Bucs sign Kyle Moore and E.J. Biggers

The Tampa bay Buccaneers have signed two more of their draft picks. Fourth-round defensive end Kyle Moore and seventh-round cornerback E.J. Biggers. Both agreed to four year contracts.

The Buccaneers released three players after signing Wide receiver Sammie Stroughter and now have the maximum total of 82 men on the off-season roster.

The Buccaneers selected Moore with the 117th overall pick, trading a seventh-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in order to move up three spots in the fourth round and secure the pass-rusher out of USC. Tampa Bay's coaches believe that Moore can be a valuable part of the defensive Line on game day, at both defensive end and defensive tackle.

Moore was named USC's Most Inspirational Player in 2008 as a result of his fine play despite a knee injury that required surgery. Despite often being asked to occupy multiple blockers he still managed to lead the team with five sacks.

Biggers came to Tampa with the 217th overall pick. He had impressed NFL scouts with a 4.35 40 yard dash time at the Western Michigan Pro Day and has developed well on the Buccaneers' practice field since then. Biggers was a playmaker in the Broncos' secondary, notching 62 tackles (five for losses), two interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 10 passes defensed.

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With the 17th overall pick, Bucs select QB Josh Freeman

At approximately 6:01 on Saturday evening, the Buccaneers acquired rocket-armed Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman with the 17th pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Tampa Bay traded up two spots to get Freeman, giving Cleveland their sixth-round pick (191st overall).

Freeman is the first opening-round quarterback Tampa Bay has selected since 1994, when Fresno State quarterback Trent Dilfer was the pick at number six overall. Dilfer played six seasons for the Buccaneers, moved into a starting role in his second year and was a Pro Bowl selection in 1997.

Freeman could have a similarly fast impact on the franchise – and potentially more long term success. The Buccaneers will definitely have a new starter under center in 2009 after Jeff Garcia was not pursued in free agency; even if Freeman doesn't step immediately into the role as a rookie, there is room for him to develop quickly.

One of the nation's premier athletes, Freeman has the size (6-5, 248 pounds) and tools usually associated with a "franchise quarterback." In addition to his strong arm and pocket presence, Freeman also has impressive mobility for his size.

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Buccaneers sign QB Byron Leftwich

The Buccaneers announced the addition of Leftwich, an unrestricted free agent entering his seventh NFL campaign, on Monday.

The seventh overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by Jacksonville, Leftwich spent the first four years of his pro career with the Jaguars, starting 44 of the 46 games in which he played.

He has a career passer rating of 80.3 and a 24-22 record as a starter in the NFL. Leftwich and the Buccaneers worked on finalizing a contract over the weekend but the two-year deal wasn't officially signed until Monday evening.

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Ex-Jet Mike Nugent a Buccaneer

Matt Bryant and Mike Nugent will engage in an open competition for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' placekicking job in 2009. That battle was set up on Wednesday when the Buccaneers signed Nugent, an unrestricted free agent formerly of the New York Jets, to a one-year deal. Other terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The kicker position should remain a strong one for Tampa Bay in 2009, because both Bryant and Nugent are excellent candidates for the job. In four seasons with the team, Bryant has made 83.1% of his field goal tries (98 of 118) and all but two of his 124 extra point attempts.

Nugent has made 81.5% of his three-pointers over four seasons in New York and 83 of 85 extra point attempts. Nugent missed almost all of the 2008 season after sustaining a right thigh injury in the Jets' season opener. However, he had back-to-back outstanding seasons in 2006 and 2007, making a combined 53 of 63 field goal tries in that span (84.1%) and scoring over 100 points both years.

Nugent remained on the Jets' active roster during the rest of the '08 season but was inactive for the final 15 games and was replaced by kicker Jay Feely. He attempted only one field goal, missing a 38-yarder after he hurt his kicking leg against Miami in the opener.

Nugent, who turned 27 on Monday, was one of the rare kickers to enter the league as a high draft pick, going in the second round (47th overall) to the Jets in 2005. He also bucked the trend by living up to that evaluation, immediately winning the Jets job as a rookie.

He made 22 of 28 field goal tries in his debut campaign, then followed with one of the finest placekicking seasons in franchise history.