February 18, 2002

After spending five weeks as

After spending five weeks as the lauging stock of the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally signed a head coach. Surprise! If you thought Jon Gruden was off the table, you were wrong. Granted, to get Gruden, the Bucs had to pay through the nose:

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reports that the contract with Gruden is for five years and $17.5 million. In the compensation package, the Raiders will receive first-and second-round draft choices in 2002, a first-round choice in 2003, and a second-round choice in 2004.

Gruden came with a big-ticket price tag, and a mortgage on the team's short-term prospects for securing fresh new talent, but the team didn't have to give up any of the current roster. With the right coach, the Bucs have the talent to win it all. With Gruden's track record of taking under-achieving players like Rich Gannon and squeezing out every last drop of potential, Jon Gruden is the right choice for a Bucs team that is a non-porous pass protection squad away from the Lombardi trophy.

As an added bonus, Gruden has a long career ahead of him, and he has family roots in Tampa. As long as he keeps performing at his current high level, the financial and psychic compensation of being the Bucs' head coach will keep Gruden around for a very long time.

Posted by wasylik at February 18, 2002 08:06 PM