Tampa Bay Buccaneers alternate player representative WR Maurice Stovall is a free agent and won’t know if he’ll stay with the team until as early as tomorrow. But whatever the outcome of his negotiations with the Bucs, he said he is already proud of being part of the deal that was reached this morning.

The agreement ending the lockout between the NFLPA and the owners is “historic,” Stovall said.

“Speaking with my teammates, and different guys from around the league, and other player reps, everyone’s excited to get back to camp,” he said.

Guarantees that protect players in case of injury, a minimum salary, no rookie wage scale, reduction in OTAs and a “spring semester off” so players can return to school or explore other career options post-football, are all parts of the collective bargaining agreement that Stovall rattled off up eagerly.

Rejecting the 18 game-season and the elimination of two-a-day practices, Stovall said, helps both sides.

“For players, there’s less chance for injury. For the owners, they’ll get more out of their players during the season, and guys won’t be so worn down. Guys will last longer during the season,” Stovall said.

He admitted rookies and future rookies may not understand the difference between the old and new CBAs. But the veterans, he said, give props to NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, the executive board and all the player representatives for not buckling to pressure to approve a deal before they were ready.

“Also a huge shoutout to fans for being patient, local vendors and different companies that benefit from the NFL. Local bars are happy that the league is back on this track. For the most part, I felt that the economy couldn’t suffer another huge loss and the NFL is a huge part of the economy of America,” Stovall said.

G Davin Joseph, another alternate player representative, tweeted, “I’m excited for everyone involved! It’s a great day for owners, players, and fans. I’m ready to get back to work. Hopefully the Bucs and I can come to an agreement soon. I love the team that Dominik and Morris put together.”

Stovall said he hopes he still has a place on a team roster – Buccaneers or another.

“I definitely would like to see the benefits of this 10 year agreement. If not, at least I know I was a part of something beneficial for players to come,” he said.

BRADENTON –

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were united during a recent minicamp at IMG Academies in Bradenton.

Players flew in from as far away as California to participate in drills. They sacrificed three days in hopes of becoming a better team this season. More than 50 players showed up because they believe Tampa Bay is on the brink of something special after finishing 10-6 last season.

That camaraderie is why players believe the Bucs need to re-sign their free agents after the NFL lockout ends.

“If they (Bucs front office) were to say they were committed to signing back guys we played with last year, it would definitely influence me to stay,” Bucs potential free agent David Joseph said. “Guys like (Jeremy) Trueblood, guys like James Lee, guys on defense like Barrett Ruud.

“If you’re bringing guys like that back here, I know it’s a sign in the right direction instead of trying to switch up the whole roster to make it different. That’s not going to work to our benefit. Maybe in the long run, but we’re in a position where we can win now.”

Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik will have to make several important decisions when free agency begins.

Joseph, Trueblood and Lee are key components on Tampa Bay’s offensive line. Trueblood and Joseph have started for Tampa Bay since being drafted in 2006. Bucs left tackle Donald Penn became a starter in 2007, while center Jeff Faine joined the team as a free agent and started in 2008.

Lee, a restricted free agent, became a starter late last season and Dominik faces the task of keeping Tampa Bay’s offensive line together or revamping it. Tampa Bay’s offensive line helped the team gain 146.1 yards per game last season, ranked sixth in the NFL, while allowing only 30 sacks, 10th fewest the league.

“Davin, James and Truebloood, those are big holes to fill,” Penn said. “We’re so close. Me and Davin were talking about it. We’re going into our sixth year. We remember when we were rookies and guys said they were going into their sixth year and we were like, ‘You’re old.’ Now I look at it as we’re the old guys.

“We’ve been in the league together for six years, and Faine has been with us for five, so we don’t want to break that up. Hopefully, we don’t have to. Hopefully we can end this together. It would really be great, a fairytale ending.”

Joseph and Ruud are expected to receive big contracts this offseason, whether in Tampa Bay or elsewhere, but Dominik must also decide the worth of other key players.

Running back Cadillac Williams, linebacker Quincy Black, linebacker Adam Hayward, receiver Maurice Stovall and defensive end Stylez G. White will potentially become unrestricted free agents after the lockout. Stovall was a third-round selection by Tampa Bay in 2006, but is unsure if he wants to re-sign with the Bucs.

“I’m back and forth with it,” Stovall said. “I’m going to weigh my options. Most importantly, it’s a tough decision. I have been here for a number of years, but at the same time, you want to be somewhere where you have a better opportunity of playing. With that, I’ll just get on my knees and pray and whatever happens, it happens for a reason.”

Bucs players have been united this offseason despite the lockout.

That is why they believe it is important to keep their team together.

“I love the coaches here, I love the players, love the community, but at the end of the day, it’s a business,” Joseph said. “That’s the heartbreaking part about it. There are some guys that you’ve trained next to for five years and now you have to say goodbye because at the end of the day it’s a business.

“Hopefully, everything makes sense with me getting back here in Tampa, bringing my buddy Blood (Trueblood) back and making sure things work out well for the team and making sure everything is going forward because after having such a great year last year, I would hate to think we would make too many changes.”

By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 13, 2011

Updated: 12:54 pm

TAMPA – With a Super Bowl ring and nine years worth of fond memories behind him, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers special teams coach Rich Bissacia is California Dreaming and counting his blessings.

As an original member of Jon Gruden’s staff in Tampa, Bisaccia helped the 2002 Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory and coached the past two seasons under Raheem Morris.

He is moving on to San Diego, where he will try to help the Chargers rebound from a disastrous season on special teams.

“I had a tremendous run in Tampa and to be in one place with one organization in my business is a true blessing,” Bisaccia said Thursday from his home in the Bay area. “I am very glad the Buccaneers gave me that kind of an opportunity and it will never be forgotten by me or my family.”

Bisaccia’s special teams generally ranked among the league’s best and the unit performed exceptionally well in 2009, when Morris replaced Gruden as head coach.

This past season, Connor Barth converted 23-of-28 field goal attempts and Micheal Spurlock averaged 25.7 yards per kickoff return, ranking seventh in the league. Despite allowing a critical 102-yard return by Atlanta’s Eric Weems last month, the Bucs yielded an average of only 20.7 yards in 75 kickoff returns

“I’m proud of our body of work in Tampa over the years,” Bisaccia said. “I will definitely miss the players, guys like Maurice Stovall, Adam Hayward and Micheal Spurlock. To me, coaching is based on relationships and I’m proud of the relationships we built in Tampa Bay. Looking back, I’ve been touched by a lot of people in Tampa and the fans here have been great.”

Bisaccia denied any suggestion his lateral move to San Diego was prompted by animosity with the organization.

“I left shaking hands all the way around – and that’s the way it should be,” Bisaccia said. “They’ve got a heck of a future here in Tampa and Buc fans have a lot to look forward to. The Bucs have a tremendous young quarterback in Josh Freeman and a bunch of talented players who will fight to the death for Raheem Morris.”

NEW ORLEANS – Josh Freeman and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can at least take pride in more than doubling last season’s win total and beating the defending champs on their own turf.

Freeman passed for two touchdowns and the Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 23-13 on Sunday, but were later eliminated from the postseason when Green Bay beat Chicago to clinch the final NFC playoff spot.

“It’s rough,” Freeman said as he awaited results of later games that ultimately doomed the Bucs (10-6) to an earlier vacation than they wanted. “We had a good team this year. You hate to say goodbye right now.”

Freeman passed for 255 yards, including a 2-yard toss to rookie Dezmon Briscoe in the back of the end zone, and an 18-yard TD to rookie Mike Williams on fourth-and-short late in the third quarter.

Connor Barth hit three field goals, the third from 48 yards to give the Bucs a two-score lead with 4:01 to go.

“These young guys are stepping up. Some of these guys I barely even know,” Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. “They play fast, they play hard, they play consistent and they play for each other.”

Even though the Bucs missed the playoffs, Freeman said, winning 10 games was “a great accomplishment and is something we can build upon.”

Reggie Bush had 70 yards rushing and 55 yards receiving for the Saints (11-5), who were locked into the fifth playoff seed in the NFC by Atlanta’s 31-10 win over Carolina and pulled several starters in an anticlimactic fourth quarter.

“We did the right thing, the smart thing. And that’s part of the reason why some guys didn’t play today when they probably could have,” said Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who left the game with the Saints down by only one touchdown. “You’re thinking about, ‘How can we put ourselves in the best position to succeed this next week?’”

The Saints, who have never won a postseason road game, open the playoffs Saturday at Seattle, which won the NFC West by beating St. Louis on Sunday night.

Freeman, who as a rookie led the Bucs to a stunning upset in New Orleans late last season, completed 81 percent of his passes (21 of 26) and was not intercepted to finish with a quarterback rating of 133.2.

LeGarrette Blount ran for 66 yards to finish his rookie campaign with 1,007 yards rushing.

Brees was 22 of 38 for 196 yards, was intercepted once, fumbled on a sack and threw one touchdown pass to rookie tight end Jimmy Graham.

Graham’s TD gave the Saints their only lead at 7-3 in the first quarter, but he left favoring his left ankle and did not return to a Saints squad that came in with only two tight ends in uniform; Jeremy Shockey (groin) and David Thomas (right knee) were inactive.

The Saints also played most of the game without starting free safety Malcolm Jenkins and leading rusher Chris Ivory. Jenkins hurt his right knee on the first defensive series while tackling Blount along the sideline. Ivory had a left foot injury in the first half.

New Orleans opened the game without leading receiver Marques Colston (right knee) and running back Pierre Thomas (left ankle). They could return next weekend.

The Buccaneers wound up with a seven-victory improvement over their 3-13 mark in 2009.

Briscoe had four catches for 65 yards. Williams had four receptions for 40 yards and on his touchdown made a leaping grab over cornerback Jabari Greer.

Williams “has better ball skills, he had position and he’s taller,” said Freeman, who faked a sneak before throwing the pass. “I was expecting him to make that catch.”

The Saints started strong but blew a chance to expand their 7-3 lead when Julius Jones fumbled inside the Tampa Bay 5 and the Bucs’ Frank Okam recovered. Tampa Bay then marched 96 yards on 11 plays to take the lead on Briscoe’s touchdown.

Late in the first half, the Saints were driving with a chance to tie or take the lead when Brees threw his career-high 22nd interception of the season. Larry Asante’s grab along the sideline allowed Tampa Bay to take a 10-7 lead into halftime.

The Saints tied it at 10 on Garrett Hartley’s 45-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the Bucs regained the lead on Barth’s 32-yard field goal.

On New Orleans’ next drive, Brees was sacked and stripped by Alex Magee, and Tim Crowder recovered at the New Orleans 38, setting up Williams’ touchdown, making it 20-10.

“We did a lot of things that prevent you from winning games,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “Some things we’ll have to clean up if we’re to have any type of success here in this second season.”

Notes: Brees finished with 448 completions this season, which broke his 2007 NFL record for single season completions. However, the Colts’ Peyton Manning later set a new mark with 450 completions in the final minutes of Indianapolis’ win over Tennessee. … Saints WR Adrian Arrington, a 2008 draft pick, made his first career reception and finished with seven catches for a team-high 79 yards. … Bucs receiver Maurice Stovall left the game with a groin injury and cornerback Elbert Mack had what team officials termed a “head injury” after a hard collision during kickoff coverage.

NEW ORLEANS — Josh Freeman and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can at least take pride in more than doubling last season’s win total and beating the defending champs on their own turf.

Freeman passed for two touchdowns and the Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 23-13 on Sunday, but were later eliminated from the postseason when Green Bay beat Chicago to clinch the final NFC playoff spot.

“It’s rough,” Freeman said as he awaited results of later games that ultimately doomed the Bucs (10-6) to an earlier vacation than they wanted. “We had a good team this year. You hate to say goodbye right now.”

Freeman passed for 255 yards, including a 2-yard toss to rookie Dezmon Briscoe in the back of the end zone, and an 18-yard TD to rookie Mike Williams on fourth-and-short late in the third quarter.

Connor Barth hit three field goals, the third from 48 yards to give the Bucs a two-score lead with 4:01 to go.

“These young guys are stepping up. Some of these guys I barely even know,” Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. “They play fast, they play hard, they play consistent and they play for each other.”

Even though the Bucs missed the playoffs, Freeman said, winning 10 games was “a great accomplishment and is something we can build upon.”

Reggie Bush had 70 yards rushing and 55 yards receiving for the Saints (11-5), who were locked into the fifth playoff seed in the NFC by Atlanta’s 31-10 win over Carolina and pulled several starters in an anticlimactic fourth quarter.

“We did the right thing, the smart thing. And that’s part of the reason why some guys didn’t play today when they probably could have,” said Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who left the game with the Saints down by only one touchdown. “You’re thinking about, ‘How can we put ourselves in the best position to succeed this next week?”‘

The Saints, who have never won a postseason road game, open the playoffs Saturday at Seattle, which won the NFC West by beating St. Louis on Sunday night.

Freeman, who as a rookie led the Bucs to a stunning upset in New Orleans late last season, completed 81 percent of his passes (21 of 26) and was not intercepted to finish with a quarterback rating of 133.2.

LeGarrette Blount ran for 66 yards to finish his rookie campaign with 1,007 yards rushing.

Brees was 22 of 38 for 196 yards, was intercepted once, fumbled on a sack and threw one touchdown pass to rookie tight end Jimmy Graham.

Graham’s TD gave the Saints their only lead at 7-3 in the first quarter, but he left favoring his left ankle and did not return to a Saints squad that came in with only two tight ends in uniform; Jeremy Shockey (groin) and David Thomas (right knee) were inactive.

The Saints also played most of the game without starting free safety Malcolm Jenkins and leading rusher Chris Ivory. Jenkins hurt his right knee on the first defensive series while tackling Blount along the sideline. Ivory had a left foot injury in the first half.

New Orleans opened the game without leading receiver Marques Colston (right knee) and running back Pierre Thomas (left ankle). They could return next weekend.

The Buccaneers wound up with a seven-victory improvement over their 3-13 mark in 2009.

Briscoe had four catches for 65 yards. Williams had four receptions for 40 yards and on his touchdown made a leaping grab over cornerback Jabari Greer.

Williams “has better ball skills, he had position and he’s taller,” said Freeman, who faked a sneak before throwing the pass. “I was expecting him to make that catch.”

The Saints started strong but blew a chance to expand their 7-3 lead when Julius Jones fumbled inside the Tampa Bay 5 and the Bucs’ Frank Okam recovered. Tampa Bay then marched 96 yards on 11 plays to take the lead on Briscoe’s touchdown.

Late in the first half, the Saints were driving with a chance to tie or take the lead when Brees threw his career-high 22nd interception of the season. Larry Asante’s grab along the sideline allowed Tampa Bay to take a 10-7 lead into halftime.

The Saints tied it at 10 on Garrett Hartley’s 45-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the Bucs regained the lead on Barth’s 32-yard field goal.

On New Orleans’ next drive, Brees was sacked and stripped by Alex Magee, and Tim Crowder recovered at the New Orleans 38, setting up Williams’ touchdown, making it 20-10.

“We did a lot of things that prevent you from winning games,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “Some things we’ll have to clean up if we’re to have any type of success here in this second season.”

Notes

• Brees finished with 448 completions this season, which broke his 2007 NFL record for single season completions. However, the Colts’ Peyton Manning later set a new mark with 450 completions in the final minutes of Indianapolis’ win over Tennessee.
• Saints WR Adrian Arrington , a 2008 draft pick, made his first career reception and finished with seven catches for a team-high 79 yards.
• Bucs receiver Maurice Stovall left the game with a groin injury and cornerback Elbert Mack had what team officials termed a “head injury” after a hard collision during kickoff coverage.