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Bucs To Sign LB Trotter

Tampa Bay has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with LB Jeremiah Trotter (Getty)

Tampa Bay has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with LB Jeremiah Trotter (Getty)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, PewterReport.com is reporting. Trotter, 30, was released by the Philadelphia Eagles during training camp and visited the Bucs on Aug. 23. Trotter will play behind Bucs starting middle linebacker Barrett Ruud.



 

Tampa Bay has been looking to upgrade its middle linebacker position ever since Antoine Cash was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury in August.

It appears as though the Bucs have secured the insurance policy they've been looking for for starting middle linebacker Barrett Ruud.

PewterReport.com is reporting that the Buccaneers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.

Financial terms of the deal were not immediately available.

The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Trotter, who was released by the Eagles during training camp, worked out for the Bucs at One Buccaneer Place on Aug. 23.

A four-time Pro Bowler, Trotter originally entered the NFL with the Eagles as a third-round draft pick in 1998. With the exception of the 2002-03 seasons, when he played with the Washington Redskins, Trotter had spent his entire career in Philadelphia before his release in August.

Trotter, 30, recorded 940 tackles, nine interceptions, 12.5 sacks and nine forced fumbles during his tenure with the Eagles.

Tampa Bay released MLB Shelton Quarles during the offseason after he failed a team physical. Quarles, who turns 36 this month, had been the Bucs’ starting middle linebacker since the 2002 season. The Bucs hired Quarles to serve as a pro scout in August.

In 2005, the Bucs invested a second-round draft pick in Ruud, who is the team’s starting middle linebacker. However, the Bucs lost some depth at the Mike ‘backer position when Cash suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team's exhibitiion contest vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Tampa Bay moved strongside linebacker Ryan Nece to middle linebacker in training camp. However, Nece is still working on making the transition and adjusting to the position, which is why the Bucs are on the verge of signing Trotter.

Want the inside scoop on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2007 offseason plans? Want to find out who the Bucs are targeting in free agency and the NFL Draft? Subscribe to PewterReport.com's Pewter Insider by clicking here.

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Comments

richard1

Give me a break on the failed physical hogwash with regard to Shelton Quarles.

4:00pm, September 3, 2007

docbravo

Hey Richard1,

It's a fact. He did fail the physical. Obviously Shelton doesn't have any hard feelings about it. Why would he take a job working for the Bucs and Gruden if he felt he was done wrong? You can't think that everthing that happens with the Bucs has some kinda underlying conspiracy to it. JUST LET IT GO!

4:39pm, September 3, 2007

TD_Johnny

Signing Trotter is a bad move because he's too slow to cover the deep middle of the field. If Trotter is forced into the lineup, the Bucs won't be able to play the Cover 2 shell. That takes the defense out of its strong suit and makes the defense weaker.

4:49pm, September 3, 2007

niko521mac

Hey TD Johnny, if you know so much about the bucs D, then imagine how much football coaches know about our old D. Thats why we havnt run the base cover2 in forever, and you wont see us using it more than 25% of the time and it will be disguised. Trotter is a run stopper and will be used as such, however they find the way to do it that you and i wont know about....for a few years till IT comes out. Think about it.

5:35pm, September 3, 2007

hannconn

TD johnny also must not remember the havoc he played on us for several years ib the playoffs, blitzing off the left edge. he may have slowed but as Monte tries to add the 3-4 scheme him and black or june blitzing from the left and even Rhonde off the right gives me chills. with this addition the line may still not lead in sacks, it might be our linebacking corp. I totally agree with you niko521mac. Trotter has been a bucs nightmare for years hopefully we can get a couple years of him being a nightmare for other teams.

8:17pm, September 3, 2007

CBGB

Trotter will be a good addition, wait and see.

richard1, the Bucs did Q AND his family a BIG favor by refusing to let him play........now he has a good job with the organization.

richard1, I sense you listen to certain radio personalities.......am I right ? If so, stop being suckered by tabloid.

Just a suggestion. :)

9:02pm, September 3, 2007

CBGB

Trotter will be a good addition, wait and see.

richard1, the Bucs did Q AND his family a BIG favor by refusing to let him play.......now he has a good job with the organization.

richard1, I sense you listen to certain radio personalities .......am I right ? If so, stop being suckered by tabloid.

Just a suggestion. :)

9:03pm, September 3, 2007

yeoj128

Who did the Bucs release to make room for Trotter on the 53 man roster?

12:41am, September 4, 2007

0utkast22

Not sure who the Bucs released to aquire Trotter, but I believe he will be a solid addition ESPECIALLY in the 3-4 wrinkle. ILB have to be stout against the run, and I was particularly having trouble imagining our speedy lbs in there. Sure, he may be a liability in the deep middle, but he also has blitz instincts and that may work to our advantage as well as we use some man coverages on the outside and blitz. Besides verteran leadership is worth more than what people give it credit for.

8:42am, September 4, 2007

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