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Short-handed Bucs get all their options in line

Early injuries cause juggling on offensive and defensive fronts.

By ROGER MILLS

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 8, 2001

TAMPA -- "Contingency plan" has been the buzz phrase at One Buc Place all week and for good reason. Entering the season opener Sunday in Dallas, the Bucs find themselves thin at two interior line positions.

Because starting center Jeff Christy and backup defensive tackle James Cannida have left knee injuries, Tampa Bay opens the season knowing that major responsibility rests on the shoulders of a center who hasn't started a game in the NFL, and a backup defensive tackle who spent all of last season on the practice squad.

Christy's absence is the most critical.

Todd Washington will start and has had such a strong preseason that the Bucs should not miss a beat. The team, however, doesn't have another center and may have to promote rookie Leon Hires from the practice squad. Washington also is the backup left guard.

"Todd's been doing it for a while," offensive line coach Chris Foerster said. "For the last few years he's worked at guard and center and he has done it all through training camp. It's just something he'll have to do."

What happens if starting left guard Randall McDaniel goes down? Washington has spent the past week preparing for the possibility of having to switch positions during the game.

"When you're an offensive lineman, then you're just that, an offensive lineman, you know all the positions on the line," Washington said. "That means you have to be prepared to play other positions if warranted. So, you have to have the knowledge to play right guard, left guard or even both tackles. So, with what we have going on with so many injuries, anybody can come in and play well enough to play a ballgame.

"It's more mental. You have to be aware of every single detail. From a mental point of view you have to realize what position you play in, what stance you have to get in, what your footwork and technique has to be. You have to stay focused."

The Bucs could face another problem if starting right guard Cosey Coleman gets injured. Coleman's backup, rookie Russ Hochstein, has a fractured left foot. That would mean backup right tackle DeMarcus Curry, who was active for one game last season, would have to carry the load.

The Bucs have a plan for that, too.

"We've got a few things that we're looking at, that's why we worked a lot of guys at different situations," coach Tony Dungy said. "DeMarcus at guard would be an emergency measure. ... You don't want to dwell on that too much, you don't want to spend too much practice time but at least you get guys familiar with what we have to do."

Curry, in his second year out of Auburn, said he's ready for any challenge.

"You have to try to know as much as you can about the entire offense at all times," Curry said. "You know it's going to be hard, but you also know that you're trying to win. If you're trying to win, then you do what you've got to do. It's really not that difficult. It's not rocket science."

With Warren Sapp and Anthony McFarland established in the middle, Cannida's loss is not an immediate concern, but it does limit rest time for the starters. Cannida, who also was having a solid preseason, was expected to get snaps playing behind McFarland at nose tackle.

"If you really believe in what we do all the time with all of our guys, you could have a bad play and a good play and you let it go, you move on," defensive line coach Rod Marinelli said. "So, we grieve for our fellow teammate and we move on. We know we can't live in the past. I refuse to live in the past."

McFarland is the player who likely will see increased time while Cannida rehabilitates the knee. But there is a contingency plan here too. Second-year player Chartric Darby, who is Sapp's backup, has emerged in training camp and the preseason, and could play nose tackle when McFarland is off the field.

The Bucs also have the option to turn to rookie defensive end Ellis Wyms, who has spent time on the inside.

"(Darby's) an inside player and has been playing nose tackle anyway," Marinelli said. "I feel great about Chuck. He's had a great camp. And, I feel great about Ellis. We have guys that are flexible, that can play end and tackle. That's why I don't like to get stuck with guys who can do one thing. Your backups have to have flexibility within them to play a few positions and all through camp, that's what we did."

Added Dungy: "The other guys just have to be ready. It involves some guys practicing at two positions and they know they have to pick up the slack. You can't let it affect you. We just to expect them to get the job done."

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