Mike Williams to the Bucs? Why not?

Here's a blast from the past. Remember Mike Williams, the 2005 10th overall draft pick of the Lions and Tampa native?

Well, you may have heard he was waived by the Raiders on Tuesday. He should have cleared waivers by now that league business is wrapped up for the day, meaning he is a free agent.

Now, the Bucs left a roster spot open after today's flurry of transactions. I'm not saying I have any information that they intend to sign Williams. In fact, I did some digging and have it on good authority that they haven't yet inquired about his interest in possibly joining the Bucs. But, if I know this team, I know they'll be intrigued by a player with the kind of size Williams possesses (6-5, 235), even if he has been known to get a little pudgy. Plus, we all know the Bucs love reclamation projects, and this would be a big one. I mean, the guy is one of the biggest underachievers in recent draft history, but he's still just 23-years old.

Anyhow, just wanted to throw it out there for you to think about. Taking into consideration the open roster spot and the void at receiver (Michael Clayton doesn't seem likely to play this week), it wouldn't surprise me if they went this route.

If you need any further convincing, here's all you need to know: Williams is a former Raider.

Cox to IR; more roster moves

It's official: cornerback Torrie Cox is done for the season, his knee injury prompting the Bucs today to move him to injured reserve.

The Bucs also released receiver Chad Lucas who was thought to be an option succeed Cox as kick returner. His hesitancy as a returner in Cox's absence Sunday probably didn't help his cause though.

Receiver Chas Gessner was signed to the active roster and cornerback Darrell Hunter was added to the practice squad. That leaves one open roster spot unfilled, though the team's plans are currently unclear.

Bucs still team to beat in NFC South?

Well, they are according to Peter King of Sports Illustrated.

I don't put much stock in rankings and such, but they are good for starting conversation. King ranks the top 15 teams in the league, and he's got Tampa Bay at 14th, one spot ahead of Carolina. His logic seems to be that the Bucs' soft upcoming schedule will position them to win the division. Hard to disagree with that. They'll have a good shot at it. Whether they pull it off is another matter, I suppose.

Anyhow, just something to glance at and maybe discuss. Here's the link.

Gruden's news conference

HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN

(On injured players)
Greg Spires has a calf injury and he's currently being evaluated. Torrie Cox injured his knee; he also is undergoing some tests at this time. We are concerned about them. We'll update you when we get the results from these tests. Once again, we're very disappointed in the game yesterday. Our guys played very hard.

(On if he knows if Michael Pittman or Michael Clayton are any closer to returning to the field)
No, not at this point. Patrick Chukwurah and Brian Kelly are two other guys. We've got a number of guys that we have a chance to get back. I just can't comment on that until I actually get final word from our trainer.

(On what he liked about the first half of the season)
I've got to meet a lot of guys on the football team. We've used just about every guy on the team. We're playing hard. Our last three games have come down to the closing seconds. We won a game against Tennessee in dramatic fashion and had a chance to yesterday. We put ourselves in position for a finish in Detroit. Guys are playing hard. Some of the young players are getting better. I feel like if we can get some guys back in the second half of the season we can hang around and make this interesting.

(On Garcia missing some open men after seven games of being so sharp)
Well, you're not going to be perfect. You're going to miss a couple throws. Unfortunately, we missed a couple yesterday, and when we did put the ball on the money, a couple times we dropped it. So there was a combination of those two things in key situations that had a lot to do with us not winning the football game.

(On what hasn't been good enough in the first half)
We've got to get better in all areas. Obviously the last two weeks our turnover ratio is what's hurt us. We haven't acquired a turnover on defense and we've turned it over on offense. You can go through all the statistics you want, you can play fantasy football and draft whoever you want, but at the end of the day it's turnover ratio that decides football games. We've turned it over too many times in two weeks and we haven't got any turnovers. Usually that will do you in.

(On what he says when he sees a catch like the one Matt Jones made against them)
Let's go men. We need that. We've made some great plays throughout the season. You look at Matt Jones jump up and make a freak catch with his left hand and get two feet in. The play before that, we challenged, I don't know who caught it, I can't remember now but it was an unbelievable catch. The ball was in his face, he gets his eyes around, he somehow catches it and gets two feet in. You give them credit. They made a couple great plays and those two plays, signature plays, probably won them the game.

(On the red zone production)
We would like to be better, we would like to be better. We fumbled the ball on a first and goal at the one in Detroit. I believe yesterday at the end of the first half with no timeouts, some of the play selection obviously is a little lopsided in passing the ball. We have done some decent things, we have capped off some drives. Cleary, we can score more points than we have in the last two weeks.

(On WR Maurice Stovall)
He did okay. He had a couple penalties, the push off in the two-minute [drive], the holding call on the reverse, negated a 12 or 15 yard run. His inexperience showed a couple of times. I thought he played hard, made a couple of nice catches, played on special teams, got tired. We had to take a timeout late in the ball game to get our guys some air, Joey [Galloway] got tired. Maurice did some good things, and it was a good start.

(On turnovers)
We have done pretty well. Our quarterback went seven games without a pick. One of the interceptions yesterday, Glenn makes a great play. He is timely, he jumps, he takes a gamble and it pays off for him. The last interception of the game, the ball is thrown pretty well, we don't secure it, [and] sometimes that is football. Defensively, I think we have gone a couple weeks without a turnover. We have to obviously do a better job and find a way to get a couple in our favor.

(On the missed opportunities)
That is a golden opportunity. We didn't get it done. We had some chances to make some plays and we win the game. You were there, you saw the game, watched the film, our players I think will feel like, hey, we are a pretty good football team. We have to make a couple more plays. We are going to be alright. That was unfortunate.

(On Michael Bennett)
Well he didn't play a lot. I thought when he was asked to play he did a pretty good job. Obviously he's got some speed, like to see him catch the ball on the sideline, that's a 35 yard-play. I realize their low percentage, but when guys are open deep, that's not low percentage to me, that's high percentage, that's impact play making kind. People are going to blitz, if they're going to sit on you, you throw it over their head. We have to make those plays, but I think he's doing a good job and I believe he's going to be an asset to our football team.

(On DE Gaines Adams getting playing time)
I think the way he played yesterday, I think he has the right to be frustrated a little bit. But if you watch Greg Spires play, Spires will be frustrated because he didn't play too, he played very well. Sometimes there is going to be some frustration when you're not playing, but Gaines Adams did a good job when he played in the game yesterday. I expect him to be a real big part of the second part of the season; we're anxious to see what he can do.

(On DE Gaines Adams performance over the last eight weeks)
There are some aspects that I'm really excited about. He does give a good effort, is he leading the league in effort? Gaines you're not leading the league in effort. Kyle Vanden Bocsh from Tennessee leads the league in effort. I saw that last week and I think Gaines Adams had now a half of a season to get a feel for this league, who's in it, how the game is played, and I believe he's ready to take off. I believe Gaines Adams has an opportunity now to sit back and look back at the first half of the season and understand that he belongs in the league, he knows how to play, he understands our defense now, and we expect big things from him.

(On how he manages the rotations of the DE's)
We are going to do what we do what we feel is right with the entire group, that goes from Greg White to Kevin Carter, all the guys. It's not all about Gaines Adams here today, it's about our defensive line and we do expect Gaines to be an every down player and an impact player for our franchise for years to come. Whether or not that's this week or next week we'll have to see.

(On if he was surprised about Jacksonville running the ball in 15 consecutive plays)
A little bit, but when you take a look at the Jaguars football team, they have the components there to do that. They've got four great backs. [LaBrandon] Toefield is a heck of a back too, no one talks about Greg Jones, but when you have [Maurice Jones] Drew and [Fred] Taylor [and] Marcedes Lewis is one of the bigger more physical on the line of scrimmage blockers in the league and they are a big physical football team. So with the young quarterback, I think the big run, was the third-and-eight run, when they out planked us in a man-to-man defense, which is uncharacteristic of us, but they were able to get some three to four yard runs, set up some third and twos, go for it on forth-and -inches or fourth of inside one. I was surprised by that, but I though we did a better job in the second half, getting it squared away and playing better.

(On the Bucs needing to win the division to make the playoffs)
Again, if you win your division, you're in the playoffs. And every year it starts right there. New Orleans Saints, no matter what anybody says, they are a good football team. You know, Carolina has problems with now with injuries, too. Atlanta has had their share of injuries. So, there's blood in the water, I said it a couple of weeks ago, in the NFC South. Hopefully we can get some guys back and be a factor down the stretch.

(On the quarterback having a hot hand)
The way I see it, Jeff is always hot. Jeff's a heck of a player. When you get into a game like that when it's a blitzfest, you look forward to putting the game in your quarterback's hands and we want to do that every week. We consider him a great quarterback. I think he has been for the first eight weeks of the season. He's responded to a lot of change around him. It's been hard on him, it's been hard Jeff Garcia, okay? A lot of guys have come and gone and it's not like he's in his fourth or fifth year in this offense. He's reacted well, in my opinion, I think he's a great quarterback, and he's the reason why we will have a chance in the second half.

Gruden reacts

Jon Gruden, in his weekly Monday press conference, lamented several shortcomings in Sunday's 24-23 loss to Jacksonville.

For one, the Bucs' combined minus-5 turnover ratio the past two games is difficult to overcome, he said.

"The last two weeks our turnover ratio is what's hurt us," Gruden said. "You can go through all the statistics you want. But at the end of the day, it's turnover ratio that decides football games."

Regarding the third-down play late on the Bucs' final drive on which Jeff Garcia overthrew Ike Hilliard deep, Gruden defended the play call. The Bucs appeared to be trying to position themselves for a game-winning field goal but saw a favorable matchup and took their chances.

"If you get a guy open, I don't think it's low percentage," Gruden said. "We felt we had the right play. I don't regret that call."

Gruden was asked about first-round pick Gaines Adams, who showed obvious signs of frustration Sunday over his limited playing time. At one point late in the game, the defensive end tossed hiis helmet in disgust after being pulled in favor of end Greg White.

"I think the way he played yesterday, he has a right to be frustrated," Gruden said. "Sometimes, there's going to be a little frustration when you're not playing. I expect him to be a big part of the second half of the season.

"There's some aspects that I'm really excited about. I just think Gaines Adams has now had half a season to get used to this league and I believe he's ready to take off. He knows how to play and he understands our defense now.

"We do expect Gaines to be an every-down player for our franchise for years to come. Whether that's this week or next week, I don't know."

On the injury front, Gruden said starting right defensive end Greg Spires has a calf injury, though Spires said after the game he was told he had an Achilles' tendon strain. Torrie Cox has a knee injury, the extent of which Gruden did not know.

Gruden did not express much optimism about the chances of any of the team's injured key rotation players returning this week. Among them are tight end Alex Smith (ankle), defensive end Patrick Chukwurah (shoulder) and receiver Michael Clayton (ankle).

Postgame wrap

Okay, I posted this in the running game blog post, but I'll just give it it's own post.

Here are a couple of observations to mention.

First, on the injury front, Greg Spires tells me he has an Achilles strain. For all we know, it could be at least a partial tear. They'll know more once they get him on an MRI machine tomorrow. No immediate word on Torrie Cox and the severity of his knee injury.

Now, as for the offensive line and offense in general, from where I sit, they did a poor job handling the Jacksonville blitz. Arron Sears told me the Jags did a great job disguising things and then blitzed constantly. And, as Jon Gruden pointed out, when they blitz, that means you've got some one-on-one matchups downfield that you have to win. Obviously, they didn't win nearly enough of them.

And as far as Jeff Garcia is concerned, I thought he made a bad decision to throw that ball while getting decked on his second interception. That was a killer, too, because they were in scoring position at the time. He seemed to downplay it when asked afterward about the turnovers, but I have to disagree that that play was the result of a great defensive play, as he stated. It looked like he forced the throw. The guy has had a great year, I'm just calling a spade a spade. Frankly, it's better to take the sack. Don't you think?

And here's another nitpik (I'm full of them tonight). Not sure why Gruden/Garcia decided to get greedy on that third down play on the final drive. Instead of just working an underneath route or finding a back out of the backfield to get in field goal position (wasn't that the objective?), Garcia went deep to Hilliard and missed on an overthrow. That's a very low percentage play and probably not the wisest move in that situation.

Anyway, that's just my two cents, for what that's worth. Agree? Disagree? That's your prerogative. Either way, have at it.

Sunshine State battle

We're awaiting kickoff at RayJay in just a few minutes.

As far as the lineups are concerned, the Bucs will be without Michael Clayton (ankle), Alex Smith (ankle), Brian Kelly (groin) and Patrick Chukwurah (shoulder). Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter is inactive today, with rookie Adam Hayward apparently activated in his place.

Looks like Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew will suit up and give it a go.

Also, it looks like possible rain in the area, with gray clouds all around. But we'll be here to bring you the action nonetheless. (Okay, who are we kidding? The press box is bone dry!)

Check the comments section for more updates and analysis throughout the afternoon. See ya soon.

(Pictured: Jon Gruden, left and Jeff Garcia. Times photo - Brian Cassella. Click to enlarge.)

Final injury report

Here's a quick update on the week's final injury report per Jon Gruden.

Tight end Alex Smith and receiver Michael Clayton are listed as doubtful with ankle injuries, meaning they'll likely miss the game. Listed as questionable are defensive end Patrick Chukwurah (shoulder) and cornerback Brian Kelly (groin).

Gruden has been optimistic about Kelly the last couple days as he returned to practice on a limited basis, but don't expect Kelly to play this weekend. It's more likely you'll see him next week against Arizona if not in Atlanta after the bye week.

Smith is likely to miss his second consecutive game, and Gruden didn't seem to know when the Bucs could count on his return.

Trotter update

His name keeps coming up, so figured I'd update you on Jeremiah Trotter.

He was activated last week for the first time, playing only on special teams. The four-time Pro Bowl linebacker hasn't been needed on defense just yet, and it doesn't appear he will be anytime soon.

I asked defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin about Trotter's chances for playing this week given the Jags are such a smashmouth team. Figured maybe a huge middle linebacker could be of some value to the Bucs against Jacksonville. But Kiffin said if Trotter did get playing time on defense, it likely wouldn't be because the Bucs see a good matchup for him. It appears that Trotter's playing time, if and when it comes, will come as a result of injury or because of a lack of production by someone else.

WIth Barrett Ruud playing well and backup Ryan Nece holding his own, Trotter's likely to be remain on special teams if he is active this week. And, Kiffin said, even that isn't a sure thing given all the team's injuries. You can only dress 47 of your 53 players on game day, so there have been some tough choices the past several weeks. Those decisions usually aren't made until Friday or Saturday.

Wednesday's locker room quotes

LB DERRICK BROOKS
(On Jacksonville's offense)
We will be playing them at home. We have to stop their running attack. Obviously, what Fred Taylor and Maurice [Jones-Drew] have done so far this year has really made the offense and given the quarterback position a lot of balance because they have been able to run the ball, get into some play action situations and hit teams with big plays. [They are] very physical, similar to Tennessee. We have had the fortune of playing them every preseason here for 10 years, and it is no different with the physical aspect of their ball-game. Their running backs are probably playing at a high level; probably the highest level two running backs can play right now.

(On what the team can learn from preseason meetings)
It is a style of play. At the time we played them they were really trying to see which quarterback they were going to go with, but the players are still the same in terms of what they put in. Like I said before, Mike Tice is getting a lot of movement from the offensive line in terms of getting guys on the perimeter. Their running backs are doing a good job of breaking tackles. You look at their touchdown runs, plus 40, plus 50, 70 yards. We have our work cut out for us in terms of gang tackling. That is really going to be key for us this week, getting three or four guys to surround the ball because we have yet to see guys bring one of these backs down. They are really going to play to our strength because we need to really get back to gang tackling.

QB JEFF GARCIA
(On what Maurice Stovall adds to the offense)
He brings the work ethic, a certain attitude to the field. He definitely wants the opportunity, and he's a big body out there. Last year he showed that he's capable of making plays on the field and now it's just a matter of plugging him in, allowing him to gain confidence in plays that he has opportunities to run and just giving him chances to make plays. He's capable, just like he showed last Sunday, being a big body [and] positioning that big body to make a critical catch and score a touchdown like he did.

(On adjusting the offense with the injuries)
I think my main focus is that they are going to step in and handle their job, that they're going to do what they're supposed to do and I need to focus and continue to do what I need to do in order to help this offense run efficiently and it's just a matter of trust really. We have suffered injuries, it has taken its toll on this team in ways but we have to find a way to plow through it. I think that is what this team is doing its best to do on the field. It's not an easy thing but we're all very capable; we wouldn't be here otherwise. And that's where I think the trust issue comes in and its just a matter of repetitions during the week of practice and the comfort zone we have towards each other.

(On Lucas stepping right into the offense)
I feel that he can step in and do some quality things for our team. I feel that he can bring a certain ability to the field that not everybody has. His speed is something that is very special and it's something that hopefully can be utilized.

(On using the shotgun formation)
I think when he knew that I was going to come here, I feel that he began thinking about incorporating it into our offense. For me, I feel like it is an advantage, it is something that I am very capable of doing. I feel that it does create immediate separation from the line of scrimmage, it allows that cushion right away. As long as John Wade continues to do a good job of snapping the football, those things can be a positive thing for us and I feel like they have been positive for us and it's just become a staple of this offense.

(On the Jacksonville defense)
Jacksonville has a very imposing defense, much like what we faced two weeks ago against Tennessee. [It] probably comes in with even higher regard as far as what they have done over the past few years. I remember seeing them last year when they came to Philadelphia, I wasn't on the field at the time, but we really struggled as an offense against them in Philly. I just know that they have a solid front four, they have good solid linebackers that are very active, their corners are good, shut down corners, they have some experience in the defensive backfield with Sammy Knight, as a guy that has played around the league. They do a lot of good things, they create some problems for opposing teams' offenses, they can shut down the run, they're very physical inside, big tackles inside and active defensive ends who do a good job on the pass rush. You can't necessarily look at last week's game or this past Monday night's game against Indianapolis as a true scale of how good they are as a team so that's something that we are very concerned about and aware of and we need to figure out how we can find ways to create positive plays on the field.

DT JOVAN HAYE
(On how hard it was to move from end to tackle)
It was tough at first because I had never played it before. I'm used to keeping everything on one side. Now that you're a tackle you can go either right or left. That was kind of hard and there are bigger guys inside. But I guess they felt like I was athletic on the outside, so let's bring some of that inside.

(On what he thought when he arrived in Tampa and they told him he was going to be a defensive tackle)
I said, let me try it because it took me off Cleveland's practice squad. I can't complain where they put me. It didn't matter.

(On if he's pleased with where he is now)
It's good, but it's definitely going to get better. I'm happy, but I'm not content. I'm not satisfied. We're 4-3; we should have a few more wins right now.

(On who has helped him the most in switching inside)
I think it's some of everybody. Everybody brings good things to the table -- [Chris] Hovan; Kevin Carter used to play there, so I get a lot of information from him; guys like Ryan Sims.

(On Jacksonville's running backs)
Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, they're a handful, everyone knows that and we're going to have our work cut out for us this weekend, but I think we will be alright.

(On them potentially running more this weekend)
We don't know what to expect, but we're definitely going to get a good dose of the running game, definitely. We better be ready, buckle down and be sound in the running game.\

WR IKE HILLIARD
(On what Maurice Stovall adds to the team)
He's a big, physical guy. You saw a little bit of that last week in the red zone catching his first touchdown. He is a guy that has worked his butt off and really tried to prepare the best he could to get on the field, so I know he's going to be fine.

(On the strength of Jacksonville's run defense leading to more offensive passing plays)
We're not going to change anything we have done all year. We just have to be efficient in what we do and try not to put ourselves in situations where we hurt our team. We can't turn the ball over and we need to find ways to get our ground game and our passing game elevated to the level where we need it to be.

DT CHRIS HOVAN
(On what stands out about Jacksonville's offense)
The way they run the ball. Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor -- Fred Taylor's still got it. I don't know how many operations he's had, but he can still run the ball better than anybody in the NFL. And Maurice is just a little bowling ball. He just finds the lane, gets there and goes. We're going to have to be ready for a very physical offensive line and a great running attack.

(On Quinn Gray)
He's a good quarterback. He kind of got thrown into the situation on Monday night. Indianapolis capitalized on it, but I'm sure they're going to prepare him to get ready to play us this weekend.

G DAVIN JOSEPH
(On facing the Jaguars in the preseason)
This is a team that we see often. It is almost like having them in our division, I think that we play them that much. It is a team we are very familiar with and for us we play them all the time so it is not that big of a deal for us.

(On the defensive line's scheme)
They are so good up front they can just play you straight. That is the advantage of having a defense like that, two big guys in the middle, ends that can rush up field, physical linebackers. They can play with the front seven and not have to worry about a lot. They remind me a lot of the Titans in the way they play, and so we had success against them and hopefully, we can have success against the Jags.

LB BARRETT RUUD
(On the Jacksonville offense)
Like they do against most teams, they are going to try and run the ball because they have two great backs, not just good backs, great backs and a good o-line too. That is what we have to stop first like always, stop the run and then we have to try and get pressure on the quarterback.

(On the difference between this year's team rather than last year's team)
Execution, that is basically it. Whoever executes the best is going to win games. Last week we didn't execute as good as we needed to and we lost. [We] lost a game we probably should have won. That is what it is going to come down to again this week, whoever executes the best. Jacksonville has some injuries, too, so we are both hurting a little bit. However, it is midseason NFL; everyone is hurt a little bit.

FB BYRON STORER
(On returning to the team)
I was on the practice squad the first six weeks then got released last week. I wasn't sure what I was going to be doing here in the next couple of weeks, and then I got the call this week and they put me on the 53-man roster. I'm just looking to help out any way I can, with the emphasis probably on special teams and backing up B.J. [Askew] any way I can.

(On playing on special teams)
When I first came in here, I knew special teams was going to be my ticket to stay around here. That's the great thing about the Buccaneers -- they have so much emphasis on special teams. I knew coming out of Cal that was going to be my place, my foot in the door. Definitely, from the get-go, special teams was the emphasis.

WR MAURICE STOVALL
(On Jacksonville's defense)
They have a pretty solid defense, good safeties. [They are] nice and physical, they can play real deep in the field, they can also play the long ball. Their corners are pretty solid as well and they have a 5-11 corner and a 6-1 corner. We started looking at them today [and] they're looking pretty solid even though they had their loss last week against the Colts.

(On waiting for his turn)
You just have to realize that the game is a marathon, it's not a sprint. Unfortunately the circumstances when someone gets hurt, your teammate, you have to step up and be in the line-up and make plays. Unfortunately Michael [Clayton] and Mark [Jones] both got hurt, but we have guys that can get the job done, including myself. Both Joey [Galloway] and Ike [Hilliard] are still healthy, we're still going to get things done and take care of business.

(On excitement or pressure this week)
Neither to both, I feel the same way I do every week, as far as preparation, looking at film, getting ready during practice, preparing myself, and keep doing the things that I have been doing but of course bring it up another notch and another level.

C JOHN WADE
(On being the senior guy on a line full of young lineman and how much that changes things)
My calls are calls, the system hasn't changed. I think these guys have done a nice job of coming in and taking it seriously as this is our job we get paid to do. We are expected to know it, and teammates are counting on you to know it. I am not saying everything is perfect but I don't think it is a lack of effort by the guys. A call is a call; I just have to make sure both sides get it. Sometimes I have been guilty myself, I would say something and I still don't do what I call. It just happens, it is a fact of life, [and] people do it all the time. That stuff is going to happen but I don't feel like there is any extra burden than there already is.

HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN
(On injured players)
Alex Smith, Mike Clayton, Michael Pittman and Brian Kelly did not practice.

(On Maurice Stovall filling in if Clayton is out Sunday)
You never like to see a guy get hurt, but Maurice Stovall is a guy we think's a pretty good player. How good he is, he'll determine that. We're anxious to see where he is, we're confident in him and we need him. With that said, let's see what happens.

(On Jovan Haye's play)
He's doing okay. The sacks are something that's exciting. He does have pass-rush ability. We need everybody on the team now to pick it up, and we'll rely on Jovan Haye. He's our starting under tackle and that position requires a guy to make a difference.

(On if there is a better set of defensive tackles in the NFL than Jacksonville's John Henderson and Marcus Stroud)
I don't know. These guys are outstanding. They're excellent indeed. Henderson and Stroud have backed that up for years. I'm impressed with their defense. [Paul] Spicer -- no one talks about him. They've got [Bobby] McCray on one side and [Reggie] Hayward on the other but this number 95, Spicer, is having a great year. He's a mean guy, a tough player. Getting Mike Peterson back to anchor the middle of their defense really helps them. They're a good football team and Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams gives them two good corners.

(On what he sees in Reggie Nelson)
You see a first-round draft choice with a lot of range. He's a very good football player. He's a good blitzer. He plays a lot of coverages well for a rookie. They're playing quarters here, the next play it's two-deep, the next play they're blitzing. This guy handles a lot of football well, and he can run and hit and I'm impressed.

(On if Ike Hilliard is going to be the one to return punts with Mark Jones out)
We've got three guys who can do it. I think Ike is a sure-handed guy, a north-south runner with some elusiveness. He's played really good football for us, and we'll need him to do that chore, if that's what you call it -- that job. It's not an easy job. Some of these punters are unbelievable, the way they can punt the ball and make it rattle and roll up in the air. You have to have a guy who can handle it, and he can do that. [Phillip] Buchanon can hit home runs, I think. He's had some issues with his hand; that's one of the reasons why we haven't used him back there. Joey Galloway is a guy that is dying to do it, but we've got to be selective with those opportunities.

(On who will return kickoffs)
Torrie Cox has done it. You've seen him do it before and he'll have an opportunity to do it again.

(On Garcia going seven games without an interception)
That's impressive. He's in a new offense. It's not like he's been in this offense his whole life. He's playing with a lot of young guys, different receivers and backs coming and going. Not only has he not thrown an interception, he's throwing for almost 70% completions. He's doing a lot of great things. I give him a lot of credit.

Garrard out for several weeks

It's official: the Jags will be without starting quarterback David Garrard when they visit Raymond James Stadium this weekend, according to coach Jack Del Rio.

That means career backup Quinn Gray will be promoted to the starting job and will have to face a fierce Buccaneers defense in the first start of his career.

Just talked to defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and he warned not to underestimate Gray because of his athleticism. Either way, it'll be a tall order for him this week.

More roster shuffling; Crockett released

Okay, drumroll please...

The Bucs have promoted receiver Chad Lucas from the practice squad to the active roster to augment their depleted corps of wideouts. Also, the Bucs are expected to announce the addition of running back/fullback Byron Storer, who will take the place of Zack Crockett, who has been released less than two weeks after joining the Bucs. The other open roster spot was created by Mark Jones' move to injured reserve.

None of the moves have much luster to them, but that's what available to the Bucs at this point. As one person in the organization told me, "if you're looking for Randy Moss, well, he's in New England." He certainly isn't on the street waiting on a phone call from the Bucs. And, as we told you earlier, the Bucs have added receiver Derrick Hamilton to the practice squad to round out their moves.

So, there you have it, such as it is.

Bucs add WR to practice squad

We hear the Bucs have made one minor transaction at receiver, adding former third-round pick Derrick Hamilton to the practice squad.

Hamilton was drafted by the 49ers in 2004 out of Clemson but never amounted to much, playing in two games that season without catching a pass.

He most recently was on the Falcons' roster but was released in June. He has good size, for what it's worth: 6-4, 203 pounds.

Also, I've checked on the Peter Warrick angle, but his reps -- Drew Rosenhaus and brother Jason -- are being evasive (I know you're shocked). Anyway, here's a piece that some of you may find interesting regarding Warrick and his hopes of joining the Bucs.

Now I'm going to get back to trying to take a day off. Tuesdays are supposed to be off days in the NFL -- or so I hear.

Clayton has high ankle sprain

Got some mixed news on Michael Clayton to share.

After further examination on Monday, doctors did not find any ligament damage in his ankle after he injured it when he was tackled awkwardly against Detroit on Sunday. That's the good news.

The bad news is that Clayton does have a high ankle sprain, and those can be tricky. We're not sure what the exact timeline is on his projected return, but high ankle sprains tend to linger, often for weeks.

At this point, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Clayton out through the bye week. Returning to practice after the open date would give him three solid weeks of recovery time.

In the meantime, the Bucs are going to have to do something about their receiving corps. They've got just three healthy receivers (Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard and Maurice Stovall). They'll most likely bring up at least one receiver from the practice squad considering the trade deadline has passed and there is almost nothing out there in terms of free agency.

Garrard to miss Bucs game?

Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard suffered an ankle injury against the Colts in the Jags' loss to the Colts Monday night and it looks like his availability for Sunday's game in Tampa is in question.

Garrard left in the second quarter and did not return. The Jags lost 29-7.

After the game, Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio indicated the injury is at least somewhat serious.

"He's got a pretty good sprain on there, so I would think that in all likelihood, he'll be missing some time," Del Rio said of Garrard. "He tweaked it pretty good."

The Jags' backup quarterback is Quinn Gray, who looked uninspired against the Colts defense. He threw two intereceptions and finished 9 of 24 for 56 yards. Ouch.

Transcription of Gruden's news conference

HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN QUOTES

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2007

(On injured players)
Real quick, our injury list. It's hard to be official until I hear from the trainer after some of these guys have been examined. But Mark Jones injured his knee; he'll be out for the season. Michael Clayton is getting an MRI at this point on his ankle. We have a couple other guys that are being treated at this point, but those are the two significant injuries from yesterday's game.

(On if he was encouraged by anything he saw on offense in Detroit)
Well, there's a lot to be encouraged by. Earnest Graham had close to 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in his second career start. Jeff Garcia, I don't know if he was 20-for-20 at halftime or close to it. It's hard to imagine him playing much better. He did some great things. Obviously losing Clayton on the second play of the game didn't help. Hopefully we can get the full supporting cast healthy and ready to go here for the second half of the season to help him. It's unfortunate that we weren't able to finish some drives better, and we had a couple breakdowns, obviously, in special teams that hurt us. But there were some positive things to take away from the game, there always are. But there was also, in defeat, things that make it hard to swallow.

(On if there were breakdowns on the Bucs' defense)
Well, backed-up on one of the plays we had an issue with contain and Kevin Jones got outside to set up a first down. They converted a third-and-short on a naked bootleg by inches. Calvin Johnson hurt us on a couple plays, certainly a seam post where coverage was pretty good. [Jon] Kitna made a great throw and Calvin Johnson made a great play. Then on the end-around, the 32-yard run, we didn't have the best contain but Calvin made two or three guys miss in the process. I can't fault anyone's effort. I can't say we had dramatic breakdowns, but the Lions orchestrated a pretty good drive. I give them credit.

(On the offensive line performance against Detroit)
Well, all-in-all there were some good plays. The sacks obviously put a tainted picture on what was a pretty good performance. We had four 15 or 16-play drives. We had a couple penalties that were very disappointing. False starts, I think we had a roughness penalty and a holding call in the first half. We overcame a few of those penalties in route to a score. We did have some penalties, we did have a couple issues in pass protection, but I can't just fault the offensive line. We're in this together, and we could have got some help, I think, in some situations where we normally do.

(On if there is frustration involved with losing players to injury every week)
It's frustrating. It's not baseball. It's not Major League Baseball. You can't make a trade and just put a guy in your lineup and say, 'Hey, go play right field and hit fourth. No disrespect to baseball, but you've got to know the formations, you've got to know the snap count, you've got to know the audible system, the two-minute package, all the things that you learn in training camp and OTAs and things of that nature. But when you lose three running backs and three receivers and a tight end and a left tackle, a corner, a defensive end and Sabby Piscitelli's also been out for some time, they do add up. We will be tested, certainly, this coming week with the Jaguars. They're an outstanding football team and you'll see so tonight.

(On WR Mark Jones)
I believe it is Patella tendon, very similar injury that Carnell [Williams] suffered. When I get the final word from Todd [Toriscelli] will be sure to tell you guys on Wednesday. It is unfortunate. He was one of the top return specialists in football. Obviously, you can see where he ranks statistically yourself. Somebody will have to pick up the slack in the punt return and kickoff return aspect now.

(On where the team is)
We like our team. We are disappointed in the outcome of the game yesterday. We feel like four out of our first seven games have been played on the road. We would like to have won the ball game yesterday; we would like to have more wins than four. We are right in the thick of this thing. We have to roll up our fists and fight right now, like a lot of the other people sitting at home today. It is not easy, life is not easy. We have to overcome some dramatic loses to our football team, but we are confident we can do that. We will lean on our best players, and hopefully see the emergence of guys like Earnest Graham and Donald Penn, [as they] prove they can play in the NFL, and now they have to continue to prove it.

(On RB Michael Bennett's play Sunday)
We liked him. Obviously he got into a situation there on short notice. I don't even think he knows most of his coaches or teammates by name or number yet, but he got in and got three carries and was in on a couple of other pass action passes. I believe he played five or six plays. He's a guy that has kickoff return capabilities. I think Michael Bennett is meeting with our coaching staff right now trying to learn and get caught up in terms of our offense. We like to expand his role, clearly he's a guy with some speed and he's a great guy and a good learner and hopefully we can get him out there more next week.

Bucs have a new pressing need

In the wake of his team’s 23-16 loss Sunday to the Detroit Lions, Jon Gruden suddenly has a new pressing need – a kick return specialist.

Mark Jones, Gruden told the media at his weekly news conference at One Buc Place, is lost for the season with a knee injury. He likened it to the torn patellar tendon that sidelined tailback Cadillac Williams. Gruden added that newly acquired tailback Michael Bennett could be tapped for return duty.

Despite the missed opportunities in Detroit, Gruden found some encouraging signs, including the play of tailback Ernest Graham and quarterback Jeff Garcia.

“Ernest Graham had close to 100 yards rushing (19-for-92), 100 yards receiving (13-for-99) in his second career start. Garcia, I don’t know if he was 20-for-20 at halftime or close to it (19-for-20). It’s hard to imagine him playing much better. He did some great things. Obviously, losing (wide receiver Michael) Clayton on the second play of the game didn’t help.

"Hopefully, we can get a full supporting cast healthy and ready to go for the second half of the season. But it’s unfortunate that we weren’t able to finish some drives better and we had a couple of breakdowns obviously on special teams that hurt us. There are some positive things to take away from the game; there always are. But there’s also in defeat things that make it hard to swallow.”

Including injuries. The other noteworthy one was sustained by Clayton, who was undergoing an MRI on his ankle Monday morning. The results were not available at the time of the press conference.

-- DAVE SCHEIBER, Times staff writer

Jones out for season

Bucs return specialist Mark Jones is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, coach Jon Gruden said in a news conference Monday at One Buc Place.

Jones was taken from the field on a cart after injuring his left knee during a first-quarter kickoff Sunday against Detroit. Gruden said he believed Jones tore the patellar tendon, similar to the injury that ended running back Cadillac Williams' season.

"It's unfortunate,'' Gruden said. "He was one of the top return specialists in football.''

The Bucs could turn to a rotation of Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard and Torrie Cox to return kickoffs and punts or "consider a couple other candidates,'' Gruden said.

There was less certainty about the ankle injury wide receiver Michael Clayton sustained when his right leg was bent back awkwardly after a 20-yard reception during the first quarter. Clayton will have an MRI today, Gruden said.

The Bucs have lost three running backs (Williams, Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott) and three receivers (including Paris Warren) to injuries this season.

"Our depth right now will be stressed,'' Gruden said. "We'll have a couple guys we'll look at, for sure.''

Cornerback Brian Kelly's injured groin is feeling better, but Gruden called him "still very questionable'' for this weekend's game against Jacksonville. The same goes for tight end Alex Smith (ankle) and defensive end Patrick Chukwurah (shoulder).

"We've got to overcome some dramatic losses to our football team,'' Gruden said, "but we're confident we can do that.''

(Times photo - James Borchuck. Click to enlarge.)

Postgame update

Here's the latest from the locker room.

First regarding the injuries, Michael Clayton was hobbling around with the help of crutches after injuring an ankle. He said he tried to re-enter the game but was in too much pain. He is known for being pretty tough guy, so we must be talking about some killer pain. Said X-rays were negative, though, so at least there's nothing broken. An MRI tomorrow will tell whether there's any damage to ligaments or otherwise.

There wasn't any update on Mark Jones, according to Jon Gruden, but that's the one that I think the team will be most concerned about. He's a key cog on special teams, especially now that he's returning punts and kicks.

Also, Jeremy Trueblood wasn't 100 percent today. And he was in a foul mood afterward, too, which is unlike him. It's not an injury per se. I had to weed through some roadblocks to get to the bottom of it, but I'll explain that in more detail in Monday's paper.

As for the fumbled snap near the goal line in the fourth quarter, center John Wade took the blame initially. Then, in his press conference, Jeff Garcia said it was his fault. In the end, it was just a bad exchange that shouldn't happen in that critical a situation.

And I said hello to old friend Dewayne White, who was smiling ear to ear but was careful not to stick his chest out too far by dumping on his former team. He was pretty professional about the whole thing, though he was honest enough to admit that maybe his play (three sacks) sent a message that he might have been worth keeping around.

Anyway, got lots of work to get to for the Monday paper so gotta go. I'll check in later.

Bucs-Lions Live

We've made it here to Ford Field where kickoff is moments away. That, apparently is something of an accomplishment.

For some reason, every time I've mentioned in the past few days that I was going to Detroit this weekend, people offered to hold my wallet for me until I returned to Tampa. Not sure what that was all about.

Anyhow, the game just kicked off and we'll be here to keep you posted throughout. As we mentioned last night, Alex Smith, Patrick Chukwurah and Brian Kelly are inactive today. Check the comments section below for updates throughout the afternoon.

Alex Smith, others inactive on Sunday

Several injured Bucs did not make the trip here to Detroit this afternoon.

Tight end Alex Smith, defensive end Patrick Chukwurah, cornerback Brian Kelly and running back Michael Pittman remained in Tampa and will be inactive Sunday.

The Bucs promoted tight end Keith Heinrich to the active roster from the practice squad and released tackle Dennis Roland. Expect Anthony Becht to start at tight end with Jerramy Stevens seeing extensive action, too.

Adams says he's fine

Gaines Adams returned to practice today and pronounced himself healthy and ready to go on Sunday at Detroit. The first-round draft pick had been limited on Thursday because of a chest injury, but coach Jon Gruden said the No. 4 overall selection participated fully in Friday's workout. Adams dismissed the injury as no big deal when asked.

As for the rest of the week's final injury report, tight end Alex Smith is questionable with that ankle injury, but he hasn't practiced all week. It would be a mild surprise if he was able to suit on Sunday. Listed as doubtful are cornerback Brian Kelly (groin) and defensive end Patrick Chukwurah (shoulder).

Adams suffers injury

Rookie defensive end Gaines Adams missed practice today with a chest injury that coach Jon Gruden said was suffered in practice, probably on Wednesday.

It's not clear how serious the injury is and Gruden wouldn't speculate on whether Adams will play at Detroit on Sunday.

Also, tight end Alex Smith (ankle), defensive end Patrick Chukwurah (shoulder) and Brian Kelly (groin) missed practice. They're availability for Sunday hasn't yet been determined, but it doesn't look good for any of them. Smith said today he did not damage any ligaments in his ankle, so that's positive. He also said the injury is not believed to be a high ankle sprain, the variety that is very slow to heal.

Bucs locker room quotes

BUCCANEERS OPEN LOCKER ROOM QUOTES
RB MICHAEL BENNETT
(On the trade)
First off, it came off as a definite shock. I am definitely thrilled about the opportunity, I am definitely happy to be in a great organization, a great winning team, a heck of a coach. I am happy to be here. [I am] ready to get started, I have a lot to learn. The last 48 hours for me have been really crazy. The guys have really accepted me well and I really appreciate that.

(On the potential of playing time)
Right now I don't know. I ran a few plays today and I feel like a rookie all over again. I think as the week goes on I will learn more of my role. I am just excited to be here, excited to be apart of a winning organization and a winning team, I get to meet you guys and have some fun.

(On the experience of moving around from team to team)
When I was in Minnesota I did my five year term there. I signed with New Orleans, they drafted Reggie Bush, and I was the odd man out, so I got traded to Kansas City. I went there and played a little bit. But you have the great Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes is coming back. It is just kind of being at the right place but at the wrong time. It is just opportunity. I think this is a great opportunity for me to come in and play, play more than I was playing in Kansas City. Again, I am around a veteran team, a lot of great leadership on and off the field, so I am definitely thrilled to be here.

(On his speed)
The speed is great. The coach is telling guys that I ran a 10.3, but that was in high school. I ran a 9.98 in college, which I am still working on maintaining. I know Joey Galloway is really, really fast so I won't be trying to race him any time soon.

(On his arrival to Tampa)
I got here at about 11 in the morning. From there it was straight over here, straight to the book. Had a chance to meet coach, eat some dinner, and I was here until about 8 last night. Really just trying to get in and learn things, but again it is a lot. This West Coast system is like me trying to learn Chinese in 48 hours; it's not going to happen. That is why we have the coaches and the veteran players, the guys that have been here before to try to help me along with the progress.

QB JEFF GARCIA
(On Michael Bennett)
I remember Michael, obviously coming out of Wisconsin as a first-round draft pick, having quality years in Minnesota and then losing track of the guy. He's been with a pretty good staple of running backs in Kansas City, which makes it difficult to get on the field, but the guy has some talent. He has great speed, he has tremendous ability, he showed that in Minnesota. He's not an old guy, he hasn't been through years of being beat up, so hopefully he can step in. The main thing for him is to mentally grasp what we are trying to do, to understand what we do as an offense, understand terminology, understand schemes. Once he gets comfortable with some of that, I think he can make an impact on our team.

(On the necessity of the running game in a loud environment)
No matter where you are at and what you do, the running game is a necessity. It doesn't matter crowd noise or whatever it may be that you have to deal with, our running game needs to improve. Our running game needs to be a big part of this offense. We need to have balance in order to have successful plays on offense in order to establish drives, you can't just rely on being a one-dimensional team, because we are not necessarily built to be that team. We will do what ever we have to in order to find a way to succeed which is what we had to do against Tennessee. You can't live and die in that mold every week. We need to find a way to run the football.

WR IKE HILLARD
(On Michael Bennett)
Mike's a very fast guy. He's a versatile back. Hopefully we are going to be able to use that skill set to our advantage and try to get the match-ups we need in order for him to be successful and our offense to be successful. I'm looking forward to what he can do.

DT CHRIS HOVAN
(On Lions head coach Rod Marinelli)
Coming down from Minnesota, I was at a standstill in my career. Rod helped rejuvenate my career; Coach Gruden helped me, and Coach Kiffin and Mr. Allen. It was a constant effort to get me to play the way I should be playing down here, so I want to thank every man that I mentioned.

(On RB Michael Bennett)
I actually knew Mike. He was drafted the year after I was drafted. We spent a lot of time [together] in Minnesota, played a lot of games together, some good [and] some bad. Mike is a great player, a great person off the field, and he is going to be a key addition to our organization. He is fast. If you can get Mike going in a straight line from point A to point B, I don't know I don't want to say anything against the great Joey Galloway, but Mike is pretty fast.

G DAVIN JOSEPH
(On Detroit's defense)
They have a really good front seven; another challenge for us on the road. But we have to find a way to win, so just like last week it will probably come down to the end and its going to be a long fight.

(On the Bucs running game)
I think it's a mixture. It's communication, effort [and] execution; it's a combination of things. We all have to get back on the same page.

LB CATO JUNE
(On Detroit's offense)
High power. We're going to go up there and they are going to throw the football, try to move the football, big plays, lots of receivers that can catch and run, [and] a quarterback that can get them the football. It will be a tough task for us. We are definitely going to have to be on our game and be ready for a lot of looks in the passing game.

(On excelling on defense with a good passing game)
Definitely, it will be fun. Those guys are going to throw the ball, their going to test us all in the back seven; we're going to have to be ready. We need great pressure from our D-line, which will make it that much easier to go out there and make the plays in the passing game.

DE GREG SPIRES
(On going against some former coaches)
It's going to be good. When they watch the film, I feel like I'm being graded by two coaching staffs. This is definitely one of those games where I want to be at my best.

(On the Detroit offense)
They have a really good offensive line, the quarterback is really good, [and] they have the best receivers, the group of guys, I've seen this year. I think they set up the run by passing the ball and we have to stop the run and they have a good running back, so we have a job ahead of us.

Garcia has his say

We're not trying to start anything here. Just wanted to give Jeff Garcia a chance to respond to Lions receiver Roy Williams' critical comments on Detroit radio about Garcia's supposed selfishness during his one season in Detroit (see the next blog entry for excerpts and to listen to the audio). Williams said Garcia never would accept blame for plays that weren't made.

Garcia disputed that, then put his spin on the story.

"As a quarterback, you're always shouldering the blame," he said. "I had no problem absorbing whatever it was that I had to absorb (at times) when we weren’t able to win football games. We play this game as a team and everybody's responsible and everybody has to have accountability. That's where I felt that, at times, there wasn’t a whole lot of accountability among everyone in that locker room."

Then, Garcia, in a later interview, added the following: "I can't force players to take their playbook home with them. I can't force players to get in the weight room. I can't force players to watch more film. That's up to each and every individual player."

Wow. Sounds like things were pretty dysfunctional up there. Seems to be the opposite here in Tampa -- regardless of where the blame is placed for the way things unfolded during Garcia's tenure in Detroit.

Roy Williams: No love lost for Garcia

Lions wide receiver Roy Williams spoke out about Jeff Garcia in a Detroit radio interview this week, and he didn't have anything flattering to say.

Williams was asked why Garcia "sucked" during his season in Detroit. Williams responded by saying, "because he blamed everybody but himself. ... I respected the man. I just didn't like the fact that it would be (the receivers') fault and never his fault. It's always the receivers' fault."

Williams went on to say that Garcia's command of the West Coast offense is no big deal. "My son can run the West Coast system and he's only 2."

You can click here for a link to the interview from WDFN. The comments begin at about the 8:15 mark of the interview.

(AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Edwards: Bennett will be good for Bucs

I talked to Chiefs coach Herm Edwards, who believes Michael Bennett will be a good addition to the Bucs.

   It's hard to disagree. Bennett (pictured at the Oct. 17 Bucs practice) is a speed demon who can give the Bucs a game-breaker at running back, something they lost when Cadillac Williams went down with a season-ending torn patellar tendon in his right knee.

   ""He'll fit in good with those guys,'' Edwards said of Bennett. ""He can really run. If he hits a crack, he's a home run hitter. He can make a big play. He catches the ball better than some people think he can. They're getting a good team guy, a no-nonsense guy. He'll be on time for meetings and do everything you ask him to do.''

   So why didn't the Chiefs hang onto him? Well, for one thing, this is his last season under contract. Edwards is trying to rebuild the Chiefs and wants the extra two draft picks, one each in 2008 and 2009.

   ""He probably wanted to play a little more and that's always tough for us with Larry (Johnson),'' Edwards said. ""Plus, he was in the last year of his contract. At the end of the year, he would be looking for a better place. Maybe we can get a pick to help us continue to build. And we've got Priest Holmes coming back, so it all just came to fruition.''

Photo by Brendan Fitterer | Times

 

Bucs give up draft picks

The Bucs gave up undisclosed picks in 2008 and 2009  based on performance criteria in exchange for running back Michael Bennett, according to the Chiefs website.

Bucs move more RBS

The Bucs announced they released running back Lionel Gates from the 53-man roster, making room for Michael Bennett. Kenneth Darby, a rookie seventh-round draft pick, was added to the practice squad after being released from the 53-man roster on Saturday to make room for Gates. Confused by all the shuffling? Basically, the Bucs went into Sunday's game against the Titans needing Gates' experience, but now that they've added Bennett, the like Darby's upside and want to keep him around.

Bennett is Tampa-bound

The Bucs addressed their running back situation by acquiring Michael Bennett in a trade with Kansas City late Monday night.

The Bucs gave up undisclosed picks in 2008 and 2009  based on performance criteria, according to the Chiefs website.

"It was a shock to me," the 29-year-old Bennett told the Kansas City Star. "It really caught me off-guard. I heard the speculation for the past few days, but nobody from the Chiefs said anything to me, so I guessed it wasn't going to happen. I was wrong. It's a business. It's just one of those that happen."

The Bucs had been linked to several other backs, including Minnesota's Mewelde Moore and Jacksonville's LaBrandon Toefield. They even failed in an attempt to lure former Patriots running back Corey Dillon out of retirement.

Bennett, whose contract expires at the end of this season, is slated to earn $1.2-million this season. With the Chiefs, he was used sparingly because of Larry Johnson's heavy workload. He became expendable because the Chiefs are in the process of trying to get veteran back Priest Holmes back into action after he spent the first six weeks on the non-football injury list. He is expected to practice with the Chiefs on Wednesday.

When healthy, Bennett could emerge as Tampa Bay's best option while Michael Pittman recovers from his ankle injury. Cadillac Williams is lost for the season after knee surgery. But Bennett has some injury history of his own with a foot injury that has limited him the past few seasons.

A former first-round pick from Wisconsin, Bennett has one 1,000-yard season in his past, rushing for 1,296 yards in 2002 as a member of the Vikings. At 5-9 and 207 pounds, he is regarded as a formidable receiver out of the backfield, a skill the Bucs are likely to utilize.

In limited action this season, Bennett was unable to do much to help ignite the Chiefs' running game. He has rushed 20 times for for 52 yards, an average of 2.6 yards per carry. He also has two fumbles, having lost one of those.

(Pictured: Michael Bennett runs against the Chicago Bears last month. AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Transcription of Gruden's news conference

HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN

(On injured players)
Patrick Chukwurah has a shoulder injury. Alex Smith has an ankle injury. They both had X-rays, and the X-rays appear negative. Their status for the upcoming game will be questionable at this point. We'll just update you during the week.

(On if Alex Smith's ankle injury is similar to the one suffered by Michael Pittman)
We don't believe it's as serious as Mike Pittman's. He has a chance to play this week, as we said. All we can do is update you here in the coming days.

(On the running game)
We've had some good days running the ball and we've had some days that weren't so good, especially the last couple outings. But situationally we haven't given our runners the opportunities that we did earlier in the season. We were way behind in Indianapolis and we were in a throw-it mentality. You've got to recall we only had 40 snaps of offense. When you're down by two or three scores, you're throwing it, trying to catch up. Yesterday, we didn't have much success running the ball. We didn't have it a lot, and we felt the best way to win the game was throw. We knew we could have success throwing the football and we tried to put Jeff Garcia in position to make some plays.

(On if the Bucs are trying to trade for a player)
I'll let you know we are certainly investigating the possibility of a trade. Again, it takes two to tango. The trade deadline, they tell me, is approaching us, so we should know something soon.

(On the pass protection)
It wasn't stellar. It wasn't our best game pass-protecting. I'm disappointed in some of our sets and some of our stunt pick-up. There were some good downs. We've got to do a lot better. In my opinion, Jeff took some hits he shouldn't take, but when we had to protect in the end, we did a pretty good job of protecting.

(On his thoughts on the final drive)
There was a lot of clutch play-making there by a lot of guys, some really good pick-ups, as I said. Jeff's pocket presence, creating opportunities to find back-side complementary receivers; Ike Hilliard's instinctiveness, awareness -- it was a clutch drive in a situation where our back was against the wall and we needed it.

(On K Matt Bryant)
Oh yeah, it is a lot better, it is a lot better. I don't really have to worry. They had 12 guys on the field when we did kick the winning field goal. I was a little worried that someone might miss that, but I have a lot of confidence in Matt. His 62 yarder to beat Philadelphia [and] big kick yesterday; he has made some clutch kicks when we needed him. People tend to forget the kickoff that he made the last play of the game. Basically, it was well-placed and really didn't give them an opportunity for one of those Tennessee nightmare returns like they had a few years ago. We are real confident in Matt, and we consider him a strength of our team.

(On if you can win without a running game)
We won a Super Bowl here, we won a championship with one of the 26th, 27th, or 28th ranked rushing games. We would like to certainly have better success then we have had the last two weeks. We walked out of Carolina feeling pretty good about pounding it in there for a couple hundred yards. Sometimes the best way to win a game is methodically running it, defeating the clock. Sometimes throwing the football and getting some other guys involved is the thing that gives you the best chance to win, and that is what we did yesterday.

(On if the offense scaled back in the second half)
I don't think so. We have a 10-3 lead, we have the ball first down, backed up on our 12 yard-line. We threw the ball to Jerramy Stevens who was wide open. We had a pass protection break down really; we had a guy get beat. I don't know what you mean vanilla, but that is your opinion, no we didn't try to stay vanilla. We didn't have the ball outside of that series much until the final 1:17 of that game.

(On the Detroit Lions)
They are 3-2. They are a hard team to play in that dome; I have been there many times. They have a great home field advantage there; they play well in the dome. They have added a lot of defensive players. We all know that they will be well coached. Mike Martz, Rod Marinelli, Joe Barry [are] tremendous coaches. [They have an explosive offense, they have fire power, and they are committed to throwing it, it appears to me. Defensively with the emergence of [Ernie] Sims, their young linebacker and the additions they have made in their front four, it will be a tough task for us.

(On the secondary)
I can't say enough about how hard we have been playing on defense. Phillip Buchanon has been a real good addition here. You saw Ronde Barber show up and make some big plays for us. Jermaine Phillips has really been solid back there in the safety position. Clearly, Tanard Jackson is on the rise, he's going to be a really good pro. We hope to get Brian Kelly back soon and in the time being I thought Sammy Davis and Torrie Cox filled in and did a nice job. That's a credit to Raheem Morris and that group of guys.

(On being four and two and having won different ways)
I'm really proud of our team. Not to compare this team to last year, I'm not going to do that, it's not fair to these guys; we have a whole new football team honestly. We have a long way to go. We have some key injuries right now that are troublesome that we have to overcome, but we do have enough grit, enough stuff inside our building here to rise up and I know we'll be there Sunday and we'll compete. We just got to find a way to get some players healthy and in the absence of some of these guys were talking about, some guys have to step up.

(On how big of a Bulls fan he is right now)
Man I'm big and number two in the nation. That is unbelievable; I say it every week, just unbelievable. Coach [Jim] Leavitt and their organization, their athletic department, their coaching staff, support staff. I had the band right in front of me playing the National Anthem, the trombones players, even they're great, so they got it going on. I'm really fired up and I can't wait till the next game.

Alex Smith could play this week

Bucs tight end Alex Smith ''has a chance to play this week'' against the Detroit Lions, head coach Jon Gruden said during a news conference Monday at One Buc Place.

Smith was taken off the field on a cart after spraining an ankle in the second half of Sunday's 13-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

"We don't believe it's as serious as Mike Pittman's (ankle injury),'' Gruden said.

X-rays on Smith's ankle and defensive end Patrick Chukwurah's injured shoulder appeared negative, Gruden said. He called both players "questionable'' for Sunday's game.

Pittman was lost for 6-8 weeks with a high ankle sprain sustained during a loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 7. With Pittman out for the foreseeable future, and Cadillac Williams (knee) and Mike Alstott (neck) done for the season, Gruden said the Bucs will be active as the league trade deadline approaches Tuesday at 4:15 p.m.

"We are certainly investigating the possibility of a trade,'' Gruden said. "Again, it takes two to tango.''

Gruden also addressed the decision on Saturday to release running back Kenneth Darby and promote Lionel Gates from the practice squad, saying the Bucs believed Gates' performance in practice gave them more options in the running game and on special teams.

"We felt, in all fairness, Lionel Gates outperformed Ken Darby on the practice field,'' Gruden said.

Post-game wrapup

Just a few stray points to make now that (my portion of) the paper has been put to bed.

As for the injuries, Alex Smith says he'll be all right. X-rays were negative on his left ankle, though he was wearing a nice-sized boot on it after the game. He said he thinks it's just a sprain, although he seemed to be in a lot of pain when coming off the field.

As for defensive end Patrick Chukwurah, the outlook isn't as rosy. He was in a great deal of pain after the game and told me there was some possible ligament damage in his left shoulder. He said X-rays showed there was no bone damage, but the MRI he expects to have on Monday might show other damage in the joint. We'll keep you posted.

And one other point I learned after the game from Jon Gruden was that Jeff Garcia was at it again. On the late 28-yard pass Garcia threw to Hilliard that helped set up the game-winning field goal, Garcia audibled at the line of scrimmage. Gruden said the play was called with the expectation that the Titans would do one particular thing, but they ended up giving the Bucs a different look that surprised Garcia. But in his typically poised fashion, he did what he had to do and the Bucs came away winners.

One nitpik though: the Bucs got very conservative once they got that 10-3 lead, and it almost came back to bite them. The threw just eight passes in the second half prior to the last drive, when Garcia had six pass attempts. I totally understand the Titans are a very, very formidable defense and aren't going to let you run your offense as you please. But it's something I'd like to run by Gruden in Monday's press conference.

Gruden was critical of the defense's play on third down, with the Titans converting 9 of 16, some of them very long. That's two weeks in a row that we've seen that problem.

On a positive note, it was good to see Michael Clayton make an appearance. He made a couple tough catches, with his 39-yarder bailing out Garcia who was under pressure and setting up Matt Bryant's early 23-yard field goal.

Did I miss anything, whether good or bad? Feel free to havve your say.

Titans-Bucs Live

We're here at Raymond James Stadium to see whether the Bucs can bounce back against the tough Titans.

Brtian Kelly is out of the lineup with that groin injury we've been telling you about. Phillip Buchanon starts in his place again. The inactives are all the usuals: Luke McCown, Dan Buenning, Dennis Roland, Ryan Sims, Jeremiah Trotter, Adam Hayward, as well as Kelly and Michael Pittman.

Also, you may have missed this last night, but the Bucs made a last-minute roster move, releasing RB Kenneth Darby and adding former practice squad RB Lionel Gates to the active roster. The reason being, Darby isn't much help on special teams, and the Bucs need their backup RB to chip in there today with special-teams ace Earnest Graham not able to help because of his RB responsibilities.

Check the comments section below for my observations and feel free to inquire, criticize or otherwise.

(Pictured: Lionel Gates. Times photo - Brian Cassella. Click to enlarge.)

Kelly's saga continues

Jon Gruden just told us that Brian Kelly is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Titans because of that groin injury he suffered in the season opener. That gives him a 25 percent chance of playing.

It's not Kelly's fault, but this is starting to sound like a broken record. I asked Gruden whether Kelly's decision to play through the injury the past several weeks has made it worse. Gruden didn't admit to that, but one has to wonder if it doesn't make more sense to put the guy on the shelf for a while. He can't seem to play a game wire to wire because of the injury. Furthermore, Phillip Buchanon is playing well in Buchanon's absence.

There's a bigger picture here, too. Brian Kelly hasn't been healthy in a long time, having missed 14 games last season because of a turf toe injury and the groin injury that happened right off the bat this season. Couple that with the emergence of Buchanon, and you have to wonder where the Bucs stand on Kelly going forward.

The team gave Buchanon a significant contract in the offseason, which indicates they believe in him. At the very least, Kelly seems to have lost a lot of leverage in his effort to get a new contract. At worst, he could be cut or traded in the offseason. He is owed $3.2-million in base salary for 2008, the final year of his contract.

Kelly is a very good cornerback, one of the better pure cover men in the league. But the NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately kind of business. And right now, Kelly's injury means he can't do much.

Ruud's good; Kelly struggling

Linebacker Barrett Ruud said he was able to participate in just about everything in practice today and that his knee injury that cropped up this week is more an aggravation of an injury he's had since training camp.

The team's leading tackler said he should be on board for Sunday despite being limited in practice on Wednesday. The same goes for defensive end Greg White, who said his "shoulder" injury was really a neck strain that proved not to be serious. He was back in practice today and likely will play.

The same can't be said for cornerback Brian Kelly. He missed a second straight day of practice and it's starting to look like his groin strain won't heal without extensive rest. Playing through it each Sunday seems to do nothing more than set him back each week. But the alternative isn't any better, I suppose. This injury dates back to the season opener in Seattle, and there doesn't appear to be an easy answer for Kelly. Expect that we'll continue to see a lot of Phillip Buchanon this week, with Kelly possibly playing a limited role, if at all.

Pittman still has his wheels

Last time we saw Michael Pittman, he was on crutches and looked like he'd be that way for a while.

Then, we saw him roll into the locker room on a three-wheeled Travel Pal, which is a personal scooter-like vehicle. Just a way to stay off his feet without the annoyance of having to use crutches. Have to admit, it was pretty funny to see a muscle-bound football player riding around on something usually used by elderly people at Wal-Mart.

As for his injury, Pittman is wearing a hard cast on his right foot that he said he expects to have removed next week. Pittman said there was no break in the ankle or fibula. Instead, what doctors saw on X-rays was something of a blur, not a crack. He did, however, tear some ligaments in the ankle region.

But Pittman is optimistic he can return sooner than the six- to eight-week window that his doctors have projected for him. He said he's a quick healer.

Still, he won't come back before it's wise to take the field.

"I'm not going to come back 80 percent, 90 percent and not be ready to play," he said. "I want to come back when I'm comfortable and confident in my ankle so I don't have to worry about it."

B.J. Askew: gimmie the rock

Okay, I'm kidding. Maybe he didn't quite say it like that. But the Bucs fullback did make a case on Wednesday to get a few carries.

He told me a pretty interesting story about his days with the Jets. Said when coach Eric Mangini started last season, the coach wanted to get a feel for what sort of speed he had on his team. Askew felt like he made a statement.

"I thought for sure last year I would get a chance to run," Askew said. "Before we went into the season, Mangini had everybody timed in the 40. I ran a 4.4. And I had to fastest 10-yard time on the team. I still have my speed and everything. I was 235 (pounds) then. I'm 235 now. I'm ready to carry a load. I'm hoping."

With Zack Crockett now on board, maybe that'll be possible. Crockett has played a lot of fullback and could serve in that capacity if and when the Bucs use Askew as a tailback. And remember, Askew was recruited to Michigan as a tailba