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Derrick Ward has left the band. The only current free agent member of "Earth, Wind, and Fire," the Giants' trio of running backs, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last night, inking a deal that is reported to be worth four years and $17 million ($6 million guaranteed).

Ward joins a running back corps that now includes Earnest Graham and a broken down Cadillac Williams, the latter of whom dealt with two serious injuries in 2008. The signing by the Bucs is another interesting move in what has been an already "bizarre" offseason in Tampa Bay.

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For all those secretly coveting and projecting Derrick Ward as the 2009 version of Michael Turner (you know the capable back-up who signs with a new team to be the man) you just might wanna pay attention. Ward just signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs with aspirations of finally being the man.

If another season plagued by knee injuries wasn't the signal of the end for Carnell Williams, this should be. Ward had other suitors in the fold, but chose the re-vamped Tampa Bay offense that is beginning to take on a new shape in the early going of this new regime. You may recall Ward was quite the steady contributor the past few seasons in New York and he caught the eye of many in the fantasy football world after he blistered the Carolina Panthers for 215 yards on National TV. So who else is impacted?

To save some cap room prior to free agency, the Buccaneers waved farewell to five players, including wide receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard. Of course, when you cut two of the six receivers on your active roster, you leave yourself with a bit of a depth issue. To bridge the gap a bit, Tampa Bay has reportedly re-upped wide receiver Michael Clayton to a five-year deal.

You have to believe that the Bucs will guarantee as little of the contract as possible, given Clayton's rather rapid decline since a sensational rookie season in 2004. In his debut year out of LSU, Clayton put up 80 catches for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns. Since then, over a span of four seasons, Clayton has 1,513 yards and just two measly touchdowns.

During and immediately following the 2008 NFL season, several Buccaneers players expressed a desire to leave Tampa Bay. But now that Jon Gruden is no longer the head coach, it's amazing how many of them are saying they wouldn't mind sticking around after all.

Shortly after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to part ways with head coach Jon Gruden, Buccaneers players from past and present began taking a place in line for an opportunity to sound off on their former boss. The word "scumbag" was used, while several players suggested that he was, for the most part, a two-faced liar that would tell them one thing and end up doing the exact opposite.

Gruden has remained relatively silent on the matter, but opened up in an interview with Chris Harry of the Orlando Sentinel. Among the topics discussed: the spread offense, Tim Tebow and how a person responds to being called a "scumbag."

Jon Gruden's been unemployed for nearly two weeks now, and in that time the Bucs have found his replacement, and former players (and a couple fans) have taken turns at the Gruden Piñata.

And through it all, Gruden never suspected that his job was in trouble, although he told ESPN's Chris Mortensen "that Chucky will be back and hopefully my teeth will be as sharp as ever." Not only does Gruden refer to himself in third person, he does so using his nickname. Love that.

Another day, another former Buccaneers player sounds off on Jon Gruden. Following the criticisms from MIchael Clayton and Jeff Garcia, not to mention the report that fans also played a role in the Buccaneers coaching change, former defensive end Simeon Rice sounded off on Sirius NFL radio (via Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk) and tossed Gruden under the proverbial bus. And then ran him over with it. Repeatedly.

Rice started off easy: "You get what you deserve," Rice said. "That's what Jon said. He got it now. Everybody gets what they deserve."

Honestly, that was probably the nicest thing he had to say regarding his former head coach.

Following Jon Gruden's exit from Tampa Bay, several players, including wide receiver Michael Clayton, spoke out with less-than-flattering words for their former head coach. The common theme seemed to be that Gruden would tell players one thing, and then turn around and do the exact opposite. I can see how that would be frustrating.

On Wednesday, quarterback Jeff Garcia became the latest player to pile on the former Bucs head coach when he said the team "needed the change."

In the wake of Jon Gruden's somewhat surprising exit from Tampa Bay, there have been quite a few reactions from players and analysts across the league. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk cites a league source that claims several veteran players were fed up with Gruden being somewhat of a "turncoat," and telling guys one thing, and then going and doing the opposite.

Wide receiver Michael Clayton, for example, offered up this comment, courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times:

"How do you build a championship team with all the inconsistency? You have to do it the right way. I've always been a person who feels like you reap what you sow. You have to treat people fairly.'' When asked what he wished Gruden would've done differently, Clayton said, "It's about showing more confidence in your players. He was kind of a turncoat. He'd tell you one thing and then do something else.''