The Buccaneers have traded 30-year old QB Byron Leftwich to the Steelers for a 7th round pick in 2010.  Leftwich was the starting QB for the Bucs when last season started before Raheem Morris yanked him for Josh Freeman.  Leftwich played in 3 games for the Buccaneers last season in which he completed 58 of 107 passes (54.2%) for 594 yards with 4 TD passes and 3 INTs (71.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 6 times for 6 yards (1.0 ypc) last season.  The Buccaneers were considering cutting Leftwich so at least they got something for him by dealing him.

The Buccaneers have acquired 29-year old WR Reggie Brown from the Eagles for a 6th round pick in 2011.  Brown played in 14 games for the Eagles last season in which he caught 9 passes for 155 yards (17.2 avg).  He has now played in 72 games in his NFL career in which he has caught 177 passes for 2,574 yards (14.5 avg) with 17 TD grabs.  Brown has also carried the ball 11 times for 68 yards (6.2 ypc) with 1 TD run in his NFL career.  This was a good move for the Buccaneers who are very desperate for WR help and Brown is a pretty decent receiver who was in Andy Reid’s Dog House last season.

The Buccaneers have traded 26-year old DE Gaines Adams to the Chicago Bears for a 2nd round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.  Adams played in 5 games for the Bucs this season and he made 10 tackles, defensed 2 passes and he had 1 sack.  The former first round pick played in 37 games in his three years with the Bucs.  In those games, Adams made 86 tackles, he defensed 10 passes, had 13.5 sacks, forced 2 fumbles and he had 2 interceptions (he returned one for a TD).  This is the Bucs pretty much giving up on Adams but at least they got a decent return for him.

28-year old QB Luke McCown was traded last week to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a undisclosed draft pick.  McCown played in 7 games for the Bucs in his time in Tampa and he completed 94 of 140 passes (67.1%) for 1,009 yards with 5 TD passes and 3 interceptions.  He also ran the ball well carrying it 15 times for 132 yards (8.8 ypc) in his career with the Bucs.  Josh McCown had the highest QB Rating in the pre-season for the Bucks (86.6) compared to that of Byron Leftwich (72.2), Josh Freeman (41.0) and Josh Johnson (76.8).  Is it just coincidence that he was the QB the Bucs decided to get rid of?  Or was it because of his skin color?  The Bucs now have three black QBs to go along with a black head coach.  Makes you wonder as McCown clearly outplayed Byron Leftwich who was named the starter shortly before the trade.  If race had anything to do with this decision then shame on the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers have traded 26-year old TE Alex Smith to the Patriots for a undisclosed 2010 NFL Draft Pick.  Smith played in 14 games for the Bucs last season and he caught 21 passes for 250 yards (11.9 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  In his three seasons with the Bucs, Smith played in 58 games and caught 129 passes for 1,252 yards (9.7 avg) with 11 TD grabs.  When Kellen Winslow was acquired from the Browns Smith’s days were numbered.