Huge space under salary cap could have made Tampa Bay Bucs a much better team

TAMPA

Once, we were the favored ones.

It seemed we could have whatever we needed. A playmaker? Let's get Keyshawn Johnson. A pass rusher? We'll take a Simeon Rice. A coach, a quarterback, a running back? Give us Jon Gruden, Brad Johnson and Michael Pittman.

More than a decade ago when the other family businesses included trailer parks and fish processing, the Glazers couldn't get enough of their Buccaneers. The team was fun, it was profitable and its success was a point of community pride.

And just when it seemed like the adoration between team and market would go on forever, the Glazers found themselves a new love interest. They bought Manchester United, and things have never been the same in Tampa Bay.

The Bucs went from spending more than most teams on player payroll to spending less than every team. And not just for one season. Based on reports, the Bucs have been the cheapest team in the NFL since 2004, which is around the time soccer became a family business.

So before you skewer Raheem Morris, you may want to consider the circumstances he has been given. Before you blame Mark Dominik, you may want to ask yourself how much of this is beyond his control.

The Bucs are nearly $30 million under the salary cap this season, which is almost twice as much as the next closest team. The league average is $8.33 million below the cap.

So even if the Bucs were a run-of-the-mill franchise — and Forbes magazine says they are closer to the top third in the league in franchise value — they should be spending almost $20 million more in payroll.

Would it make a difference? Let's go shopping and find out.

As much as you might want to start with a new quarterback, the truth is the Bucs have tied themselves to Josh Freeman's future. So we'll accept Byron Leftwich as a temporary caretaker. And, besides, there are plenty of other areas that need upgrading.

The defensive line, for instance. The Bucs went into the season without a proven pass rusher at defensive end. They knew this. They accepted this. But it didn't have to be that way.

Greg Ellis was available fairly cheap. Sure, he's 34, but he also has had 20.5 sacks the past two seasons. Right on cue, he has three sacks in two games with the Raiders. And all for a reported $10 million over three years. Bertrand Berry is another 34-year-old working cheap. He has two sacks in two games on a one-year, $1 million deal.

As for interior linemen, the Bucs let Jovan Haye go because he was supposedly too small for Jim Bates' new scheme. You may recall the run defense went into the tank last season when Haye got hurt, and it has yet to recover. Haye signed in Tennessee for $16.2 million over four years. And if you're insistent on a bigger defensive tackle, 330-pound Colin Cole signed in Seattle for $21.4 million over five years.

With Quincy Black, Geno Hayes, Sabby Piscitelli and Aqib Talib, the Bucs have four new starters at linebacker and defensive back. I understand the need for new blood, but the Bucs could have gone after a better blend. At 32, linebacker Mike Peterson still has good days left, and Atlanta got him for $6.5 million over two years. He has one interception, two passes defensed and 16 tackles.

The offensive line is promising, and the Bucs upgraded at running back and tight end. Still, it would have been nice to have another receiving threat. They were available, and they weren't expensive. Jabar Gaffney ended up in Denver ($10 million for four years), Devery Henderson remained in New Orleans ($12 million for four years), Nate Washington went to Tennessee ($27 million for six years) and even Terrell Owens was a relative bargain in Buffalo (one year at $6.5 million).

These contracts vary in terms of guaranteed money and salary cap hits, so it's difficult to say how many players could have fit here. But it's not a stretch to imagine the Bucs could have had a better pass rush and run defense along with more depth at receiver.

Whenever he is asked about ownership's commitment, Dominik swears the Glazers provide whatever resources are necessary. Which is what I would say if someone questioned the devotion of my bosses.

Dominik says — much like Bruce Allen before him — that the Bucs need cap space so they can tie up core players. Except they rarely do that. Barrett Ruud is their best player on defense, and he's annoyed because he doesn't have a long-term deal. Antonio Bryant was the team MVP, and he's ticked because he's on a one-year deal.

This isn't like the Rays and Lightning, who have struggled with attendance and revenues. Tampa Bay and the Buccaneers have enjoyed a partnership based on shared expectations, and maybe even mutual trust. Today, whatever trust that existed is quickly fading.

The Glazers have stopped spending, and the fans will soon stop coming.

Sad to see the end of a grand love affair.

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.