Ronde Barber Agrees to Deal With Bucs

There is a familiar dance in the NFL this time of year as teams try and decide whether to hold on to the aged veteran one more season, or let him walk. The Bucs and Ronde Barber never danced too far apart. They both knew they wanted one more season together and they got a deal done.

Barber, 35, signed for one more season on Tuesday to give the building Buccaneers a veteran presence at one cornerback. He will be going into his 15th season in 2011 and hardly looks like he is ready to break down.

"We're excited that Ronde will continue to build on his Hall of Fame career in 2011," said general manager Mark Dominik.

"Last season, Ronde once again showed that he's an invaluable professional and mentor to our young football team, both on and off the field. I'm also happy that our fans can continue to enjoy one of the Buccaneers' all-time greats."

In a season where injuries riddled the Bucs' secondary, Barber started all 16 games for Tampa Bay. He was third on the team with 102 tackles and was second on the team with three interceptions and first on the team with 16 passes defensed.

Barber has played in 209 games with 200 starts including 183 consecutive, which surpassed Hall of Fame cornerback Dick LeBeau for the most consecutive starts by a cornerback in NFL history. His 183 consecutive starts is the longest active streak by a defender and Barber trails only Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning (208) for the most consecutive games started among all active players.

Barber became the first player in NFL history to record 40 or more interceptions and 25 or more sacks in a career. His 40 interceptions are the most ever by cornerback.