The rookie and tryout minicamp the Bucs held last weekend was only a warm-up of what's to come for the new youngsters.

For first-round pick Gaines Adams and the rookie class, the real eye-opener will be Wednesday when full-squad offseason workouts resume. It'll be fast-paced and the rookies won't get much sympathy if they find themselves unable to keep up.

It should be particularly telling in the case of Adams, who figures to see a lot of snaps. Starting right defensive end Simeon Rice still hadn't been cleared to participate in last month's OTAs and could still be limited this week after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in November. If that's the case, expect to see Adams get a lot of work, which is certainly not a bad thing.

He will need all the reps he can get, because once the season starts it seems that, under current circumstances, Adams won't see nearly the same number of snaps in practice or games. He will at best be splitting reps with Rice, and if the veteran sackmaster can regain his form from a couple years ago, it's hard to justify taking him off the field much.

Of course, the Bucs knew this before they drafted Adams. But they do have a challenge on their hands in determining how and when to use him. It might be situationally, which, for a pass rusher, isn't the worst thing in the world (see Dewayne White).

The question is, can you, as a fan, accept the fact that a team's first-round pick may only be on the field from time to time? There's no wrong answer. Just wondering.