Rice's value.................

[ABuccs Fan]

All the DE's you're talking about now are young. Rice isn't worth a pay increase or an extension.

[Bucs_Rule]

Are you guys thinkin straight?   White will most likely test FA and then you guys want to trade away the only other pass rusher we have. Even if we were to draft another DT or DE do you guys really want 3 rookies starting on the d-line?

[alldaway]

Are you guys thinkin straight? White will most likely test FA and then you guys want to trade away the only other pass rusher we have. Even if we were to draft another DT or DE do you guys really want 3 rookies starting on the d-line?

I agree it is unlikely that the Bucs draft 3 rookie D-lineman day one and start them.  I also agree it looks like the Bucs may be forced to keep Rice.  Unless Rice makes it difficult and then the Bucs are forced to trade him.  Rice holds the cards as of now unless something drastic changes.

With that said if Rice and White are gone I would not be opposed to blowing up the D-line and starting from scratch. 

[DanTurksGhost]

Tough call. I'd be inclined to trade him, simply because I'm not convinced he's worth the dollars he'll get this season and he'll have no value to the Bucs after next year. If the right offer came along, I'd likely pull the trigger.

[Bucs_Rule]

Dan unless its a 1st round pick we can't trade him. Without Rice and white the d-line will have zero pass rush.

If the right offer came along, I'd likely pull the trigger.

With the slim pickings in FA, that deal might just be out there.

[Simms2Clayton05]

for a first rounder i would or if we could get thomas in here then i would

[mtnman]

yeah,this years draft is deep at DE as talent wise..I hope we don't draft a DE with the 3/4 pick. Jarvis Moss,Charles Johnson,Quentin Moses,Adam Carriker,Anthony Spencer,Victor Abirami,and Tim Crowder. Someone has to be there at 35...

It wouldn't surprise me to see 5 or 6 DEs go in the 1st round.

[alldaway]

If the right offer came along, I'd likely pull the trigger.

With the slim pickings in FA, that deal might just be out there.

It is highly likely that the right deal is out there.  Problem is Rice's value is not only increased with other teams but for the Bucs as well.

I normally have confidence in Bruce as he knows how to create leverage and deal with complex situations like this but I have to admit I am concerned.  Maybe Allen used the fact that Rice is still under contract not to cave in to the what White and his agent were asking most likely.

But what leverage does Bruce have against Rice since White is a free agent?  Rice and his agent know this and are in control.

[mtnman]

When estimating Rice's value and whether you want to trade him or not, remember and factor in that all these guys being tagged will hit the market next year.

[leeroybuc93]

For all the talk of Gruden saving his job, we have to keep Rice now.  No matter who we get in the draft even if it's Adams or Anderson, they will most likely never be as good as Simeon Rice and probably not even better than a 33 year old Rice next season.  We have no choice but to keep him even if we lose him for nothing next season.  Trading Rice and replacing him and White with rookies is just putting up the white flag for next season.

Let him play out his contract and use that money next offseason.

[BucLord]

Release the guy and let draft a DE in rd 2

Simeon was great when we had him, he's to slow and old. And theres no way we are gonna pay him anything near what he thinks

Considere Rice a goner

[mtnman]

For all the talk of Gruden saving his job, we have to keep Rice now.  No matter who we get in the draft even if it's Adams or Anderson, they will most likely never be as good as Simeon Rice and probably not even better than a 33 year old Rice next season.  We have no choice but to keep him even if we lose him for nothing next season.  Trading Rice and replacing him and White with rookies is just putting up the white flag for next season.

Let him play out his contract and use that money next offseason.

That's a good point Leeroy, if you keep him, you can tag him next year for under $ 10 mil (possibly). The question then becomes 'will he stay healthy and produce for two more years ?' (edit: they would probably have to give him the 20 % increase if they tagged him).

[bradentonian]

I wouldn't mind signing him to an extension (if healthy), however the value of the extension would be set by the current market, so would likely be extremely large and risky.  This, combined with all the draft-day and trade-deadline hype lead me to believe that the Bucs will pull the trigger if they get a decent offer (2nd?).

Fortunately, the dearth of DE talent in FA happens to coincide with a very deep draft class at DE.

well trade him even though that is a good point but then who would want to get him next year so I say trade him