Roster spots are at stake against Jags

TAMPA - Teams must be down to the 65-player roster limit by Tuesday. That means many professional careers could end before they've started after the Bucs-Jaguars game Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.

Many players will be trying to make a lasting impression.

"It's a big factor. We use the preseason games obviously as a big tool in terms of determining who's going to make this team," coach Jon Gruden said. "This is the final analysis for a lot of guys in the NFL."

Gruden said his plans for the starters against the Jaguars are similar to the first three preseason games. Many teams use the next-to-last preseason game to play starters into the third quarter. That is changing.

"Some teams that I've been on I've seen do that," Gruden said. "When you reduce the number of men in training camp to 83, that's changed. A lot of film I look at this time of year, I don't see a lot of frontline starters start the third quarter. I did used to see that. You'd like to do that, but at the same time, it's awful hard to do in this situation."

SAPP SITS: All-Pro defensive tackle Warren Sapp did not finish practice because of turf toe. Gruden said Sapp will not practice today but is expected to play Saturday.

"He started the practice, but he got some inflammation," Gruden said. "He'll stay off his feet the rest of the day and tomorrow."

GET SHORTY: The Bucs face their second short week of the preseason and have one next week.

But Gruden said it's good practice for the regular season when the Bucs have three Monday night games, beginning with the Sept. 8 opener at Philadelphia.

"We played pretty good coming off a short week in Tokyo, and it's practice for us, really," Gruden said. "We have a Monday night game to start the season on the road and a short week that follows, so it'll be a good test for us. We've got to look at it positively. You've got to play your best football on a short week, you've got to have extra concentration and effort. We've had two good practices in the time being."

The good news is after five games away from RJS dating to January, the Bucs finally come home.

"The juice is playing at home," Gruden said. "We haven't played a home game I guess since it was the 49er game. Raymond James is a special place. We have a high amount of respect for how we have to play at home. Jacksonville is coming in here at 2-0 with every intent on beating us. We've got to come in here and improve our play."

ABOUT THE BENJAMINS: Among the training camp battles to watch, none is as close to call as the position of long snapper. Ryan Benjamin, who took over near midseason last year, is being challenged by Jeff Grau, acquired from the Cowboys for a conditional draft pick.

"It's a real competitive situation," Gruden said. "Ryan Benjamin has probably got a little more on his fastball at this time. Grau is maybe a little bit more of a pass protector, a punt protector. But both are good players, good snappers and NFL snappers at that."

Benjamin is the first University of South Florida player on the Bucs roster, joining the team with 13 weeks remaining in the season. Grau was the long snapper in all 16 games with the Cowboys.

"What he did last year was one of the great stories of our team because you never heard about it," Gruden said of Benjamin. "He put the ball back there with good location, he was not a negative factor in any way, he was a positive."

QUOTABLE: "I just want to be alive to see it. I know I'll never get naked in it. I won't change no clothes in it."

- Sapp on plans for a new training facility.

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