by Chris Harry

Filed under: Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ marquee free-agent acquisition of the 2009 offseason became their first marquee cut of 2010 preseason.

Running back Derrick Ward, who bolted the New York Giants for a four-year, $17 million deal with the Bucs, was released Tuesday as the club made deadline moves to comply with the league’s 75-play roster limit.

Ward, a member of the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning club in ’07 and 1,000-yard rusher in ’08, carried 114 times for 409 yards and one touchdown in his lone season in Tampa, where he lost the battle to be the featured back to Carnell “Cadillac” Williams.

Bucs coach Raheem Morris was critical of Ward during the preseason, saying he reported for training camp out of shape. Ward voiced his displeasure about playing in horrible rainy conditions — and on the muddy baseball field — in the exhibition opener at Miami, where he gained 20 yards on 12 carries and vowed to bounce back the next game against Kansas City.

He finished that one with five carries for 11 yards.

In Saturday’s preseason game against Jacksonville, Ward ran four times for 19 yards, giving him a 2.4-yard average in three exhibitions.