LAKE BUENA VISTA - The lower back surgery to repair Joe Jurevicius' herniated disc was a success and the veteran receiver was expected back from Los Angeles on Tuesday night, Bucs coach Jon Gruden said.
The Bucs were happy about the good news, but Gruden cautioned there was no immediate timetable on when Jurevicius would return to the field.
"We're excited about (the surgery)," Gruden said. "It could be anywhere from two to three, four to six weeks. It all depends on how the rehab goes and we can only follow that closely. How long will he be out? I really don't know."
Jurevicius, 29, tore the MCL of his right knee in the second game of last season, played in only five games and finished the year on the injured list. He spent the offseason rehabbing the knee and seemed on pace to be ready for training camp. Weeks before the start of camp, Jurevicius developed the disc problem and was forced to have surgery after failing to improve with rehab.
RICE STILL ON HOLD: After a battery of tests, defensive end Simeon Rice was cleared to practice but was not on the field Tuesday. Rice flew to Los Angeles for tests and had not returned by the time the Bucs took the field.
"All signs are good and he'll be back hopefully practicing (today)," Gruden said.
Rice did not pass his initial physical exam. Media reports have speculated the Bucs were investigating an irregular heartbeat but neither Rice nor the team would comment on the nature of illness that has kept him from the first eight practices. Rice, 30, has 41.5 sacks in his first three seasons with the Bucs and is seven shy of 100 career sacks.
After the afternoon session, Gruden joked he was going directly to Rice's room at the Celebration Hotel to make sure he was there.
Asked if he was concerned about what he could find there, Gruden quipped: "I always knock."
KICKING DAYS: After a down year, kicker Martin Gramatica changed his number (from 7 to 10) and his outlook and seems to be blasting the ball quite nicely through the early days of camp.
"Gramatica's kicked the ball well," Gruden said. "He's getting the ball up in a hurry. The trajectory's different than it was this time a year ago."
Gruden was careful not to suggest that a low trajectory could have explained why the sixth-year kicker struggled in 2003. Last year, Gramatica hit 16-of-26 field goals (a career-low 61.5 percent) and had five kicks blocked.
"I don't want to point the finger at anyone, but the trajectory of his kicks has always been, I use the word majestic," Gruden said. "The ball explodes off his foot and he gets it up in a hurry. If you're hitting the ball with a line-drive trajectory, you're more prone to getting them blocked, but he's getting the ball up in a hurry."
INJURY UPDATE: The receiving corps took another blow when second-year free agent Justin Skaggs injured his hamstring and was taken off on a cart. He will be further evaluated today. Fifth-year receiver Charles Lee (hamstring strain) was kept out of both sessions and may not be ready for seven to 10 days, prompting Gruden to say, "hamstrings and receivers aren't a good marriage."
Starting left tackle Derrick Deese (bone spur in the foot) and offensive guard Sean Mahan (left ankle sprain) did not practice and are day to day.
BUCS BITS: Linebacker Derrick Brooks was excused from practice for personal reasons and is expected back today. ... Former Buc Tony Mayberry, who started at center in the 1999 season's NFC Championship Game and hasn't played since, visited camp looking significantly slimmer than in his playing days. Mayberry, now about 245 pounds, said he has dropped about 60 pounds since retiring.
