Brooks amongst Bucs cuts

Chiefs decide to let go veteran trio ahead of start of free agency period

Last updated: 25th February 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Brooks amongst Bucs cuts

Brooks: 11-time Pro Bowler

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released five veteran players, including 11-time Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks.

Also leaving the team are long-serving wide receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, as well as experienced running back Warrick Dunn.

Brooks has been with the franchise ever since he was taken in the first round of the 1995 draft and he was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXXVII.

He is a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and is seen as a certain candidate to be voted into the NFL's Hall of Fame once he retires.

Youth movement

However, the new management duo of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Mark Dominik have decided to build for the future with youth, meaning Brooks' days with the Bucs are over.

"He's obviously one of the greatest Buccaneers of all-time," general manager Mark Dominik said.

"These decisions are tough for us to make. But it's a direction we feel we want to head as a franchise and as an organisation.

"For us, today was a very difficult day. We want to let our players know they're important to us but this was a decision we had to make and a direction we wanted to go."

Morris, who at 32 is the youngest head coach in the NFL, took over after John Gruden was fired after a 9-7 season that meant Tampa Bay missed the play-offs. General manager Bruce Allen also lost his job.

Chief cuts

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs have also released three veteran players ahead of the impending start of free agency, as well as the upcoming draft.

Quarterback Damon Huard, cornerback Patrick Surtain and linebacker Donnie Edwards have all been let go to save room under the salary cap.

The moves have been made by new general manager Scott Pioli, who along with rookie head coach Todd Hayley, takes over a team that finished last season with a 2-14 record.

Edwards, who turns 36 in April, recorded just 34 tackles in a career-low seven games last year while Surtain managed 10 tackles and one interception in his eight appearances.

Huard threw for 477 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions in five games before being benched. The Chiefs still have Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen on their depth chart at quarterback.