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May 14--One season was not enough for Jeff Garcia to master Jon Gruden's version of the West Coast offense, despite what winning the division title might indicate. That's why Garcia feels his attendance at the voluntary offseason workout programs is still vital.
Yet, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is willing to sacrifice his progress in the name of business, more specifically the final year of his two-year contract, which he would like to renegotiate.
Garcia said he could join running back Earnest Graham as a no-show at the organized team activities, which take place this week at the team's practice facility in Tampa.
"There might come a time when I might have to stand up," Garcia told reporters Tuesday. "I hate to do that, to jeopardize my teammates, because they're out here, and I don't want to let them down in any sort of way. But at some point, you just want to see the respect from up top be given."
Garcia is scheduled to make $2 million this season during the final year of the two-year deal he signed in March 2007. After leading the team back to the playoffs and being voted team MVP along the way, Garcia is seeking a bump that will bring his 2008 salary up to the league average for quarterbacks, which is around $7 million.
Garcia is also angry the team will not pay the performance bonus he would have earned had he played in 70 percent of the offensive snaps over the course of the season, because he was benched for the final six quarters in an effort to keep him healthy for the playoffs.
The reluctance of Bucs general manager Bruce Allen to renegotiate contracts and the fact Allen cancelled a meeting last week with the quarterback's agent have caused Garcia to lose faith in the chances of a deal being struck before the season.
Garcia has never held out during his career but is considering it now.
"I've never felt like I've been in position or situation to hold out, and I've never really agreed with that sort of approach to things" Garcia said. "I don't feel like, as a player, that it's right to my teammates. But there is a business side, and that's something that at some point has to be handled, and you want to be appreciated in that sense. I mean, it does start to play with you mentally. This is a physical game, and you want players to go out and give everything and lay their bodies on the line, lay their hearts on the line. Well, we want you to lay something on the line, too. That's really what it comes down to."
Garcia, 38, missed two games last season with a back injury. In 13 games, Garcia passed for 2,440 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions, and three of those interceptions came in one game.
His penchant for diving for extra yards inspired his teammates and drew praise from Gruden, who likened his quarterback to barbed wire.
"I want to focus on being here and trying to improve myself," Garcia said. "But there comes a time when they want us to bend over backwards and give everything we have. Well, we want the same out of them."
Derekross05 
