Rick Stroud on speaking with Ruud...

[beardmcdoug]

The only one that needs to be cut is all you crappy Buc fans. Our fans are almost as bad as Philly's fans never appreciating McNabb. Ruud is not the problem. You guys are idiots and have no loyalty at all. We don't deserve Ruud in Tampa. I hope he gets a contract next year and finds a team with a fanbase that appreciates him.

I don't know about the last part.

You all need to realise the defensive line is the problem not Ruud!  [banghead]

[BuccinTex]

Ruud has done nothing but be a team player and leader on the field. And how do the Bucs reward that? By stringing him along and not giving him the contract extention he deserves.

lol haha...oh wait, you were being serious.    We haven't been watching the same guy then.   Team players don't sit out of team activities no matter what is going on with their contract.   Leaders on the field get vocal every so often and have more fire in their belly.    He shows about as much emotion on the field as a mushroom in the forest.

[white dragon]

Ruud fell victim/exposed much in the same way Urlacher was being bagged on a few years ago. Deficient DL play in front of him.

[PWNASAURUS]

Ruud's metrics show a player who's become less efficient since 2007 in stopping the run, which is the hallmark responsibility for an inside linebacker.  Tackles are really are a faux stat, especially when the defense spent as much time on the field as it did last season. Ruud's Stop Rate % in the running game went from 78% in 2007 to 58% and 57% over 2008 and 2009 seasons, respectively (stop rate % vs. run measures an individual player's ability to hold opposing backs to 60% of yards to gain on 1st down, 45% on 2nd down, and 0% on 3rd/4th down on plays in which that player is involved).  This dropped his rank among all linebackers from 9th in the league in 2007 to 77th and 87th, respectively.  The total yards per play for all plays Ruud was in on ballooned to 4.7 in 2009.  Part of this can be attributed to poor line play last year, but Ruud's decline in statistical production can be traced back to the 2008 season.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/player/16824/barrett-ruud

[Dy-nasty D]

Nothing wrong with the statements Ruud made. The title of the newspaper article was "Ruud expects to leave after '10". Ruud never said anything like that. Stoud, as usual, is trying to create a story when there is none.

Stroud's pants are on fire.

[pancake block]

Brooks was great, dont get me wrong but would he have excelled in front of these stiffs at nose tackle, usually having sims on his back 5 yards beond the line of scrimage is not condusive to good line backer play., especially steping over our d-line ...sorry but db55 had ol 99, chidi,rice,booger ......not exactly a fair compairison or fight is it?

[SarasotaBuc Fan]

in madden it took me 3 years to fix this franchise.. and thats only because i signed brees and reggie wayne. traded for merriman and s.phillips and orakpo.  and had a created player ( me ) play SS.