The Bucs, Keyshawn and the Draft
(April 18, 2000)

The last time we saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the failure to score a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game left the team short of the Super Bowl. Obviously, they would like to take the next step and play in the league championship game this coming January. This has lead to the most dramatic off season in franchise history. What has happened since that January day in St. Louis? Plenty!

A March article on this web site, The Business of Free Agency, talked about the first stage of the process. The salary cap concerns and free agency lead to significant roster changes. No longer wearing pewter would be Pro Bowl players Trent Dilfer, Tony Mayberry and Hardy Nickerson. Also gone was the much maligned offensive coordinator Mike Shula. The Bucs looked to division rival Minnesota to strengthen one of the team's traditional weaknesses. Former Vikings Pro Bowl offensive linemen Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel were signed as free agents. One time Minnesota head coach Les Steckel, most recently the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator, was named to replace Shula. But, this was not the end of the story.

A couple days before the college draft, the Buccaneers made the biggest trade in team history. A pair of first round draft picks, numbers thirteen and twenty-seven overall, were sent to the New York Jets for Keyshawn Johnson. The number one overall pick in the 1996 draft, and a Pro Bowler the last two years, the wide receiver spent four seasons with the Jets. Johnson was given a $13 million signing bonus, the largest in Bucs history, and an eight year contract worth up to $53 million. The contract made him the highest paid Buc in history and the highest paid receiver in the NFL.

While there were concerns about how effective he would be under Tony Dungy's conservative system, fans hoped that Keyshawn Johnson would become a major offensive weapon. Those who approved of the blockbuster deal thought getting an established superstar would have more impact than two draft picks. They felt Johnson was the final piece to the puzzle and would elevate the team to the next level. However, there are also those that felt that the price was too steep. While Johnson may have matured since writing a book slamming the Jets after his rookie season, there was concern about attitude. Those who questioned the trade had the past performance of previous high priced wide receivers Alvin Harper and Bert Emanuel to back up the argument. After two injury plagued seasons, the signing of Johnson lead to Emanuel's departure.

Even without the two first round picks, draft day seemed to go well for the Bucs. The team's first pick was in the second round, number fifty-one overall. More help for the offensive came in form of University of Tennessee guard Cosey Coleman. In the third round the Bucs picked Miami linebacker Nate Webster, in the fifth round Kentucky tight end James Whalen, in the sixth round USC defensive back David Gibson and the seventh round Virginia Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton. The five draft picks was a record low for the Bucs.

Is this the end of the off season saga? Probably not. There is still plenty of rumors about the Bucs acquiring a veteran quarterback. Training camp could offer a surprise or two. With all these changes, Bucs management will be labeled either geniuses or fools this January. If the first game of the twenty-first century at Raymond James Stadium involves the Bucs, then genius it is.