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Popular Warren Released As Bucs Trim Roster To 75

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 27, 2008

TAMPA - Veteran WR Paris Warren, unable to match his 2007 preseason production after recovering from a leg fracture, was waived Tuesday by the Bucs, who also placed RB Cadillac Williams on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list.

CB Sammy Davis (hip) was placed on injured reserve and LB Antoine Cash (neck) and S Donte Nicholson (knee) were waived injured as Tampa Bay reduced its roster to the league's mandated 75-player limit.

All NFL teams must be down to 53 players by Saturday.

Warren, 25, enjoyed a sensational August last year with 15 receptions, including four TD catches, before suffering a season-ending leg fracture in the exhibition finale against Houston.

The injury triggered an emotional response from Bucs players and coaches, who immediately swarmed onto the field to support a popular teammate.

After an extensive rehabilitation program, Warren caught two passes for 15 yards in Tampa Bay's first three preseason games this summer.

"He's still a good football player, he's an NFL player I believe, and hopefully it all works out for him this year," Coach Jon Gruden said of Warren, a seventh-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2005 draft.

Williams, the 2005 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 last season and has made steady progress. He is ineligible to play for the first six games while he remains on the Reserve/PUP list, and the Bucs will have to make a decision on Williams at that point.

Cash, a third-year pro who missed all of last season because of a knee injury, hurt his neck in the fourth quarter of Saturday night's preseason game against Jacksonville. He was released from the hospital the next day with a full range of motion in his extremities.

The Bucs selected Nicholson in the fifth round of the 2005 draft, and he played 11 games for Tampa Bay.

Davis, a first-round pick by San Diego in 2003, was signed by the Bucs in September and played 14 games in 2007, including a start against New Orleans. He was inactive for the playoff game against the Giants.

Because he is a vested player, Davis goes directly to the injured reserve list. Cash and Nicholson must clear waivers before they are placed on Tampa Bay's injured reserve list.

GET TO WORK: Under normal circumstances, QB Jeff Garcia would get Thursday night off in the preseason finale at Houston, but Garcia's preparation for the upcoming season has been anything but normal.

After missing the first two days of training camp with an excused absence, Garcia injured his right calf and missed extensive practice time and the first two exhibition games. He wasn't sharp against Jacksonville on Saturday, tossing two interceptions on underthrown passes.

Now, Gruden must decide whether to play his starting QB on Thursday and risk injury, 10 days before the season opener at New Orleans.

"It's been a very short week," Gruden said, "and we used part of these two days, obviously, to get Jeff Garcia a lot of work. He needs it. We'll make that determination when we get to Houston."

MILLER TIME? Since they let Luke Petitgout go, the Bucs have been on the lookout for someone new to push Donald Penn for the starting left tackle job. They may have found their man in veteran Fred Miller.

A durable 12-year veteran who spent the past three seasons starting at left tackle for the Chicago Bears, spent part of Tuesday working out for the Bucs at One Buc Place.

"Fred was really impressed with what he saw there," Miller's agent, Harold Lewis, said. "We're talking to a couple of other teams, including the Bears. We hope to be able to do something by today, so we'll see."

The Bucs' interest in Miller comes in the wake of their decision to let go of Petitgout, who was not only struggling to stay healthy but struggling to stay clean of steroids.

Petitgout, who was nursing knee and back problems at the time of his release, has also been given a four-game suspension from the league for violating its steroids policy.

His absence left one-time starter Anthony Davis as the backup to Penn, who played admirably as a replacement for Petitgout last year but still needs refining, according to the Bucs.

Miller has missed just three starts since the 1998 season, and he has helped pave the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in seven of his last nine seasons. He was part of a Bears line that allowed just 25 sacks in 2006, and his 164 NFL starts include 12 in the postseason.

INJURY UPDATE: After missing training camp and the first three preseason games with a groin injury, veteran Joey Galloway practiced again on Tuesday. The first Bucs wide receiver to post three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, Galloway hasn't been ruled out of the Houston game.

"He looks great," Gruden said of Tampa Bay's premier deep threat. "He hasn't been resting - he's been injured. We're happy to have him back."

While Galloway practiced in searing heat Tuesday, the Bucs rested several injured players.

Fellow WRs Michael Clayton (chest), Antonio Bryant (knee) and Chad Lucas (knee) were excused, along with TE Ben Troupe (foot) and CB Marcus Hamilton (hip).

EXTRA POINTS: Tampa Bay's defense ranks No. 1 in the league heading into the final preseason matchup, yielding an average of only 191 yards per game. Opponents are averaging only 2.5 yards per rushing attempt and 12 first downs per game. ... The Bucs have won five of six previous exhibition games against the Texans, who posted a 28-14 triumph against Tampa Bay last December.

Ira Kaufman, Roy Cummings

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