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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- One is a former first-round draft selection and the other returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the Super Bowl, so it isn't as if strongside linebacker Dwayne Rudd and cornerback-turned-free-safety Dwight Smith, respectively, are just callow interlopers in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' star-studded defense.
But as the two new starters in a defense that statistically ranked as the NFL's top unit in 2002, and which is widely regarded as one of the most dominant in league history, Smith and Rudd figure to be treated by the media as novelty pieces for a while. Which is fine by the two veterans, both acknowledged as the Bucs began training camp over the weekend, except for one fairly significant detail....
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But as the two new starters in a defense that statistically ranked as the NFL's top unit in 2002, and which is widely regarded as one of the most dominant in league history, Smith and Rudd figure to be treated by the media as novelty pieces for a while. Which is fine by the two veterans, both acknowledged as the Bucs began training camp over the weekend, except for one fairly significant detail....
more
