Filed under: Buccaneers, NFC South

Ronde Barber will make $4 million in 2011, presumably his last season in the NFL when he will be 36 years old. The St. Petersburg Times said the deal is one year for the cornerback, who is almost assuredly going to the Hall of Fame.

It's not too much to pay an aging corner. Besides the fact he can still bump and run, Barber will get one more big paycheck because he will bring some veteran leadership to a defense still building. He will be on the corner opposite Aqib Talib.

It is a fair deal for both sides because the Bucs do not have a starting corner waiting in the wings and they need to use their first round draft pick on a pass rushing specialist. They needed Barber as much as he wanted to get another season in before retiring.

The Bucs could have chased a free agent, but Barber is a safer bet. He still plays beyond solid.

The Times reported that Barber's money is guaranteed as long as he is on the roster before the season starts. That means he would have to break down physically. The team is not going to push him aside in training camp with second thoughts, not this guy.

"He brings a lot of leadership to our football team, as you know, on and off the football field,'' Bucs general manager Mark Dominik told The Times. "He's really learned how to train his body so he can play a long time. I think that's the most amazing thing about Ronde is that he can play out there on an island at his age and play at such as high level the way he did last year again.

 

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