Bucs' Morris claims Ward is out of shape

Buccaneers fans trying to account for Derrick Ward's sluggish start in Tampa have a new factor to consider.

According to his head coach, Ward is out of shape.

Ward, who turns 30 on Monday, hasn't run effectively since the Bucs signed the ex-Giant to a lucrative free agent deal March 3, 2009.

"When you get a bit older in this league, especially as a running back, you have to realize that you need to come into camp at a lighter weight, not heavier," Coach Raheem Morris said. "I still have a lot of confidence in Derrick Ward that he'll be ready and in shape to help us this season."

The Bucs list the 5-foot-11 Ward at 228 pounds, the same weight assigned to him since 2007, when he ran for 602 yards in spot duty with the Giants.

Ward was an infrequent participant in Tampa Bay's voluntary offseason workouts, but he reported to training camp on time July 30, saying he is approaching the upcoming year with a "new mentality."

According to General Manager Mark Dominik, the Bucs have not fined Ward this summer for failing to meet the club's weight requirements.

"Ask my teammates - I'm not huffing or puffing, I'm not asking to be taken out of games," said Ward, whose average yards per carry plunged from 5.6 to 3.6 in his first year with the Bucs. "My weight is good and I'm ready to go. If the first game of the season was this Sunday, I'd be ready."

Instead, Ward has two preseason games remaining to reclaim his spot behind Cadillac Williams and ahead of surging 24-year-old Kareem Huggins, an undrafted free agent who played three games with the Bucs last season and has sparkled this summer.

After a breakthrough 1,025-yard season in 2008 as part of New York's three-man backfield, Ward signed a four-year, $17 million deal with the Bucs that reportedly included $6 million in guaranteed money for 2009.

He responded by running for only 409 yards last season, rushing for one touchdown in 14 games.

Entering the 2010 training camp eager for redemption, Ward gained only 20 yards on 12 carries on a sloppy field during the opening preseason game at Miami, fumbling twice.

After guaranteeing a better effort against Kansas City, he ran five times for 11 yards Saturday night before taking a knee to the helmet.

"It wasn't really a concussion; I was just a little fuzzy," Ward said. "I'm back out here working hard, giving it my all. Last year was a learning experience for all of us, especially for me. You can't really judge somebody off preseason games. Granted, I could have done a couple of things better than what I did in the first game, as far as holding on to the ball."

Ward realizes his impressive body of work with the Giants won't matter unless he regains the form that made him a targeted free agent.

"I haven't been this happy since '08," Ward said. "I feel good about myself, I feel good about my abilities and I'm not dealing with any injuries. I'm fresh, I'm healthy and I'm ready to go."

Morris stopped short of labeling Saturday's home game against Jacksonville as pivotal to Ward's future in Tampa.

"That decision could take its time," Morris said. "Obviously, Huggy has looked impressive the last couple of weeks. Derrick knows what he needs to do. He has to go out there, he has to get it done and you'd better do it fast. In 2009, we weren't a very good football team. We all struggled. He (Ward) wasn't able to get the holes he wanted, but whatever the reasons were, they really don't matter.

"It's your job to go out there and get it done. You've only got one chance to do this thing, myself included."

If Huggins wins the job as Tampa Bay's No. 2 back, Ward's contract could make it difficult to move him. Clubs could try to wait out the Bucs in the hope Ward is released before the Sept. 12 opener against Cleveland.

"That's the NFL," Ward said. "Everybody's job is up for grabs, unless you're Peyton Manning or Tom Brady."