Projo Pats Blog

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers certainly can afford Matt Cassel. Whether they want him is another matter.

The Bucs, already close to $50 million under the projected 2009 salary cap of $123 million, this week cleared another $10 million worth of cap space by releasing an array of big-name vets, headed by 11-time Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks.

Brooks, 36, was one of five players released -- four of whom are older than Tampa Bay's new coach, 32-year-old Raheem Morris, who replaced the fired Jon Gruden.
Also cut were 37-year-old wide receiver Joey Galloway, the only wide receiver in franchise history to have three straight seasons (2005-07) with more than 1,000 yards receiving; 34-year-old running back Warrick Dunn, one of just six players in NFL history to have more than 10,000 yards rushing and 500 receptions; 32-year-old wide receiver Ike Hilliard; and 29-year-old linebacker Cato June, signed as a free agent in 2007 from Indianapolis.

"This is a direction change," Morris said. We are moving forward. We're going to play some people that were behind these guys and let them compete."

Among the other changes made by the Bucs is the decision not to re-sign 39-year old quarterback Jeff Garcia. They recently signed Luke McCown, who'll be 28 this summer, to a two-year deal. He played in just two games last season for the Bucs, throwing only one pass. Also still on the roster is soon-to-be 34-year-old Brian Griese, a well-travelled veteran.

The Bucs have the 19th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft this April, and thus are in a position to put together a trade package with New England to obtain Cassel, who led the Patriots to an 11-5 record last season, stepping in when NFL MVP Tom Brady was hurt in the first quarter of the first game.

Griese clearly isn't a long-term answer and, if you could afford Cassel, why would you want McCown?

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