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Schiano: Bucs practices not too rough

 
Bucs head coach Greg Schiano speaks to his team during Wednesday's workout.
Bucs head coach Greg Schiano speaks to his team during Wednesday's workout.
Published May 30, 2013

TAMPA — Greg Schiano may not always follow pro football etiquette — the kneel-down play against the Giants last season comes to mind — but the Bucs' coach does follow the rules.

That's why he took exception Wednesday with a report on profootballtalk.com that Tampa Bay's offseason practices involve too much physical contact, possible violating NFL bylaws.

The controversy stems from a physical altercation last week between Illinois rookie DT Akeem Spence and C Jeremy Zuttah, who played for Schiano at Rutgers.

During the first team drill of the first spring practice, Spence and Zuttah had to be separated. Despite league rules that prohibit excessive physical contact between players during offseason practices, there were a few more instances where players were pushed to the ground.

A team can be made to forfeit practice time and coaches can be fined for violating the no-contact rules for offseason practices.

Schiano said Wednesday that his coaching staff teaches the proper techniques for non-contact practices and believes what the Bucs do is permissible.

"There are very clear expectations and rules presented by the league," Schiano said. "We get a training video and then we also at our league meetings get to watch permissible vs. impermissible play. I'm very confident that our practice tempo is 99.9 percent the plays are permissible.

"We had one that got kind of fanfare or whatever you want to call it in a young guy mixed up with Jeremy Zuttah, and Jeremy educated him, maybe not the right way, like you don't do that. But we spent a lot of time about keeping your headgear, keeping your shoulders out of it."

Schiano said the Bucs have educated their players about the proper amount of contact that is allowed during the offseason, when players are allowed to wear helmets but no pads.

"I feel confident that we're doing it the right way," he said.

Grimm FALLOUT: Backup S Cody Grimm, arrested twice the past three months on public intoxication charges, said he made an "error in judgment" but hopes he gets another chance.

"I've learned from my mistakes, and it won't happen again, I promise you that," Grimm, 26, said. "I know the way they do things around here, and it's not the Buccaneer Way. I can't change anything in the past, besides to learn and move forward."

WEIGHTY ISSUE FOR PENN: Pro Bowl LT Donald Penn said he and Schiano had disagreements last season about what his playing weight should be. But Penn made it clear he's in the best shape he has been in a while, and Schiano said weight hasn't been an issue in the past year. "He's done everything we've asked," Schiano said.

Penn took to Twitter over Memorial Day weekend after taking exception to something written on pewterreport.com that alleged he might be on the hot seat because the team has tired of him failing to meet weight clauses in his contract in 2012. The Tampa Bay Times reported a year ago that Penn did not meet some weight requirements tied to his salary in 2011.

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Penn regretted his angry Twitter response that used a few expletives, but he said such inaccurate reports "kind of stabbed me in the stomach."

"I've been working hard this year, working hard this offseason," Penn said. "Me and Schiano had a lot of talks last year about where he wanted my weight because we had a disagreement on where he wanted it and where I thought I should be. And at the end of the day, that's a battle I'm not going to win. And I bought in and have done everything they've asked me to."

REVIS REVISION? The team has said CB Darrelle Revis should be recovered from his torn ACL by the start of training camp. But Schiano said the real target is the first game, Sept. 8 at the Jets. "We're looking for the season, right? So what it takes to get him ready for the season," Schiano said. "I think training camp is a tool to get guys ready for the season, and I think everybody gets ready differently, and I think everybody is prepared at a different point. … We'll play it by ear because there's an added variable with Darrelle and that's the healing of the knee as well as getting the work with our scheme and getting more familiar with his teammates. But at all costs, we'll weigh his health first and foremost."

ETC.: S Dashon Goldson did not attend Wednesday's voluntary practice. … WR Steve Smith, 28, who joined the Bucs in April, announced his retirement because of knee injuries.