Bucs/NFL

McCown injury thins out QB corps

The Bucs' backup to Chris Simms will miss at least part of the season with a severe right knee injury.

By JOANNE KORTH
Published June 21, 2006

TAMPA - The Bucs' young quarterback corps just got younger.

Backup Luke McCown will have knee surgery this week to repair a partially torn right ACL that will cause him to miss at least the start of the season, coach Jon Gruden said.

Though the severity of McCown's injury is not known, the dire situation his absence creates on the depth chart is clear. McCown's one full season in a Bucs uniform made him the most experienced quarterback in Gruden's system after starter Chris Simms.

Seventh-year pro Tim Rattay, acquired by trade in October, becomes the No. 2 quarterback, with first-year players Bruce Gradkowski and Jared Allen the only others on the roster.

The team is expected to bring in an experienced quarterback before training camp starts July 28, though few are available. The most likely candidate is former Dolphins starter Jay Fiedler, but he is not completely recovered from a shoulder injury sustained last season with the Jets.

"We hope Chris Simms has a long run here and stays healthy, like a lot of the guys who are well-known in this league," Gruden said. "But our job is to find as many good quarterbacks as we can and try to get as many as we can ready to play. ... We'll look, as we always do, to see if anyone is available who can help us."

McCown, a third-year pro acquired by trade from Cleveland on draft day in 2005, was hurt June 13 executing a routine play during practice. He ran right and planted his foot to change direction when the knee gave.

"It's just crazy; there's no other word you can put on it," Simms said of the way McCown was injured. "He's probably made that move a hundred times in his life, a million times. For whatever reason it just went on him. But he's a great athlete, he works hard and he'll be back."

Known for his mobility, McCown, 24, had been progressing in Gruden's offense and was expected to battle Rattay for the backup spot in training camp.

McCown walked off the field after the injury and was able to play golf with Gruden on Monday.

"Everything I've heard is that the stronger you go into surgery, the stronger you come out," McCown said. "That's the main thing before any surgery on joints, to make sure you have the closest to full range of motion as you can get. You would like there to be as little swelling as possible and your legs to be strong going into it. I've generally been a fast healer from anything throughout my career."

McCown's absence means extra minicamp reps for Rattay and Gradkowski, a sixth-round draft pick from Toledo. Practices today and Thursday will be the final ones before the team starts training camp July 28 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

"It's a very young, inexperienced position to start with," Gruden said. "Luke had as much hands-on experience with the system as just about anyone. So we lose a young quarterback who has put the time in to put himself in position to compete. ... He was getting better in all areas, and hopefully he gets back soon.

"But we are confident that Bruce Gradkowski will take advantage of these reps and Chris Simms and Tim Rattay will take advantage and do the best we can without him."

Backup quarterback has been an important position for the Bucs. In three of the past four seasons, the starter missed games with injuries. Not since Brad Johnson in 2003 has one quarterback started every game.

Rattay, acquired in a trade from San Francisco when then-starter Brian Griese sustained a season-ending knee injury in October, finished 2005 as the No. 3 quarterback, inactive on game day. But he is growing comfortable in Gruden's complex system after working hard this offseason.

"My focus right now is just learning this stuff, and it's starting to come now," Rattay said. "We've been working hard for the last two months, really grinding hard and I enjoy being in here working. Now, I just get in the huddle, call a play and go. It's really coming and I feel good."

[Last modified June 21, 2006, 01:55:51]