Bucs in a hurry to get answer from Griese

The team, hoping to set a shopping list, opens talks with the QB's agent.

By RICK STROUD
Published January 27, 2005

[Bucs photo: Matt May] Auburn's Jason Campbell has impressed the Bucs staff at Senior Bowl practices.

At the helm Who will be the Bucs starting quarterback in two years? Brian Griese Chris Simms A QB to be drafted A free-agent QB

[Bucs photo: Matt May] Campbell will start for the South squad under Bucs coach Jon Gruden, right, who says the quarterback has the size, touch and mobility he likes. For his part, Campbell says he enjoys working for Gruden.

MOBILE, Ala. - Before they ever swapped contract proposals, the Bucs already had a lot invested in quarterback Brian Griese: Eleven starts, countless hours of instruction and a big part of their future.

Very shortly, they should have a good idea what it will cost to keep him.

Griese's agent, Ralph Cindrich, arrived at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday and met with Bucs general manager Bruce Allen for their first face-to-face negotiating session.

The Bucs have until the beginning of March to reach a new agreement with Griese, when he is owed a $6-million roster bonus the club has little intention of paying.

Coach Jon Gruden would like to have an answer much sooner.

"You'd like to get some dialogue going," Gruden said Wednesday. "One way or another, it'd be nice to know what's going on.

"You'd like to know so you can address where you're going. You've got to have quarterbacks, you've got to have guys. But as you get ready for the draft, whether you're doing it or I'm doing it, you see what you can get in free agency, what you can do with the salary cap, what radar screen you're looking at. And when you get into the draft and you're on the clock, you'd like to just draft the best players and not just for need."

With veteran Brad Johnson expected to be released soon in a cap-cutting move and Griese's future uncertain, Chris Simms is the only Tampa Bay quarterback guaranteed to return in 2005.

It's clear the Bucs would like to count on Griese as their starter next season, especially after watching him throw 20 touchdowns and lead the NFL by completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.

Having resurrected his career under Gruden, Griese also would prefer to remain with the Bucs.

But then, Gruden never expected to be without veteran receiver Keenan McCardell last season, so he is understandably nervous.

"You've got to have a quarterback," Gruden said. "You've got to address certain aspects of the football team somehow, some way. We'll use free agency, then the draft, then back to free agency."

Coaching at the Senior Bowl has provided Gruden with a closer look at several prospects, including the three who will play for his South squad, Auburn's Jason Campbell, Georgia's David Greene and Miami's Brock Berlin. None is expected to go in the first round.

Gruden said the Bucs would like to select a quarterback in the draft.

"If the right guy is there, we'll take him," Gruden said. "It's a hard position to find, a hard position to acquire talent. And if you can get a guy in a college draft, sometimes the salaries are in a $25- or $30-million range. So you might be able to afford a guy for a few years and really, truly develop him.

"We've always had a mixture of whoever the starter is, we've had a young guy in the wings and we've had a veteran guy who can be ready to play on short notice. But that's in the past. We have a lot of questions to get answered with Griese and we do have a promising guy in Simms, and obviously we're going to be always on the lookout for another one."

Campbell, who will start for the South on Saturday, went 13-0 piloting the Tigers and has been the most intriguing to Gruden.

"He's impressive," Gruden said. "He's a quick study, he learns fast. I like his size, 228 pounds, 6-foot-5 plus. He's got great touch and better mobility than even I thought.

"We've thrown a lot at them. We've got 52 passes in the game plan, we've got 15 or 16 runs. It's their job to learn it, and it's their job to go out there and execute it. Let's be honest: This is a paid-for performance-type deal. I think they like that."

Campbell certainly does.

"It's been fun," he said. "I had a great opportunity to be under coach Gruden for the Senior Bowl. He's a great coach and an enthusiastic coach, and I enjoy that. He makes you ready to play. He's a motivator, and that's one thing I enjoy about him."

So does Griese. But pretty soon, the Bucs will need an answer.

"I think it's important we all stay on the same page," Gruden said. "I think he wants to come back, he knows we want him back and if we can get everything resolved, it'll be good for Tampa Bay, I think."

[Last modified January 27, 2005, 00:41:13]