Buccaneers Release 3 Veterans--Giles, House, Springs

Veterans Jimmie Giles, Kevin House and Ron Springs were waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, a day after the NFL team lost, 38-7, to the New Orleans Saints.

Tampa Bay Coach Leeman Bennett said the moves were related to the performance of Giles, House and Springs in the club’s first seven games rather than their effort against the Saints.

“They hadn’t played up to what I expected,” Bennett said. “I feel like they were some of our better players, at least better players from the standpoint of what was expected of them, and they didn’t produce.”

Giles, a four-time Pro Bowl selection at tight end, and House, the team’s all-time leading receiver, were both starters. Springs, the former Dallas Cowboy star who signed with the Buccaneers last year, was a starter at running back when the season began, but had played sparingly.

Giles, 31, was picked for the Pro Bowl last season after catching 43 passes for 673 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was the team’s second-leading receiver through seven games with 18 receptions for 178 yards and 1 touchdown, and career totals of 279 catches for 4,300 yards and 34 touchdowns.

House, 28, who had been unhappy with the number of long passes thrown to him this year, had 11 catches for 206 yards and no touchdowns. In seven NFL seasons, he has 286 receptions for 4,928 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Springs, 29, was waived by Dallas early last season and rushed for only 54 yards in 16 carries in 12 games in 1985. He had gained 150 yards in 42 attempts this season.

Bennett said the cuts would allow him to give younger players such as tight end Calvin Magee and wide receiver Phil Freeman more playing time as Tampa Bay tries to salvage a 1-6 season start.