Moving decisively to address a depth issue at quarterback, the Bucs traded an undisclosed draft pick to San Francisco on Tuesday to acquire proven veteran passer Tim Rattay
Bucs Land Rattay
QB Tim Rattay started the first four games of the 2005 season for the 49ers despite the presence of first-overall pick Alex Smith

Oct 18, 2005 -

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have addressed their sudden quarterback shortage – whether it proves to be long-term or short-term – in impressive and decisive fashion.

On Tuesday, the Buccaneers acquired sixth-year veteran quarterback Tim Rattay from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for an undisclosed pick in the 2006 draft.

The Bucs’ issues at quarterback arose suddenly, with the injury to starter Brian Griese’s left knee on Sunday, and the team had to act fast if it wished to keep all possible avenues of player acquisition open. The NFL’s trading deadline just happened to be 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the Bucs had worked out several possible free agent candidates at the position, players who have not been on any NFL roster this season. Instead, they ended up with one of the 32 quarterbacks that was starting in the league on opening day this September.

Rattay, who first entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick of the 49ers in 2000, is known as a smart, accurate passer who plays with poise and has good downfield vision. Since the start of the 2004 season, he has started 13 games, including the first four this year.

The 49ers invested the first overall pick of the 2005 draft in Utah quarterback Alex Smith and immediately installed Smith at the top of the depth chart. However, Rattay won the job back in training camp and opened the 49ers’ games against St. Louis, Philadelphia, Dallas and Arizona. In the season opener, he led the 49ers to an upset of the Rams by completing 11 of 16 passes for 165 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, compiling a near-perfect passer rating of 141.9.

In all, Rattay has appeared in 32 NFL games with 16 starts. His career statistics include 356 completions in 586 attempts for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He has an excellent career completion percentage of 60.8% and a career passer rating of 81.6.

Rattay started 33 games during his collegiate career at Louisiana Tech, finishing second in NCAA history with 12,746 passing yards. He was only the third player in NCAA history to throw more than 100 career touchdown passes.

Rattay’s addition gives the Bucs’ four quarterbacks, including the injured Griese. Third-year man Chris Simms is expected to start during Griese’s absence, the length of which has yet to be determined. Coincidentally, the Bucs’ other passer, Luke McCown, was also a standout at Louisiana Tech.

To make room for Rattay on the active roster, the Bucs released rookie fullback Rick Razzano.

www.buccaneers.com

A thread was started for this?

Let's see...

Pro Football thread - check

Starting QB of team with best record in NFL out for season - check

2 QB's on active roster (if Griese put on IR) - check

Starting QB for Niners on opening day this season - check

Yeah, a thread should be started for it.


Perhaps others want to rant/rave about the trade...

[ October 18, 2005, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Cadillac ]

You THINK anyone wants to discuss picking up what will be a 2nd/3rd string QB?

Yeah, i can see a huge impact on the team as long unless he drops the clipboard....

You should have used the "Tampa Fans are Idiots" for this...

Maybe puker meant this as "best QB's from LA tech who will never play"...

[ October 18, 2005, 03:28 PM: Message edited by: PhillyFan ]

Ding, ding, ding... we have a winner.

This trade is not newsworthy enough to start it's own thread. Maybe a mention in the weekly thread, but this??? When you sign a back-up lineman are you going to start a thread for that too? Ridiculous waste of space, but then again, I guess we must consider the source. Typical b.s. from the Puker.

I can't wait for the next thread...

BUCS sign new Clean up boy for stadium...

debate...

Maybe it should be banned to the Hot Jock Talk section.

Chucky's weakness for consistently hunkilicious QB's makes me think he has an unusual case of straight-guy gaydar.

Remember the very sackable Rob Johnson?

..who was so sexy he couldn't keep his helmet on during the game

And Rattay is so hot the Packers' couldn't decide whether they preferred tackling the front..

..or the back of him.

Ni'all Diggs decided the front was better

Obviously Digg's straight-guy-gaydar is not as good as Chucks

Not the kind of mentoring young Simms needs though. He won't maintain that division lead at the bottom of a sack.

But then again maybe the Bucs' secret weapon is not the QB. wink

This really isn't surprising. It's the same guy who would rather discuss who sang the national anthem rather than give any type of game analysis or why his team can win.

Oh. My. God.

This may send the Bucs right on out of the playoffs.

A far more relevant and interesting trade involving a QB was the Chargers landing AJ Feeley. At face value, the trade doesn't mean much. But it certainly lays the groundwork for either Philip Rivers or drew Brees to be traded out of San Diego at season's end.

[ October 19, 2005, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: FireMikeTiceNow ]

According to NFL.com the trade deadline was yesterday, so neither one will go this year. If I recall, Brees' contract is up after this year so they'd need to sign him and trade Rivers, or he signs elsewhere and Rivers likely becomes number one and Feeley the backup.

It's kind of a newsworthy thread to me. I have a HUGE (well, ummm, maybe just average but pretty thick) interest in seeing Chris Simms on my TV screen on the weekends. Is Rattay being brought in because Gruden has no confidence in his #2 wearin' blonde Adonis? I hope not!

Considering Luke McCown would be the only back up to Simms I don't think so. More so, he is insurance. But this might be a make or break for Simms. He could be hero or villain now. :cool: