No More Franchise Tag For Bryant
February 11th, 2010
In the category of ho-hum breaking Bucs news, the Bucs will not pay Antonio Bryant $10 million+ to play for them in 2010.
The Mad Twitterer, aka Rick Stroud of the St. Pete Times, enlightened his readers today by reporting the Bucs would not place their franchise tag on Bryant for the second consecutive season.
Of course, this was a no-brainer after Bryant caught 39 balls and had knee problems that dogged him for half a season.
Bryant will hit the free agent market in March, if the Bucs don’t re-sign him.
In case you missed it, Joe had a long chat with Bryant about free agency, the Bucs and more last week. Click here to check it out.
February 11th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Joe, I know you said a lot of the interview was off the record, but is there anything you’ve heard that you could, er, give us your strong opinion on with regards to AB? i.e.-the Bucs will try to work out a deal, etc.
I don’t want AB to go. I’m sure the Bucs will try to add WR help in FA and ironically enough, AB is the best one out there.
Throw us a bone…
February 11th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Joe here,
Jeff – I talked to Bryant, not Mark Dominik. 🙂 … All I can tell you is, per Bryant, the Bucs haven’t told him to go jump in a lake. As it says in the interview, Bryant says the Bucs told his agent they’ll talk in late February about combine time. …Bryant is pleased to return here. But, like most players, money will be a factor. He’s not going to play here for $2 million less guaranteed than he would get somewhere else. …
February 11th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
If these clowns let AB leave, they better do something damn impressive to replace him. Simply drafting a replacement isn’t going to cut it.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Joe, so in other words, the Bucs won’t get a home town discount and his services go to the highest bidder.
February 11th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
if im correct this upcoming contract bryant needs to consider as his last “big contract”…since he is getting no younger….and recently came off an all-pro type season…and can sort of blame this past years stats on an injury, rookie qb, and a revolving door of starting qb’s….so basically bryant isnt coming back…he will go where they pay him the most with most likely multiple years and hopefully in his eyes a juicy signing bonus…..so he is gone no matter what anyone says….bye bye ab……..adam from ny
February 11th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Well since the Greedy Glazers already announced that the Bucs wont be a “big player” in FA, one can only pray that the team retains AB. I wish I would have held off on those season tickets a little bit longer; since I bought them Iv’e only been hearing about what we are NOT going to do this off-season.
THE MAN IS A BEAST RE-SIGN HIM!!!!!!!!!!
-go bucs!-
February 11th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Joe here,
The hometown discount is probably no Florida state taxes, versus many other states, and a quarterback with some great skills and AB being a warm-weather guy. The Bucs will have to be in the ballpark on price.
February 11th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
The Bucs wont want to pay A.B. anywhere near what he got as franchise player. But someone will (Seattle, the Skins??). WRs will be a dear commodity on the free agent market.