Former Giants running back Ward signs with Bucs
Derrick Ward said he is where he always wanted to be.
"This was my first choice,"
Ward said yesterday when he was introduced by the Bucs. "I told my agent when this whole process started, 'Get me to Tampa.' I'm here. I'm a Buccaneer. I just felt it's a great fit."
The free agent was a big part of the NFL's top rushing offense in 2008. But when the Giants signed Brandon Jacobs to a long-term deal, it essentially sealed Ward's fate as a former Giant.
"I'm happy for Derrick,"
Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. "You hate losing good football players like Derrick Ward, but we're very happy for him. That was a good move by Tampa Bay."
The Giants will look to Ahmad Bradshaw or Danny Ware to replace him.
Ward signed a deal reportedly worth $17 million over four years with $6 million guaranteed. He said repeatedly that he wanted to be a starter, but in Tampa, he'll likely be paired with Earnest Graham. Ward is no stranger to that setup.
"Pretty much everybody in the NFL is running the two- or three-back system,"
he said. "That's just going to work to our advantage. If you have two or three running backs who can get the job done during the course of a game, that's going to pay dividends."
The Giants are scheduled to play at Tampa in 2009.
