You probably saw the news on Wednesday that Atlanta had traded its promising backup quarterback, Matt Schaub, to Houston. And you're probably wondering right now how in the world this is relevant on a Bucs blog.

Well, here's how: the Texans were one of the few teams with a sincere interest in making a deal for Jake Plummer, the disgruntled Buccaneer quarterback who was thought to be interested in playing for Houston. That's where Plummer's former Broncos offensive coordinator, Gary Kubiak, is head coach.

But with Schaub likely to supplant embattled Houston starter David Carr after the trade, the Texans no longer have a need for Plummer. That will significantly reduce the Bucs' chances of dealing Plummer, while increasing the likelihood that he'll play in Tampa or nowhere. The Raiders are believed to have some interest in Plummer, but there has been no concrete evidence that Oakland and Tampa Bay have had frank discussions about a deal.

Of course, all of this is moot if Plummer intends live up to his promise to never play again. He hasn't backed off that claim just yet, so we probably need to take him at his word at this point. But if there was any credence to the theory that this retirement talk was nothing more than an attempt to force a trade from Tampa Bay, then Plummer just lost a lot of leverage. Houston was the most likely trade partner in any potential Plummer deal, but it's no longer an option.

So, if you were looking for the Plummer soap opera to end anytime soon, today doesn't look like the day.