Rookie quarterback Chris Simms got his first chance to be in control of the Bucs offense in a full-squad scrimmage in which coaches and reserve players stayed on the sideline. After that, Simms spent several minutes talking with coach Jon Gruden.
"It's the first time Chris has had a chance to run the offense without some guy screaming in his ear," Gruden said. "I just wanted to go over the stimulus he got in that period, what he saw, why he did what he did and maybe a couple of pointers."
Gruden's offense is challenging for any rookie, let alone a quarterback. Consider all Simms must do to execute a single play in practice.
"With a rookie quarterback, just to call the play, go to the formation, set the motion off correctly, look for a potential audible, who's hot, what's my progression, is my footwork changing - and then you see the world-champion Buccaneer defense out there frothing at the mouth - it can be a little bit much," Gruden said.
Even so, Simms is taking charge, earning the confidence of his coaches and teammates, as evidenced by the players willing to step into the huddle when they know Simms is in charge.
"The guy has great status in the huddle," Gruden said. "When I was a quarterback I got in the huddle and all the receivers said, "I'm not going in there with that guy. He's going to throw it in the dirt, or he'll throw it to the wrong guy.'
"When you see Keyshawn Johnson jump over a Gatorade cooler to get in the huddle because he hears the play and he knows Simms is in there, that tells a coach not only are you witnessing a player with ability, but the players sense it, too. This guy is a cool customer. He's a quick study. He's got a long way to go, but he's got poise."
As for Simms' learning the language, Gruden is not worried.
"My 9-year-old understands a lot of the verbiage; we go over it every night," Gruden said of his son, Jon. "That doesn't mean Deuce can walk out here and make all the throws. But the verbiage is what it is. It's a new language, and you have to learn to speak it properly. Chris is about 50 percent on his way to doing that. He's picking it up. He's got no choice, because that's all we do all day is talk football."
FRESH FACE
NAME: Shane Stafford.
HT/WT: 6-3/220.
POSITION: Quarterback.
COLLEGE: Connecticut.
BACK IN THE DAY: Stafford played with the Tampa Bay Storm, throwing for 2,934 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2001 and '02. He recently returned from NFL Europe.
TO MAKE THE TEAM: Brought in to ease the throwing load on Brad Johnson, Shaun King and Chris Simms during training camp, Stafford will not make the Bucs final roster. But he can hope to look good on film and catch the eye of another NFL or Arena League team.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Stafford finished the 2002 season with the Patriots, who allocated him to NFL Europe. Playing for Scotland, he enjoyed the experience but hated to miss the Storm's championship season.
QUOTE: "Things like this just happen, and you have to be ready. I'm trying to absorb whatever I can. There's a lot of stuff, but it's exciting to be around Coach Gruden. His football mind is awesome."
QUOTABLE
"I'd rather stay here. I don't see any reason for us to go over there - winning the Super Bowl (and) being the first team to come to camp and go to Tokyo. For a player, it's going to be just a distraction for us coming to camp early and having five preseason games. Yet we have to do it and we'll make the best of it."
- KEN DILGER, tight end, on the preseason game Aug.2 in Toyko.
