yards behind two rookies and 2 2nd year players on the o line...major improvement...how is that not accpetable...our defense was 3rd in the league...major improvement...how is that not acceptable...and gruden is a offensive genius...when he was in oakland his offense was in the top 5 alomst every year...but he also had the tools you need to have a good offense…

Posted by  Joseph Brown, Buffalo, New York on 02/05  at  01:31 PM

O.K,the bucs get speed which everyone knows that we definitely need but like i said before gruden is to stubborn to open up the offense.No team in the league fear us deep(take away galloway)so why the bother.Don’t get it twisted over the 9-7 record this season,the NFC south was the worse division.What we need is to get younger CB’s so we can blitz more,our tampa2 is getting to predictable.With our front four we can do it and cause more turnovers.

Posted by  BN, Atlanta on 02/05  at  12:10 PM

continued-The Bucs PF and PA numbers are just about equal. You don’t win games like that. And this isn’t a Tony Dungy piece either but in his 6 years he went 54-42 and was fired to hire the “Offensive Genius” in Gruden. I don’t care who the Bucs coach is as long as we’re watching a good product on the field, I’m a Bucs Fan not a Gruden or Dungy Fan! And this isn’t suppose to be a doom and gloom opinion but we are who we are....... a mediocre .500 team. Whether it’s players, coaches, system....changes need to be made period.....Remember the old saying: Excuses are for losers. So drop the talk about rookies, second year players and injuries because every other team has them too!

Posted by  BN, Atlanta on 02/05  at  12:10 PM

continued-Our deep wallet (room under cap) doesn’t seem so deep when you realize that most teams can afford to resign their own free agents with the increase in cap. Personally I don’t care for Gruden, I think he is overrated. How do you get the title “Offensive Genius” when you’re 42-42? To use your statement that numbers don’t lie Patrick then in the 6 years that Grudens been here he’s .500 at everything. Lets throw out the PF and PA numbers from 2002 since it’s arguable that that was Tony’s team and this years numbers because every squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

Posted by  BN, Atlanta on 02/05  at  12:08 PM

Patrick-When you’re nearly last in all offensive categories even a small improvement doesn’t mean much when you’re still in the middle or lower half of the league. 9-7 from 4-12 is improvement but is still only 1 game over 500. And winning the NFC South Title is no accomplishment when it was arguably the weakest division in football this past year. Come on fellow Buc Fans, when did we decide that mediocrity was acceptable.

Posted by  Michael Harris, Tampa, FL on 02/05  at  09:01 AM

Erik, jimminie christmas, your comment: “The Giants won but they weren’t the better team!!”, is beyond football sense comprehension.  Dude, the Gmen just beat “the best team in the history of the NFL”, in the biggest game on turf.  The Bucs never beat ONE QUALITY opponent. K?  The Giants came to their Crib and kicked the snot out of them. The Giants had serious injuries too.  One example: Shockley was out. Get a grip Dude and perhaps you might want to brush up on your game. K?  The Bucs are headed in the right direction.  That’s the important thing.  They should be much better in ‘08.  THAT too should make all you Bucaroos happy.  Till then, we all await the draft.

Posted by  Erik, Chester,Pa on 02/04  at  07:34 PM

Listen, Mike. The Bucs still went 9-7 from 4-12. Hello? Yes, the Giants are now Super Bowl Champions but, Tampa could have beat the Giants. The second half play calling of the Bucs/Giants game was horrible. J.Galloway was hurt going into that game but what about getting some young recievers into the offense in the those last 3 games Gruden just threw away? The Giants won but the weren’t the better team!! Was Buster Douglas better than Mike Tyson? NOOOOO!!!! Tyson was mentally handicapped by thinking it was easy and he got beat!!!

Posted by  RYAN, virginia beach on 02/04  at  03:15 PM

Why don’t we try to get Chad Johnson, he wants out of cincinati.  That would really increase our offensive firepower!

Posted by  Michael Harris, Tampa, FL on 02/01  at  08:52 AM

Hey Erik, Dude: the GIANTS are in the Super Bowl. Sheeeeese! Some of these comments are really lame.  The Bucs lost to the Giants because the GIANTS were a better team. K?  Holy Chicamaugua! Get a head for the game. Gruden did his BEST job of coaching a mediocre team to the NFC South Title. The reality of the situation is: the Bucs need to really get better in many places and get healthy. Once that happens, then all of you Bucaroos will be smiling again.

Posted by  Patrick Dotson, Tampa,FL on 02/01  at  01:13 AM

numbers dont lie...i say moving up 10 or more spots in all areas on offense speaks wonders in my book…

Posted by  Erik, chester,pa on 01/31  at  10:37 PM

I love this team. E. Graham should get a chance next season to start. We need 2 or 3 good defensive players,a offensive linemen, quality backup qb, an offensive coordinator and mabey a head coach with a clue!

Posted by  Erik, Chester,Pa on 01/31  at  09:56 PM

Hey Pat and dex, Please read the third line of my statement.I DO blame Gruden! Pat, you know that I have been saying all season that its time for Gruden to go! Gruden calls the plays and HE blew the Giants game! I am from the Philly area so Dex understands when I say Gruden is like Andy Reid. Gruden has worn down the defense, has caused at least 3 losses this year and doesn’t know how to use diamonds in the rough(E.Graham, M.Stovall,etc.

Posted by  dex fields, neptune,n.j. on 01/31  at  06:43 AM

I’m sorry Erik but you have to put some blame on Gruden.Play calling is important,he has to put those guys in the right situation to produce.What Pat is saying is true,Stovall is a big kid with good speed but i think Gruden offense doesn’t work for him.Stovall should be running deep route instead of 4-6 yards pattern.Simms is another player that is not being used the right way.Simms is also a big kid with a big arm,we forget those pretty deep balls he threw since Garcia been here.If gruden start throwing the ball down field instead of throwing the ball for a 3-4 yard pic up-Simms could compete to start.

Posted by  Patrick Dotson, Tampa,FL on 01/31  at  01:00 AM

Erik from chester..lets look at the offense form 07 for a minute...our offense improved overall from 29th to 18th...rushing offense 28th to 11th...passing offense from 26th to 16th...we scored 13 more touchdowns than last year and our points per game went up 8...with all the injuries we had this year..and an offensive line with 2 rookies and 2 second year players on it...plus graham came in a qaurter into the season and still almost busted a thousand yards...that to me says our offensive line did pretty well in my opinion and with those numbers on offense...gruden didnt do that bad either...i guess the three year extension doesnt mean anything...go bucs

Posted by  Patrick Dotson, Tampa,FL on 01/31  at  12:41 AM

i honestly feel with more playing time stovall will become a asset on this team...the kid is 6"5..220..he has good speed as you can see when he plays special teams...but he never gets the playing time on offense...plus we had a upcoming reciever..you people forget about parris warren...he was having one of the best preseasons and he got hurt...i think hes going to be one of our go to guys next year..i do agree bout going out and getting a solid running back...and we need some run stopping help in the middle of our d line…

Posted by  erik, chester,pa on 01/31  at  12:27 AM

Oh, how quick we turn on the heros!! Shame,shame,shame!!! Put the blame on the right J.G.. Not, Jeff Garcia or Joey Galloway but, Jon Gruden! What happened to the “offensive” line, the running game and the plays to our drunk tight end in the playoff game vs New York? All I’m saying is maybe Jon needs to go find Chuckie and let the guys play but tell Robin(Allen) to get more play makers....

Posted by  dex fields, neptune,n.j. on 01/30  at  08:50 PM

Since Allen/Gruden has been here we have only had one speed guy on offense.Every year we talk about it but never do nothing.Last off season we went into free agency under the cap and signed no speed receivers after going out and getting Garcia.
Galloway is now a #2 receiver playing the #1 spot-Hillard is a #4 receiver playing the #2 receiver.Stovall and Clayton can’t beat out Hillard and thats a joke.

Posted by  Steve, tampa on 01/30  at  02:46 PM

Don’t hold your breath for Joey Porter, Him and Gruden have bad history with one another. They would have a better served getting Joey Buttafucco, then that bum.