Tampa Bay happy to be spending the bucks
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have secured two players over the last couple of days that, they hope, will bolster their strength in depth and have an immediate impact for the coming season.
On Tuesday, they announced the signing of free agent running back Peyton Hillis. The 27-year-old, 6th year, veteran has been a non-factor in the league since his breakout year in 2010 for the Cleveland Browns.
He ran for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns in a year that saw him become the cover star for the Madden computer game, but the famous ‘cover star curse’ may have struck him, as his stats and career have tailed off.
Tampa Bay clearly see enough in him still to offer him a one-year deal where he will see playing time behind Doug Martin, who had an exceptional rookie year in 2012, rushing for 1,454 yards and 11 trips to the end zone.
To back this up, on Wednesday, the Buccaneers made wide receiver Mike Williams a long term project, handing him a new six-year contract worth a reported $40.25m, with $15m of that guaranteed.
Head coach Greg Schiano believes he knows a good thing when he sees it, and with Vincent Jackson lined up on the other side of the field, this speedy duo could well propel Tampa Bay into the big time again.
Williams becomes the first receiver to earn a $40m+ deal without actually having a 1,000 yard season, proving that the stats don’t always have to add up to earn you a big payday.
This isn’t seen as a gamble though; Williams has played in all 48 games since entering the league, averaging 64.3 catches per season. In his first three years he has found the end zone 23 times.
There is healthy competition in the NFC South to rule the air, the is after all a division that boast Matt Ryan (Atlanta), Cam Newton (Carolina) and Drew Brees (New Orleans). Can Josh Freeman make the jump to be named alongside these talented quarterbacks? He has no excuse now that his employers have made the moves to help him and the franchise move forward.
