Are Gruden and Allen Mortgaging Bucs' Future to Save Their Jobs?

Given the age of most Tampa Bay Buccaneers players going into this offseason, you would think that general manager Bruce Allen and head coach Jon Gruden would have begun a youth movement, getting rid of older players and bringing in young talent around which the team could rebuild.

If you look at the Bucs' big free agent signings, though, you'll notice something that goes against that idea -- most of them are over 30.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia is 37. Defensive end Kevin Carter is 34. Tackle Luke Petitgout will be 31 when the season starts. The only newsworthy free agent under 30 that Tampa has signed is former Jets fullback B.J. Askew, and he'll turn 27 in the preseason.

I'm getting the sense that Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer brought Gruden and Allen into his office, showed them highlights of that other football team he owns and said, "Start winning, or else." And the Bucs may actually be a better team in 2007. What about 2008? What happens if Garcia, Carter and Petitgout -- not to mention Simeon Rice, 33, Greg Spires, 33, Derrick Brooks, 33, Ronde Barber, 31 -- all begin wearing down at the same time? Can this team fill all those holes in two drafts? Will Gruden and Allen be in charge of that many drafts?

This team may be risking its long-term success to win games in 2007. I have my doubts that Glazer would want that for this team.