Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Following the 2003-2004 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released long-time general manager Rich McKay, whose relationship with 2002 Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden had deteriorated. The Glazer family, which owned and oversaw the Bucs, hired Allen to replace McKay, as Allen had worked with Gruden in Oakland.
Allen began to look for a more youthful team in Tampa Bay, immediately releasing long-time Buc John Lynch and allowing Warren Sapp to leave in free agency, along with drafting Auburn running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams in the 2005 draft.
The Bucs' performance during Allen's tenure was mixed. The team was 11-5 and won the NFC South division in 2005, but went 4-12 in 2006. The team rebounded to a 9-7 record and another NFC South title in 2007, after which Allen (and Gruden) had their contracts extended to 2011. Following a second 9-7 record in 2008 and missing the playoffs after four consecutive losses in December, however, both Allen and Gruden were released.
Read more about this topic: Bruce Allen (American Football)
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“The very dogs that sullenly bay the moon from farm-yards in these nights excite more heroism in our breasts than all the civil exhortations or war sermons of the age.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)