After a week of silence, the agent for Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp put the word out Tuesday that his client is ready to bolt the Buccaneers if the team doesn’t get busy with a contract proposal.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus said that despite Sapp’s preference to remain with the Bucs, the player is ready to pack and go.
“Teams want to know whether he is willing to go elsewhere, and the answer is yes,” Rosenhaus told the Associated Press.
Rosenhaus also said Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen had yet to extend Sapp, 31, an offer.
“There are 31 other teams in the NFL,” said Rosenhaus, who reportedly has had feelers on Sapp from Baltimore, Atlanta, Oakland and the Bears. “The likelihood is that he will be playing for one of [those 31] next season.”
New home: Jeff Garcia’s search for a new team ended quickly in Cleveland.
The 34-year-old former 49ers quarterback agreed to a $25 million, four-year contract with the Browns on Tuesday, six days after being released by San Francisco. The deal almost surely means Cleveland will release Tim Couch, the first pick in the 1999 draft.
Garcia held serious talks with Tampa Bay, but went for the offer from the Browns.
“I think it’s going to be a perfect fit,” Garcia said. “The Browns showed a real desire for me to be here, and they felt I could make a difference.”
Cleveland has tried to get Couch to rework his contract. He rejected an offer that would have cut his salary by more than half.
Garcia was San Francisco’s starting quarterback since 1999. In 2000 he set a franchise record, passing for 4,278 yards and earning his first Pro Bowl berth.
Owens update: The players union officially asked an arbitrator to make Terrell Owens a free agent, claiming San Francisco didn’t have the rights to trade the receiver to Baltimore.
The case will go to Steven Burbank of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, who was selected by the league and the NFL Players Association early last year to arbitrate such contract disputes.
Owens was prevented from becoming a free agent when the NFL Management Council ruled that his agent, David Joseph, failed to void the last two years of his contract by a Feb. 21 deadline. Last Thursday, the 49ers traded Owens to Baltimore.
Running backs sign: The Bucs agreed to terms with Charlie Garner, 32, who played for coach Jon Gruden and general manager Allen in Oakland. Garner started nine games for the Raiders last season, when he was plagued by knee injuries. In 10 seasons, he has rushed for nearly 7,000 yards, caught more than 400 passes and scored 51 touchdowns.
Duce Staley, who played in Philadelphia for seven seasons, signed a five-year contract worth $14 million with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The deal includes a $4 million signing bonus.
More moves: Darrell Jackson, after Owens the best wide receiver on the free-agent market, was re-signed by Seattle for $25 million over six years. . . . The Ravens re-signed kicker Matt Stover, the only player left who moved with the old Cleveland Browns to Baltimore after the 1995 season. . . .
