LAKE BUENA VISTA - Just when it seemed WR Michael Clayton had overcome his injury problems, along comes something significant enough to knock him out of practice.
Just as he was late last season, Clayton has been sidelined by turf toe. Clayton said the injury to his right big toe is not serious and that he expects to play in Friday night's preseason opener against the Jets.
The Bucs can only hope that's the case. A similar injury forced Clayton to miss the final two games last season, including their playoff loss to Washington.
"I could have practiced [Wednesday] if I wanted to," Clayton said. "But we thought with [today] being a walk-through that [Wednesday] would be a good day to take off. This way, I'll have two days of rest before the game on Friday."
Clayton became the second receiver to miss practice this week because of a bruised toe. J.R. Russell missed Monday's workout with the same ailment but returned to practice Tuesday.
Clayton missed one of his team's few workouts without pads. Coach Jon Gruden allowed the players to practice in shirts and shorts Wednesday after 11 straight days in pads.
"I'm just trying to get these guys a little physically rejuvenated," Gruden said.
ALLEN OK: For the first time in five days, S Will Allen returned to practice Tuesday morning, his left thumb and forearm heavily bandaged in a thick white cast. After Wednesday morning's practice, Allen said he was starting to readjust to practicing after taking time off to recover from thumb surgery.
"I'm just trying to get my legs back," he said. "I felt it [Tuesday]. Plus it was really hot. But I'm a lot better. We had short yardage, so that helped me out. I feel a lot more comfortable now."
Surgery always brings the possibility of infection, so Allen has been cautious.
"I'm just trying to keep [the wound] clean, keep my hand clean, keep switching [the bandage] in and out," said Allen, who missed three games last season because of torn thumb ligaments.
Allen, expected to start alongside Jermaine Phillips, said he is focused on being fully recovered for the Sept. 10 regular-season opener against Baltimore.
"Right now I have to keep [my thumb] away from contact because it's not completely healed yet," Allen said. "I'm just trying to be aware of that but still practice hard and get good tempo."
ALSTOTT OFF THE AIR: After appearing for nine seasons on the radio on Monday nights, RB Mike Alstott has been replaced by WR Joey Galloway. Alstott has a scheduling conflict; son Griffin has football practice on Monday nights.
The Bucs will have six radio shows this season, all appearing on WFUS, 103.5 FM, and WDAE, 620 AM.
DEFENSE DULLS OFFENSE: The defense got the better of the offense during team drills in Wednesday's morning workout. The results didn't sit well with Gruden.
"We had some lack of concentration; we weren't good enough to beat anybody on offense," he said. "We had four or five visible mental errors - four or five visible snap count violations that were not acceptable.
"We're not going to be a very good team practicing like that."
ROSTER MOVE: WR Terrence Stubbs was released and the Bucs signed 6-foot-3, 258-pound TE Leonard Stephens, who played in five games for the 2002 Redskins and caught one pass for 13 yards.
Stephens began his career with San Diego as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and has played on Washington's and Detroit's practice squads and in NFL Europe. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Roy Cummings, Kate Crandall
Also, FWIW, Clayton/Galloway/Boston have been absolutely tearing it up in camp, and all three reportedly look like pro bowlers (offense as a whole has been getting rave reviews, and that's really saying something considerinig the defense they are going up against). Stovall has been quiet and is just learning the system.
