For well over four months, fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had the opportunity to prognosticate about what the organization would do with their various free agents when the lockout finally came to an end. Well, that day has finally come, and as of Tuesday morning, all 32 teams will be free to begin the process of negotiating with former players as the league frantically tries to solidify the shape of their rosters prior to the start of training camps a bit later in the week.
For the young Buccaneers, free agency won't be quite as frenzied or important for their fate in 2011 as it will be with other squads around the league, but there's still a number of restricted and unrestricted free agents who the Bucs will have to make quick determinations about in the proceeding days. Let's take a look at the list.
Buccaneers Restricted Free Agents (3+ years accrued service)
Player |
Position |
School |
Right of First Refusal/Draft pick compensation |
Barth, Connor |
K |
North Carolina |
2nd |
Lee, James |
T |
South Carolina State |
2nd |
Lynch, Corey |
DB |
Appalachian State |
6th |
Mack, Elbert |
DB |
Troy |
ROFR |
Okam, Frank |
NT |
Texas |
5th |
Spurlock, Micheal |
WR |
Mississippi |
ROFR |
Buccaneers Unrestricted Free Agents (4+ years accrued service)
Player |
Position |
School |
Black, Quincy |
LB |
New Mexico |
Crowder, Tim |
DE |
Texas |
Gilmore, John |
TE |
Penn State |
Hayward, Adam |
LB |
Portland State |
Joseph, Davin |
G |
Oklahoma |
Koutouvides, Niko |
LB |
Purdue |
Ruud, Barrett |
LB |
Nebraska |
Stovall, Maurice |
WR |
Notre Dame |
Trueblood, Jeremy |
T |
Boston College |
White, Stylez G |
DE |
Minnesota |
Williams, Carnell |
RB |
Auburn |