Morris finally gets his man in WR Benn

Bucs coach Raheem Morris was determined not to let Arrelious Benn get away from him a second time.

When Morris was a defensive coordinator at Kansas State, he heavily recruited Benn, who was a standout receiver at Dunbar High in Washington, D.C. Benn, one of the best receivers in the nation, eventually committed to play at Illinois.

Morris made sure he hauled in Benn on Friday.

The Bucs traded their second- and fifth-round picks to Oakland, moving from No. 42 to 39, to pick up Benn in the second round.

"He worked his butt off to recruit me," Benn said. "He's a great coach and a great guy. He recruited me when Josh (Freeman) was there. It's kind of like a small reunion now. We're going to get together. Maybe it's meant to be."

Benn's destiny in Tampa Bay is for him to try to replace Antonio Bryant, who signed with Cincinnati.

Morris and Bucs general manager Mark Dominik said they expect Benn to compete for a starting position from Day One and to provide Freeman with a playmaker.

"I would be disappointed if he didn't," Dominik said.

Tampa Bay's optimism about Benn (6-foot-1, 206 pounds) stems from his productivity as a freshman and a sophomore.

Benn had 54 receptions for 676 yards for two touchdowns in 2007, followed by 67 receptions for 1,055 yards and three touchdowns the following year. Although he had only 38 receptions for 490 yards and two touchdowns last season, Benn attributed his statistical drop to quarterback and offensive coordinator changes last season.

"He fits in wherever you may need him," Morris said. "He played in the slot in college before. He was featured as an outside receiver as a freshman. He did both as a sophomore. He has the ability to do all those things.

"When he's coming in here, you're talking about (filling) the void left by Antonio at the X position, so naturally he will probably start off there. We're excited to have him and get him the ball. We're excited to see what he can do with the ball, and here we go, a playmaker."