A league source has told Scout.com that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed
fullback B.J. Askew to a contract extension that will make him one of the top
three players at his position in both signing bonus money and in average
compensation per year.
The four-year extension that was added to his current contract year makes his
new deal a five-year pact worth $8.6 million. Askew will receive $2.2 million in
guaranteed money, including a $2 million signing bonus. The contract includes $1
million in performance and Pro Bowl incentives.
A third-round draft pick in 2003, Askew spent his first four seasons in the
league with the New York Jets where he made just six starts while appearing in
55 games. But when Askew hit the open market as a free agent in 2007, the
Buccaneers quickly moved in. It was obvious that they saw him as the right
player for their system.
Askew thrived in Tampa Bay during his first season,
starting in nine of thirteen contests and earning the honor of being named as a
Pro Bowl alternate in 2007. Although he wasn't called upon to run the ball last
year for the Buccaneers, Askew pulled in a career-high 18 passes for 175 yards
and made his presence known on the field as a lead blocker.
The Buccaneers are a team that has plenty of cap space this year, and it
hasn't gone unnoticed by many of the team's veterans who have been making
overtures about wanting a new deal to take advantage of the available money. So
the club's early commitment to Askew is particularly impressive and a clear
indication that they see him as a foundation player that they hope to have
around for years to come since the Mike Alstott era has come to a close in Tampa
Bay.
For more Buccaneers news and features, be sure to visit BucsBlitz.com,
our network's Tampa Bay site.
A member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America, Ed Thompson's player interviews and NFL features
are published across the Scout.com network and at FOXSports.com. You can contact him by email
through this link.