TAMPA - It's true the Bucs would not have won a Super Bowl without Jon Gruden.
But it could be a very long time before they sniff another one because of the total cost of that deal.
Gruden, of course, is not at fault for the Bucs' compensation to the Raiders for him. And he has a right to lament some moves made by former GM Rich McKay and ownership that stripped the team of much of its future.
Consider:
In 2000, McKay traded two No. 1 picks (13th and 27th overall) for receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who caught 298 passes in 31/2 years. Johnson was an integral part of the Bucs winning a world championship, but Gruden essentially fired him with six weeks remaining in the 2003 season.
In 2001, the Bucs swapped their 21st overall selection and their second-round pick (51st overall) to take Florida tackle Kenyatta Walker at No. 14.
Walker is an average to below average player whom Gruden has little or no use for. And it's possible he is not in a Bucs uniform next season.
Finally, in 2002, the Bucs coughed up two No. 1 and two No. 2 picks, along with $8-million, to acquire Gruden.
Total: Five first-round picks, three second-rounders and $8-million for Johnson, Walker and Gruden.
Making the cupboard even more bare is that the Bucs' two highest picks in 2002 - third-rounder Marquise Walker and fourth-rounder Travis Stephens - aren't even in the NFL.
Gruden has to share some of the blame. While McKay had control over the draft, how could they miss so badly on Marquise Walker when he lived briefly with Bucs quarterbacks coach Stan Parrish while the two were at Michigan?
That's why the manner in which the Bucs restructure their front office is so important. Gruden needs a solid personnel evaluator who is not afraid to rebuff Gruden's wishes once in a while, not a GM with no real authority.
The fear is that Gruden is so star-struck by veterans - Terrell Owens comes to mind - that too much of the team's resources will be tied up in a few players.
The Bucs need to replenish their roster with as many role players as possible. Look at Philadelphia. The Eagles lost Hugh Douglas, Jeremiah Trotter and Brian Mitchell over the past few seasons and are deeper for it. Only two teams used more players than the Patriots this season, and they finished 14-2, the best record in the NFL.
Several of the Bucs' remaining stars will have to restructure contracts to give the team salary-cap relief. The cap number for safety John Lynch in '04 is $6-million. Derrick Brooks' is $8.7-million.
The first order of business for a new GM will be to get some cap relief from these players and use it to try to lock up an emerging star like free-agent running back Thomas Jones.
As for the draft, the Bucs finally have a first-round pick in 2004, the 15th overall choice. But they are fools if they select a player there. The Bucs need to trade down every chance they get and acquire extra picks.
It will be a long road back to the Super Bowl for the Bucs unless they begin stockpiling young talent, with an eye on special teams. Tampa Bay has selected one linebacker - free agent Nate Webster - in the past five drafts. And linebackers - like Jeff Gooch and Al Singleton - make the best special-teams players.
MEDICAL WATCH: Players and coaches are concerned that Lynch might require surgery on his neck to prevent the recurring stingers that limited his play this season. They hope the injury is not career-threatening. Already, the Bucs face an uncertain future with Mike Alstott, who is recovering from surgery on a herniated disc in his neck. Alstott lost 20 pounds of mostly muscle and only recently was cleared to resume physical activity.
