Tampa surprises with Barber deal

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, August 01, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprised many on Tuesday, as they re-signed cornerback Ronde Barber to a five-year contract extension. Just a few weeks ago it was believed that the Bucs' general manager, Bruce Allen, wasn't talking extension with Barber and wasn't even fielding phone calls from the defender's agent, Ethan Locke.

At 31 years of age, this lengthy contract will likely be Barber's last in the National Football League. The nine-year veteran has been one of the league's foremost defensive backs over that lengthy span, intercepting 28 passes and perhaps more impressively, racking up 20 sacks -- an inordinate amount for a player in the secondary.

Last season, in the Buccaneers' NFC South-winning campaign, Barber led a great defensive unit with five interceptions. His 99 total tackles, two sacks and 15 pass deflections were also important for coordinator Monte Kiffin's defense. Thanks to his outstanding numbers, Barber ventured to his third Pro Bowl, which was his second straight.

When the 5-foot-10, 184-pounder entered the league as a third-round pick out of Virginia, few expected him to become such an explosive member of Tampa's defense. Back then, of course, the franchise was hapless, sinking deep into the conference's abyss. Since, however, Tampa Bay has gotten back on track, winning a Super Bowl in 2002 and earning seven postseason trips in Barber's tenure.

To many, the re-signing of Barber through 2010 signals the imminent end of No. 2 cornerback Brian Kelly's era in Tampa. The 30-year-old has been a terrific defender for the Bucs since 1998, but it would be unrealistic to imagine Kiffin using two players over 30 in his starting secondary for a long period of time. Thus, there's a decent chance the organization will elect to release the 5-11, 193-pounder after the upcoming season. If not, the Bucs' starting corners would be among the oldest in football soon.

A player to watch in the pewter and red's future is Alan Zemaitis, a rookie fourth-rounder from Penn State. If he shows enough strides as a first-year man this season, it will make it a whole lot easier for the team to cut ties with Kelly. Keep in mind Tampa has released key veterans like John Lynch and Warren Sapp in the past, only to maintain its defensive prowess.

No matter how aged Barber is, the bottom line is that he's still among the best playmaking defensive backs in football. Not only can the veteran intercept passes, but he can blitz with the best corners in the game, which makes him an invaluable asset. There's no question that Allen and the rest of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization recognized that.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

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