Clifton Smith, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers return man whose most notable play last year consisted of being on the receiving end of a brutal cheap shot from the Panthers’ Dante Wesley, is no longer the Tampa Bay Buccaneers return man.
PewterReport.com is reporting that the Bucs waived Smith and rookie right tackle Derek Hardman today.
The Bucs dumped the pair to make room on the roster for running back Kregg Lumpkin, claimed off waivers from Green Bay, and center Ted Larsen, claimed off waivers from New England.
Some team is going to be very happy with Smith. In 2008 he was the NFC Pro Bowl kick and punt returner and in 2009 he lead the league in kick off returns. He undoubtedly will get a shot somewhere else.
panthers should pick him up…good return man…
The Bucs have too many kick returners who can also play skill positions to keep Smith around. His fumbling tendencies when playing running back didn’t help his cause much.
OOOoooooooooooH! The TURK got Clifton Smith……
After 9-7 two years in a row, the Glazers fired Gruden and Allen, and hire Morris and Mark Dominik, whose 3 big moves after throat-cutting Bruce Allen were re-signing Michael Clayton to the most overinflated contract in free agent history, cutting Derrick Brooks like he was the lawn guy and signing Derrick Ward to big dollars.
Results? Defense lacks leadership and goes into toilet, team goes 3-13, Clayton gets cut after taking some $8 million guaranteed, amounting to about $400K per catch, Ward gets dumped.
Would one of the Glazers please do something? Or will we have to hear how 5-11 is a step in the right direction?
I understand why Clifton Smith was cut but who the hell is Kregg Lumpkin
Go Preston Parker
After going 3-13, 5-11 would indeed be a step in the right direction…
Re-signing Clayton was a bad move obviously and even though I didn’t want to see Brooks get cut, it turned out to be the right thing to do. He couldn’t play anymore, that was evident since no other team picked him up.
Ward seemed like a good signing at the time. Sometimes you need to hold the player accountable for not living up to the billing. That was the case with Ward. He got the big contract, but never went out and earned it.
5-11 IS a step in the right direction. Any game better than last year is an improvement. Baby steps ! Young team , young coach, young office,just growing pains . I can wait ! It’s cooking!
Much like the Dolphins and the Falcons a few years ago going through one of their worse seasons ever……. What did they do to turn it around QUICKLY from 1 season to the next?
They both FIRED the HC and they both got better ones that could properly evaluate and recognize true NFL quality talent that went out and got GOOD QBs to run their team and then built around them!!!!…….
Heres to the BUCS learning from these 2 teams and following their example……….CHEERS!!!!!!!!