Ronde Barber Reacts To Big Name Cuts

There are some marquee names that have been mainstays of the Tampa Bay Buccacneers that will no longer be with the organization in 2009 and beyond. Included in the roster casualties are perennial All Pro LB Derrick Brooks, RB Warrick Dunn, veteran WRs Ike Hilliard and Joey Galloway, and LB Cato June. Not cut was soon to be 34 year old S Ronde Barber, who joined JP Peterson of WQYK in Tampa.

“I think we knew there was going to be change when Jon got fired and Raheem took control. I think we knew, how drastically, that wasn’t for any of us to say. But I think today kind of proved the fact that we’re going to go in a different direction. Obviously I knew we wanted to get younger, which we’ve obviously done. I think we let go of five of what we would call our key veteran guys. You know it’s somber because those guys had great careers and I’m definitely proud to have played with Derrick.”

On why he was not included on the list of older veterans who were released:

“Well, yeah that what it comes down to. He knew and I knew that I still had it in me to play, and I’m still doing a lot of good things out on the football field. I’m not ignorant enough to think that my good years are behind me. I feel like I still have a lot of good years left in my future. But when I’m done, I think I’ll know. But what I think they’re saying with some of these guys, with some of the decisions they’ve made is they don’t think they can play for us anymore. And that’s their decision. And like I said, you want to make that decision on your own, but sometimes you don’t get that opportunity.”

On whether or not he thinks the team will be active in free agency to compensate for the roster cuts:

“I cant imagine us not being very, very, VERY active. We need players. We need impact players. It’s the evolution of every team. If we weren’t going to make changes, we wouldn’t have gotten rid of Jon Gruden.”

On whether or not he’s talked to Derrick Brooks:

“I haven’t talked to him. I honestly don’t know what I’d say to Derrick right now. I mean, he’s a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. He is what he is.”