"I think the NFL all starts there. It's a position that touches the ball every snap," Gruden said. "Like I said, Jeff Garcia has done some great things here that rival any quarterback that's ever played here statistically and from a won-loss standpoint. We'll certainly do everything to keep him and we'll see who is available that could come in and help us."

--The Bucs had some hits in the draft - CB Aqib Talib, G Jeremy Zuttah among them. But they also had some misses that affected their depth. Second-round pick Dexter Jackson failed as a kick returner and did not contribute as a receiver. DT Dre Moore, a fourth-round pick, failed to make the team.

"Dexter Jackson is just in his rookie year," Gruden said. "It's a project, to a degree, as a receiver. It's going to take a little time. I hate to just slam the book on Dexter Jackson today. ... We've had some really good picks and we've had some picks that haven't worked out. But I can't name any team in football that has had every pick perform to the great high standards."

--Pity poor Cadillac Williams. It was a terrible scene Sunday following a 28-yard run - his longest of the season - when he was tackled by the Raiders Chris Johnson and tore the patellar tendon in his left knee.

A year ago, he tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and needed 15 months to recover. Williams was running with the most authority since his rookie year when the injury occurred.

The Bucs had the ball at the Raiders 33-yard line with a 10-point lead. After that play, they didn't finish the drive, turned the ball over on downs and lost the game.

The silver lining for Williams is that the tendon did not rupture this time. It detached from the bone. Carolina KR Mark Jones had a similar injury last season and was ready by training camp.

"My right knee, which is now my good knee, was feeling good. It's just a freak accident. Right now, I have no luck," Williams said.

--The Bucs have missed the playoffs four times in the past six years.