By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Thursday, August 4, 2011

Watch out! Rookie defensive end Adrian Clayborn closes in on Josh Freeman during practice. The first-round draft pick already has made an impression on Bucs left tackle Donald Penn.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

TAMPA — RB Cadillac Williams traveled a long, hard road during his career, and now it has led him out of Tampa Bay. But Bucs coach Raheem Morris said he will always be a sentimental favorite.

Williams, 29, agreed to terms with the Rams on Wednesday, ending a six-year career with the Bucs that was marred by two knee injuries.

“One of those guys who was definitely a team leader,” Morris said. “He’ll be missed around here. You want to talk about character — blown out knees, torn (patellar tendons), coming back two years in a row.

“It’s the business. Those things happen. But you move on, and you embrace this new battle.”

Williams, the fifth overall pick in 2005 out of Auburn, rushed for 434 yards over his first three games, setting a league record with three 100-yard games to start a career. He was named the offensive rookie of the year after rushing for 1,178 yards.

Williams was limited to 10 games over 2007-08 after sustaining torn patellar tendons in each knee.

Williams reclaimed his starting spot. But last season, after averaging 2.5 yards per carry through nine starts, he was replaced by rookie LeGarrette Blount and relegated to third-down back.

With Williams gone, veteran Earnest Graham will battle second-year pro Kregg Lumpkin and rookie Allen Bradford for the role as third-down back.

In St. Louis, Williams is expected to be the No. 2 running back behind star Steven Jackson. Terms of his contract were not disclosed.

“Certainly, we’ve always appreciated what Cadillac Williams has given the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “I hate to lose the player. I hate to lose everything he brought to the offense and really what he brought to the organization. But every player’s time must end sometime, and those players will have to take his place. We’ll just move forward.”

SUITING UP? Re-signed free agents, including G Davin Joseph, T Jeremy Trueblood and LB Quincy Black, will have an opportunity to join their Bucs teammates at practice today.

But because the collective-bargaining agreement remains uncompleted, they have to wait until 4 p.m., and the Bucs have only a morning walkthrough and afternoon special teams practice scheduled.

C Jeff Faine said players probably enjoyed the extra time off but it might take them a few days to get used to being in pads and hitting again.

“How awesome is that? Sign a huge deal, in Davin’s case, and give him a vacation,” Faine said. “Those guys deserve it, though, because they had all that uncertainly last year.

“There’s going to be acclimation for them because those first couple days, you have to get used to pads and moving around and getting hit.”

Others players who can begin practice include: P Michael Koenen, LB Adam Hayward, K Connor Barth, QB Rudy Carpenter, CB Elbert Mack, S Corey Lynch, DE Michael Bennett and DT Frank Okam.

“It’s fun. I’ve got all these guys walking around with scripts that can’t do anything,” Morris said. “I’ve got a bunch of extra coaches; those guys … mentoring people and telling them how to do it and deal with it.”

FREEMAN STAYS HOT: QB Josh Freeman is threading the needle with passes, especially in the red zone. He completed a move-the-ball drill Wednesday by throwing touchdown passes to TE Kellen Winslow and WR Mike Williams.

“Josh really has come into his own,” Morris said. “When the guys make mistakes, you can see them come into the huddle and correct themselves. Everybody kind of knows what’s going on. We had a nice move-the-ball period. We were able to get up and down the field, walk down the length of the field and let those guys finish it. He’s really playing well.”

Rick Stroud can be reached at stroud@sptimes.com.

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Thursday, August 4, 2011

Watch out! Rookie defensive end Adrian Clayborn closes in on Josh Freeman during practice. The first-round draft pick already has made an impression on Bucs left tackle Donald Penn.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

TAMPA — RB Cadillac Williams traveled a long, hard road during his career, and now it has led him out of Tampa Bay. But Bucs coach Raheem Morris said he will always be a sentimental favorite.

Williams, 29, agreed to terms with the Rams on Wednesday, ending a six-year career with the Bucs that was marred by two knee injuries.

“One of those guys who was definitely a team leader,” Morris said. “He’ll be missed around here. You want to talk about character — blown out knees, torn (patellar tendons), coming back two years in a row.

“It’s the business. Those things happen. But you move on, and you embrace this new battle.”

Williams, the fifth overall pick in 2005 out of Auburn, rushed for 434 yards over his first three games, setting a league record with three 100-yard games to start a career. He was named the offensive rookie of the year after rushing for 1,178 yards.

Williams was limited to 10 games over 2007-08 after sustaining torn patellar tendons in each knee.

Williams reclaimed his starting spot. But last season, after averaging 2.5 yards per carry through nine starts, he was replaced by rookie LeGarrette Blount and relegated to third-down back.

With Williams gone, veteran Earnest Graham will battle second-year pro Kregg Lumpkin and rookie Allen Bradford for the role as third-down back.

In St. Louis, Williams is expected to be the No. 2 running back behind star Steven Jackson. Terms of his contract were not disclosed.

“Certainly, we’ve always appreciated what Cadillac Williams has given the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “I hate to lose the player. I hate to lose everything he brought to the offense and really what he brought to the organization. But every player’s time must end sometime, and those players will have to take his place. We’ll just move forward.”

SUITING UP? Re-signed free agents, including G Davin Joseph, T Jeremy Trueblood and LB Quincy Black, will have an opportunity to join their Bucs teammates at practice today.

But because the collective-bargaining agreement remains uncompleted, they have to wait until 4 p.m., and the Bucs have only a morning walkthrough and afternoon special teams practice scheduled.

C Jeff Faine said players probably enjoyed the extra time off but it might take them a few days to get used to being in pads and hitting again.

“How awesome is that? Sign a huge deal, in Davin’s case, and give him a vacation,” Faine said. “Those guys deserve it, though, because they had all that uncertainly last year.

“There’s going to be acclimation for them because those first couple days, you have to get used to pads and moving around and getting hit.”

Others players who can begin practice include: P Michael Koenen, LB Adam Hayward, K Connor Barth, QB Rudy Carpenter, CB Elbert Mack, S Corey Lynch, DE Michael Bennett and DT Frank Okam.

“It’s fun. I’ve got all these guys walking around with scripts that can’t do anything,” Morris said. “I’ve got a bunch of extra coaches; those guys … mentoring people and telling them how to do it and deal with it.”

FREEMAN STAYS HOT: QB Josh Freeman is threading the needle with passes, especially in the red zone. He completed a move-the-ball drill Wednesday by throwing touchdown passes to TE Kellen Winslow and WR Mike Williams.

“Josh really has come into his own,” Morris said. “When the guys make mistakes, you can see them come into the huddle and correct themselves. Everybody kind of knows what’s going on. We had a nice move-the-ball period. We were able to get up and down the field, walk down the length of the field and let those guys finish it. He’s really playing well.”

Rick Stroud can be reached at stroud@sptimes.com.

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BRADENTON –

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were united during a recent minicamp at IMG Academies in Bradenton.

Players flew in from as far away as California to participate in drills. They sacrificed three days in hopes of becoming a better team this season. More than 50 players showed up because they believe Tampa Bay is on the brink of something special after finishing 10-6 last season.

That camaraderie is why players believe the Bucs need to re-sign their free agents after the NFL lockout ends.

“If they (Bucs front office) were to say they were committed to signing back guys we played with last year, it would definitely influence me to stay,” Bucs potential free agent David Joseph said. “Guys like (Jeremy) Trueblood, guys like James Lee, guys on defense like Barrett Ruud.

“If you’re bringing guys like that back here, I know it’s a sign in the right direction instead of trying to switch up the whole roster to make it different. That’s not going to work to our benefit. Maybe in the long run, but we’re in a position where we can win now.”

Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik will have to make several important decisions when free agency begins.

Joseph, Trueblood and Lee are key components on Tampa Bay’s offensive line. Trueblood and Joseph have started for Tampa Bay since being drafted in 2006. Bucs left tackle Donald Penn became a starter in 2007, while center Jeff Faine joined the team as a free agent and started in 2008.

Lee, a restricted free agent, became a starter late last season and Dominik faces the task of keeping Tampa Bay’s offensive line together or revamping it. Tampa Bay’s offensive line helped the team gain 146.1 yards per game last season, ranked sixth in the NFL, while allowing only 30 sacks, 10th fewest the league.

“Davin, James and Truebloood, those are big holes to fill,” Penn said. “We’re so close. Me and Davin were talking about it. We’re going into our sixth year. We remember when we were rookies and guys said they were going into their sixth year and we were like, ‘You’re old.’ Now I look at it as we’re the old guys.

“We’ve been in the league together for six years, and Faine has been with us for five, so we don’t want to break that up. Hopefully, we don’t have to. Hopefully we can end this together. It would really be great, a fairytale ending.”

Joseph and Ruud are expected to receive big contracts this offseason, whether in Tampa Bay or elsewhere, but Dominik must also decide the worth of other key players.

Running back Cadillac Williams, linebacker Quincy Black, linebacker Adam Hayward, receiver Maurice Stovall and defensive end Stylez G. White will potentially become unrestricted free agents after the lockout. Stovall was a third-round selection by Tampa Bay in 2006, but is unsure if he wants to re-sign with the Bucs.

“I’m back and forth with it,” Stovall said. “I’m going to weigh my options. Most importantly, it’s a tough decision. I have been here for a number of years, but at the same time, you want to be somewhere where you have a better opportunity of playing. With that, I’ll just get on my knees and pray and whatever happens, it happens for a reason.”

Bucs players have been united this offseason despite the lockout.

That is why they believe it is important to keep their team together.

“I love the coaches here, I love the players, love the community, but at the end of the day, it’s a business,” Joseph said. “That’s the heartbreaking part about it. There are some guys that you’ve trained next to for five years and now you have to say goodbye because at the end of the day it’s a business.

“Hopefully, everything makes sense with me getting back here in Tampa, bringing my buddy Blood (Trueblood) back and making sure things work out well for the team and making sure everything is going forward because after having such a great year last year, I would hate to think we would make too many changes.”

Kellen Winslow believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can contend for the Super Bowl championship next season. To do so, however, they’ll need to keep Aqib Talib, even after the cornerback’s latest legal trouble.

“We need that guy to win,” Winslow told NFL.com on Friday. “Talking about Super Bowls — we need him really more than anyone besides (quarterback Josh) Freeman. He’s that good. He locks down receivers. He’s got to iron out what he’s got to iron out, but we need him as much as anybody.”

The tight end reiterated that point a few hours later on NFL Network’s “NFL Total Access,” saying Talib is “too talented to let go” and citing the cornerback’s close relationship with Bucs coach Raheem Morris as a reason he might stay, despite speculation that the team is ready to cut ties after the lockout ends.

“Hopefully his situation gets worked out, and we can move on,” Winslow said.

That situation is an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge that Talib faces in Garland, Texas. Police say Talib fired a gun at and pistol-whipped his sister’s boyfriend during a March 21 domestic dispute, and a Dallas County grand jury handed down an indictment last week.

It’s not the first time that Talib, who’s free on $25,000 bond, has been in trouble. He was involved in a fight with fellow Bucs rookie Cory Boyd at the 2008 NFL Rookie Symposium, hit teammate Torrie Cox in the face with his helmet while scuffling with Donald Penn during a minicamp workout in May 2009, and was charged with simple battery and resisting arrest in connection with an assault on a taxi driver in Tampa in August 2009.

But Talib, a starter since the Bucs took him in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, has done well on the field, intercepting 15 passes in his three NFL seasons. He’s coming off a fine 2010 campaign in which he had 50 tackles, 11 passes defensed and six picks, one returned for a touchdown.

That has led to support from Winslow and five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Ronde Barber who called Talib “a great teammate” in a recent interview with PewterReport.com.

Ronde Barber is backing Aqib Talib, telling a website the troubled Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback is “a great teammate … a fun-loving, kind of gregarious guy” and that the team is “somewhat responsible for him.”

Talib, who’s facing up to 20 years in prison on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge in Texas, “is complex,” Barber told PewterReport.com.

“It is too easy to simplify somebody and say they are a thug, he had a bad upbringing and (all that),” said Barber, a five-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro cornerback. “Some of that upbringing is part of what he is, but that is not who he is. I know him to be a great teammate. I know him to be a fun-loving, kind of gregarious guy. He likes to be the center of attention and he likes to have fun.”

Talib, a starter since the Bucs took him in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, is accused of firing a gun at and pistol-whipping his sister’s boyfriend during a March 21 domestic dispute in Garland, Texas. A Dallas County grand jury handed down an indictment last week, and Talib is free on $25,000 bond.

It’s not the first time that Talib has been in trouble. He was involved in a fight with fellow Bucs rookie Cory Boyd at the 2008 NFL Rookie Symposium, hit teammate Torrie Cox in the face with his helmet while fighting with Donald Penn during a minicamp workout in May 2009, and was charged with simple battery and resisting arrest in connection with an assault on a taxi driver in Tampa in August 2009.

Talib was suspended for last year’s opener for the latter incident, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could impose a lengthy suspension once the league’s labor situation is solved.

“We’re prepared (to play without Talib), but you don’t ever want to play a season or even a game without that guy,” Barber said. “He’s that good. He changes things. He takes (receivers) away, and we’ve never had that in Tampa. He can literally take a guy away. … Not only is he big, physical and fast, he’s technically sound, which a lot of guys in this league just aren’t. …

“Optimistically, I am hoping that this all goes away and he’s proven innocent. I can’t speak for him because I wasn’t there. None of us were there. I don’t know what the hell happened. The courts will decide that, and Roger Goodell will decide if he has a suspension. … (But) the beat has to keep playing. The band can’t stop playing because the drummer gets hurt. Somebody has to step up and play.”

Talib has intercepted 15 passes in his three NFL seasons and is coming off a fine campaign in which he had 50 tackles, 11 passes defensed and six picks, one returned for a touchdown. Barber calls Talib’s football IQ “unbelievable” and says the cornerback “knows what he has to do on a football field. He just gets it. He understands it.”

E.J. Biggers, who stepped in as Tampa Bay’s starting left cornerback in five games last season when Talib was suspended and suffered a torn hip tendon in December, likely will receive the call if Talib is forced out of action. Also competing for playing time in the secondary are Myron Lewis and rookie Anthony Gaitor, a seventh-round draft pick out of Florida International.

The Bucs have acknowledged exasperation with Talib in the past.

“You know, Aqib is a very outgoing, outspoken young man,” general manager Mark Dominik told The Tampa Tribune when Talib was arrested in August 2009. “He certainly needs to mature a lot more. That’s what I’ll say.”

Said Barber: “You can tell him all you want, but people are who they are. People change because they want to change, but they don’t change because people tell them to change. They don’t change because they have positive influence around them at the office. Aqib doesn’t go home with me. He doesn’t go home with Raheem (Morris, the Bucs’ coach). He’s not going to dinner with (defensive backs coach) Jimmy Lake every night. He’s not seeing that type of influence.

“You can’t (keep saying), ‘Aqib, you can’t do that.’ (He’ll just say) ‘I know. I (messed) up. My bad.’ I don’t know how many times he’s said, ‘My bad,’ to me or Raheem. He understands. He understands the things he’s doing wrong and that he should have had better judgment … but that is how he is wired, man. However he grew up -– and I don’t know how it was -– but he has that instinct to survive, and sometimes it can lead to him making bad decisions. You’re always responsible for everything you get yourself into. If you are around good people, trouble usually doesn’t find you.”

Former Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan said last month the organization has given Talib “way too much leeway” and that “any other individual would have been cut way before this.” Morris has refuted a report that Talib might be released, and Barber said letting the cornerback go would be the wrong move.

“I think you discredit the family-type atmosphere we have when you say, ‘Just get rid of the guy,’ ” Barber said. “We drafted the guy. We are somewhat responsible for him. Yeah, he’s had some issues, but he’s a teammate. He’s a teammate. I know it’s professional and it’s a business, but I don’t want to see anything bad happen to him now or 20, 30 years from now.”

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Mar 28, 2011 10:55 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib is a ‘person of interest,’ in a March 21 domestic dispute in Garland, Texas, involving his sister and her boyfriend in which several gunshots were fired, but police still haven’t determined whether charges could be brought against the Tampa Bay star.

“I will confirm he is a person of interest,” Garland police spokesman Joe Harn told the St. Petersburg Times Monday. “This is still an open case. Once the detectives have decided, probably later this week, if there are charges that need to be brought against him or not, because of the high-profile interest in this case, we’ll have an announcement.”

Talib, who was suspended one game last season for assaulting a St. Petersburg cab driver in 2009, could face further sanctions from the NFL from his involvement in the incident.

Players are subject to the league’s personal conduct code during the owner’s lockout of players, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week. The Bucs are not permitted to have contact with players or their representatives during the work stoppage.

Talib’s Atlanta-based agent, Todd France, declined comment.

According to a report in the Dallas Observer , the altercation occurred March 21 near the home of Talib’s sister, Saran, 42, in the 900 block of Green Pond Drive in Garland. Talib reportedly attempted to pistol-whip her boyfriend, Shannon Billings, then, following a struggle, used the handgun belonging to his mother, Okolo, to fire several shots at Billings, who fled on foot and was not injured.

Police were initially called by neighbors reporting a domestic dispute. Harn said Monday that Billings, 40, was arrested on a charge unrelated to the incident. “His arrest didn’t involve the incident we got a call on,” Harn said.

Dallas County jail records indicate that Billings was arrested on charges of assault with bodily injury and interfering with an emergency call. Total bond was set at $2,500.

Billings remains in jail and has not posted bail.

Billings is a registered sex offender with the Texas Department of Public Safety. In 1998, he was convicted of sexual assault on a 14-year old girl. Billings was 27 at the time. Billings served probation for the assault.

According to the Observer, Talib, who lives in North Dallas, went to his sister’s home around 7:30 p.m. and found her arguing with Billings. Saran reportedly had also called her mother for help and police were notified by neighbors of three shots fired at a black male by a black female.

Billings told police that Tailb produced a handgun and attempted to strike him in the face with it. During the skirmish Talib dropped the gun and Billings picked it up and began running. Okolo then produced a gun and fired three shots toward him. Billings told police that Talib took Okolo’s gun, said, “I’ll shoot him,” and fired at least two shots before Billings safely ducked into nearby woods. The Observer reported that witnesses corroborated Billings’ story.

Harn declined to confirm or deny any details in the Observer‘s story but did say, “I don’t know where (the Observer) got all its information.”

On numerous occasions, Talib has had difficulty controlling his emotions, resulting in significant fines from the Bucs and one league suspension.

Shortly after being drafted in 2008, Talib got into a fight with then-teammate Cory Boyd at the NFL’s rookie symposium. In May 2009, Talib inadvertently hit former Bucs cornerback Torrie Cox in the face with a helmet, which he was swinging at left tackle Donald Penn during an argument. Cox required stitches to close a facial cut.

Last year, Talib agreed to a deal with prosecutors to resolve a battery charge after he allegedly hit St. Petersburg cab driver David Duggan while Talib was a passenger in his car. Talib had to perform community service hours and attend anger management classes as a part of the deal. He also reached an undisclosed financial settlement with Duggan. Talib received a one-game suspension from the NFL last season for the 2009 incident.

When reached at a charitable event in Valrico, Bucs coach Raheem Morris declined comment.

This latest case could potentially draw the attention of Goodell. Although the NFL’s players are currently in the midst of a lockout by team owners, Goodell said last week that he intends to enforce the league’s strict personal conduct policy despite the lack of a collective bargaining agreement.

“The personal conduct policy continues,” Goodell said at last week’s owners meetings in New Orleans. “It applies to everybody in the league. I don’t know how it would apply to the players under this circumstance (the lockout), but it’s something that I feel strongly about, that we owe to our fans.”

It’s expected that the league will administer discipline once the lockout ends for violations that occur during the work stoppage.

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By Stephen F. Holder, Times staff writer
Posted: Jan 23, 2011 11:59 PM

Donald Penn is Hawaii-bound after all.

The Bucs’ left tackle, who followed up his much-awaited, multi-year contract extension with a superb season, told the Times he was informed on Sunday he would be taking the place of the Packers’ Chad Clifton in the Pro Bowl on Sunday.

With the Packers headed to the Super Bowl in two weeks after winning the NFC Championship Game, Green Bay players were essentially ruled out of the NFL’s all-star showcase, to be played in Honolulu.

The Bucs had initially been snubbed in Pro Bowl voting when the original roster was released last month, but Penn was among three alternates from the Bucs. Tight end Kellen Winslow and quarterback Josh Freeman also were alternates.

At the time, Penn was outspoken about the Bucs being left out despite their 10-6 record, and saw it as an affront that neither he nor any other teammates were named.

“I know I earned that respect,” he said then. “I can’t control all that. I just have to work harder. This is one of the best years I’ve had.”

Penn becomes the first Bucs offensive tackle to make the Pro Bowl and the first Tampa Bay Pro Bowl selection since 2008. The Bucs had no players in the game last season.

Penn is the second offensive tackle replacement named to the roster. Atlanta’s Tyson Clabo replaced the Eagles’ Jason Peters last week. Peters pulled out for undisclosed reasons.

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By Stephen H. Holder, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Monday, January 24, 2011

TAMPA — Donald Penn is Hawaii-bound after all.

The Bucs left tackle, who followed his multiyear contract extension with a superb season, told the St. Petersburg Times late Sunday that he was informed he was taking the place of the Packers’ Chad Clifton in the Pro Bowl.

With the Packers headed to the Super Bowl, Green Bay players named will miss the all-star showcase, to be played Sunday in Honolulu.

The Bucs had no players on the Pro Bowl roster when final voting was released last month, but Penn was among three Bucs alternates, along with tight end Kellen Winslow and QB Josh Freeman.

At the time, Penn was outspoken about the Bucs being left out despite their 10-6 record. Penn is the first Bucs offensive tackle to make the Pro Bowl and the first Tampa Bay selection since 2008.

MANNING OFFER: The Colts, who have pledged to make quarterback Peyton Manning the league’s highest-paid player, met his agent and gave a proposal, ESPN reported. The team and agent Tom Condon met for hours on Thursday, the network said.

HONOR: Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, Bears defensive lineman Israel Idonije and Vikings safety Madieu Williams are the finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. A panel chose them out of 32 nominees, one from each team. Linebacker Adam Hayward was the Bucs’ nominee.

BENGALS: Starting quarterback Carson Palmer has asked for a trade, ESPN reported. Palmer, 31, was unavailable for comment, according to the network; he and his wife are expecting the birth of their third child at any time. He’s under contract through 2014.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, January 23, 2011

TAMPA — The Bucs won’t have to wonder how their new offensive line coach will fit with the rest of the staff.

On Saturday, Tampa Bay hired Vikings offensive line coach Pat Morris, a 14-year NFL coaching veteran with strong ties to offensive coordinator Greg Olson.

The announcement came one day after the team fired offensive line coach Pete Mangurian.

Morris was the Lions’ offensive line coach in 2004-05 under Steve Mariucci when Olson served as quarterbacks coach and later offensive coordinator in Detroit.

Morris worked for the 49ers as an assistant when Olson was the quarterbacks coach in San Francisco.

Nine times in the past 14 seasons, Morris has directed an offensive line that finished in the top 10 in rushing, including No. 1 overall three times.

Morris coached seven seasons (1997-03) with the 49ers, as tight ends/assistant offensive line coach from 1997 to 1998 and offensive line coach from 1999 to 2003. In that period, the 49ers had the second-highest rushing total in the NFL, averaging 135.5 yards per game over the seven-year span and sending four offensive linemen to the Pro Bowl.

Mangurian was fired Friday after a season that was successful despite injuries to four starters on the line. The Bucs ranked eighth in rushing in the NFL and did a good job protecting quarterback Josh Freeman. Tampa Bay was forced to play rookie guards Ted Larsen and Derek Hardman but still averaged a club-record 4.6 yards per carry. Rookie LeGarrette Blount led all first-year players with 1,007 rushing yards.

But Morris’ hiring underscores the fact that Olson had big input into the offensive staff. Mangurian was hired in 2009 to implement a zone blocking scheme under Jeff Jagodzinski. But the Bucs fired Jagodzinski 10 days before the opener and promoted Olson from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. The Bucs have slowly returned to more power blocking under Olson.

Morris will be reunited with starting left tackle Donald Penn, who entered the league with the Vikings as an undrafted rookie and spent 2006 on their practice squad.

The Bucs still have openings for a defensive line coach and a defensive quality control assistant.

Around the league

DOLPHINS: General manager Jeff Ireland has signed a multiyear contract extension. Terms were not available.

PRO BOWL: Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, a former Florida State standout, was added to the NFC roster as a replacement for Minnesota’s Kevin Williams, who himself replaced Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh. Williams’ wife is expecting a child. Suh has a shoulder injury.

GLENN ARREST: Former receiver Terry Glenn was arrested Thursday in Denton, Texas, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and marijuana possession. According to several reports, it was the fourth arrest for Glenn since his career ended after the 2007 season.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

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LANDOVER, Md. (AP) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris knows it doesn’t matter one bit how a victory comes about, even if it’s thanks in large part to an opponent’s miscues.

So what if Tampa Bay beat Washington 17-16 when the Redskins blew the potential tying extra point in the final 10 seconds Sunday because the holder couldn’t handle a high snap?

So what if the Redskins missed two short field-goal attempts in the driving rain earlier? So what if Washington’s Chris Wilson fumbled the second half’s opening kickoff, leading to a field goal for Tampa Bay?

“I’m not going to be apologetic,” Morris said, “for any form of wins.”

Tampa Bay (8-5) ended a two-game losing streak and stayed in the playoff chase, despite continuing to accumulate injuries at an alarming rate. The Bucs lost first-round draft pick Gerald McCoy for the season with a hurt right biceps, and linebacker Quincy Black could also be done in 2010 after breaking his forearm.

The Bucs lost two starters in each of their previous two games, prompting cornerback Ronde Barber to say Sunday: “Don’t let them do the 18-game season this year, because we won’t make it.”

Playing for the first time since defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth was suspended, the Redskins (5-8) lost their fourth consecutive home game. They’ve dropped five of six games overall.

“You can’t make the mistakes we made and win a tight football game,” said coach Mike Shanahan, whose club didn’t take advantage of Ryan Torain’s career-high 172 yards rushing, 158 in the first half.

It turns out that the Redskins are exactly the sort of opponent the Bucs beat: Tampa Bay is 0-5 against teams with winning records this season, but 8-0 against foes who are at or below .500.

And five of Tampa Bay’s victories this season came thanks to fourth-quarter comebacks. Quarterback Josh Freeman did it again, going 15 of 25 for 266 yards – and 11 of 16 for 214 yards after halftime, including a 41-yard TD pass to Kellen Winslow Jr. with 3:47 left in the fourth quarter.

The Bucs got an assist from officials who didn’t see left tackle Donald Penn holding Washington’s Brian Orakpo on the play. The Redskins linebacker said an official later acknowledged the mistake.

“He was mugged, yeah,” Shanahan said, repeating the verb suggested by a reporter.

That play allowed Freeman to make up for having fumbled at Washington’s 1 early in the final quarter. After Tampa Bay’s lone TD – Connor Barth went 3 for 3 on field-goal tries – Freeman ran the ball in for a 2-point conversion to put the visitors ahead 17-10.

There still was plenty of time for the Redskins to drive downfield, and that they did. Donovan McNabb connected with Santana Moss on a 6-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 9 seconds left, meaning all that was left to make it 17-all was the point-after-touchdown.

“We obviously thought, ‘Overtime,’ Orakpo said.

Across the field, though, some members of the Bucs had a different feeling. Maybe that’s because Redskins kicker Graham Gano already was having an adventurous afternoon: He hit the left upright on a 34-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter, then pushed a 24-yarder way wide left in the second.

“It was almost weird. … Something just didn’t feel right,” Tampa Bay running back Cadillac Williams said. “I was like, ‘Man, he’s going to miss it.”‘

He sure did.

Long snapper Nick Sundberg sailed the slick ball high. Holder Hunter Smith got his hands on it but couldn’t corral it. Gano wound up with some aching ribs after chasing down the loose ball.

Smith put it on his shoulders.

“People are going to call for Graham’s head. They’re going to say it was a high snap. They’re going to blame me for dropping it,” Smith said. “I’m a 12-year vet and I have to catch the ball and get it down. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining; it doesn’t matter where the snap is. If anybody needs to lose their job, it’s me, certainly not one of those guys. I certainly accept blame and hope I receive the blame.”

The Bucs, of course, weren’t worried about where the Redskins’ players, coaching staff or fans point fingers.

They simply were thrilled with the final result.

“No, no, no,” Morris said. “I don’t feel lucky.”

Noted Freeman: “It’s the NFL. Crazy things happen every week.”