The Writers

Roy Cummings

Ira Kaufman

 @TBO_Buccaneers
 TBO Buccaneers
 Roy Cummings
 Anwar Richardson
 Ira Kaufman
 Ask a question

More Links:

• Roster
• Schedule
• Statistics
• Email Updates

Most Recent Entries

• Whitney: Tampa will always love you
• Mackerel starting to show near beaches
• Linsanity leads to Lin-credibly inflated prices
• Bucs blocked again in search for staff assistant
• Super Bowl: The Greatest Show in the World
• Hillsborough’s Sherit lands offers from Oklahoma, Ole Miss
• Mays is first Topps Prime 9 redemption card for 2012
• Rays accepting applications for the Community Fund Grant Program
• Gaither’s Stanger ranked tops in his class by Golfweek Magazine
• Former Shorecrest football coach Hayford among 34 applying for Brandon job
• Jesuit QB Tommy Eveld accepts USF walk-on offer, joins brother
• USF at Boise State in 2012?
• Panini Playoff football is no longer a secret
• 2 baseball players make commitments
• State cross country meet leaving Little Everglades

More

• Bucs Report -Tribune staff
• Rays Report - Roger Mooney
• Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
• Bulls Report
• Gators Report - Tribune staff
• Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
• Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
• The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
• Storm Report - Nick Williams
• Prep Report - Football
• Prep Report - Hillsborough
• Prep Report - Pasco
• NFL Draft Report
• Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
• Prep Report - Region
• Grapefruit Report - Spring Training
• Boxing Report - Eddie Daniels
• FC Tampa Bay soccer - Tribune Staff
• Youth Sports Report
• Scenes From College Football
• Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
• Bucified Bert Blog
• BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
• Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
• Highlands Sports

Monthly Archives

• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011

Bucs Rumored To Be Talking Trade With Vikings

Posted Oct 2, 2007 by Roy Cummings

Updated Oct 2, 2007 at 01:07 PM

TAMPA – We’ll say this about Bucs GM Bruce Allen: he’s out there trying. That’s word anyway.

Talk in Minnesota this morning is that Allen has been trying to swing a deal with the Vikings that would bring tackle Bryant McKinnie and running back Chester Taylor to Tampa Bay.

Only time will tell if such a deal goes down, but that would be one heck of deal. McKinnie is the Vikings starting left tackle and Taylor is coming off a career-best 1,200-yard rushing season.

Taylor missed a couple of games because of a hip injury he suffered in the season opener but he started the game last week against Green Bay and had eight carries for 40 yards.

The Vikings could probably afford to let Taylor go, what with Adrian Peterson getting most of the work at tailback. Still, this deal seems a little far-fetched.

McKinnie and Taylor are not old players nearing the end of their careers. They’re still relatively young and both should just now be entering the prime of their careers.

Not only that, but the Vikings are not out of the running in an NFC North race that is currently as upside down as NFC South race is. Though they’re 1-3, they still have a chance to fight their way to the top.

Everything depends, though, on what the Bucs are willing to part with. A deal at this time of year would almost certainly include an exchange of players, but the Bucs may also be willing to part with a draft pick.

We’re not suggesting that pick would be a first- or second-rounder, but the Bucs no doubt feel they have a chance at making a legitimate playoff run this year, so they may be willing to pay a lot.

Something else the Bucs have to factor into the equation is the future of RB Cadillac Williams. Torn patellar tendons are difficult to come back from. Some prove impossible to come back from.

  If Williams injury is the latter sort, the Bucs will have to start anew their search for a feature back. Taylor may not be the best answer but a team could do a lot worse.

A good pass catcher and runner, he’s a good fit in a West Coast type of scheme. And like we said before, he’s still young. Some scouts believe he’s got starter potential and only needs a chance to play regularly.

As for McKinnie, he’s a solid starter. Many believe he could become an elite-level player with better coaching and more focus on the game. He could even prove to be an upgrade over Luke Petitgout.

Weighing all of that, the feeling here is that this deal never goes down. It may be just a bad rumor anyway, but you can bet Allen is out there slugging away, trying to do something to offset the loss of Williams and Petitgout.