McCardell boycott? Team signs free agent
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
In the latest indication that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expect wide receiver Keenan McCardell to boycott training camp, the team signed free agent Bill Schroeder on Tuesday and also opened face-to-face talks with the representatives for first-round pick Michael Clayton.
Schroeder, 33, was released by Detroit early in the spring after the Lions upgraded their wide receiver corps. The eight-year veteran played two seasons in Detroit, after having spent his first six years with Green Bay. Contract details were not available but it is believed Schroeder signed a one-year deal with a base salary of $660,000.
Coach Jon Gruden suggested last week the Bucs might add a few more veterans before the start of camp and, with McCardell threatening to sit out until his contract is upgraded, most observers assumed Tampa would add a receiver. McCardell has two years left on his contract and is due to earn $2.5 million this season, $2.75 million in 2005.
McCardell, whose production has outdistanced his contract, has not participated in any of the team's organized offseason workouts. Management has been adamant that it will not rework the contract.
For his career, Schroeder has played in 104 games, starting 76. The former Wisconsin-La Crosse player has 297 catches for 4,427 yards and 27 touchdowns. He started 13 games for the Lions last season and had 36 catches for 397 yards.
Clayton was the 15th overall prospect chosen in the draft out of LSU, drawing rave reviews for his maturity and football skills throughout the spring and summer. Agents Tom Condon and Ken Kremer of IMG Football were in Tampa on Tuesday to negotiate. Given that Clayton is expected to contribute quickly, Tampa officials would like to strike a deal soon.
The Bucs also announced Tuesday that 10th-year veteran guard Matt O'Dwyer, one of four veteran offensive linemen signed as free agents in the offseason, has undergone surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. The injury, sustained while O'Dwyer was lifting weights, will keep him out all of camp and places his season in jeopardy.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?id=1843170