Because he's missed workouts due to a hamstring and classes at UCLA, Anwar Richardson says defensive tackle Brian Price is lagging behind his fellow rookie teammates.

Anwar Richardson, of the Tampa Tribune, decided to drop in on a local radio show with a name only a gonif would not like, “The King David Show,” with Shaun King and Toby David on WQYK-AM 1010 Tuesday.

The Bucs beat writer discussed a wide variety of Bucs subjects including what’s going on with Bucs rookie defensive tackle Brian Price.

“[Tuesday], practice looked better. It’s hard to judge linemen in minicamp. Aqib Talib continues to excel. And we’ve seen a little more from Arrelious Benn.

“The guy who is looking really improved is Mo Stovall. I know his knock is he is always looking good in the preseason.

“Freeman feels this is his team. He’s not an in-your-face, yell at you motivator. He has more of a calm demeanor but he is all business.

“Ronde Barber, with all these years in the league, is still balling hard and fighting for balls. If anyone relaxes, he will take off on him.

“We won’t know much more [about the Bucs] until training camp.”

Shaun King: Tell us about how Sammie Stroughter is playing at wide receiver?

Richardson: He looked good and I talked to Sammie. He feels much more comfortable in the slot. They tried to put him out on the outside. He’s a smaller-framed guy. Sort of like a Wes Welker. He can choose his spots and bounce off of linebackers and do it that way. If you are talking about lining him up outside and up against the premiere cornerbacks in the league, I’m not sure he is built that way. If you keep him in the slot, you have a couple of safety valves: him and Kellen Winslow to choose from.

Now as far as a long ball, you still need to have someone to emerge as THE receiver, like Antonio Bryant. You have to have someone to step up and emerge whether it’s Mo Stovall or Mike Williams or even Michael Clayton. They claim they do not have a No. 1 guy now, and they will need to find out who that will be.

King: What’s the battle like between Sabby Piscitelli and Sean Jones?

Richardson: It’s as even as it can be. Each guy on each day was the No. 1 guy that day. When they are alternating, that is clearly letting you know they do not know who is No. 1 at that position. But it also tells you how hard Sean Jones has come in and worked hard and made up ground. They will give him every opportunity to take Sabby Piscitelli’s job.

Toby David: Talk about your interview with left tackle Demar Dotson.

Richardson: I just wanted to know where his head was at as he may be a starting left tackle in the NFL. He was very honest. He is not there now. He wasn’t cowering in the corner. He was just realizing that he is only playing football in his third year and now you are talking about me going against the premiere right defensive ends in the game?

At the end of June, is he ready to be the starting left tackle? No. He is just being realistic that he knows what it takes to be a starting left tackle and that he could still learn from Donald Penn.

David: Will Penn miss any regular season games [in a holdout dispute]?

Richardson: I don’t think it will go as far as missing regular season games. That cuts into your paycheck. What I think he will do, if he holds out, and misses most of the offseason and signs right before the season, it will take him a couple of weeks to catch up.

Why not put a weight clause in his contact? Doing research, a weight clause is not an uncommon thing. So they can put a weight clause in his contract and pay him but it comes down to they don’t want to pay him.

Every day he is not in a uniform is another day he won’t be in a Bucs uniform next year.

King: Any rumblings? Has there been progress?

Richardson: It seems like they are not interested. They are not any closer. Donald Penn’s agent has offered up a lot of different contracts and a lot of different options and he wants to be a part of this organization. He loves Raheem Morris. Donald Penn wants to be part of [the Bucs rebirth], but the Bucs are not interested in paying him long-term money and the signing bonus.

Offering to pay only 110 percent of last year’s salary, Dominik is drawing his line in the sand.

King: Talk about some of the rookies.

Richardson: As far as [Brian] Price, he’s had a hamstring injury and he was in classes at UCLA and unable to go to a lot of the OTAs so he has fallen behind. Now OTAs are a lot more important for rookies than an OTA is going to be for Ronde Barber. Price will need to catch up on a lot of ground.