Bucs Purge Veteran Roster

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The Tampa Bay Bucs went nuts today, releasing five veteran players in a move that made a firm commitment to the team’s younger players. Linebacker Derrick Brooks, receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, running back Warrick Dunn and linebacker Cato June were all sent packing. Only Cato is under 30-years-old. And sure, I can accept that the Bucs want to go in a different direction. But when a team loses not only good players but also good people — some of the best in the entire National Football League — it’s hard to imagine it can be a good thing. New head coach Raheem Brock understands this:

“There’s no doubt we are losing players with a tremendous amount of leadership and character. You never replace a guy like Derrick Brooks. This was not a money issue or a youth movement. This is a direction change. We are moving forward. We’re going to play some people that were behind these guys and let them compete.”

That doesn’t really explain what direction the team is headed. But if it’s not a money issue or a youth movement — and leadership and character have already been factored in — the team obviously feels the skills of these players has diminished beyond repair. So, it will be interesting to see how the former backups do in starting roles. And it will be interesting to see how each of these now free agent players fits with other teams, if at all. In other words, I hope the Bucs know what they are doing as they change their direction.

Source: Buccaneers.com, Photo: Newscom.com