Rice blasts Gruden

[pewtersurf]

Good Bye complainer.  Gruden dealt with Rice's selfish scrap for long enough.  Simeon is on the wrong side of 30 to think hes worth 7 million a year.

Go beg for 2-3 million somewhere else.

[BuC-U]

Do we really think that as much as Gruden is in a make or break year that he would actually let go of Rice? Gruden takes alot of heat for many of the personnel decisions but he doesnt pull the trigger. And he has no idea how much cap space or what the financial situation may be IMO. By no means am I defending this decision or Gruden but I really feel if it were up to Gruden he'd have signed anybody, at any price, that could help him keep his job.
Lets bear in mind we are having a youth movement here and should Gruden/ Allen be in a lame duck situation, does a move like this make it justifiably (health related) or financially sound. Or is there someone bigger than Allen ensuring we stay young and cap conscious? I know I'd be on a shopping spree for sure.
There is never a good time to be fired and lets admit Simeon hasn't really been the model team mate either, however, he trains and does his job well. IMO, he hasnt really been up front with the FO in terms of his health as much as the FO hasnt been up front with him about their plans should he not be ready to play in time.  
Allen really has to work on his timing and presentation when it comes to personnel moves.

[ryan24]

Rice did not need to take a paycut as he was in the last year of his contract.  The team did not need the money generated from a pay cut.

...by the same token the Bucs did not need to pay him the full amount if they deemed him not being able to perform to the level of pay.

Whether the team "needed" the money matters little in this case.

[Balls Out]

The only reason I can think of that they did this at this time is because the injury is more severe than they thought.

exactly, I know the Bucs didn't want to cut him, they know what type of player he is and for Rice to say that Gruden's happy today really smells of emotion. The last thing Gruden wants is to lose a HOF DE, I know that.

Agree with almost everything, other than Sim being a HOF player....he won't get a sniff at Canton.

[Dominico]

"I took a pay cut to come to Tampa. I'm the most consistent thing they ever had in Tampa"
These two statements bug me the most. Correct me if i'm wrong, but wasn't Rice signed to the largest defensive contract ever, at that time. Also anyone who knows the Bucs knows Rice is very inconsistent. Yes he will get his sack number by the end of the year, but he has been a non-factor in many games.

[ryan24]

Without even reading either the full thread or the comments made by Rice....is there anyone at all who's surprised that a player who has been unexpectedly cut is not going to have glowing comments about the cutters?

"I took a pay cut to come to Tampa. I'm the most consistent thing they ever had in Tampa"
These two statements bug me the most. Correct me if i'm wrong, but wasn't Rice signed to the largest defensive contract ever, at that time.

Not in his first year. I believe that the first year he played for one million dollars. Then he got the huge payday, exactly as promised.

[DefenseWins]

Gruden is a rat bastard

[dalbuc]

"I took a pay cut to come to Tampa. I'm the most consistent thing they ever had in Tampa"
These two statements bug me the most. Correct me if i'm wrong, but wasn't Rice signed to the largest defensive contract ever, at that time. Also anyone who knows the Bucs knows Rice is very inconsistent. Yes he will get his sack number by the end of the year, but he has been a non-factor in many games.

You manage to be wrong in both cases.

First, Rice showed up on a sub-market deal here after he was cut by AZ. After he blew up the got his shiny new deal.

Second, Rice was an amazingly consistent pass rusher. Compare his games with a sack figures to Freeny or Peppers or any of those guys. No one drops a sack in every game and Rice tended to drop one sack in more games than a lot of the top end pass rushers. You can't always get there and any pass rusher is going to be a "non-factor" if you aren't paying attention. Bad news kids, Adams has the same fate awaiting him.

[alldaway]

...by the same token the Bucs did not need to pay him the full amount if they deemed him not being able to perform to the level of pay.

Whether the team "needed" the money matters little in this case

IF that is the case then why is Wyms on the roster? 

[bradentonian]

Without even reading either the full thread or the comments made by Rice....is there anyone at all who's surprised that a player who has been unexpectedly cut is not going to have glowing comments about the cutters?

I think that's kind of the point

[ryan24]

...by the same token the Bucs did not need to pay him the full amount if they deemed him not being able to perform to the level of pay.

Whether the team "needed" the money matters little in this case

IF that is the case then why is Wyms on the roster?

Is he hurt and deemed not ready to play?

[bradentonian]

...by the same token the Bucs did not need to pay him the full amount if they deemed him not being able to perform to the level of pay.

Whether the team "needed" the money matters little in this case

IF that is the case then why is Wyms on the roster?

Is he hurt and deemed not ready to play?

PR has been reporting that the Bucs FO doesn't feel that Wyms' play is up the the level of his contract

[TB5219]

Great points, Guys! I'll miss the early Rice's play, but not his quips. It sounds like he didn't get along with Monte very well, is bitter that Gruden didn't hold him above everyone else yesterday, didn't want to take a pay cut when he hasn't been able to work for 9 months (and by his own admission, won't be able to for another month). If a 32 year old DE with a 9 month old shoulder injury isn't healthy yet, why take the risk of aggravating it more at RJS? Some of these rotator cuff surgeries don't guarantee it won't happen again if overextended. If you don't baby it, you may be looking at another surgery real quick. I hope he gets healthy, but after making millions the past few years...it might be best to decide whether you should go in a different direction healthwise/careerwise. Just like the rest of us..... minus the millions part. 

[ryan24]

...by the same token the Bucs did not need to pay him the full amount if they deemed him not being able to perform to the level of pay.

Whether the team "needed" the money matters little in this case

IF that is the case then why is Wyms on the roster?

Is he hurt and deemed not ready to play?

PR has been reporting that the Bucs FO doesn't feel that Wyms' play is up the the level of his contract

That much I understand however at this point he can get on the field and prove it one way or another.