Here is what you need to know about what happened at Buccaneers practice on Monday August 20:

Injuries
• It appears running back LeGarrette Blount and the Buccaneers organization dodged a huge bullet Friday night as what initially appeared to be a severe knee injury turned out to be just a groin issue. Blount was dressed and participating in practice on Monday and spoke to the media following practice. Head coach Greg Schiano told the media Monday, “He (Blount) was not limited and it was great to have him back out there.”


• Anthony Gaitor was held out of practice on Monday after suffering a hamstring injury late in the first half of Friday night’s game with the Titans. Gaitor was carted off the field but was walking without any apparent issue after the game in the locker room. On Monday Gaitor was seen rehabbing an stretching including part of practice on the stationary bike.

• Adam Hayward was taped early in practice around the abdominal area and was not in during team drills Monday. PewterReport.com noticed Hayward appeared to be in pain around his side area after showering Friday night. Neither Hayward nor Schiano commented on the injury.

• Wide receiver Arrelious Benn was seen doing sprints at practice Monday morning and while the team wouldn’t confirm it, it appears Benn is getting close to a return. Benn suffered a knee injury early in training camp on a pass play that also resulted in a broken bone in the foot for cornerback E. J. Biggers. Biggers was in the locker room still on crutches after Friday night’s loss to Tennessee but didn’t want to comment on his prognosis.

Roster Moves
• Buccaneers announced today that they have signed CB Brandon McDonald and waived CB Desmond Marrow.


McDonald joins the Buccaneers after playing in 13 games with the Detroit Lions last season. In his five-year career, McDonald has played in 69 games with 29 starts, while recording 192 tackles, one sack, 40 passes defensed, eight interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He originally entered the league with the Cleveland Browns as a fifth-round pick (140th overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft.


Marrow joined the Buccaneers as a free agent during training camp after playing his college football at Toledo.

Big News At One Buc
• The New England Patriots will roll in to town sometime Tuesday and will hold two workouts with the Buccaneers Wednesday and Thursday before facing each other Friday night at Raymond James Stadium.

Schiano talked about the benefits of his team getting work in with the defending AFC champs.

“I know it’s going to be a benefit for us,” Schiano said. “I don’t think Coach Belichick would bring them down if he didn’t think it would be a benefit for them. They’ve done it more. I’ve done it 15-20 years ago when I was with the Bears. We did it a couple of years and I really enjoyed it. I think it’s good. I like watching other teams, seeing how they practice. Watching our players in relation to theirs. In games is one thing, but in practice it’s a little different.”

The practices will be limited to the media and closed to the general public.

• The other big news of the day was the return of offensive tackle Donald Penn who has missed all of training camp until Monday. Penn suffered a left calf strain prior to training camp attempting to condition.

Head coach Greg Schiano told the media that the silver lining in the Penn injury was the chance for Penn to get into better shape conditioning wise.

We wanted him to beat a weight and conditioning level that we think he can be effective,” Schiano said. “It’s the best I’ve seen him look by far.”