The former 49ers QB will agree to Cleveland's offer today rather than compete for Tampa Bay's starting job.
By ROGER MILLS
Published March 9, 2004
TAMPA - Where former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia plays in 2004 has been the subject of intense speculation, but late Monday reports suggested Garcia was ready to join the Browns.
According to Internet reports, Garcia made a decision late Monday night to accept an offer to start for the Browns rather than compete for the starting position with the Bucs.
SI.com reported that Garcia would fly to Cleveland today to accept a two-year, $10-million offer. The Web site reported that Tampa Bay's prospective deal with Garcia fell apart because of financial constraints and the Bucs' inability to compete with Cleveland's offer. ESPN.com also reported that Garcia and the Browns agreed to a deal.
There were earlier indications Garcia could be playing in a Tampa Bay uniform next season, although the Bucs had refused to confirm they were negotiating with the 34-year-old quarterback, and Garcia's agent, Steve Baker, remained unavailable for comment.
Had the Bucs succeeded in wooing Garcia, it would have created a muddled quarterback picture.
The Bucs had emerged as a front-runner after Bobby Garcia, the quarterback's father, suggested the three-time Pro Bowl player agreed to play for Tampa Bay.
What likely impeded negotiations was the Bucs' ability to sign Garcia to a lucrative deal. To do so, they would have had to restructure, release or trade a player (or players) who would have had an impact on their salary-cap structure.
Linebacker Derrick Brooks restructured his contract, giving the Bucs about $3-million in cap relief. It has been speculated that veteran safety John Lynch, who is scheduled to make $4.1-million in base salary this year and has a salary-cap hit of about $5.2-million, is a prime candidate to restructure or take a pay cut.
Lynch, 32, is coming off a season marred by injuries and had offseason shoulder surgery. He is scheduled to earn $5-million in 2005, the last year of his contract. Lynch's agent, David Dunn, was not available for comment.
Equally puzzling was what signing Garcia would have meant for starting quarterback Brad Johnson. Two seasons ago, Johnson piloted the Bucs to a Super Bowl title. In 2003, Johnson was 354-of-570 for 3,811 yards (a franchise record) with a team- and career-high 26 TDs and 21 interceptions.
Johnson, 35, is due to make $3.25-million this year, $5.75-million in 2005 and $6.75-million in the final year of his contract.
If the Bucs had signed Garcia to a heavily backloaded contract, they conceivably could have managed having both quarterbacks on the roster for one year. In the second year, when Garcia's contract starts escalating, the team would have been hard pressed to keep both.
Garcia's father told the Gilroy (Calif.) Dispatch, the family's hometown newspaper, on Sunday night that his son will "ink a three- or four-year deal between $15- to $20-million" with the Bucs. The paper said the team would announce the deal this week.
The Bucs did confirm Garcia visited One Buc Place on Sunday, but general manager Bruce Allen was out of town Monday, and the team would neither confirm nor deny the published report.
Garcia became a free agent last week when he refused to take a $4-million pay cut and was released by San Francisco. He visited Cleveland and Atlanta before coming to Tampa on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Bucs are close to signing former Raider Charlie Garner, who would fill the immediate need for running back depth. The Bucs also are close to signing linebacker Keith Burns, a special-teams standout from Denver.
The Bucs also continue to look at ways to upgrade the offensive line. Bengals right guard Matt O'Dwyer could sign within the next few days, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.
"(O'Dwyer) has a great relationship with (offensive line coach) Bill Muir," Bartelstein said. "He is coming off a year when was injured and is looking forward to a chance to prove he can be a dominant player again."
O'Dwyer, 6 feet 5 and 305 pounds, is entering his 10th year in the league. A second-round pick of the Jets in 1995 (33rd overall) out of Northwestern, O'Dywer played his first four seasons in the league under Muir, then with New York. Bartelstein said O'Dwyer did not need to visit.
"They know him really well," he said.
Another possible move could be the return of veteran tight end Ken Dilger, who also is represented by Bartelstein. A cap casualty on the eve of free agency, Dilger could be re-signed at a lower price.
"We're having conversations about that and it's a possibility," Bartelstein said. "We have some other teams showing interest, and we'll have to see what happens. He would like to get this cleared up in a week or so."
The Bucs are not entirely focused on the offense. Raiders defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield visited One Buc Place on Monday.
