Captcoolhand
03-04-2007, 07:46 AM
For playing for the most teams in his career:dunno:
When Chris Simms said he welcomed competition for Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback job, he surely didn’t envision the Buccaneers getting two accomplished veterans to challenge for his job.
The Bucs signed free agent Jeff Garcia on Saturday, then announced they had also obtained the rights to Jake Plummer from Denver to give the team a three-way tussle for the reins to coach Jon Gruden’s offense.
Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who nearly signed with the Bucs as a free agent in 2004, agreed to a two-year deal he hopes will give him a chance to finally get to the Super Bowl.
A championship is missing from Plummer’s resume, too, but its unclear if it remains a personal goal because the 32-year-old is said to be considering retirement after losing his starting job with the Broncos last season.
Stepping away from the game couldn’t be farther from the 37-year-old Garcia’s mind.
"Throw age out the window because that’s not how I play. That’s not how I focus. That’s not how I mentally prepare. That’s not who I am," Garcia said during a news conference.
The Bucs won the Super Bowl four seasons ago, but have had losing records and missed the playoffs three of the past four years.
A tight salary-cap situation has prevented the Bucs from being real players in free agency since Gruden took over in 2002. However, the team began this year’s signing period with about $25 million in space.
When Chris Simms said he welcomed competition for Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback job, he surely didn’t envision the Buccaneers getting two accomplished veterans to challenge for his job.
The Bucs signed free agent Jeff Garcia on Saturday, then announced they had also obtained the rights to Jake Plummer from Denver to give the team a three-way tussle for the reins to coach Jon Gruden’s offense.
Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who nearly signed with the Bucs as a free agent in 2004, agreed to a two-year deal he hopes will give him a chance to finally get to the Super Bowl.
A championship is missing from Plummer’s resume, too, but its unclear if it remains a personal goal because the 32-year-old is said to be considering retirement after losing his starting job with the Broncos last season.
Stepping away from the game couldn’t be farther from the 37-year-old Garcia’s mind.
"Throw age out the window because that’s not how I play. That’s not how I focus. That’s not how I mentally prepare. That’s not who I am," Garcia said during a news conference.
The Bucs won the Super Bowl four seasons ago, but have had losing records and missed the playoffs three of the past four years.
A tight salary-cap situation has prevented the Bucs from being real players in free agency since Gruden took over in 2002. However, the team began this year’s signing period with about $25 million in space.