It appears as though Carnell "Cadillac" Williams' hard work is about to pay off.

Williams sustained a torn patellar tendon in Week 4 of the 2007 season. Some considered the knee injury career threatening, but the Bucs have been impressed with the 2005 first-round draft pick's determination to play football in 2008.

The Bucs must decide by Wednesday whether to place Williams, who spent nearly the first half of the season on the physically unable to perform list, on the 53-man roster or injured reserve.

Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden suggested Monday that Williams has shown enough progress in practice over the past three weeks to be earn an active roster spot.

"We staged a couple of drills for Carnell Williams to get hit [with pads on in practice on Monday], and he responded to it. It's exciting," said Gruden. "I've said that for a long time. It's almost like Christmas is here. Christmas is Wednesday, I hope. We'll talk to our trainers here, but if my eyes don't deceive me I think he's got a chance to be a player for our team this year, which is exciting. He's a very good back, and we have the film to prove that. We want him to be a big part of our organization, so if he's healthy he's going to play, and if he's not he won't play."

Williams, who successfully made it through the padded practice and even some Oklahoma drills on Monday, has not been informed by the team of his status for the rest of the season, but he believes he will be part of Tampa Bay's active roster by the end of the week.

"Right now I feel pretty confident that they will [activate me]," said Williams. "The decision has not been made yet, but I feel pretty confident that they will."

The Buccaneers are not concerned about how Williams' surgically repaired knee will hold up. In fact, some team officials believe Williams' knee could be even stronger now than it was before the injury. Williams doesn't know what his role will be if and when he is activated, but he suggested his conditioning should not be a concern.

"I do feel like I can come in and help the team," Williams said. "My role, how much I get to play is up to the coaches. I'm going in with the view that I'm going to contribute. That's how I've prepared myself.

"I feel I like I'm in good football shape. I've been practicing the last three weeks and I feel really good about it. The number of carries is totally out of my hands. I'm just looking to contribute in any way that I can."

In order for Tampa Bay to promote Williams to the 53-man roster it would have to release a player, and some believe it could be RB Michael Bennett, who has been used sparingly this season.

Even if he is made active, Williams, who won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2005, will not automatically carry the ball 20-plus times per game. Once he's back on the active roster Williams must work his way back into the rotation at running back.

"Just because he's added to the 53 doesn't mean he becomes a feature back right away," said Gruden. "This is a process. We'll take it day-by-day."

Tampa Bay's ground game ranks 11th overall in the NFL. It has been carried by Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn, who have combined for nearly 1,100 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

However, the Bucs have struggled to run the football as of late due to a plethora of injuries in their backfield. Fullback B.J. Askew has been sidelined since Week 3 with a hamstring injury. His backup, Byron Storer, is out for the year with a torn ACL.

In addition, Graham and Dunn are nursing their own ailments, a knee and back injury, respectively.

Graham injured his knee in the second quarter of Tampa Bay's game in Kansas City. Had the Bucs had a game instead of a bye week on Sunday, Graham wouldn't have been able to play, but he's hoping to play vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

"It's a lot better," Graham said of his knee injury. "I think I'll be ready for the game, but we'll see. The bye week came at the perfect time. If we had a game yesterday I don't know if I would have been able to play. Probably not. There's a lot of week left, so we'll see how it goes."

Dunn said the rest before and during the bye week helped his back injury, and that he should be ready to play vs. the Vikings.

"For me it did [help]," said Dunn. "The days of not running around and getting hit, it helps. For me I pretty much had two weeks or two and a half weeks."

Askew practiced in full pads on Monday while testing his hamstring. While he isn't sure whether he'll play, Askew said he's definitely making progress.

"I think I did really well, a lot better than I thought I would," said Askew. "I'm still a little hesitant to go into overdrive and really open it up. That's the point I really need to get to. Hopefully that will come on Thursday or Friday.

"I think it's a little bit of [a mental and physical hurdle]. There's still some soreness. The good thing is it's not grabbing. I don't feel the grab I used to feel when I ran. It's definitely getting better. I'm pretty optimistic about playing this week."

Gruden shared Askew's optimism.

"I think he's got a good chance. We certainly need him," Gruden said of Askew. "Jameel Cook has done a good job in his absence. If today was any indication I think he's got a good chance to go on Sunday."

The 6-3 Buccaneers have seven games remaining in the 2008 regular season and are one game behind the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South division. With the 6-3 Atlanta Falcons also in contention, Tampa Bay, particularly its eighth-ranked offense, knows that having a healthy and talented backfield could go a long way in the Bucs' push towards the playoffs.

"Earnest has done one heck of a job. Warrick has been out for really the last two games. We do have some injuries," said Gruden. "If we could ever get Earnest, Warrick and Cadillac in the same backfield it would be exciting for us."

Tampa Bay's entire team participated in Monday's padded practice at One Buccaneer Place.

There were two exceptions. In addition to Graham, Bucs tight end Alex Smith also missed the workout due to an ankle injury he sustained vs. Kansas City.

Smith, who has 19 catches for 228 yards and three touchdowns, didn't have a good feel for whether or not he'd be able to play vs. Minnesota.

"I don't know," said Smith. "I never got really defined scientific diagnosis of it. I'm trust trying to let it heal up. The bye week helped."

The Bucs players will take their normal Tuesday off before taking the field for another practice on Wednesday.

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