Will Allen and we could still have Lynch.. unbelievable..

[MrFreakinMiyagi]

Phillips is the best safety I have ever seen that doesn't have any arms.

[acacius]

Well, that's the point dumb jerk, why the hell should John Lynch be a backup? Cuz he definately can't play at Denver. Should have been the starter.

Still, Kiffen's done well enough over the years that I'm not inclined to crucify him for this one mistake.

[DanTurksGhost]

Well, that's the point dumb jerk, why the hell should John Lynch be a backup? Cuz he definately can't play at Denver. Should have been the starter.

Well, the name-calling certainly does bolster your argument.

[JavaBuc]

I don't understand the name calling either.   I tend to ignore people who resort to that.

[DanTurksGhost]

Still, Kiffen's done well enough over the years that I'm not inclined to crucify him for this one mistake.

Right. Gruden doesn't make the call on who starts and doesn't on defense. Kiffin has full control in that area, and he wanted the young guy to get his shot.

[stereochemistry]

Speaking of Thomas Jones, I can't remember the situation that year, but seeing as he practically signed at 12:01 on the first day of Free Agency, how much cap money did the Bucs have to start FA that year?  I know we signed Garner later, but was that money made available after the start of FA by cuts or restructures?

Not that it matters much.  Jones wanted to be a starter, and with the speed he signed elsewhere, it would be hard to argue that he was going to give the Bucs a chance to match the offer.

[JavaBuc]

I'm not worried about Jones.   I don't think he was the right fit here.    The Lynch move still pisses me off.

Well, that's the point dumb jerk, why the hell should John Lynch be a backup? Cuz he definately can't play at Denver. Should have been the starter.

By that theory....guys like Doug Flutie shouldn't be backups....playing time in the NFL is not a 'lifetime achievement' award...

[karen anderson]

Well, that's the point dumb jerk, why the hell should John Lynch be a backup? Cuz he definately can't play at Denver. Should have been the starter.

Still, Kiffen's done well enough over the years that I'm not inclined to crucify him for this one mistake.

I don't believe that was Monte's call. Otherwise we'd have DJax & DSmith--both of which he lobbied for.

[karen anderson]

Well, that's the point dumb jerk, why the hell should John Lynch be a backup? Cuz he definately can't play at Denver. Should have been the starter.

By that theory....guys like Doug Flutie shouldn't be backups....playing time in the NFL is not a 'lifetime achievement' award...

Come on, RJ, it's not about who has the most playing time--he was/still is the better safety.

[acacius]

Well, that's the point dumb jerk, why the hell should John Lynch be a backup? Cuz he definately can't play at Denver. Should have been the starter.

Still, Kiffen's done well enough over the years that I'm not inclined to crucify him for this one mistake.

I don't believe that was Monte's call. Otherwise we'd have DJax & DSmith--both of which he lobbied for.

He doesn't get to decide who starts on his defense?  Because that was the stickler for Lynch.  He was willing to take a paycut but wasn't willing to be a backup, at least as I understand it.  At the VERY least, he would have had significant input on the decision.

[DanTurksGhost]

I don't believe that was Monte's call. Otherwise we'd have DJax & DSmith--both of which he lobbied for.

Sigh.

[keeponbucn]

Well, that's the point dumb jerk, why the hell should John Lynch be a backup? Cuz he definately can't play at Denver. Should have been the starter.

my my how quickly we forget. Denver plays a different defense than the Bucs keeping him close to the LOS and nowhere near coverage. He get's burned all day in coverage and was before he left the Bucs. An aging vet with a neck injury and you want to keep him? Give me a break.

[caradoc]

Some people are still partying linke it's 1999.  Those days are gone, get over it.

[BUCFAN4LIFE]

Well, that's the point dumb jerk, why the hell should John Lynch be a backup? Cuz he definately can't play at Denver. Should have been the starter.

my my how quickly we forget. Denver plays a different defense than the Bucs keeping him close to the LOS and nowhere near coverage. He get's burned all day in coverage and was before he left the Bucs. An aging vet with a neck injury and you want to keep him? Give me a break.

I agree-- some folks just have really short memories. Phillips played quite well in the place of Lynch when he went down with a broken neck (8 games and did well). Coming off said neck surgery his cap hit was 5.1 million. Phillips was a RFA and was suppose to be the replacement all along. Lynch was already losing quite a few steps and was burnt time and time again in coverage that year. Now coming off a neck surgery no one had any idea of how he would be able to hit. You lose that in Lynch and it wasn't worth anywhere near 5 mil. The team therefore told Lynch that they were resigning Phillips before he hit FA. Lynch said he would take a paycut, the Bucs said fine but Phillips will go into camp the starter-- Lynch said no way- either I am the starter or I leave. Lynch never said fine I'll beat his azz out of the starter position, he said give me my walking papers. And those said walking papers gave the Bucs 4.2 mil in cap relief right away.

The decision was more a mutal one-- one that i hated at the time but comepletely understood-- too bad Phillips never played up to those 8 games he did in relief of Lynch.