Barrett Ruud Apparently Close to New Deal With Bucs

Filed under: Buccaneers, NFC South

There was a time before the 2010 season where Tampa Bay linebacker Barrett Ruud was frustrated enough with his contract that there were whispers he might hold out. He saw the big deal given to left tackle Donald Penn and he watched rookie defensive tackle Gerald McCoy cash in.

Ruud felt under-appreciated. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, wanted to see more.

Did they see enough in 2010? Maybe so. The Tampa Tribune reported that general manager Mark Dominik may be ready to get a contract done with Ruud, who is a free agent.

"Barrett had another good season for us,'' Dominik told The Tribune. "He led our team in tackles again and he had more splash plays for us this year than he did the year before, which was good. Now we just have to sit down with his agent.

"(But) as these things always go, there's always two sides to it. Just because you say you want to sign him and because they say they want to be back, that doesn't mean that's how it's going to work out.''

Ruud wants to come back to Tampa Bay and be part of a building defense, but his number might be much different that the Bucs' number. The team sees a solid player; Ruud might see himself as a star player. He has led the team in tackles since 2007.

Ruud has not made a Pro Bowl, but that didn't stop the Atlanta Falcons from giving cornerback Dunta Robinson a six-year deal with $25.5 million in guaranteed money. Robinson has not made the Pro Bowl, either.

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/02/barrett-ruud-apparently-close-to-new-deal-with-bucs/

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