TAMPA, Fla. -- The groin strain to Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Adrian Clayborn doesn't appear as serious as first thought, and he could make a return to the field soon.
A day after Clayborn left practice early after individual drills with the injury, the former first-round pick was seen pedaling on a stationary bicycle on a distant field during practice Thursday. Bucs coach Greg Schiano seemed optimistic that Clayborn's absence won't be for a prolonged time as Tampa Bay continues to work toward its preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 8.
"Adrian could be a few days, but it wasn’t as bad as I initially thought," Schiano said.
On Wednesday, Schiano described Clayborn, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound Iowa product, as "incredibly frustrated" when leaving the field. The St. Louis native sustained a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee last year in a Week 3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He had two tackles in 2012, a year after he had 54 with 7 1/2 sacks as a rookie.
"He just gets it rolling again, and something is holding him back," Schiano said of Clayborn on Wednesday. "That's the way life goes. You've just got to keep battling. He will."
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