Gardner to Tampa?
 

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[b]TAMPA - [/b]The Bucs are pretty excited about this year's draft, and with 11 picks - including four in the top 100 - they should be.


The 11 picks are the most the Bucs have had since 1993, but no one should be surprised if they try to parlay at least one of those picks into something other than an untried prospect.

With picks in each of the first five rounds and two each in the sixth and seventh, the Bucs appear to have the arsenal and flexibility to make a trade for a proven NFL commodity.

All they need is a willing partner, and one already might have surfaced in the Washington Redskins.

The Redskins have made it clear in recent weeks they are looking to part with receiver Rod Gardner. They reportedly are seeking a middle-round pick in return, and the Bucs have plenty of those.

The Bucs also have a need for a player of Gardner's talents. Though he has been inconsistent in terms of production, Gardner has good hands and the speed to stretch defenses.

He might not be an ideal fit in Coach Jon Gruden's system, because he tends to run sloppy short and intermediate routes, but he would be an upgrade over Tim Brown and Charles Lee.

The Bucs' lone concern in making such a trade might be salary. Gardner is slated to make $1.45 million next season, but that probably will prove to be less than they would have to pay for Raiders projected free agent Jerry Porter. Besides, it's beginning to look as though Porter won't hit the market. The Raiders already have made him an offer, and Porter is talking as if he doesn't want to leave Oakland.

Whoever wrote that says Gardner has good hands!!*%$#&$

[QUOTE=celts32]Whoever wrote that says Gardner has good hands!!*%$#&$[/QUOTE]

Sssssssshhhhhhhhushh! Let em believe that and we might just be able to get a good deal for him!

hopefully they dont investigate that too much.

I'm going to agree with this guy. Gardner has made some dynamite catches so I don't think his hands are necessarily an issue.

The problem is that he seems to lose focus on the easy throws. Why that is I don't know, but as many of us said many times here-throw it to Gardner and he drops it, throw it over his head and to his left with two defenders on him and he'll grab it one-handed.

I'd like to see a 3rd rounder for him. Otherwise, I'd say keep him.

All you have to do with Gardner is throw it to a spot where he shouldn't catch it, then he will make a circus catch. But if you throw it right on the numbers he will get confused and it will bobble out of his hands.

[QUOTE=Ramseyfan]I'd like to see a 3rd rounder for him. Otherwise, I'd say keep him.[/QUOTE]

I'll buy that. If we keep him for one more season, and then just let him walk for free, it wont bother me. For some reason, I have a feeling he's going to have a good year next season, just because its a contract year. If we can get a 3rd or maybe even a low 4th, I'd say take it. Otherwise, just let him fart around as our 3rd wideout at move on.

A third would be the least that I would want for him, preferably a second. Hes cheap for one more year, and its a contract year. He could be a great third receiver, and if we could get someone else to be teh number two. Last thing I want is for us to get rid of him for nothing then have him blow up and put up huge numbers, he is capable of it, hes a good mold for a receiver

Yeah, if the Skins can score at least a third rounder, then ditch Gardner....

I'd take a 3rd rounder for RG in a heartbeat

I say we cut bait with this guy no matter what the pick, Gardner is everything we are trying to get away from under Gibb's, LOSER! I don't care who replaces him but we have to head in a different direction, I don't see Tampa going after him they already have a similar reciever in Clayton and he has smarts, and can catch, everything gardner is not.

[QUOTE=aehs77]hopefully they dont investigate that too much.[/QUOTE]

Maybe they will use the same investigative team as the one we used to decide on Brunnel.:D

For those who are now (because we have an alleged suitor) trying to say they "won't take anything less than [i]X[/i]" for Rod Gardner, please use this site's search function to remind yourselves how wildly inconsistent he has been in uniform. Then search for some of his "off-the-field" issues (lost cars, wild social life) has affected him and his teammates (Sean Taylor's DUI arrest came after leaving Gardner's party). Look at the difference in attitude between he and Coles (who rushed back from an offseason procedure because he wanted to practice catching balls thrown by a left-hander). Think about how much value he will have next year if we decide to let him leave (none), and think about the odds of him living up to the position he was drafted - 17th overall. We should consider ourselves lucky if a team will give us a third rounder for him, because if this team traded our third rounder for a WR who caught 50 balls last year and had double digit drops, whose numbers have declined for the last three years, and whose off the field life includes denying to the police and media that he lost his car (even though the police found it in a bad neighborhood), you would not only be out to kill Vinnie Cerrato and Dan Snyder, but be actively searching for Alzheimer meds for Coach Gibbs.

Rod isn't THAT bad. He had maybe 5 more drops than Coles this year. He missed some easy ones, but who made the spectacular catches? Gardner. They just need a WR coach to work with him on his concentration. I don't seem to remember him dropping this many balls last year with a different WR coach. He has they physical gifts to be a great receiver, concentration can be hard for anyone. A lot of receivers take a while to get into their groove, he's still relatively young and wouldn't be suprised if he went on the have a big career. Not sure if it'll be in Washington or not.