Lynch to leave BucsFrom Times staff and wire reports
Published March 11, 2004
Saying he may play elsewhere but "I'll always be a Buccaneer,'' safety John Lynch said the Bucs will allow him to seek a deal with another team, effectively ending his Tampa Bay career.
The Buccaneers later in the afternoon announced Lynch's release.
One of the most popular players in Bucs history, Lynch helped the team rise from one of the worst teams in pro football to 2003 Super Bowl champion.
He turns 33 in September and was scheduled to count more than $5-million against the salary cap, money the Bucs may now spend on other players.
Lynch said he had been willing to rework his contract but an agreement was not worked out.
He said he has received considerable interest from other teams and plans to continue playing.
"I take great pride in the fact that in my career in the NFL I have never and will never play for a contract, rather any success I've had is the result of my play, my passion for the game I love, and the game I respect so much," Lynch said in a news conference held at a radio station in his hometown of San Diego and broadcast live in Tampa. Lynch choked up several times during the press conference.
"Those values never changed in this process. This decision was not a result of my unwillingness to restructure my contract. That scenario, which would have been my preference ... was never an option. As a result, I will be playing football next year for a different team."
"My wife just heard about this and she is crying about it,'' Bucs general manager Bruce Allen said in announcing Lynch's release.
Tampa Bay has five players and restructured the contracts of linebacker Derrick Brooks, cornerback Brian Kelly and offensive lineman Kerry Jenkins to create room under the NFL's $80.6 million salary cap.
The team has signed eight players, including former Oakland running back Charlie Garner, while ignoring the biggest Tampa Bay free agent on the open market, defensive tackle Warren Sapp.
Sapp's agent said Tuesday that the seven-time Pro Bowl selection had not yet received an offer from the Bucs and would begin talking to other teams.
Lynch has played his entire 11-year career in Tampa Bay and along with Sapp and Brooks helped transform the Bucs from the laughingstock of the league into Super Bowl champions.
Associated Press contributed to this report
[Last modified March 11, 2004, 16:31:21]
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