Might The Bucs Shop Derrick Ward To San Diego?
January 23rd, 2010
Joe’s just not seeing Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward and Earnest Graham all on the Bucs roster on opening day.
That combination of older expensive running backs –very unproductive last season — just doesn’t seem like it fits into personnel czar Mark Dominik’s plans.
Joe’s guessing Dominik would rather have two out of three and a pair of fresh young legs.
So who goes?
Earnest Graham is too versatile to dump.
Fan favorite Cadillac is a restricted free agent, and it seems the Bucs would have to fork over $2 million or so to bring him back. It’s reasonable to think Cadillac can give about what Ward could next season at a cheaper price. And Cadillac, because of his injury history and contract status has little, if any, trade value.
That leaves Ward and his fat contract. In 2009, Ward earned $5 millon of his four-year, $17 million contract, per USA Today.
It’s no secret that future Hall of Fame inductee LaDainian Tomlinson is all but finished in San Diego.
He’s clearly on the decline after nearly 3,000 carries and 500+ receptions over nine seasons (that’s a lot of punishment), and he’s due quite a payday in 2010. In a feature story today, ProFootballWeekly reports there is a “99 percent chance” Tomlinson is released before March 1, when he’s due a $2 million roster bonus.
Which direction that club goes from there is the big question. Darren Sproles, who himself will likely need to work out a long-term deal that pays less annual money if he wants to remain in San Diego, is nothing more than a complementary back and return specialist, and Michael Bennett is 31 years old and not about to be a starter again.
Maybe San Diego has its heart set on finding a young stud, like one of this season’s rookie rushing standouts Beanie Wells, Shonn Greene, or Knowshon Moreno, but Joe suspects the Chargers might very much want a proven back with fresh legs who can catch the ball.
If Joe were Mark Dominik, he’d be on the phone with San Diego to see if they’d fork over a second-round pick for Ward.
January 23rd, 2010 at 6:12 pm
i like ward and think he can be good but if a team will give up a 2nd round pick then you gotta do it
January 23rd, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Ward is better than any RB you will draft in the 2’nd round, at least in their rookie year. Good Trade Bait for sure. He should shop Ruud, Trueblood and Clayton too.
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:14 pm
a 2nd round pick? no way they will give that up, a 4th round pick is more like his value….
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:21 pm
D. Ward fits nicely into Norv Turner’s offense. THere’s no question. If they pay Sproles they’re not going to draft a running back. Dominik should make the call. You never know.
January 23rd, 2010 at 8:01 pm
A 2nd Round Pick? Are you out of your mind Joe? Seriously. Ward is going to be 30 next season. That is ancient for a RB. I realize he doesn’t have the tread that most 30-year-old backs have, but still. No team would give up a 2nd round pick for Ward. I actually think a 4th round pick is too high even. The Bucs will probably get rid of one of the 3. They may need to get some fresh blood in as well.
January 23rd, 2010 at 8:15 pm
I’d take a 3rd.
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:56 pm
god rest his soul!!! but we got second rounder for and unproductive Gaines Adams and you can’t really judge Ward on last season. he wasn’t used like he should have been and even though he is going to be 30 look at his carries compared to some of the other starters in the league that are 30. he hasn’t nearly taken the pounding that most running backs his age have
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Eric S has the right of it. It is fatuous to think Tampa is going to get much, if anything, for Ward. in light of his 2009 performance & his salary.$2m. is way too much for Cadillac also. The team needs to draft someone like Tate or Dixon long about rd.5.
January 23rd, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Nobody is going to give a 2nd round pick for I guy that has had injury problems and has only played in a time share. A 4th or 5th would be as high as you could get for Ward. My guess would be that we’re going to go into next year with the exact same backfield that we had this year.
January 24th, 2010 at 3:48 am
Teams guard their draft picks more vigorously these days. I don’t think the Gaines Adams comparison is a good one. Adams was a top 5 draft pick. Teams are always looking for pass rushers. Good pass rushers can last a long long time in this league (J. Taylor, Strahan, B. Smith, F. Dean, to name a few). Unfortunately that didn’t happen for the Bears, but that was their thinking.
Ward on the other hand was a 7th round draft pick who was cut by his first team. He barely played his first 3 seasons. Had a decent 4th season and a very good 5th season. But he went back to mediocre in his 6th season. So he’s been very good only in 1 season. If I was a team GM, would I look at the 5 seasons or the 1 season behind that great OL. I think I would look at the 5 seasons and see the 3 at the beginning of his age and pass on acquiring him. A better example may actually be Michael Turner. Turner had sporadic play in his years in SD. He leaves to go to Atlanta and has the 1 big year. This season he’s starting to break down already. Maybe that is what is happening with Ward. He had that big 2008 after all that inactivity the previous years, it could be his body is giving out.
If the Bucs got anything higher than a 4th for Ward, it would be a miracle. But we did get a 2nd for Adams which was astonishing. But as I said, Adams and Ward are like apples and oranges.
January 24th, 2010 at 7:59 am
Joe, while I don’t mind the option of shopping Ward to the Chargers, I would MUCH rather us try and grab one of their many WRs. That is one position they are pretty deep at. I know Vincent Jackson will be a FA this year, but I don’t recall if it is RFA or UFA. The Chrger throw the ball own the field frequently, so although hemay notbe blazing fast, he’s quick enough. A big target who can stretch the field and run very well after the catch is exactly what Freeman needs to help him become eite.
Also, why is it that everyone seems to forget about Kareem Huggins. Everyone is saying we should draft RB, but I like what Huggins showed in the preseason. I think him, Caddy and Graham on 3rd is exactly what we need in the backfield.
January 24th, 2010 at 8:08 am
Yeah, Adams and Ward are “apples and oranges.” Ward’s loaded with talent and needs to be used. Adams was a bad player, and a major project (still) after three years. The Bucs could very well get a two or a three for Ward. It might take the Bucs accepting a “salary” in return from SD.
January 24th, 2010 at 10:44 am
I love the draft and have way too much time on my hands, so here is my Buccaneers 2010 5 round mock draft…..
1st round #8-12?:
(Trade back to 8-12 )
DT Brian Price – UCLA
2nd round #3:
MLB Brandon Spikes – Florida
2nd round #8-12?:
(From trading back in the first round)
WR Golden Tate – Notre Dame
2nd round #11:
(From Bears for Adams)
DE Brandon Graham – Michigan
2nd round #29-32:
(From Indy for Ruud)
SS Chad Jones – LSU
3rd round #3:
CB Akwasi Owuhsu-Ansah – Indiana
4th round #3:
SS Kam Chancellor
4th round # 29:
(From San Diego for Ward)
WR Taylor Price – Ohio
5th round #3:
DT Michael Neal – Purdue
….my fingers are crossed!
January 24th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
J double.. lol be serious that sucks
January 24th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Wow. You really think that scenerio sucks? I think that scenerio would be too good to be true. I suppose it just goes to show everyone has different ideas about what is right for the Bucs.
Two 3-technique DTs and a DE to improve the D-line, two big physical safeties and a CB to sure up our secondary, and two WRs with playmaking abilites. Oh and basicly swapping Ruud for Spikes. Nine guys that can contribute immediatly and make us better. I really can’t imagine a better draft.
January 24th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Why do you posit losing Ruud, JDouble?? I think the club badly needs a guard somewhere in there….
I am dubious anyone will want to trade up, given the weak QB crop. I wish Mallett & Locker had come out.
January 24th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I want them to retain Ruud. They need some veterans on that D.
January 24th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Ward loaded with talent? Yeah he’s really shown it in his career.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
I’m not a big fan of trading Ruud. I think with a good D-line everyone will fall in love with him again. I don’t think he plays “big” though, so if we could get a second round for him AND get Spikes in the 2nd for sure….I’d be all for it. Any other scenerio and we’d just be creating an unnecessary hole to fill. Ruud is a pretty solid MLB imo.
January 24th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
J double with the picks we have i say get eric berry 3rd overall, with our 1st second get a sleeper that slips maybe like terrance cody,brandon graham,carlos dunlap ect. and with our other 2nd adress the WR(Golden Tate or Brandon Laffell) and with 3rd depending on who we get, get a DE or DT. You can easily get pro bowl caliber players in the 2nd or 3rd they do not have to be first.. look at rhonde barber,tanard jackson,jarius byrd ect.