Today’s Glazers have seen their share of Free Agent pickups go sour. Sour is easily remembered.People in Tampa Bay are just outraged over the Glazers ownership of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They feel they have all the reasons, even though they are the wrong ones.
The Glazers had a stadium built for them with tax money, yet we cant watch the games because of blackouts. Good point, but its not the Glazers fault that CONGRESS enacted blackout legistlation. Its not the NFL, or the Bucs who deal with blackouts, its an act of congress.
The Glazers are cheap, they’ve spent the least amount of money on the team.
That is the biggest joke I’ve ever heard of in my life. Have you seen One Buccaneer Place? It is the most extravagnt home base of operations for any of the NFL teams. You don’t hear the Cowboys fans calling Jerry Jones cheap, especially after he built his stadium, an 8th wonder of the world if there ever was one, do you? No, but that’s also because Jerry Jones buys Free Agents. Then again, the Free Agents Jerry Jones buys work out! The ones the Bucs get, dont.
You have to go back to 2002, the last time the Bucs dipped heavy into free agency and it paid off. Kerry Jenkins, Roman Oben, Michael Pittman, Keenan McCardell, Joe Jurevicius, and Ken Dilger all came in and helped the Bucs offense get better, and with it the Bucs won a Super Bowl.
Two years later, the Bucs tried to do it again. They followed the same formula;
Offensive Lineman- Derrick Deese, Todd Steussie, Matt Stinchcomb
WR Tim Brown, Bill Schroeder
RB Charlie Gardner
Same formula, but this time, it didn’t work out.
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These players had little left in the tank, unlike their 2002 counterparts. With the bill still being paid for the 2002 shopping spree, and the buyer no longer with the team as Rich McKay left the Bucs for the Falcons, the new man inherited the job of paying for all these pricy pickups. The Bucs were upside down in Salary Cap hell. Thats right, the Bucs, UNDER THE GLAZERS, spent MORE money than they had; and it took them 3 to 4 years to get out from under all that debt.
In the meantime, when the Bucs wanted a Free Agent that was a good one, they couldnt afford it. Jeff Garcia was supposed to be a Bucs Quarterback in 2004 when he left the 49ers, but Cleveland outbid the Bucs who simply could not afford him. This Garcia was still in his prime too. The poor Free Agency experience left a bad taste in the Glazers mouth, but they werent done yet. The Glazers always believed they could get this team better by spending money, and no one liked more money spent on the team for Free Agents that Jon Gruden. Never one to like to bring up a rookie, Gruden liked the veteran who know what he was doing.
In 2005-2006, the Bucs brought in BJ Askew, Ike Hilliard, Zack Crockett, Luke Petitgout, Michael Bennett, David Boston, Matt Lehr, Jeremy Stevens, Kevin Carter, Chris Hovan, Cato June, Philip Buchanon, and Josh Bidwell. Alot of those guys came in 2007, and represented a major influx of money from the Glazers. The end result was a 9-7 season two years in a row, including a humiliating defeat at home in the playoffs to the NY Giants, and a 4 game losing streak in 2008 to end the Jon Gruden Era.
Even more Free Agents were brought in for the 2008 season. Warrick Dunn, Patrick Chukwurah, Ryan Sims, Jeff Faine and Antonio Bryant, and Brian Greise was brought back too. Antonio Bryant had a great season, and Jeff Faine has been solid, but the rest really did not produce, yet again another sour spot for the Glazers and Free Agency.
Ward liked the cars and women, but not work of the NFL. It showed on game day.People in Tampa Bay don’t remember any of this. They just look at the numbers, or even worse recite the statements they’ve heard that the Glazers have had the lowest payroll. They forgot how the Bucs traded for Kellen Winslow, then gave him a lucrative new contract. What did Bucs fans do? complain that he got a big contract! How can you complain the Bucs spend no money but complain also that they spent money to one of the top tight ends in football?
Not just K2, the Bucs went out in 2009 and signed the best running back available, Derrick Ward. Then they picked up Mike Nuggent, the best kicker available. They gave Michael Clayton money because it was thought he would be a new man without Jon Gruden. All mistakes, all expensive, costly mistakes. 
The Glazers original recipe was draft young players, augment with Free agents
And so the Glazers took a look back at what made the Bucs good from the beginning. Not what made the SuperBowl, but what made the turn around happen; and it was draft picks. Then once the team started to walk on its own, were Free Agents added. So when you look back at the history, it’s no wonder the Glazers have a bad taste in their mouth when it comes to free agency.
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