The Time Has Come: Bruce Is Gone

It appears that the inevitable has happened. When I saw the news, I sighed either a sigh of relief or one of content. Bruce Gradkowski, the much beleaguered Buccaneer, was cut on Saturday. The move really doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but the re-signing of Jerramy Stevens might be. With the addition of Ben Troupe and John Gilmore in the off-season, Stevens was thought to be a goner. However, the on-going quarterback controversy is the story that takes center stage.

The Bucs only wanted to take 5 QB’s into training camp, and with 6 QB’s on the roster, it was Gradkowski who shared the hot seat with the injured Chris Simms. With the addition of Josh Johnson in the draft, and Brian Griese via a trade, the Bucs had no choice but to drop a quarterback. Simms has been out since the middle of 2006 after having his spleen removed, and Gradkowski has spent his entire NFL career performing below set standards. In only 17 games with the Bucs, Gradkowski completed 54% of his passes for 1,791 yards, 9 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a QB rating of 65.0. He also had 181 rushing yards. When Simms went down with the injury, it was Bruce who took over as a starter. That season was already a loss, and he didn’t help ease the pain.

Gradkowski was a favorite of Jon Gruden’s, who took a chance on him in the 6th round of the 2006 Draft. As an extremely accurate passer in college, Gruden looked at him to be a worthy backup to Chris Simms. His less than stellar performances quickly dropped him out of favor in Tampa, leaving his head on the chopping block. When it came down to Simms and Gradkowski, the Bucs let go of the inexperienced player. Although Simms is not safe, and may still be shopped around, it is Bruce who is looking for employment today. Best of luck to Gradkowski, who served as a punching bag for the Tampa fans and media over the past two years. I hope he has a great career in the Arena Football League.