page_title: 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
section_title: Offseason
hierarchical_section_title: 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season / Offseason
caption_attribution_description: English: w:Cato June's first w:interception as a member of the w:Tampa Bay Buccaneers
context_page_description: The 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 32nd season in the National Football League the 10th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 6th under head coach Jon Gruden. On December 16, 2007, they clinched the NFC South division title, and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006. However, they were defeated 24-14 in the Wildcard Round by the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. The Wildcard game was Jon Gruden’s final playoff appearance as head coach of the Buccaneers before being dismissed at the conclusion of the next season.
  As of 2019, this has been the last season that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have qualified for the playoffs and won their division, making it 12 straight years that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have missed the playoffs. On December 16, in a game against the Atlanta Falcons, Micheal Spurlock scored the first kickoff return touchdown in franchise history, snapping a streak of 32 seasons, 497 games, 139 individuals, and 1,864 unsuccessful attempts. The play earned Spurlock the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.
context_section_description: The 2007 offseason proved to be productive for the Buccaneers. General manager Bruce Allen and head coach Jon Gruden had approximately US$24 million in salary cap space with which to maneuver during free agency. They made a splash on the first day of free agency by signing two quarterbacks: unrestricted free agent Jeff Garcia (Eagles) and Jake Plummer (Broncos) in a trade for a conditional pick in the 2008 draft (believed to be a 4th round selection if Plummer played). Controversy soon followed as Plummer announced his retirement on the same day, citing his health and his lack of a desire to compete for a job and learn a new system. However, he did not complete his retirement paperwork with the league. Many believed that Plummer was simply trying to retire so that he could later unretire and play for the Texans. They are led by his former coach Gary Kubiak, under whom Plummer played his best three years of football. The league reviewed the trade to make sure that Plummer had not retired before the trade (a retired player cannot be traded), but he had not and his rights officially belong to the Buccaneers. Other free agent losses and signings are as follows:
  Signings
  New York Giants OT Luke Petitgout, signed after being waived by his former team due to medical reasons.
  Miami Dolphins UFA DE/DT Kevin Carter
  Indianapolis Colts UFA LB Cato June who was selected to the Pro Bowl two years ago
  New York Jets UFA FB B.J. Askew
  Denver Broncos UFA DE/LB Patrick Chukwurah who had 4.5 sacks last season off of the bench. He is reunited with his former defensive coordinator, the current Buccaneers defensive line coach, Larry Coyer.
  San Francisco 49ers UFA CB Sammy Davis, a former first round pick by the San Diego Chargers.
  San Francisco 49ers UFA DT Lance Legree, who has recorded 138 tackles and seven sacks in 76 games, including 25 starts.  He was released on April 10.
  DT Kenny Smith, who was out of football last season, but spent four seasons with the New Orleans Saints and one year with the Oakland Raiders, totaling 69 tackles and 4½ sacks.
  New Orleans Saints UFA WR Levon Thomas who spent most of his time on the practice squad after being signed as an UFA by the Indianapolis Colts following the 2005 NFL Draft.
  Losses
  The key loss for the Buccaneers was standout DE and former second round pick, Dewayne White who left to sign with his former DL coach, the current head coach of the Detroit Lions, Rod Marinelli.
  Versatile Lineman Sean Mahan left to join the Pittsburgh Steelers to reunite with another former Tampa Bay coach, Mike Tomlin.
  The team released veteran linebacker Shelton Quarles after it was reported he failed a physical.  Quarles had long been a productive player for Tampa, having spent his entire ten-year NFL career with the team.
  Following the draft, the Buccaneers released cornerback Juran Bolden, safety Tra Boger, long snapper Adam Johnson and defensive tackle Kenny Smith.
  Re-signings
  After brief stays on the open market, the Buccaneers re-signed CBs Phillip Buchanon and Torrie Cox, the latter known as a special teams standout. They also re-signed fan favorite Mike Alstott to a one-year contract, but ultimately lost him to injured reserve after a neck injury during the preseason.
caption: Cato June's first regular season interception for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came on September 16, 2007.
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