Team trades Marquise Walker to Cardinals for Thomas Jones to provide insurance at running back.
By ROGER MILLS
Published June 14, 2003
TAMPA - With Michael Pittman's future as a Buccaneer in jeopardy, the team made a bold move Friday to secure some insurance for the running game.
The Bucs traded second-year receiver Marquise Walker, who did not play last season, to the Arizona Cardinals for disgruntled running back Thomas Jones, Pittman's former teammate.
Jones, the seventh overall pick in the 2000 draft, is in the final year of his contract and will cost the Bucs $535,000 in base salary. Coincidentally, Jones lost his starting job to Pittman when both were with Arizona.
"This is a trade that should be good for both parties," Bucs general manager Rich McKay said in a statement. "Thomas will have an opportunity to come in here and compete, and he certainly has the traits to be a productive player for us."
With Pittman, 27, facing possible jail time and suspension from the NFL after being indicted on two felony charges of aggravated assault stemming from a domestic dispute in Phoenix on May 31 - his arraignment is scheduled for Thursday - the Bucs clearly needed to find an experienced back.
Jones, 24, was an obvious choice.
The former Virginia standout lost his starting job to Marcel Shipp last season and would have been lower on the depth chart this season after the Cardinals signed Emmitt Smith. The relationship between Jones and the Cardinals rapidly deteriorated and ended with the 5-foot-10, 220-pounder cutting ties with team. Jones reportedly has not been to the Cardinals training facility since the end of last season.
The Cardinals have been trying to trade Jones since then, and vice president Rod Graves made it clear Jones was not likely to be with the team for training camp.
Now, he'll be with the Bucs.
"I am definitely excited about the chance to come to Tampa Bay," Jones said in a release from the team. "The Bucs have a great organization, great players and great coaches. I am excited to get to play for coach (Jon) Gruden and hopefully I can help the Bucs win another Super Bowl. My ankle (injured early last season) feels great and I have been training very hard this offseason."
In Jones, the Bucs are getting an unproven commodity who in college showed tremendous potential and was expected to be a dominant NFL back. In three seasons in Arizona, Jones played in 39 games, starting 15. He has rushed for 1,264 yards on 362 carries and scored nine touchdowns.
"I know why it didn't work last year. He got hurt," Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis told the Arizona Republic. "He started out his first year and it looked like he was trying to make a home run every time out. But I have no doubt that he gave us every bit of effort."
Last season, while sharing the starting duties with Shipp, Jones rushed for 511 yards on 138 carries (3.7 average) and had two touchdowns. He also added 20 receptions for 113 yards.
He was placed on the injured reserve/nonfootball injury list on Nov. 26. He missed the last five games after telling the Cardinals he broke his hand while answering the phone.
Jones has shown the flashes that made him a top-10 pick three years ago. In the second game of last season, Jones rushed for 173 yards on 24 carries, scored a touchdown and had a 58-yard run in a 24-13 win in Seattle. Jones joins a backfield that includes Pittman, Pro Bowl fullback Mike Alstott, Aaron Stecker, fullbacks Darian Barnes and Jameel Cook, undrafted rookie Earnest Graham and recently signed veteran Terry Kirby.
Walker, a third-round pick and the Bucs' first selection in last year's draft, struggled to grasp Gruden's offense. In training camp and during the first month of the season, Walker routinely received extra work after practice.
Playing behind Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell, Joe Jurevicius and Karl Williams (who also returns punts), Walker would have needed a superb training camp to earn consistent playing time.
"Marquise was caught in a situation where playing time would have been limited and, therefore, this trade will give him a chance to go and compete for more playing time," McKay said.
It's not going to be automatic for Walker in Arizona either. The Cardinals may have lost David Boston to the Chargers in free agency, but they took two receivers in the draft: Penn State's Bryant Johnson in the first round (No.17 overall) and Florida State's Anquan Boldin in the second (No.54).
