STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

More All

• It’s Christmastime at Palm Cottage
• Great Depression unlike today’s troubling times
• You Review Movie: John Augustine

Share and Enjoy [?]

CELEBRATION, Fla. — Most everyone has seized upon the angle, but Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden isn’t such a deep thinker. Not even with this loaded team returning almost intact after an 11-6 record and NFC South title.

Despite 21 returning starters, this Bucs training camp — which begins today at Disney’s Wide World of Sports and concludes Aug. 17 — is not solely devoted to building better depth. “Greatness,” Gruden said, and starting positions are up for grabs.

“There’s no guarantee that the starters that started last year will be starting this year,” said Gruden after most of his players had reported to the hotel Thursday. “We feel like there’s some jobs that are going to be very competitive. We’re hoping that this rookie class, some of the free agents that we did sign, some of our second- and third-year players, will make things very interesting.”

That could well be the case, particularly along the offensive line, which returns intact. So concerned was Gruden with developing a more powerful front that he spent his first two draft choices on O-linemen — Gavin Joseph in the first round, Jeremy Trueblood in the second — and signed free agents Torrin Tucker (tackle) and Toniu Fonoti (guard).

“We’re not more interested in depth than we are great players,” Gruden said. “We’d like to have a great player playing each position on our football team. Depth is key, no question about it. Versatility and depth go hand-in-hand.

“But we’re more interested to find some offensive linemen here in this franchise who can become great — dominant, consistently great performers. I do think that’s the goal here more than just finding depth. Let’s find some great players.

“And by God when we run that ball off the two-hole, there’s a hole there. And we can pass protect. And that guy’s doing a helluva job for a period of years. That’s what we’re after and that needs to be said here today.”

In front of maybe 50 fans and under a giant Tampa Bay banner, the Bucs arrived in golf carts, some beaming (veteran linebacker Shelton Quarles smiled as he carted in cases of blowpops and sunflower seeds), others looking like they were on the way to the gallows (Trueblood seemed already to be melting) for what promises to be a balmy run of tenacious and mostly two-a-day encounters.

Looking around, Gruden grinned at the gathering. Despite some shakeups he’d like to see shake out, Gruden relishes the foundation that has led to great expectations. At least within the team.

“We do have a nucleus of players coming back that played football last year on a team that achieved some really exciting things,” he said. “But we’ve got a lot of work to do.

“What most excites me now is we have the opportunity to put the pads on. We can meet a little bit later now (than during June’s minicamp). There’s nobody hovering around our building to see if we’re overworking anybody. We can put our foot on the gas peddle and work extremely hard to improve upon what we did last season.

“I think in our building there’s a lot of high expectations, the genuine will to become a great football team. But I haven’t seen a lot of people give us high marks or predict great things for us at all.

“We’ll just keep our goals, our ambitions, in private. And we’ll get what we deserve.”

PERFECT ATTENDANCE: All the Bucs made it to camp by Thursday night as deals were done with the final three unsigned draft picks.

Joseph, a 6-3, 313-pound right guard from Oklahoma, signed a five-year deal Thursday night.

Maurice Stovall (6-5, 220), a Notre Dame product who was taken in the third round, signed Thursday night.

Trueblood (6-8, 320), a tackle from Boston College, signed early Thursday morning.

Before their signings, Gruden said he expected them to show for the team meetings and that it was important that they do so.

“I just know at 6:50 (Thursday night, time of the first team meeting) I expect all of them there because this is the opening of training camp,” Gruden said. “This is special. This is the National Football League. This is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We have a chance to defend an NFC South title.

“We didn’t draft Gavin Joseph or any of these guys with the intention of them not being a big part of this.”

CLOSE-TO-HOME ARREST: Chris Kiffin, a Reddington Beach native and the 24-year-old son of longtime Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, was arrested early Tuesday morning for allegedly trying to break into vans to steal money and CDs.

He was quickly released from the Pinellas County Jail on a $10,000 bond after being booked on two counts of burglary to a vehicle.

The Associated Press reported that affidavats taken indicated drugs and alcohol were involved.

The usually gregarious Kiffin was not available for comment Thursday, and he looked weary as he walked past reporters.

But Gruden addressed the subject.

“Obviously, his son is part of my family,” Gruden said. “Our coaches here, their sons hang around here a lot. They’re big parts of this football team. They’re family.

“This is an issue that they will deal with, I’m sure, the Kiffin family. And I’m just pulling for (Monte Kiffin), trying to be his friend and supporting him the best way I can. Obviously his feelings are hurt and whatnot and he cares tremendously about his son.

“All I can say is we’re there for him as his friend and we’re hoping everything works out for Chris because he is a good kid. And we expect him to get over whatever problems he has.”

Buccaneers camp info

Where: Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, 800 Victory Way, Lake Buena Vista (approximately 15 miles southwest of Orlando)

When: Today through Aug. 17.