| | TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved Tuesday night to bolster their sputtering offense, signing free-agent center Jeff
Christy to a five-year contract.
| |  | |
| Christy |
ESPN The Magazine's John Clayton reported that the contract was worth $17.5 million.
Christy spent the past seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings,
who entered the offseason well over the NFL salary cap and were not
in a position to pay the two-time Pro Bowl selection what he could
command on the open market.
Christy, 31, an athletic drive blocker, was one of the most coveted free agents on the market. He said several factors played in his decision, including a desire to stay in the NFC Central Division and his familiarity with Bucs coach Tony Dungy and offensive line coach Chris Foerster, both former Vikings assistants.
"Fortunately we were able to get the numbers ironed out, cross
the T's and dot the I's," Christy said. "I'm very excited about
it. And I'm very excited about our chances of winning a Super Bowl
here."
Improving one of the NFL's least productive offenses is Tampa
Bay's top priority this winter.
The Bucs were 30th in passing and ranked 28th overall in 1999,
yet were still able to post the best regular-season record in
franchise history (11-5) and reach the NFC championship game
because of a dominant defense.
Offensive coordinator Mike Shula was fired two weeks ago and
Christy was among several free agents, including former Minnesota
teammate and 11-time Pro Bowl guard Randall McDaniel, the Bucs
targeted to try to upgrade their attack.
"Signing Jeff is one of the pieces of the puzzle we had set up
for this off season. It's awfully nice to get it done early,"
general manager Rich McKay said. "We're trying to retool and
rebuild the offensive line, and Jeff was a big piece of that."
Besides facing Christy twice a year with the Vikings, the Bucs
got to take a close look at the 6-foot-3, 285-pound free agent at
the Pro Bowl where Dungy and his assistants coached the NFC squad.
"We got a chance to evaluate him in our division, blocking the
guys he's going to have to block," Dungy said. "It was a pretty
easy decision for us."
The signing means Tony Mayberry, a three-time Pro Bowl pick who
backed up Christy on the NFC squad the past two years, won't return
to Tampa Bay for an 11th season in 2000.
Mayberry's streak of 144 consecutive starts for the Bucs is tied
for third among active NFL players.
Dungy called it a "bittersweet" day.
"It's difficult. For a guy to play that well, and play in three
straight Pro Bowls for us, play so many straight games and really
be a part of the foundation of what we're trying to build -- it's
tough to say goodbye, in so many words," the coach said. "But
it's something that this system forces you do."
While it didn't take Christy long to decide Tampa Bay was a good
fit for him, he's not sure what it'll take to get McDaniel to
follow.
"I can't speak for Randall," he said. "We're good friends.
I'll definitely give him a call." | |
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