Bucs fill key post with a promotion

Ruston Webster named director of player personnel, overseeing pro and college scouting, draft, free agency.

By GREG AUMAN
Published May 10, 2005

TAMPA - Instead of moving out, Ruston Webster is moving up.

After four years as the Bucs' director of college scouting, Webster was promoted to director of player personnel on Monday, three days after he reportedly interviewed with the Dolphins about a position in their front office.

"Ruston has been a dedicated and talented employee for our organization for nearly two decades, and we are pleased to promote him to this new position," Bucs general manager Bruce Allen said in a statement.

Webster, who has worked for the Bucs since 1988 and served as director of pro personnel from 1989-91, will oversee the team's pro and college scouting, handling not only the draft process but free agency as well. The position had been vacant since last season after Tim Ruskell, now with the Seahawks, left to join Rich McKay in the Falcons' front office.

"I wanted to get to know everybody as best I could," Allen said. "After two drafts now I feel like I know what we have. (Webster's) an excellent teammate and he understands what we're looking for."

"I look forward to working with everyone in my new role," Webster, 42, said in a statement. "This position allows me the opportunity to expand my responsibilities and work closely with our staff on both the college and pro level."

Webster interviewed last week for a front-office position with the Dolphins, according to Fort Lauderdale's South Florida Sun-Sentinel . Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said Monday that the team does not confirm or comment on job interviews.

Allen said he and Webster had been discussing the promotion for months.

"There's always a chance good people are going to get promoted in this league," he said. "I'm glad the promotion worked out here with the Bucs."

To fill Webster's vacancy, the Bucs promoted Dennis Hickey, who spent the last seven years as a regional college scout, covering schools in the Midwest. Hickey, a 1994 Tulsa graduate, started with the Bucs in 1996 and spent his first two seasons as a pro personnel assistant in the scouting department.

MOVING ON: The agent for former Bucs receiver Charles Lee said he doesn't expect the unrestricted free agent to return to Tampa Bay after Friday's signing of veteran Ike Hilliard.

"We haven't spoken with the Bucs in a while, and after they got Hilliard, I'd assume they're pretty much set at the position," agent Richard De Luca said.

Lee, 27, who caught 48 passes for 639 yards in the last two seasons for the Bucs, worked out for the Dolphins last month and could make additional visits this week, De Luca said.

[Last modified May 10, 2005, 01:03:07]