Rice…A Day After

Well, just after I heard that all the draft picks had signed, news came out that Simeon Rice got whacked after failing a physical. Others were stating it was because he wouldn't take a pay cut. Quite frankly, it's a combination of issues. Rice was on something of a short leash to begin with. He had been suspended twice in the past 3 seasons for actions detrimental to the team. He also repeatedly refused to take any kind of pay cut to help the team out when they were starved for cap space. That seriously hurt the Bucs' chances at bringing in some better FA's over the prior 3 seasons, and you can bet that it did not go over well with the Front Office.

Then Simeon shows up to camp and states he's still not ready to go, which the Doctors confirm. The Bucs bring him in for a meeting and then he gets whacked. It appears that the Bucs wanted him to take a pay cut after missing half of 2006, and apparently looking to miss some playing time this season. Rice apparently balked (these are the reports coming from various sources in the media) and the Bucs decided to cut him right then.

Quite frankly, I was hoping Rice would be available this season, but it's been clear for a while that he would not be back in 2008. That means that he was, at best, a one year safety net. The Bucs decided that safety net was too much, and would keep Adams and Chukwurah off the field. They also may have felt that he could have had a negative influence on Adams if he became disgruntled. In the end I agree with the decision, even if the timing wasn't spectacular. It's time to move on. Rice's mouth and ego helped contribute to this situation, along with his long rehabilitation.

So, with that, it's time to concentrate on the future. Pewter Report has details of the first day of camp, and I think it continues to look like Garcia's presence will make a huge impact in the effectiveness of the offense. I can't wait to see how that ends up.