Bucs Minicamp Starts Today

I'll see what I can find out as minicamp is happening. I'm sure at first the focus will be on if Chris Simms finally shows up. Not that it matters much since he's gone anyway. But if he is able to at least demonstrate that he is fully functional now, it may speed up the process of his dismissal a little.

After that, it will be nice to see what the offensive linemen are doing when the pads go on. It's hard to do any offensive line evaluation when they're in shorts and aren't allowed to hit anything. Other good battles will be:

• Left cornerback: Phillip Buchanon and Aqib Talib will go at it, with Eugene Wilson being a longshot
• Backup quarterback: Brian Griese probably has the edge in Jon Gruden's mind right now, but a few interceptions during 11-on-11s will give Luke McCown a reasonable shot. They're already splitting reps at this point.
• Running back: I'm very interested to see who gets the first touch with the starters. My money is on Warrick Dunn since he's been at the OTAs.
• Left defensive end: Kevin Carter has been in the starting spot for OTAs, but Greg White will be given a fair shot to beat him -- if he ever signs a contract. I think he's still technically a free agent. Is he even allowed to participate in minicamp without a contract?

After Thursday, the Bucs are off until training camp at the end of July.