Still, just two seasons removed from a Super Bowl championships, the Buccaneers tried to rebound from a disappointing 2003 season by signing a long list of aging veteran free agents – including wide receiver Tim Brown, running back Charlier Garner and tackles Todd Steussie and Derrick Deese – but few of them panned out. Meanwhile, a disgruntled Keyshawn Johnson was traded to Dallas for Joey Galloway in the offseason and fellow wideout Keenan McCardell was swapped to San Diego during the season after a holdout over a contract dispute. The Bucs also parted ways with two future Hall of Famers and key members of the Super Bowl defense, releasing John Lynch due to injury concerns and not attempting to re-sign Warren Sapp. In August, Hurricane Charley forced the team to leave its Orlando training camp a week early and caused a preseason game to be rescheduled. Obviously distracted, the Bucs lost their first four games and their 1-5 start was their worst since 1996. The Bucs also lost their last four games of the season to finish 5-11 despite blowout wins over San Francisco and Atlanta over the previous three weeks. Rookie wide receiver Michael Clayton was a bright spot, catching 80 passes for 1,193 yards, but he would never reach 40 catches or 500 yards in any other season.
