LAKE BUENA VISTA - You see the Popeye arms squeezing the football in training camp and remember his strength. You witness the soft hands and recall the receptions. You watch the explosive speed and reminisce about his performance in the Super Bowl.
Then you try to imagine Michael Pittman is not really here.
This is what it is like to be Bucs coach Jon Gruden, who can neither count on Pittman nor count him out.
With Tampa Bay's starting tailback facing possible suspension or jail stemming from two felony assault charges for domestic violence, the Bucs will use the preseason as an open audition for Pittman's job.
"I don't know what we're going to do if something happened to Pitt(man)," Gruden said. "I mean, especially in terms of distribution of carries. Let's get through the preseason, let's see these guys play before we make that comment."
Pittman, who has a hearing on the revocation of his probation Aug. 18, is getting all the reps with the starting offensive unit and having an outstanding camp.
But Gruden plans to use the next five weeks to search for his replacement from a collection of experienced running backs.
The list begins with Thomas Jones, acquired from the Cardinals for receiver Marquise Walker as a contingency plan should Pittman be lost for all or part of the season.
Jones, 24, the seventh overall pick in 2000, twice lost his job to Pittman in Arizona. But the Bucs hope the change of scenery will alter his results. In three pro seasons, Jones rushed for 3.5 yards per carry. But he only has averaged 9.3 carries per game in his career.
"I like him. I think all he needs is to get his confidence back," Gruden said. "He catches the ball well, he can be a slasher, he can break tackles, he's good in traffic and he's a quick study. He seems like a bright-eyed guy. He's a good teammate. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the preseason. There's a good chance we'll see a lot of him."
Jones, who will become a free agent next season, has only had about six weeks since the trade June 13 to learn Gruden's system. But the Bucs are pleased with his progress and receiving skills.
"It plays a big part. I love catching the ball out of the backfield," Jones said. "There's a lot of situations where I line up at receiver, and I can go one-on-one with a linebacker or safety and I'm confident I can beat them every time. I think this is a great offense for my abilities."
Backup Aaron Stecker might get the first opportunity to win the job in the preseason, Gruden said.
Stecker's 59-yard run against Minnesota was the Bucs' longest last season. And despite limited duty, he averaged 6.2 yards per carry.
"Ever since I've been here, I've been the guy on the back burner behind Warrick (Dunn) and Mike (Alstott)," Stecker said. "Warrick helped me out a lot because he saw the type of talent I had and said one day, "You're going to get your opportunity. I don't know when it's going to be, but you have to be prepared when you get your opportunity.'
"I've been here for a while, and it's the first time I really feel like I'm getting a shot to be the guy. That's why I bulked up a little bit more just in case I get that opportunity. When I was in Europe and carried the ball a lot, I only weighed about 200 pounds and didn't hold up very well to the pounding. So I wanted to put on more in case I go out there and win the job."
Gruden said Stecker has always produced on special teams and at running back.
"All I can say, whenever we've asked him to play any position, he's gotten results - kick off returns, punt protector, catch the ball, run the ball - he makes yards and he hasn't worn down," Gruden said. "But for some reason, we all want to say, "Stecker's really good, but . . .' You know what? Let's take one of these preseason games and let's see Aaron Stecker. He deserves to be seen, and I think he's a damn good player.
"There was a guy in Baltimore (Priest Holmes) no one ever heard of a couple years ago who went to Kansas City and I haven't seen anybody tackle him in three years. I just see it every year, it seems guys come out of nowhere and perform. They really do."
Alstott will continue to be used primarily in short-yardage and goal-line situations and as a halfback to sit on leads in the fourth quarter. Gruden plans to use the A-Train more as a receiver and his role would likely increase in the absence of Pittman.
The Bucs signed veteran Terry Kirby, who missed last season with a broken leg, to give them experience and a possible kickoff returner. But Kirby is trying to gain confidence in his leg.
"It was tough, having a steel rod put in your leg from your knee all the way down to your ankle," Kirby said. "It's a matter of not only getting the strength back in your leg, but getting your confidence up."
The final spot might boil down to a special teams battle between second-year pro Travis Stephens and Florida rookie Earnest Graham. For today, the player who stands out above the rest is Pittman.
But nobody knows how many tomorrows he will have in Tampa Bay.
"It's something I've never been a part of," running backs coach Kirby Wilson said. "It's tough on everybody, but you move on. We're all professionals and we have a job to do. Whoever shows up, that's who I'm going to coach. Whoever shows up, that's who's going to work.
"We're preparing like he is the starter until somebody beats him out or something else happens."
