Saturday camp notebook: Bucs closer than ever to fans

TAMPA - Buccaneers fans could literally reach out and touch their favorite players and coaches during the first practice at One Buc Place on Saturday morning.

The distance between the practice field and fan seating is less than 10 feet, much closer than at Disney's Wide World of Sports, where Tampa Bay trained the previous seven years.

"I love the setup," coach Raheem Morris said. "Just for us to get a chance to sign autographs at the beginning of practice, to get a couple of autographs done at the end of practice.

"While you're walking in, you can hear the fans talk to you, clearly. I think a guy patted me on the shoulder today and said, 'Hi.' It's great. The people coming here to see us are the people that love us. Those are the people we want to embrace."

THE POLITICS OF FOOTBALL

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio was among the pleased Bucs fans in attendance.

Iorio and her husband attended Saturday morning's opening session and expressed her happiness with the team's return to Tampa and the opportunity fans have to see One Buc Place.

"The Bucs have done this absolutely right," Iorio said as she watched players stretch in anticipation of a two-hour practice. "Fans can be up close and personal with this set-up and it's great to see players mingling with fans out here."

RUUD FOCUSED ON DIFFERENT NUMBERS

Linebacker Barrett Ruud skipped voluntary workouts this offseason because he wanted a contract extension, but now is focused on learning a new defense.

Ruud has one year left on his contract and hoped Tampa Bay would reward him with a new one, but negotiations never took off. Although Ruud wanted more stability, he admits it is a battle he can no longer fight.

"I've kind of just come to terms with myself where I'm just thinking about football now," Ruud said. "I know I have one year left and I'm excited. The best thing for me and the team is to have a great year. If you play well individually, and your defense plays great and your team wins games, only good things will happen."

Defensive coordinator Jim Bates installed a new defense, but Ruud missed the offseason installation. Ruud acknowledged he is playing catch up, which is why he's more focused on learning plays than getting paid.

"When you start training camp again, it's kind of a review session again," Ruud said. "You get to freshen up and you have two weeks before our first preseason game.

"These two-a-day practices are kind of a grind, but for me, I need training camp right now. I do. I've got to learn Jim's system inside and out and I'm going to need every practice to make sure I am right for that first preseason game and take it into the season."

TWEAKING KIFFIN

Morris didn't dance for the fans the way Monte Kiffin did at the beginning of each training camp, but did take a playful jab at the former Bucs defensive coordinator when practice was over.

While signing autographs for fans, Morris noticed a woman wearing University of Tennessee garb.

"Hey, make sure you tell Monte Kiffin I'm the best defensive coordinator ever, because I never gave up a point, a touchdown - nothing," Morris said.

Kiffin left at the end of the 2008 after 14 seasons with the Bucs to join his son Lane's coaching staff at UT. In December, Morris was promoted from defensive backs coach to replace Kiffin as coordinator. In January, Morris was promoted again to replace head coach Jon Gruden.

INJURY REPORT

DE Greg Peterson (knee) did not practice, and DE Louis Holmes left the morning practice with an unspecified injury.

So, Morris was the coordinator less than a month.

"Kiffin's funny," Morris said. "He came down from Tennessee; he just came back to the office and set up his own office."