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Bucs: Back To Work

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By ROY CUMMINGS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 20, 2008

TAMPA - That triumphant return to prominence the Bucs made last season should not have come as any great surprise. The Bucs under Coach Jon Gruden have always done a pretty good job of bouncing back from disaster.

What they haven't done is stay on their feet after righting themselves.

Since Gruden took over as coach in 2002, the Bucs have never put together two winning seasons in a row. You get the feeling, though, this may be the year they finally buck that seesaw trend.

For starters, the defense that finished second overall last year appears to be deeper and faster than last year's model. The same seems to be true of the offense and maybe even the special teams units.

Whether that eventually translates into more victories and a second straight NFC South title remains to be seen. At the very least it should translate into an exciting and dramatic training camp.

Friday is check-in day, with 80 players due to report to Celebration Hotel by midafternoon. The first practice is at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, just outside Orlando in Lake Buena Vista.

Finally, it's football season.

QUARTERBACK

Let's assume, just for the time being, that Brett Favre does not wind up in Tampa Bay. If that holds true, then Jeff Garcia remains the starter and the battle to watch is for the backup spot. Many assume that will go to Brian Griese, but Bucs coach Jon Gruden seems to be equally high on Luke McCown. Remember, it was McCown who won the backup job coming out of camp a year ago. He lost it even faster than he won it, but also won it back again after Bruce Gradkowski struggled his way out of the Bucs' future plans.

The other player who really bears watching here is Chris Simms. Assuming he shows up, Simms will get very few practice reps. But if he proves he's healthy and looks sharp at all, he could make the decision-making process very interesting, if not difficult. Finally, if Favre shows up, all bets are off.

RUNNING BACK

With Cadillac Williams on the sidelines mending his rebuilt right knee, there is no clear-cut starter here. The biggest question to be answered: How does Gruden use the vast array of spare backs he has at his disposal? Warrick Dunn, Earnest Graham and Michael Bennett all have different strengths. Dunn is a shifty playmaker; Graham is a one-cut power back; Bennett is just plain fast. The likelihood is that Dunn and Graham will get the bulk of the work here and that Bennett will be used as a change-of-pace back.

Another player to watch as camp unfolds is B.J. Askew. Askew is a running back playing the role of fullback who got the feeling during the offseason he might be more involved in the offense this season. Training camp should tell us whether that will be the case or not.

WIDE RECEIVER

This figures to be one of the most-watched areas on the field, and rightfully so. The Bucs must once again find a complement to speedster Joey Galloway, who first must prove he truly has recovered from the shoulder injury that made him a nonfactor in last year's playoff loss. The top candidates are the usual suspects: Michael Clayton, Maurice Stovall and Ike Hilliard.

A wild-card candidate is free-agent pickup Antonio Bryant. Bryant hasn't played football in a year but he was one of the big surprises during the offseason program. He appears to have regained his passion and hunger for the game. If so, he could elevate the entire unit. Others who could surprise and make an impact include Chad Lucas, Paris Warren and second-round draft pick Dexter Jackson.

TIGHT END

The battle for the starting job here was shaping up to be a pretty good one even before the Bucs re-signed Jerramy Stevens. Now, with Stevens on board the Bucs have at least three tight ends capable of unseating Alex Smith as the top player on the depth chart. Ben Troupe is the most notable, but John Gilmore may be the one to watch most closely. Gilmore has been more of a blocking type during his NFL career but has some pass-catching skills the Bucs are hoping to take advantage of. Watch to see how often Gilmore gets the call in red-zone drills and how he performs when his number is called there. He could prove to be something of a secret weapon.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Everything is set here except the starter at left tackle. Luke Petitgout, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury, and Donald Penn are the candidates there. The battle should be a good one but it won't last for very long if Petitgout doesn't prove quickly that he's healthy and a better option than Penn. Penn was often the Bucs' best pass protector last year but he needed to get bigger and stronger and improve as a run blocker. Watch him in one-on-one drills against defensive linemen. If he's winning the majority of those battles he'll probably retain his starter's spot. If he loses a lot of those battles the Bucs may go back to Petitgout.

Another player to watch is rookie Jeremy Zuttah. He's extremely versatile and therefore capable of pushing a veteran such as Petitgout or Dan Buenning out of a job and off the roster.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The Bucs would really like to have Greg White as their starting left end but he's going to have to earn it by outplaying Kevin Carter. Carter served notice during the offseason that he will not go easily in this battle. You'll want to keep an eye on Gaines Adams in this camp as well. The second-year right end will look a lot leaner. He also should look a little more dominant in pass-rushing drills. If so, watch for him to parlay that into a breakout double-digit sack season.

The Bucs have plenty of depth here, so the battle for spots in the rotation should be intense. Players such as Marques Douglas, Greg Peterson and Dre Moore could make an impact. The key is to get even more pressure on the passer. If you sense the Bucs are doing that they could be in for a big season.

LINEBACKER

The starters are set, but a battle will ensue for the backup jobs. The biggest question is whether Quincy Black will continue to play at the high level he did during the offseason program. Black looked like a player who could quickly earn some snaps at strongside or even weakside backer, but the Bucs want to see if he can play at a high level consistently. If he proves he can, he could force his way into a rotation that allows him to spell strongside Cato June or maybe even weakside Derrick Brooks.

SECONDARY

The player to watch here is first-round draft pick Aqib Talib. Talib probably will not win a starting job right out of the gate, but he should earn the right to work occasionally as a third corner in the nickel defense. If he fails to do that the Bucs will be a little disappointed. Another player to watch is Phillip Buchanon. He's likely to start at left corner now that Brian Kelly is gone, but faces plenty of competition.

To keep the job, he has to tackle well and avoid giving up big plays. Also worth watching is second-year pro Tanard Jackson, the surprise of camp last year. If he continues to make big plays all over the field he shouldn't have any trouble holding off a challenge for playing time from Sabby Piscitelli, Will Allen and Eugene Wilson.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Matt Bryant and punter Josh Bidwell are solidly set. The same cannot be said for the return men. With Dexter Jackson drafted in the second round primarily to improve the return game, this should be an interesting battle. Jackson has to prove he's a better punt-return option than Phillip Buchanon and Micheal Spurlock must prove that his kick return for a TD last year was not a fluke.

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