It took a bit longer than expected, but quarterback Byron Leftwich has finally found a home for the 2009 NFL season. He signed on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the weekend. It's essentially a one-year deal with a team option for a second, but the important part for Leftwich is the fact that he will have the opportunity to compete for the starting job in Tampa.
Leftwich leaves Pittsburgh with mostly fond memories of his one year with the Steelers. He performed well when called on, most notably against the Washington Redskins on November 3, 2008, when he went 7-10 for 129 yards and a touchdown in relief of Ben Roethlisberger. He even showed some brief glimpses of mobility, something that has always been missing from his game.
Leftwich gets a bad rep for the way things ended for him in Jacksonville, but he was 24-20 as the Jaguars starter. After two seasons of light playing time, he is certainly healthy again and he will have plenty of weapons to work with if he wins the starting quarterback job in Tampa. The Buccaneers locked up wide receiver Antonio Bryant over the offseason and also added tight end Kellen Winslow and running back Derrick Ward.
Add in a new offensive coordinator and you start to think that the Buccaneers offense could finally be a viable fantasy option in 2009. If Leftwich wins the starting job, I think he is a solid #2 quarterback for fantasy owners.
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