What a weekend! Holy Toledo! No, sadly the Brucester did not play exceptionally well on Sunday, meaning my yet to start campaign to get Gene and Hardy to shout (scream in Gene’s case?) that whenever Bruce hits a big play couldn’t occur. However, instead a story of determination came into full bloom. As we all know, and have had a week to digest, the mini (major?) miracle that Matt Bryant pulled off can simply be summed up in the following way: 62. As for ol’ Brucie, what did he do? If you’re looking for high quarterback ratings, with hundreds of yards, a high completion rate, and several TD’s you’re going to be saddened. Instead, as he has consistently shown, pressure does not get to him – a 9-yard run for a 1st down that led to the position for the winning field goal with four seconds to go? Easy. <> Similarly, credit has to be given to Michael Pittman for his 35+ yard kick return. Whilst Bryant took the glory, the day, and the history books, many outside of the Buccaneers organisation seem to have forgotten that without Gradkowski and Pittman he wouldn’t have had the chance. This was proof enough how much of a team game Football is. EVERYONE on that field plays a role in each and every way – for every game Cadillac runs for 100+ yards, you’ll find him acknowledging, rightfully so, the O-Line and that without them he’d end up with nothing. This is what I love about the game – that for all the ‘skill’ positions, the glory-getters, there’s someone putting themselves on the line just so a receiver can catch, just so a back can get that extra yardage. Football really is a team game. So how the hell did Terrell Owens get into the NFL?! The quarterback merry-go-round, the draft, the end of season deals and trades. Personally, the Bucs will be very active here, with, in my opinion, Brian Kelly, Simeon Rice, Shelton Quarles, Chris Simms and Tim Rattay being shown the exit door, all for various reasons. Kelly? Injuries and existing depth. Rice? Salary and doubts that he may follow Warren Sapp down the garden path. Quarles? Age. Simms? Gradkowski! Rattay? End of contract, and, well, the fact he lost out to a Rookie 6th rounder in PRE-SEASON says it all. Not all these reasons are especially valid, possibly involving Simeon Rice in particular, especially with the increase in salary cap next year, but I expect the bulk of that list to be saying Auf Wiedersehen to One Buc Palace this Spring. With Simms and Rattay likely to leave, with Bruce Gradkowski as our starter, we would be left with Luke McCown as our sole back-up – whilst the Colts only have one back-up for Peyton, Gradkowski is hardly in his league at the moment, so we need a 3rd QB. The question is, who’s available? Matt Schaub is the ‘biggest’ name, along with Chris Simms in free agency at the end of the year, but, like Simms, Schaub has had enough of being back-up, and would no more relish the thought of playing back-up to a 2nd year QB than Lee Bromfield would wearing a Manchester United scarf to next year’s Bucs UK draft. Oh wait. Personally, for a low round draft pick, why not pick up Paddy Ramsey from the Jets? Or Mark Brunell from Washington if Jason Campbell breaks through this year. At worst we’d be looking at a 4th rounder, which with our extra 2nd round pick (Thank you Indy) would be compensated. Any other ideas? Answers on the forum. But no Shaun King. Really. Assuming we have a top-10 draft pick, we will not only be in a good bargaining spot (even though this years draft doesn’t overly look like it’s big in depth, particularly in the way last years was built up), but we will realistically be able to choose who we want. Right now, a safety, linebacker or d-lineman seems set to be our 1st round pick, with an outside chance of a ful-lback – this is more than likely A-Train’s final season, and having only Jerald Sowell in place on the active roster, with Rick Razzano fleeting between the practice squad and active roster in pre-season – again – I think Gruden will be keeping an eye out… Just in case! This weekend – well, according to Madden ’07, we’re either going to win by 3 (21-18 and 17-14 being the two outcomes there), or get demolished (34-17). My money’s on us losing by 7. Speaking of betting, to finish this week it’s sweepstakes time! When will Dennis Green be fired… or committed. I say Tuesday at 3pm (EDT)! Enjoy the Meadowlands, and Gene, Hardy? If you read this for some random reason… HOLY TOLEDO! Richard Lowe October 2006