Starting QB for Tampa?

[5xchampions]

This is going to be a scary year for the Bucs. With so much hinging on their season the biggest surprise might be the QB competition. Yes it has come down to this Chris Simms, vs Jeff Garcia. How could this be? Is Simms time in the NFL almost up already. He is the young gun drafted with the last pick of the 3rd round in 2003 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the expectation that he would eventually be the successor to Brad Johnson, who now plays for the Cowboys after a stint in Minnesota.

Jeff Garcia is the wiley vet, released by San Fran after the '03 season. You would think after being released by the Browns, Lions and now recently the Eagles his career would be over. But the flux of young qbs in the nfl is not always stable or set in stone and thats the question with Chris Simms.

5 years in the NFL have left Simms and the Bucs wondering if he can grab on to the starting job and take the Bucs to the next level. Now he did bring them to the playoffs two years ago only to have an early exit thanks to the Redskins. That happens to rookie playoff qbs.

Now the problem for Simms becomes the heralded Jeff Garcia who is there from the Bucs agreeing to terms with him and bringing in competition for the QB position, which tells Simms a few things. 1. The team is not sold on him being the QB since Garcia was not brought in to be back up. and 2 the most demoralizing sign, the Bucs are not confident in Simms ability to lead this team and question if he has the skills to be a NFL starting QB.

This competition is going to be scary for the Buc because they will find out if Chris Simms can do it or not. If he can, great they have him starting and Garcia backing up if things go awry. If Simms loses the job to Garcia than that is telling the Bucs they are not set at QB and will have to waste another draft pick on a young qb and setting their possible progress back a year or two.

This is a scary competition for everyone involved.

[Barleybaby]

It all starts up front Simms was making bad decisions last year, but he was under duress! Hell the Buc's O-line would make Brady, Manning, Palmer, and Brees look bad! I say Garcia gets the nod just to put a bug up Simms ass and then get JG gets pummeled and in comes Simms. Then Simms gets his liver knocked to where his spleen used to be. So in comes Gradkowski and we all know just how that will work. They might as well hold open tryouts for the public.

[eagle fanatic]

It all starts up front Simms was making bad decisions last year, but he was under duress! Hell the Buc's O-line would make Brady, Manning, Palmer, and Brees look bad! I say Garcia gets the nod just to put a bug up Simms ass and then get JG gets pummeled and in comes Simms. Then Simms gets his liver knocked to where his spleen used to be. So in comes Gradkowski and we all know just how that will work. They might as well hold open tryouts for the public.


So BB whats the deal with Plummer? Did he really call it quits or did he just want the Bucs to move him somewhere else. Haven't heard much about him lately. He would be the Bucs best option, well either him or Garcia.

[Barleybaby]

I'm not sure about where / what Plumbob is up to. I really don't want him in Tampa. Let him go ahead and retire. Unless Tampa can move him I don't care what he does.

[eliforpres]

IMOVHO --- Chris Simms is a good QB --- It's the O-Line that is VERY BAD in Tampa -- Hate to tell you this but Luke isn't going to make a world of difference -- He will more than likely get Back Spasms again -- Not saying he isn't a good LT he can play with the best of them when healthy -- he is and has been plagued most of his career with back problems.

Garcia will more than likely be the starter -- He is mobile and can make the short and Medium passes. Don't let him throw the long ball though.

[Barleybaby]

16 Plummer, Jake QB 6-2 212 12/19/74 11 Arizona State Boise, ID

12 McCown, Luke QB 6-3 212 07/12/81 4 Louisiana Tech Jacksonville, TX

7 Garcia, Jeff QB 6-1 205 02/24/70 9 San Jose State Gilroy, CA

5 Gradkowski, Bruce QB 6-1 220 01/27/83 2 Toledo Pittsburgh, PA

2 Simms, Chris QB 6-4 220 08/29/80 5 Texas Ramapo, NJ

13 Taylor, Zac QB 6-2 210 05/10/83 R Nebraska Norman, OK

10 Eugene, Bruce QB 6-0 283 06/20/82 1 Grambling New Orleans, LA

Getting one quarterback ready to play is tough enough for Jon Gruden. Trying to prepare seven of them for the season is another story.

When the Bucs began their first full-squad workouts last week, there were too many quarterbacks to even divide the snaps.

There is no real depth chart or even a reasonable attempt to determine who has the upper hand at the quarterback position in the off-season.

Clearly, the race right now is between Eagles free agent Jeff Garcia and Chris Simms, who is completely healed from season-ending surgery for a ruptured spleen he suffered in Week 3.

So how is coach Jon Gruden splitting up reps between passers?

"Right now I think it's whatever coach feels," Simms said. "He's trying to get Jeff (Garcia) accustomed to the offense. But it's tough because you don't get a lot of sustained reps. But we have a lot of practice left."

Once the team gets to training camp, it's inevitable that Simms and Garcia will get most of the reps.

As for his health, Simms looks good and says he feels good, too. The only thing he has to do is get vaccinated every few years against certain infections the spleen protects against.

One thing that will benefit the Bucs quarterbacks is the strength of their receivers. In addition to Joey Galloway and Michael Clayton, the Bucs are looking for a big year from Maurice Stovall and are optimistic about David Boston, who looks better than he did a year ago in training camp coming off a knee injury.


Another ugly year in Tampa?

[5xchampions]

Does not look pretty for Tampa this year. Whats the verdict BB, a top 10 pick next year in the draft?

How is Carnell Williams doing? He was to be a superstar RB than faded down i feel? Should we expect him to have a monster year? fantasy Football minds want to know...HA i made a funny