Of the team’s three big-name free-agent signings, one of them hasn’t been seen much this offseason.
Buccaneers cornerback Eric Wright, who joined the team with $15.5 million guaranteed along with receiver Vincent Jackson and offensive lineman Carl Nicks, hadn’t consistently been volunteering to show up for voluntary offseason practices, prompting concerns among fans and the media that the team perhaps had made a mistake.
As it turns out, Wright was dealing with an undisclosed health issue.
“I had a few personal issues I had to attend to,” Wright said at a mandatory minicamp practice on Tuesday, via PewterReport.com. “That’s typical for the offseason. I have just been in and out a little bit, but most importantly I am here for the mini-camp and I feel good running around.”
He avoided questions regarding the health issue, which reportedly required medication that diminished his energy.
“I feel pretty good,” Wright said. “I’m out here running around and I’m with the team.”
Wright fully understands the significance of the team’s decision to acquire him early in the free-agency process. “It’s a big responsibility and they obviously did their due diligence and they did their research to make sure they wanted to do and they chose me and I’m appreciative of that,” Wright said. “I’m going to go out there and make sure I work as hard as possible to make them right.”
It’s more important that he get his health right. And it looks like he’s moving toward making that happen.