2006-03-11

Isaac Bruce a Buc?

The most immediate effect of the new CBA is that all of the sudden free agency goes from a buyer's market to a seller's market. With the increased salary cap and six year extension hundreds of millions of dollars have been freed up which can now be spent on free agents. The Bucs quickly went from being a team which had to worry about releasing key players to a team which plans on being active in the free agent market.

The Bucs more glaring needs are at receiver and offensive tackle and to that end Bruce Allen brought in left tackle Brad Hopkins for an interview. For background on Hopkins I went to Titans blogger Jeff at GoTitans.com...

When the Titans drafted three tackles in the '05 draft, the writing was on the wall for Hopkins. The Titans are rebuilding and need to get these young guys in now so they can get some experience and gel while the team looks to '07 and beyond. Roos (who the Titans took in the second round last year) is a natural LOT. He played ROT last year but backed Hopkins all season -- replacing him in the opener and as the #2 in practice all year.

I think he is an average OT now who might help out a team for a season or two but no more. The Titans offered him the vet minimum and I don't think they could guarantee he'd start at LOT.

Additionally, in what has become a yearly right of passage, the Bucs are looking at a big name receiver. Last year, Jerry Rice's name was tossed around and the season before that Tim Brown. This offseason Bruce Allen is looking at Isaac Bruce, another guy on the wrong side of 30.

While the Bucs are thin at receiver the position is also top heavy. When healthy Joey Galloway and Michael Clayton are both number one receivers, which means Bruce would be the third receiver at best. While he is no longer the Pro Bowler he once was would Bruce be willing to play third fiddle?

EDIT: Bruce has resigned with St. Louis so ignore the compete and utter nonsense above.

4 comments:

Cutthroat Pirates said...

Your a little late bro, Bruce resigned with the Rams, he is out.

Ski said...

yep, saw a few minutes too late. also, it looks like the bucs will make an offer to hopkins

Cutthroat Pirates said...

What you think about him Ski, I am worried about his age? But we need help at the O line. Hey about the season tickets, its raised $10 per game so over 10 games that is where I got my $100 increase. Plus there is tax per ticket, but I have not fig what the actual tax cost per ticket. It just seems high to me.

Ski said...

ouch on the season ticket prices, wasn't aware they had increased so much.

never having seen Hopkins play, I'm relying on what the Titans blogger had to say.

Hopkins sounds like a year or two stop gap at the tackle position (if the Bucs even sign him). I could see the Bucs signing an offensive tackle and then drafting another tackle to create some depth at the position. then pit the guys against each other in training camp, see who comes out ahead and start that guy for the season.