Sports Illustrated rips us...

[caradoc]

The more I think about it, the more I'm sure I'm right.  I'm not hearing anything contradictory, so it seems like a case of Houston and Jake trying to run a poorly thought-out scam:
Jake wants Houston, Houston wants Jake.
Denver just cannot afford his salary as a backup.  Jake doesn't want to retire from Denver, he wants houston.
Jake doesn't want to retire, if he did he'd have done it by now.  He does lay some retirement talk as groundwork just in case.
Houston will sign him the sec he's FA, so they don't offer a pick.  They know Jake won't sign anywhere else.
It's all transparent, but nobody is really willing to step into it. 
Enter the Shrewd and Ruthless type. (Bruce)
He goes and blows the whole thing up.  Jake Cries "retire". 
Bruce calls his bluff.  Now Jake has to really retire, or accept a trade.
He can't "report" to us to screw us, and then play like crap --  if he did that his playing days are over.  NOBODY would touch someone who did that. 
He also can't just hang tigh and hope we release him -- Houston is no longer a safe landing place since they've been too obvious about what they're doing.  He can only get there by trade.
Jake tries to get the Trade to Tampa Annulled -- Denver will release him, they don't have the money to play this game.  With him on they can't sign anyone they want.
If Jake DOES retire, his carreer is over, we'll hold his rights for three years.  If he won't accept a trade this year, and retires, he has a chance of returning next year, but not after three.

I think right about now the lawyers are explaing to Houston and Jake that they can't have their cake and eat it too.  If Jake ever wants to play again, he needs to accept a trade.  If Houston wants him, they can't get him for free.  So Jake is now hoping that Houston likes him as much as he thinks they do, or he's headed somewhere else...

[BucLord]

And they make perfect sense

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/03/03/bucs.qbs/index.html

This team is getting st back 3 more years because Johnny boy is only looking out for his own job

WTF is Garcia gonna do for us?

We aint making the playoffs next year, and when the Glaziers finally figure out what a knucklehead Gruden is and fires him after our 6-10 season. We are stuck with a garbage team...

But oh no Jon, by all means... sit Simms and set us back 2 more years, I mean it's not like Brooks and Kelly and Barber & Rice are 28 years old...

We are Farked people.. and I will bump this thread next year and prove that this teams future is NOT in the best intrest in Johnny boy..

My God, what have we've become?

[jeanclaudtransam]

"My hunch tells me that both Denver and Tampa Bay made the Plummer deal because they were convinced that the 10th-year quarterback was trying to pull something of an end-around and get to Houston by hook or by crook. If it took the retirement threat to pull it off, so be it, Plummer reasoned.

...

Perhaps whatever the value of the conditional 2008 pick that Tampa Bay shipped the Broncos, the Bucs are convinced they can beat that deal once the Texans get closer and closer to starting the 2007 season with Carr remaining as their only viable starting option. If Houston still wants Plummer, it might eventually end up paying more for him to Tampa Bay than it would have to Denver weeks ago. "

[karen anderson]

Exactly!  What an intelligent, concise article. If they were such good moves, why are we the laughing stocks?

[Boid Fink]

First of all, it is an article written by SI.  It is not the Bible of Sports, although it is alright in what it does, which is sell copies and stories.

Second, do you honestly think the Bucs will either keep Plummer, even if they want him, or not try to deal him to the Texans for Carr straight up?  I mean, What else is there to do with Plummer?  He is a chip right now.  Plummer is playing his cards, the Bucs are playing theres.  The problem is, the Bucs can't lose.  Even if Plummer shows up and says "Pay me", the Bucs can just trade him to some team that will, and get what I am assuming, fair compensation for him.  What is fair?  I dunno, even moving up 1 spot inthe fourth (for a pick they lose next year) is fair to me.  Why?  Because nothing was really lost.  I am banking that the Bucs get Carr for him, and that creates a more feasible (fiscally) stable of QBs to work with.  If not, I expect Simms to become trade bait to a team like the Raiders, who cherish Simms arm strength in a vertical pass attack, and can afford to trade down with the BUcs, creating a 1 to 4 swap, and giving the reigns to Simms.  Which might make Moss happy for once.  And Porter too.  

And 3, What does Jeff do for us?  He brings a guy who can clearly still play football with some guts, can make a throw on the run, and does not look 37 when he plays at all!  What has he not done at 37 that makes you think he is losing a step?  Clearly nothing.

Gruden signing Chukwurah (or BA signing...I should say), and resigning PBUc, who played well as a DBACK!!! of all things, signing GArcia, getting the rights to PLummer who will become trade bait, and if not, no harm no foul material, and signing BJ Askew and still having 20 million to work with is AWESOME!

Gruden is not sinking this team.  If he did, he could have signed Mughelli to a six year, 18 million dollar deal....or went after Clements and tore the cap down immediately.

The article posted was really ill-conceived.

Exactly!  What an intelligent, concise article. If they were such good moves, why are we the laughing stocks?

Are they laughing at us?

"The Bucs could end up looking pretty darn shrewd in the whole deal if that scenario unfolds"

Doesn't sound that way to me. 

[cyberdude557]

It's a risk. Everything a team does in the offseason is a risk. This is a reletively small risk. The biggest loser of course is Plummer who tried to cross Shanahan and got burned pretty damn bad.

[Boid Fink]

It's a risk. Everything a team does in the offseason is a risk. This is a reletively small risk. The biggest loser of course is Plummer who tried to cross Shanahan and got burned pretty damn bad.

And now is trying to f$$k with the Bucs (Bruce Allen), and will get doubly screwed.

I tmakes me loathe Jake PLummer even more than before, and ironically, he might become a Buc, if not for a minute or two...

I'll be glad to see him in another uniform, because it means the Bucs got something for him.

Let him sit for a year...I could care less.  But I know it would eat at him inside...

[karen anderson]

Some where on this board there was an article saying there was language saying the only place Jake can play football is here. Way to pick the only sentence that makes us sound good.IF  I haven't seen or heard anything that didn't make light of what is going on down here.

[cyberdude557]

Some where on this board there was an article saying there was language saying the only place Jake can play football is here. Way to pick the only sentence that makes us sound good.IF  I haven't seen or heard anything that didn't make light of what is going on down here.

That's been misunderstood. Plummer can either play in Tampa or not play at all. That is the only choice he has.
But the Bucs control his contract. The Broncos no longer have any right over his contract and cannot dictate what the Bucs can and cannot do with him. So yes, we can trade him.

[Boid Fink]

Some where on this board there was an article saying there was language saying the only place Jake can play football is here. Way to pick the only sentence that makes us sound good.IF  I haven't seen or heard anything that didn't make light of what is going on down here.

Why can't he be traded?  IF the BUcs acquire his rights (which they have), and he decides to green up and go, the Bucs can promptly dump him in a few minutes...which they should.

I mean, would you rather have Carr, or Plummer?  I know Snake has the skill set to run this team, but it is SNAKE we are talking about here.  The guy is a flounderer...he can't make his mind up, or he is really playing games here.  Either way, the Bucs don't need that crap here.

Some where on this board there was an article saying there was language saying the only place Jake can play football is here. Way to pick the only sentence that makes us sound good.IF  I haven't seen or heard anything that didn't make light of what is going on down here.

The article was balanced, and they are just expressing an opinion based on what they think they know.  What happened in the last 24 hours makes perfect sense, and the Buccs come out of it in good shape.  Plummer's future is in the Buccs hands, and there are two less QBs in FA, three if you count Carr who the Texan's wanted to replace with Plummer.

Allen holds all the cards right now, and hopefully it will pay dividends in the near future.

[caradoc]

"The Bucs could end up looking pretty darn shrewd in the whole deal if that scenario unfolds, but there is some risk in their gambit as well. What if Plummer calls their bluff and un-retires, announcing his plans to report to Tampa Bay's training camp?"

I'm not convinced jake can "call our Bluff".  If he does and we release him and he goes to Kubiak, there are real charges of collusion and possible Tampering that can be brought up.  What he's trying to do appears as transparent as glass.  While the league is often hands-off on this kind of stuff, with Allen and the Glazers pushing it, Plummer and Houston could find themselves with bigger issues than trying to work out a trade we like. 

If the retirement talk was a surprise to us, we had a chance to bail out when he first said it.  Instead we stayed in.  Say what you want, but Bruce is a shrewd businessman.  While he may take a gamble, I don't think he'll take a high-risk low-reward one.  If the situation was as clear as Jake just waiting and us having to release him, there's no way we made such an obvious mistake.  Even Millen wouldn't pull that.  Only Al Davis would -- remember what he did to Marcus?  I suppose we could be holding that threat, but I think it's something else.  People are missing something here.  Whether it's the tampering/collusion, or something else, we have leverage here -- why do you think Jake is trying to get this trade annuled?  He's not doing it to help us, he needs to get out because we have something over his head.

[Morgan]

We took the Eagle's best QB during their 2006 season (won their division). That in itself is an improvement for our team.
Garcia is an intelligent leader - something we lacked on the offense last season.  He should bring us at least a few more wins next season - 

As for Plummer - its a risk that I wouldn't have taken. Probably the Broncos initiated the deal more so than the Bucs.  Worse case-Plummer shows up and sits the bench. Best case, he changes his mind, decides to play, and we trade him to the Texans for Carr or to Oakland for a draft choice or decent player that fills a need.

Its only March - SI writer Banks should realize that a lot of things will happen over the next 7 months.

[JC510]

This is one of the worst articles I've ever read.

He answers his own question....
"First off, this much seems clear when it comes to Plummer: He wanted to relocate to Houston and play for ex-Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, where he would have walked in the door as the unquestioned starter in place of David Carr, who the Texans would like to move. Plummer didn't want his next place of employment dictated to him by Denver, via a trade, unless it was to Houston, and he didn't want any part of a quarterback competition with his new team."

Thats the whole freaking point! The Texans thought they could get Plummer without giving up a pick because Denver couldn't be able to be active in Free Agency while having Plummer's contract on their books. Well guess what, now the Texans have to give the Bucs a pick for Plummer! Denver got a pick, Bucs will get a pick and Texans will get Plummer. It's a stroke of genius!