Jeff Garcia

Until Jay Cutler didn't show up in prime time, the No. 1 goat from Week One of the NFL season was Carolina signal caller Jake Delhomme.

Delhomme, against a good Philadelphia defense, looked miserably bad. His timing was bad, but his decision making was worse. In all, he ended the day with five turnovers (four picks and one fumble lost).

In fact, he was replaced twice in the game.

So where do the Panthers go from here? Their defense got destroyed by the Eagles, but it didn't get any help from the offense. That doesn't mean the weapons aren't there for this team to be successful.

Steve Smith is still an All-Pro receiver. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are still one of the better running back tandems in the league. And Muhsin Muhammad is still a quality possession receiver.

The cupboard is certainly not bare.

But Delhomme has been questioned a number of times in the last couple years. As he said in his post-game comments, when it's good, it's really good, and when it's bad, it's awful.

Sunday, Delhomme was awful.

There's a problem with Delhomme performing poorly, though. This is a big season for the Panthers. Franchise player (both in contract and the eyes of many fans) Julius Peppers has only this year left on his contract and wants to play for a competitive team. Also, the window for success with Muhammad and Smith isn't getting bigger.

Which is why my first prediction from the Knee-Jerk Reaction Department is that Jeff Garcia will be the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers by Week Six of this season.

The next two weeks won't get any easier for Delhomme. He gets to travel to both Atlanta and Dallas before the Panthers have their bye in Week Four.

Delhomme might need a break before then.

Garcia has been a solid veteran for a handful of franchises over the last decade and has been a good game-managing quarterback for years. Frankly, he's a professional "Just Don't Screw Up" quarterback at its best.

Which is precisely what the Panthers need, and Garcia happens to be available.

There's a good chance that, after Donovan McNabb got hurt and Delhomme looked as bad as he did, a phone from somewhere in the stadium called Garcia on Sunday already.

For my money, Carolina and Garcia could be a perfect marriage. He's athletic enough to make up for some issues with the offensive line and has a track record that would indicated he won't make the deal-breaking mistakes that Delhomme has recently.

Maybe it's just a knee-jerk reaction. Maybe it's a bold prediction. Either way, I think Jeff Garcia could, and should, start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers this year.

Yesterday amongst the 704 cuts there were some bigger names than others. Brian Russell, Alex Smith (TE), A.J Feely, Tony Pashos, Zach Thomas, and Jeff Garcia.

One player on that list really jumped out at me and that was quarterback Jeff Garcia who was released by the Oakland Raiders, go figure.

Garcia was in a "quarterback battle" with JaMarcus Russell but really was projected to be the second quarterback for the Raiders.

Well as it turns out he will be neither the starter nor backup. He's now an unrestricted free agent.

Right away I thought of the idea of having Jeff Garcia with the Seahawks making perfect sense.

Now there will be a lot of fans in Seahawks Nation who will say that Seneca Wallace is our backup and a great backup quarterback for the Seahawks.

Some might even say that Seneca gives Seattle a better chance to win over Matt Hasselbeck (yes I have had someone say that to me).

But in all reality Jeff Garcia is the best backup quarterback there is in the NFL. Seneca Wallace is an above average backup but he's not a pocket quarterback nor does he have as good of an arm that Garcia does.

Let's compare Seneca Wallace and Jeff Garcia.

Jeff Garcia:

Garcia is a prove winner who gives you tons of experience in the playoffs and also as just a starting quarterback.

Garcia can be considered a starting quarterback from week one but Seneca Wallace would have to hope that Hasselbeck gets injured to play.

Last season even Charlie Frye started a game over Seneca Wallace and you could make the case for Charlie Frye as the worst quarterback in the NFL.

Also Jeff Garcia would fit great in the Seahawks new offense with the running game opening up the passing game.

Garcia is an older version of Matt Hasselbeck. Neither have a super bowl ring, both a great quarterbacks and both have a lot of experience.

Seneca Wallace:

People need to stop calling Wallace the Seahawks version of Michael Vick because Wallace has a ways to go to get to where Vick is.

Seneca is a good quarterback, a good backup, good on the move but is not even close to being a pocket quarterback in the NFL.

Wallace's size doesn’t help him either.

Last season Wallace tied the most amount of games he's played in a season, ten games.

In those 10 games he led the Seahawks to three wins.

I would bet if you put Jeff Garcia under center with those ten games he would have won at least six of those 10.

So who comes out the winner? Jeff Garcia.

Now why would it make sense for the Seahawks to sign Jeff Garcia? Well one thing would have to happen first.

The Seahawks would trade Seneca Wallace and probably could get a second or third round pick back.

Then Garcia would be able to learn from weeks one through three and then if Hasselbeck went down with an injury Garcia would already know the offense so there wouldn’t be any problem.

Plus it would go with what the Seahawks are doing. Bringing in old vets for one-year contracts, ala Edgerrin James, Lawyer Milloy, and Travis Fisher.

We'll have to wait and see if the Seahawks make a move on Jeff Garcia.

Raheem Morris has some big shoes to fill in Tampa Bay this season.

The first year head coach has the distinct pleasure of following Jon Gruden--the only coach to take the Bucs to the Super Bowl--and Tony Dungy, who is responsible for turning the perennial laughing stock of the NFL into one of its most respected franchises from the late 90's into the new millennium.

The Buccaneers are in a rebuilding mode. Gone are the familiar faces of Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Garcia, Ike Hilliard & Joey Galloway that had been the veteran staples over the last few seasons for the Bucs.

Enter Barrett Ruud, Derrick Ward, Byron Leftwich & Kellen Winslow--the new face of the Buccaneers.

Not nearly as impressive a list.

Couple the Buccaneers rebuilding--which is always tough--with the fact that they play in a very touch NFC South Division and it creates a potential equation for disaster.

Lacking any true star power, and facing one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, Morris will certainly have his moxy tested early and often this season.

Today we are going to take a brief look at the teams in the NFC south that the Bucs will have to face this season.

New Orleans Saints

This is what many consider to be one of the most impressive and explosive teams in the NFL. Drew Brees set the world on fire last year, passing for 5,069 yards and 34 touchdowns last season. 

Brees has a bevy of weapons at his disposal as well. Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem create a very impressive trio of wideouts, and Jeremy Shockey is still a very dangerous option at the tight end slot.

Throw the super hero like explosiveness of half back Reggie Bush in there, and the grinding style of Pierre Thomas, and this offense if enough to make anyone cringe.

This is worrisome for the Buccaneers' defense. The run stopping ability is not as much a worry as the secondary is. Cornerback Ronde Barber is no spring chicken anymore, and while he may not show it all the time, has lost a step. Aqib Talib has potential on the other corner, but is still very young, and very immature.

Tanard Jackson will miss the first four games of the season due to a violation of the leagues substance abuse policy, and Sabby Piscitelli will be a regular starter for the first time.

Jackson is talented, and I have a hunch that Piscitelli will be a stud in this league eventually, but that promise of talent will not be enough to thwart the Saints impressive aerial attack this season.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons were one of the leagues pleasant surprises last season. Posting a 4-12 record in 2007, Atlanta was bad enough to have a great first round pick, and they used it to make a franchise changing decision, selecting Matt Ryan, a quarterback out of Boston College.

Ryan took the reigns of the franchise, and with the help of newly acquired running back Michael Turner, led the team to an 11-5 record and a playoff birth.

Talk about a great turn around.

Turner, an understudy of the future Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlison ran for 1,699 yards in his first year as "the guy". Turner's back up, Jerious Norrwood, was no slouch either, finishing at just under 500 yards on the ground at an average of 5.1 yards per carry.

Ryan passed for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns. Not as impressive at Brees' numbers, but non the less, this guy got the job done. Roddy White, Michael Jenkins and Brian Finneran are all back this year to give Ryan tons of options through the air.

The team also added Tony Gonzalez, who many people consider to be the greatest tight end to ever play the game.

Keith Brooking will anchor the defense again this season, and will be sure to turn in yet another Pro Bowl performance from his linebacker spot. Pass rushing guru John Abraham will be healthy this season, and could spell trouble for the Buccaneers inexperienced offensive tackles.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers were 12-4 last season and won the NFC South. When you are led by Jake Delhomme at quarterback, and DeAngelo Williams in the backfield, you can always expect big things.

Williams was one of the most exciting players in the NFL last year, rushing for 1,550 yards and a 5.5 yards-per-carry average. Couple that with the efforts of rookie Johnathan Stewart last year, and the Panthers were a scary team to defend on the ground.

Steve Smith is back at wide receiver for the Panthers, and he is one of the most explosive guys in the league. Dwayne Jarrett has a big upside as a receiver for the team, and Mushin Muhammed is always one of the biggest silent surprises in the league each year.

Jon Beason, Chris Gamble and Julius Peppers anchor a defense that is exciting and at times can be dominating.

As much as it pains me to say, I don't see how the Bucs can stand much of a chance at finishing anything better than 6-10 this season. The division they play in is what many consider to be the strongest in the league. What's more is the team has to play very tough out of division teams this year such as the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.

I see the season breaking down like this...

New Orleans wins the division, Carolina wins a wild card birth, Atlanta finishes at third with a record that would be good enough to win a division if they were in the AFC, and the Bucs finish last, get a high draft pick, and continue the rebuilding process.

Thomas Gemkow is the official Tampa Bay Buccaneers Correspondent for WhatTheBucs.com, a blog that is part of the FanBall.com sports blogosphere. Currently residing in Lake County, Thomas has been a local sports correspondent the St. Pete Times, Citrus County Chronicle, Ocala Star Banner & was honored by the FCCPA in 2003 for his sports and feature writing ability. You can check out his archived work at his personal blog site, ThomasGemkow.com or follow his updates on Twitter @ThomasGemkow

In the final round of roster cuts, the Raiders made national headlines by cutting Jeff Garcia.  Some saw Garcia as the spark that would hopefully light a fire under the Raiders’ crown jewel, QB JaMarcus Russell, and someone to motivate him to be an elite leader. 

Others saw Garcia as the potential starter for the Raiders, who would overtake Russell as the Raiders’ No. 1 man.  From his arrival to the Raiders, Garcia made his intentions clear; he wanted the starting QB job.

Early reports listed Garcia as one of the top backups in the league, and gave the Raiders a viable insurance policy if Russell got injured or struggled.  Garcia himself, however, was the one injury-plagued throughout training camp.  Russell’s training camp performance, though inconsistent at times, was an improvement overall. 

His leadership, accuracy, and attitude largely pleased the Raiders’ staff.  At the same time, a third string battle between Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski was impressing coaches, including head coach Tom Cable.  Often, Cable stated that the battle between Frye and Gradkowski was too close to call. 

None of these events, the third string competition, Garcia’s injuries, or Russell’s development, helped cement Garcia’s security with the Raiders.

What does this mean for the Team of the Decades?  For starters, this reinforces the belief that Russell is the future of the Raiders.  If the organization had doubts about that, they would not have left the backup position to Frye or Gradkowski. 

Garcia would have been on stand-by to fill in for Russell, and then the Raiders would have likely begun searching for a new face of the franchise.  It also means that Tom Cable is working hard to maintain simplicity in his organization. 

Garcia, an entertaining, “scrappy” quarterback who is a proven winner, was openly not satisfied with the role of a backup or mentor to Russell.  He believes he is still a starter, and may prove to be with another team.  Cable eliminated a “quarterback controversy” even though most true Raiders fans knew that Russell would be named starter barring injury or severe behavioral issues. 

Finally, this is another sign that the Raiders are built for youth, strength, and speed.  While the Raiders have some veterans such as Greg Ellis and the great Nnamdi Asomugha defensively, offensively, true veterans are scarce.  The only veteran on the receiving corps is Javon Walker (I seriously saw one report calling Chaz Schilens a veteran…he is in his second year).

Lorenzo Neal was cut in favor of young fullback Oren O’Neil.  Garcia was cut with two backups, both under 30, to replace him.  Justin Fargas, who some consider the heart and soul of this team, has two young future Pro-Bowlers alongside him in the backfield in DMC and Michael Bush.

This is a team that, although they will make some mistakes this year, is young, eager to learn, and goes into the year with a team-first mentality.  Jeff Garcia, though a talented quarterback, just didn’t fit in with this Raiders team.

Congratulations to Jeff Garcia. You may finally get your wish to start for an NFL team.

Unfortunately, because you wouldn't be quiet, it won't be with the Raiders.

As the news of the cuts that were made for the Raiders, this one stood out for a number of reasons. For one, Tom Cable was very determined that JaMarcus Russell would start for the Silver and Black. Garcia, in his own mind would be a better choice, if he was the coach.

Only problem is...Jeff isn't the coach.

For two, Tom Cable dropped the hint that both Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski are behind Russell, showing support for the third year player.

Garcia was positive he was the better product, could produce faster and better.

Again, it wasn't his call, that choice was made by Tom Cable.

Lastly was the matter of how Jeff Garcia was in the preseason. He didn't want to go "through the motions," he didn't practice, citing an injury. By the time he got to the preseason games it was a couple spot appearances and then some time against Seattle.

If you were looking to catch onto a team, it would be assumed the player would show a lot more interest in the aspects of being part of the team.

For a 39-year-old player, he seemed to forget this lesson.

A lot of people felt this gave the Raiders a better shot with him coming off the bench. I wonder if those same people will now march in step to writing off this Raiders' season.

Lastly, will this be the last anyone sees of Garcia, or will he find another team to take him in? Getting a starting job in the NFL is difficult.

There's always the UFL.

The Green Bay Packers had two important steps take place this weekend that will enable my favourite quarterback to be in green and gold:

1. They dumped 2008 second round pick Brian Brohm, who showed little to make one believe he could play at the NFL level in two training camps and preseasons.
2. The Oakland Raiders showed their continued inability to make solid personnel decisions by cutting their second-best quarterback, Jeff Garcia.

Garcia is the quintessential bridesmaid. No one ever seems to want to marry themselves to him, even though all he ever does is win.

He took over in San Francisco during the 4-12 1999 season and played 13 games. In 2000, the Niners only went 6-10, but Garcia had a passer rating of 97.6, with more than 4000 yards, 31 TDs, and just 10 picks.

By 2001, Garcia led the team back to the playoffs and a 12-4 record with a 94.8 rating and 32 TDs to just 12 picks. The next season saw the 'Niners earn the biggest comeback win in NFC playoff history against the New York Giants.

Then Terrell Owens happened. He did so much to discredit the man who got him the ball that the team had to make a choice between the two players.

The choice they made in hindsight seems foolish, but at the time was logical—choose a playmaking receiver coming to his peak, or a 33-year old quarterback who was too small and didn't have a strong enough arm to even be drafted?

They chose the team-wrecker who had advocated for Tim Rattay over Garcia. In case you didn't know, here is a comparison of the two quarterbacks:

• Jeff Garcia: 124 games, 2264-3676 (61.6), 25537 yards, 161 TD, 99 int, 87.5 passer rating. After the Niners made their choice, Garcia played in 50 more games, completing 815 of 1316 (61.9  percent) for 9129 yards, with 48 TDs and 27 picks.
  
• Tim Rattay: 40 games, 432-734 (60.5), 4853 yards, 31 TD, 23 picks, and an 81.9 passer rating. After the Niners chose Rattay over Garcia, he played in just 21 games, completing 330 of 550 passes (60 percent) for 3748 yards, with 22 TDs and 21 picks.

Not much of a comparison. The Niners went 25-55 after Garcia left with no trips to the playoffs, while Garcia's new teams went 37-43 and won their divisions twice.

Of course, since that time we have seen what an extraordinary judge of quarterback talent TO is. And what a man of character, too! Here are some of his finger-pointing highlights:

1. He publicly called Garcia gay (how does that even matter?) before a matchup with his Browns the season after Garcia's departure.
   
2. Amongst a public feud lasting all off-season that brought to an end his time in Philadelphia and ended the team's playoff run, he said Donovan McNabb was not as good as Brett Favre. For the record, in that season McNabb played in only nine games, but had only four fewer touchdowns than Favre's full season and a whopping 20 fewer picks for a passer rating 14.1 points higher.
3. He said Tony Romo and Jason Witten secretly drew up plays in their hotel room to exclude him from the offense and complained about not getting the ball enough in a game in which passes went his way over 40 percent of the time.

But enough on the most paranoid, self-centered player in the history of the NFL...

After being let go in San Francisco, Garcia played two unsuccessful years in Cleveland and Detroit, and at 35, it appeared his career was winding down. Then he got new life in Philadelphia, taking over for an injured Donovan McNabb and leading the Eagles to a playoff win.

The next year, his playoff performance got him signed in Tampa Bay as their new leader. He took that team to the playoffs, where they lost in a close contest to the eventual Super Bowl-champion New York Giants.

The notoriously discontented and veteran quarterback-addicted Jon Gruden sought a new quarterback anyway, pursuing (in order of least to most ridiculous) Brett Favre, Jake Plummer, and Brian Griese in Garcia's two years there. Giving the job at one point to Griese ended up costing Gruden his job, as Garcia was unable to overcome the losses accrued under his lesser understudy's direction.

Yet in the offseason, teams needing a quarterback failed to make a play for the cagey veteran leader who has always put his own undersized body on the line to make a play. While everyone was seeking one-year wonder (with the second-most talented receiving corps to throw to) Matt Cassell, Jay Cutler (despite his failure to ever have a winning season), or annual coquette Favre, Garcia went almost unpursued.

Teams like Minnesota, Kansas City, Denver, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Tennessee, San Francisco, and the New York Jets all would have made a clear upgrade by signing him, but none did. Eventually, he signed to be a backup to a shaky JaMarcus Russell.

Now, he has been freed from Al Davis' insane asylum (one run by the chief inmate), and the Packers need a veteran backup quarterback. If Aaron Rodgers goes down, the Packers go from a projected 10-6 to 4-12.

Thus, there may be no other teams whose success rests more on the arm of their quarterback than the Packers and the Indianapolis Colts. Green Bay is the team that has the cap room to make this move, and it's an offense Garcia has run for almost his entire career.

Please, Ted Thompson, sign this man before someone in our way does.

I originally wrote this article for SportsScribes.net.

Throughout the last decade, there have been few athletes that have been as frequently criticized as Terrell Owens. He's been called arrogant, selfish, repellent, grating, and his effect in the locker room and the team's he has been on have been compared to that of cancer.

While I certainly do not disagree that Terrell Owens has a tendency to disrupt the chemistry of a football team, I have recently come to see him in a different way. While I was among the Terrell Owens haters, I focused on how Terrell threw his teammates under the bus, disrespected the game, and always seemed to be focused on himself. However, I learned to accept Terrell Owens for who he is.

Terrell Owens is an entertainer... It's that simple... He loves getting out on the football field and giving the audience a show. Think about how many outrageous things this guy has done throughout his career? Spiking the football on the star in Dallas? The press conference he held in his driveway, doing stomach crunches? The interview when he cried defending Tony Romo, declaring "HE'S MY QUARTERBACK!" Who was not entertained watching this man in these outrageous situations?

And it's not only that Terrell is willing to put himself in these situations, it's also the raw emotion that this man displays when in them. T.O. has an ability to demonstrate his feelings in his words and actions, which I can appreciate as a fan. I'm tired of watching athletes who display no emotion, and appear to not even care about losing a game. I enjoy the player who lets you know how he feels, and shares in the emotions with the fans instead of acting above it all.

I certainly am a fan of the humble, professional athlete who puts his head down and goes to work. The blue-collar type worker who comes in, does his job, and puts the team first. I will also agree that most players on a team need to have this attitude, and a team full of arrogant entertainers would include a lot of tension.

That being said, I watch sports to be entertained. I enjoy the guy who does outrageous things, and gets emotional with me. I don't know why everyone wants to watch a bunch of humble professionals treat the game like it's a job... that's boring... I enjoy the arrogant superstar, who puts on a flashy show and gets emotional following each play...

While the media and sportswriters continue their crusade against this man, I will ask the question, has he not entertained you? Has he not given you something to watch and write about? Why is everyone so quick and willing to villify this man? It's not like he's Brett Favre, who claims to be one way but is actually another. T.O. is very upfront about who he is. I actually happen to enjoy the way that he always says what he feels, and consistently puts himself in outrageous situations.

In fact, i'll just come out and say it... I love T.O. and i'm not afraid to admit it...

Lately within the Raiders organization there have been flashes of QB controversy. There are a select few Raider fans calling for Garcia to start over Russell. This has mainly been caused by media pundits and a few of the fans that have been blinded by the media's talking heads.

But in all reality, how Russell and Garcia actually compare, one is much better than the other.

In order to come to a decision lets take a look at the Raiders QBs past seasons.

First Jeff Garcia, a nearly 40-year-old veteran QB, has limited arm strength but still possesses decent mobility for his age

Born in Gilroy, he attended San Jose State and even played for that team across the bridge. Heres a look at his stats last year: 2,712 yards passing, 12 TDs, 23 sacks, 6 INTs, 12 games played, 90.2 QB rating, 7.2 yards per completion and a 64.9 completion percentage.

JaMarcus Russell: 6'6'', 265-pound QB about to start his third year out of LSU. Born in Alabama, he has tremendous physical ability and is quite mobile for his size, he is much like a QB in a tight-end's body.

Last year his stats were pretty unimpressive: In 15 games he threw for 2,423 yards, 13 TDs, 8 INTs, 6.6 yards for pass, 31 sacks and a 77.1 QB rating.

Currently there are quite a few knocks on Garcia: First last year he missed four games due to a calf injury. This year the injury has resurfaced during non-contact drills. Wow, this elderly QB is starting to look pretty fragile. I wonder how he will make it through a game let alone contact practice drills.

Then there's the constant distractions Garcia has been causing this offseason. No matter how many times Cable states that there is no QB controversey, Garcia finds it necesarry to go against the team's best interests and opens his mouth to the media. This can only hurt the team and shows Garcia is not on the same page as the coaching staff.

Next is his questionable arm strength. At 6', 205 he is an average sized man. But football is a sport of the above average. Garcia's lack of arm strength may negate the speed of our offense and his lack of height may hinder his vision.

Also if you chart Garcia's production over the years it has been on a downward trend. At 39, how much more can this guy have left in him? I would say not much more.

Now onto the negatives on JaMarcus Russell.

First his attitude. He has been said to have a very laid back attitude and many even question whether he even cares about the game anymore.

Some will say he is acting like a thug or a diva because of his pregame attire including fur coats, loads of jewlery and designer glasses. Others cite the entourage he is often seen with locally or in his hometown or a few photos that have surfaced of him having a good time.

Guess what, the laid back attitude, it's called confidence. His attire and entourage? Come on. Give nearly any black (or even white) male in his early to mid 20s a $60 million contract you will see the same thing.

Then there's the beleif that he is just to stupid to play QB in the NFL. That could not be further from the truth. At least not according to any of his former coaches and the wonderlic test in which he scored a solid 24.

Also look at the offense he led in LSU which implemented both spread and pro-set formations. Tell me that is not complicated as hell.

Then the reports that Jamarcus Russell is fat. Reports have had him at 300-plus or 270-plus. In college he played at 265. In a recent interview Russell said, "I may be a little heavy."

What does that mean? Well it means exactly what he said: he may be a little heavy. Two-seventy-plus no way. But give him a break, its the offseason and why wouldn't you expect a player, at any position, to play heavier at the next level.

So is there even a point for this rant? Yes.

Heres what I think the Raiders should do.

The Raiders need to cut Garcia NOW in order to avoid a QB controversey.

Why might you ask? Simple.

Garcia was brought in to mentor and push JaMarcus to get the best out of him and to act as a backup in case Russell goes down.

Garcia has done his job and been a huge distraction in the process. He has even pushed Russell to the point of hosting his own private passing camp. Garcia's services are no longer required.

Having a solid backup who only causes distractions is not beneficial to the team. Garcia's job is to hold a clipboard. Charlie Frye and Gradkowski can do that just as well if not better.

If Garcia remains on the team as soon as we face our first loss BSPN, NFL Network and every radio talk show will be lining up to interview Garcia. When this happens Garcia will be quick to throw JaMarcus and the Oakland Raiders under the bus, likely declaring himself the deserving starter.

This will only split Raider Nation and maybe even the locker room.

Also, dumping Garcia now will allow backup QBs Frye and Gradkowski to get the most reps possible in case Russell does go down.

It is interesting how the simple game of football can sometimes provide the greatest instances of irony in an already ironic world.

On the eve of one of the more interesting and mysterious days in Tampa Bay Buccaneer history, the team traveled back to its roots and revealed the creamsicle throwback uniforms that they will be wearing for their Nov. 8 contest with Green Bay.

The Bucs seem to be diving head first into this tribute, even referring to them as the 1976 uniforms. Is that really necessary?

As the organization praised the past and talked about how excited fans were for Bucco Bruce's return, it appeared difficult to keep the minds of everyone from wandering ahead to tomorrow.

Yes, tomorrow the Bucs will open training camp with a morning session at One Buc Palace and an evening session at Raymond James Stadium. They will also unveil some of the most drastic changes in franchise history.

Nothing says new and drastic like debuting a 32-year-old head coach who was the Buccaneer secondary coach just eight months ago.

Raheem Morris' every move will be under the close, watchful eye of every caring spectator and Tampa area critic beginning tomorrow morning at 10:15.

Many fan favorites have been discarded including, most notably, the one man who actually wore a creamsicle uniform. The release of Derrick Brooks was shocking to his legions of fans in the Tampa Bay area and will leave an awkward hole in the locker room.

Add in the departures of Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway, Cato June, Jeff Garcia, and first down machine Ike Hilliard, and many Bucs fans will be flipping frantically through their programs this year to match names with numbers.

The most common question that will bombard the Bucs this training camp is the one with the seemingly taboo "R-word." Over the next 19 days, the Bucs will dance around the rebuilding question like Emmitt Smith in a teal sleeveless button-up on Dancing With the Stars.

They will say that they are trying to put a championship product out on the field immediately and that this Buccaneer team can contend.

They are lying.

The Bucs are now officially in a full-out rebuilding mode and -- gasp -- it is long overdue.

Over the last few years, Bucs fans have been tortured by the constant short-term solutions of Bruce Allen, putting Scooby-Doo Band-Aids on wounds that need stitches and time to heal. What with the steady stream of one year contracts and washed up veterans.

"Oh we need depth at running back? I hear Charlie Garner is available."

"Sign that Tim Brown fellow up to be a punt returner and a team public relations disaster. At least he won't fumble."

What the Bucs need desperately is what they are getting right now. Not even the most casual of Bucs fans were fooled by the hopeless wild card runs and first round playoff exits with a team that was going no where. The necessary is being done right now but you will not hear anyone in red and pewter admit it.

If you think that the eye of the critics will stop at Raheem Morris and the R-word, then you must have slept through the month of April.

Josh Freeman, possibly the most despised Buccaneer draft pick since Bo Jackson, will make his big training camp debut tomorrow. Under Gruden, we had his "Raider Guys" and it now seems that under Morris we might have his "Kansas State Guys" that get the upper hand in personnel decisions.

Expect fans to have a short leash of patience hooked onto the wide-eyed rookie quarterback.

Other new faces will be much more happily welcomed. Kellen Winslow, Angelo Crowell, and Derrick Ward will certainly receive great hype from the fans attending practice sessions tomorrow.

It will be interesting to monitor the contributions of this trio along with Byron Leftwich. I personally feel that they were all pleasant additions to the franchise.

This is a season of overwhelming uncertainty.

This will be the kind of season that writers, critics, and analysts love. The season that provides the unknown, spewing storyline after storyline along the way.

Most are clueless as to what we are really going to see out of this Buccaneer team this season and that will leave many fans uneasy.

A new beginning is on the horizon and we are just one day away from its arrival.

Now, back to the creamsicles.

One of the hardest things to do in the NFL is predict, before the season, which teams will earn the right to keep playing on through the winter months.

Making the playoffs requires a lot of things of a football team: determination, hard work, skill, management of egos, and luck.

The last one plays a particularly pronounced role in one facet of NFL life: injuries.

They strike early and often (just ask Tom Brady) in the league and, at any moment, a player's career can be dashed in one play. It's the sad truth of the NFL.

But an injury to even the most important player does not necessarily doom a team's season. (again, ask Tom Brady's replacement, Matt Cassel)

Great teams are always preparing for the worst, and while no team, player, or fan should ever wish for an injury, a team must always be prepared by stocking every roster spot with as much talent as possible.

With that, I'd like to point out who, in my opinion, are the most talented players in the league who wait in the wings, ready at a moment's notice to step into the limelight. 

The idea of a "backup" in the NFL is never really set, though, especially as "platooning" has taken hold across the league. For instance, some of the most successful backfields in the game today are comprised of not even one or two star backs, but a whole group who share the load.

Many hands make light work, as they say. So I've tried to take that into account as much as possible and go with players who also do their work on special teams, only in specific game situations, or have to make the most of limited touches on the ball.

But that just makes the list more debatable, which is half the fun.

1. Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints

While Reggie Bush has proven to be as explosive and athletic a player in the NFL as he was in college, he has yet to really find success is a running back in the NFL.

Yet behind him is Pierre Thomas, a supremely talented back out of Illinois who has yet to really see a great deal of time in the NFL.

Thomas went undrafted out of college and was signed by the Saints to fill out camp, but performed so well that they kept him on the roster, where he's been ever since.

The last two years he has entered the season behind Bush on the depth chart, and as training camp is set to begin hasn't quite supplanted his more esteemed teammate.

But Reggie's injury last year allowed Thomas to earn much more time behind center, where he outperformed Bush's career yards-per-carry mark by a full yard (4.8 vs. 3.8) and managed nine rushing touchdowns in just 129 attempts.

His coming-out party was really Week 17 of the 2007 season, though, when he got the start and ended up with 226 yards from scrimmage (105 rushing, 121 through the air) and caught a touchdown.

It put Thomas on the map...and lost me a fantasy football title. But I don't hold a grudge or anything...I swear.

Also displaying some very soft hands, reeling in 32 receptions, Thomas could find a lot more work on first and second down this season, even if Bush is healthy.

While Bush is still one of the most exciting athletes in the game, and might be the league's best punt returner, it's unlikely that he'll keep his hold on the mantle of starting running back much longer with Thomas performing so admirably in limited time.

And then it might be Thomas getting the Subway promotions.

By the way, I was watching Happy Gilmore not too long ago and there's the part where he gets the Subway sponsorship, and he mentions they gave him a card to get free Subway for the rest of his life along with his sponsorship money.

I've always wondered if a restaurant would do that. Like is Mr. Submarine still mailing coupons to Scottie Pippen? Is Larry Bird still rocking Chardon Jeans free of charge?

I know some people who do contracts like this for pro athletes, but I'm always embarassed to actually ask them. I think I'd just prefer to go on pretending that somewhere in Tiger Woods' house is a fountain spouting free Gatorade.

2. Lawrence Timmons, LB, Pittsburgh

I wasn't originally going to put Timmons on this list, for the obvious reason that the guy who was in front of him on the depth chart, Larry Foote, is no longer with the team, so Timmons should get the chance to show the world what he can really do.

But when you think Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker in 2008, you think James Harrison. You think LaMarr Woodley. You think James Farrior.

In 2009, you'll think Lawrence Timmons.

After recording 13 tackles and zero sacks in 2007, Timmons ratcheted it up, taking playing time away from Larry Foote as he tallied up 65 tackles and five sacks.

That Larry Foote is going to be collecting game checks that have a return address in Detroit, and not Pittsburgh, is largely due to the play of Timmons.

With Timmons taking over Foote's starting role (and even more snaps, one would think) it's very likely that Pittsburgh's defense is only going to get more aggressive and more creative in 2009.

The sound you just heard was the AFC collectively tearing their hair out.

3. Kevin Faulk, RB, Patriots

Kevin Faulk is another name I toyed with not including on this list. He's a career third down back. He probably wouldn't be terribly effective as an every-down threat, these days, and I question what he would do with 300+ carries in a season.

But that doesn't mean he hasn't been one of the best guys who doesn't fill up the "Games Started" column during his 10-year NFL career.

With 35 starts, total, in his time in the league, Faulk has hardly been given the chance to truly shine as a feature back.

At 32, that time is likely well behind Kevin, but he's still done more with limited time than maybe any other player he played with or against.

Coming out of college, Faulk was thought to be the next great thing. He had an amazing career at LSU and seemed to be poised for great things.

Ten years later, Kevin Faulk won't be making the NFL Hall of Fame, but he has managed nearly 6,500 yards from scrimmage and has been one of the most dependable offensive performers in Patriots history.

Starting when necessary but always a fixture on third down, Faulk had a great year in 2008 as the only real constant in a nebulous, shifting backline that saw starts from BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Sammy Morris, Faulk, and Lawrence Maroney while also featuring Heath Evans and a cameo from LaMont Jordan.

If there's room for one "dependable, if not explosive" option on this list, it had to go to Faulk.

4. Jeff Garcia, QB, Oakland

Jeff Garcia has had a very odd career. He was definitely more than adequate in San Francisco and made three Pro Bowls, looked to be done after bad years in Cleveland and Detroit, seemed to have his swan song in Philadelphia and then resurfaced in Tampa Bay to post back-to-back quarterback ratings in the 90s once again.

I wonder if any other quarterback in the league has been dismissed as done more often than Jeff Garcia only to come back, once again.

Now he's in Oakland, backing up JaMarcus Russell, who has way too much money invested in him to not be the starter come opening week.

Still, I think most fans would be surprised to look at what Garcia has actually done in his career.

Four Pro Bowls, a career 87.5 QB rating, more than 25,000 passing yards and 161 touchdowns against just 83 interceptions.

The last couple years he's been especially effective. Much like Brett Favre in his last year in Green Bay (and the total opposite of Brett Favre since he left Green Bay), he finally seemed to realize he's not the same passer he was in his heyday in San Francisco and has focused more on being accurate on short throws and taking few risks.

As a result, his interception percentage has been down to just 1.1%, 1.2%, and 1.6% the last three years...the best three years of his career in that regard and among the tops in the league all three years.

As good as those numbers have been at 39, I don't think Garcia has a lot of years left in him.

But we've said that before.

I guess he'll just have to settle for being on this (esteemed) list for now.

5. Jerious Norwood, RB, Falcons

Jerious Norwood is one of those names that seems to just stick in the back of your mind. You probably know of him. You should've heard of him by now. But you just can't put a face to a name.

Well this might be a refresher, it's his game-winning touchdown run for Mississippi State against Florida in 2004.

I love that video. He bursts past one defender, then completely freezes another with a sidestep before bursting past everyone, even making two Florida defenders crash into one another in a feeble attempt to tackle him.

The sidestep is my favorite part. The guy misses him so bad he ends up in the parking lot. But it's alright, I hear they only charged him half-price to get back in the stadium because the game was over.

I've been waiting for the inevitable NFL Live "Jerious Norwood, 23 carries, 185 yards, 2 TDs)" stat line to scroll across my TV ever since.

It hasn't happened.

It hasn't happened because, to this point, he's never gotten 20 carries in a single NFL game. He's never even gotten 15.

The book on him is that, listed at barely over 200 pounds, he's too small to be an every-down back. He's incredibly fast, has great hands, is a very solid kick-returner, but there's questions about his ability to pound out four-plus yards consistently on first down crashing into behemoth linemen.

Still, there might be no player in the league who has done more with limited time recently. His last three years he had 99 rushes, 105 rushes, and 93 rushes, respectively, with just two starts.

His yard per carry average might be the most obscene in the NFL, though. In 2006 it was 6.4, in 2007 it was 6.0, and last year it was 5.1 yards per carry.

Which brings his three-year career totals to 297 rushes for 1735 yards and 76 receptions for 717 yards and a host of long touchdown runs/receptions.

Got to love that.

But now, Norwood is sitting behind a mammoth name on the depth chart: Michael Turner.

Turner, who would've easily topped this list two years ago when he was stuck behind another huge name (LaDainian Tomlinson, you may have heard of him), but has since become the resident runner in Atlanta.

So while I might have to wait a little longer to see the huge day from Norwood that I figured would find a regular home on my screen by now, I'd bet dollars to donuts that day is coming soon.

Small adendum here: was looking at some more numbers today and actually cannot believe I missed this. Darren Howard of the Eagles deserves some serious credit. While he's mostly a pass-rushing specialty guy rather than a true backup, he managed to pull down 10 sacks last season deputizing for guys in front of him.

10 sacks, 0 starts. And an interception and fumble recovery thrown in for good measure. I'd say that's fairly productive in limited time.