Trade Down, PLEASE

Note to Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen, Head Coach and General Manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers --

You're sitting on the number 5 draft pick in this weekend's NFL Draft. Your team is falling apart and you are in need of several position players -- not just a potential franchise player, but several key players. One draft selection will not help fix things for the Bucs.

Do us all a favor - especially yourselves - and trade down.

Look, it'd be nice to get a Quarterback prospect that could become the franchise - but now is NOT the time to do it. It would also be great to get a running back that can carry the load - but in a Running Back deep draft, going with the top 3 prospects might not be the wise choice. There are needs on the Offensive Line, at Wide Receiver, at Linebacker and Corner Back that are much greater than the ego-stroke QB pick or teh "this-will-put-us-over-the-top" Running Back selection.

Knowing how you operate, Jon, a running back will be part of a committee of several players, not just one or two featured backs. Also knowing how you operate, a Quarterback is a project pick much like Chris Simms was a project pick.

Do Buccaneer fans a favor and prove that the past few weeks have been a smoke screen -- trade down for more picks and start restocking the franchise. Don't try to restore the days-gone-by with one pick, because the days-gone-by that you are likely to restore are the ones of the Yuck-aneers of the 1980's and early 1990's... Not the contenders and Super Bowl Champions of recent.