Bucs CB Ronde Barber will play more only if Coach Raheem Morris stays - NFL News
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Raheem Morris is under threat of losing his job after the team’s nine straight losses, but one player is fully behind the Coach.
Cornerback Ronde Barber in an interview with the Tampa Tribune voiced his complete support to the coach. He even went on to say that he would seriously contemplate about his prospects with the franchise if Coach Morris left the Bucs.
"I would be lying if I didn't say that," Barber said. "That's somewhat true. But we'll see. They're great coaches, and they're fun to be around. They understand me, and I understand them. So I imagine that will have something to do with it."
Barber has played with the Bucs for 15 years since being drafted from Virginia by the franchise. The cornerback signed a one-year extension with the team last year and has again been one of the most consistent players in the line-up even though the team
as a whole has performed poorly.
The 36-year-old has made 75 tackles this year, forcing a single fumble and three interceptions. Barber believes that he has at least one more year in the National Football League left in him.
“I feel like I can play another year,'' he said. "But let's see what January and February has to hold before I make any of those decisions. Next year will be next year. Who knows.”
The Buccaneers started off the season well with four wins and two losses. However, the team slumped badly after that, failing to record even a single win. Adding to the misery, they lost the nine games with huge margins.
The poor displays have called into question Morris’s ability to motivate his team for the games and some reports suggest that Morris may have lost control over the locker room as the team does not seem to be following the Coach’s orders.
Barber asserted that Morris is not the problem. He urged the young players in the team to work harder and get good results for the coach.
“He deserves a team that plays its (butt) off for him, guys that care about winning football, because that's what good coaches have.''
The Buccaneers will play division rivals Atlanta Falcons in the regular season finale. Coach Raheem Morris desperately wants to end the season on a positive note by registering a win on Sunday. The Falcons are already qualified for the postseason and may
rest some of their starters.
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