NFL's Bucs Re-sign Taylor

On Jan. 21, Buccaneers.com reported;

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to build their offseason roster for 2006, even though the league year doesn’t start until March 3.

On Friday, the Bucs announced the signings of three more players: wide receiver Jonathan Carter, cornerback Dwight Ellick and linebacker Jermaine Taylor. All three were inked to “reserve/future” contracts, which allow teams to pick up free agents in January and February even though they don’t officially take effect until March.

Through this method, the Bucs have added 32 players to their 2006 roster since the end of the 2005 campaign. On January 12, the team announced 29 reserve/future signings, including the eight players who had finished the season on the practice squad.

As noted during the previous round of signings, these are not insignificant additions, even if many of the names are unfamiliar to Buc fans. Three of the 14 players signed to reserve/future contracts a year ago made the active roster in 2005, including the team’s leading tackler on special teams, safety Kalvin Pearson.

The latest group of new Buccaneers include one player who just entered the league in 2005 (Ellick), one small-school product who went to camp with Tampa Bay last summer (Taylor) and one more experienced veteran who has been on the active roster of both the Giants and the Jets (Carter).

Taylor, a 5-10, 215-pound linebacker with good speed and special teams skills, will resume his attempt to become the first product of Bridgewater College to play in the NFL. He first entered the league in 2004 as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers but was waived on the final cut-down before the regular season. Taylor then signed with the Buccaneers last March and once again made it to the final cut before being waived.

Born in Jamaica, Taylor was raised in Miramar, Florida, outside of Miami. His father and uncle were professional cricket players and another uncle is currently a professional soccer player in Jamaica.

2005 ODAC Championship Ring

Above is the design for Bridgewater's 2005 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship ring (click on it for a larger version).

Matthews Returns to Bridgewater

Today, Joe Lemire of the Daily News-Record reported in the "A.M. Chatter" section of the newspaper;

"Bridgewater College football coach Michael Clark said on Monday that Robbie Matthews had re-enrolled at Bridgewater for the spring semester. Matthews, a fullback whom Clark described as the team's fastest player, was declared academically ineligible for the 2005 season and was suspended from school for the fall semester. A communication major, Matthews took classes at a community college last fall and, according to Clark, can make himself eligible for the 2006 season if he has a strong spring semester academically."

Matthews (pictured), if he in fact returns for the 2006 season, will be a senior.

In 36 career games, Matthews has carrier the ball 154 times for 1,102 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has 20 receptions for 204 yards and five scores. His career 7.16 yards per carry is second-best in Bridgewater history (minimum of 100 carries). The only one with more yards per carry is rising senior Winston Young who has 2,019 career rushing yards on 273 carries (7.4).