Bucs Will Have High Draft Pick The Tampa Tribune, published 3 January 2005 One of the few positives of a 5-11 season is that the Bucs will get their highest draft pick since 1994, when QB Trent Dilfer was selected sixth overall. Tampa Bay could pick as high as fourth and no lower than seventh, depending on the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker. According to ESPN.com, the Bucs are projected to have the weakest schedule strength among the five-win teams, giving them the No. 4 selection. San Francisco, Miami and Cleveland own the top three picks. It's only the second consecutive year the Bucs will have a first-round pick. Deals to get former WR Keyshawn Johnson and Coach Jon Gruden cost the Bucs four first-round selections. Since 2000, the Bucs have only had two first-round picks - RT Kenyatta Walker in 2001 (14th overall) and WR Michael Clayton this year (15th overall). The last top-10 draft pick for the Bucs was Dilfer. Overall, Tampa Bay has picked 12 players in the top 10, including four first overall selections. Penalty problems persist Walker, the most penalized Tampa Bay player last year, had cleaned up his act this season. But a personal foul face- mask penalty near the end of the first half negated a fumble recovery by the Bucs and set up an Arizona field goal. ``If you want to talk about that face mask, go ahead, but it saved a touchdown,'' said Walker, who ripped off Arizona DT Darnell Dockett's helmet after he intercepted a pass by QB Chris Simms. ``I'd rather get that one than the ones I've been called for.'' The Bucs were penalized eight times for 63 yards. The penalty tone was set on the opening drive when OT Todd Steussie, lined up at tight end, and LG Matt Stinchcomb were called for false starts. Stinchcomb would get penalized again for a false start. A 12-men penalty during a punt return near the end of the first half gave the Cardinals the ball back with a little more than two minutes remaining and Arizona would eventually score to go ahead 6-0. ``We had a critical special teams penalty at the end of the first half,'' Gruden said. ``We had to hustle off the field, you have to get off the field. You have to allow the punt return team and vice versa to get out there. Five, six or seven offensive penalties on running plays is just on me and it's going to be very humiliating for me to see this tape. I don't want to be associated with penalties.'' Showing off Nearly every time Dexter Jackson made a play, he made sure the Cardinals knew about it. Jackson, who was cut by Arizona earlier this season, yelled at the Cardinals' sideline several times as he headed back to the Bucs' huddle. ``I was telling them [not to] come toward me,'' Jackson said. His yapping cost the Bucs in the second quarter when he was penalized 15 yards for taunting. The Bucs' other former Arizona players - DE Simeon Rice and RB Michael Pittman - were less vocal. Rice finished with two tackles and one pass defensed. When he batted down the pass in the second quarter, the home crowd booed. Pittman led the Bucs with 16 carries for 50 yards and tied for the team lead with three receptions for 30 yards. Proper send off Arizona RB Emmitt Smith ran off the field Sunday to thunderous applause from Cardinals fans. Smith raised his hands in the air and held up two peace signs. Smith's two-year contract with the Cardinals ran out at the end of this season and he becomes a free agent in the offseason. His plans for the future remain uncertain. ``If this is my last year here, it has been a heck of a ride,'' said Smith, who finished 63 yards shy of an NFL-record 12th 1,000-yard rushing season. ``If this is my last year playing football period, it has been a heck of a ride. Me personally, I have done everything I could possibly do in the National Football League as far as a player and individual performances can go. I have had tremendous experiences with players and coaches over 15 years, so if this is it, it has been a blessing.'' Injury update LT Derrick Deese suffered a left knee sprain during the wild interception-fumble-fumble recovery- penalty play near the end of the first half. He was replaced by Anthony Davis, who was active for the first time since the Oct. 18 game against St. Louis. Jackson was shaken up at the beginning of the third quarter. He was taken off the sideline and treated for cramps and returned later in the third quarter. SS Dwight Smith left the game in the fourth quarter with cramps. He returned later. Smith is scheduled for surgery Wednesday. He will have his left knee scoped. Long snapper/TE Dave Moore was inactive with a hamstring injury, so TE Ken Dilger handled the snapping duties.