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Bucs Agree To Terms With TE Troupe |
 Ben Troupe is the second tight end the Bucs have signed this offseason (Getty Images) |
On the same day that former Bucs TE Anthony Becht signed with St. Louis, Tampa Bay added ex-Tennessee TE Ben Troupe, who visited One Buc Place last weekend. The Bucs wanted a receiving TE like Troupe, who will sign a multi-year deal to complement the signing of TE John Gilmore, whose strength is blocking.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a tight end on Thursday when free agent Anthony Becht signed with the St. Louis Rams.
That news likely became an easier pill to swallow on Thursday evening when the Buccaneers agreed to terms on a multi-year contract with Tennessee Titans free agent TE Ben Troupe.
A second-round draft pick out of the University of Florida in 2004, Troupe visited the Buccaneers on Mar. 1. According to his agent, Joel Segal, the deciding factors in Troupe's decision to sign with Tampa Bay were the fact that he played attended college in Gainesville and wanted to play for a winning organization and head coach Jon Gruden.
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Troupe has played in 55 career games with the Titans, catching 106 passes for 1,056 yards and seven touchdowns.
Troupe's best season came in 2005 when he recorded season highs in catches (55), yards (530) and touchdowns (four). His production fell of dramatically over the last two years as he caught just 13 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns in 2006 and five passes for 47 yards and zero touchdowns in 2007.
Troupe fractured his right ankle in November of 2006 and he was placed on injured reserve. He was beat out for the starting job last year by Bo Scaife, who played collegiately at Texas with Tennessee quarterback Vince Young.
Tampa Bay has a talented trio of tight ends in Troupe, who joins Alex Smith, a 2005 third-round draft pick, and recently signed free agent John Gilmore, who is regarded more as a blocking tight end. Tampa Bay also has reserve tight ends on its roster in Keith Heinrich and Daniel Fells.
Bucs TE Jerramy Stevens still is on the free agent market and it's unclear how the addition of Troupe will impact Tampa Bay's interest in re-signing Stevens.
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Comments
cremdon
not bad.....Another possible offensive weapon.Get him that playbook-there's a lot to learn.fitz and hall ?
9:49pm, March 6, 2008
kennys
nice pickup, a big target who can catch and run, not just a blocker
10:31pm, March 6, 2008
Horse
Well we have settled our TE and LB positions.
Good job.
Go Bucs
11:08pm, March 6, 2008
kysteve9
Good pick up. Tennesse is the closet team to me where I live so I follow them as well. If Troupe is all the way back from injury he can be very good. He just didn't fit in Tenn with Young. Honestly Young never knows where or to which team he isthrowing the ball. I think Troupe will love it in Tampa and will add a nice weapon.
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!
8:45am, March 7, 2008
mostlarge
Wow...No one is complaining about this move, except for Sileo (Tool). Troupe will do good thing here. He has a much better QB throwing him the ball now.
Solid move..
8:50am, March 7, 2008
BucsRunSht
Good pickup, I like this move a lot. Anthony Becht is the slowest man in football, huge upgrade.
9:48am, March 7, 2008
cremdon
when i read that becht was gone,i figured our team had already gotten better at TE.now with tight end ben our beloved bucs have truely gotten better at the position.sweet.now lets continue working for fitz and hall......
10:52am, March 7, 2008
cremdon
or it might be roy williams in pewter and red.if rod can get a couple of "his guys" from the bucs,we could end up with ol roy.
11:23am, March 7, 2008
Horse
Okay, I am a little confused why the article on Williams was closed, but so be it.
I am no longer living in the Tampa Bay area so I did not see that much of Williams.
I think he is a fine second round pick, not a first round. Lets keep our emotion's in check. If we can't find a higher rated DL, or CB at the 20th pick, then this is okay by me.
Local favorites don't always pan out if they are a reach. Who has he really gone against?
Go Bucs
7:15pm, March 7, 2008
Horse
Sorry fans, not Williams but jnkins.
7:17pm, March 7, 2008
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