Tampa Bay's John Wade out for season

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without center John Wade for the balance of the season because of a knee injury.

Wade is the seventh player to be placed on the Buccaneers' season-ending injured reserve list, joining tight end Rickey Dudley, running back Charlie Garner, defensive tackles Ellis Wyms and Damian Gregory and wide receivers Frank Murphy and Edell Shepherd.

The 6-5, 299-pound Wade suffered a dislocated right knee in Sunday's 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wade, a fifth-round draft pick by Jacksonville out of Marshall in 1998, was the only player to have started every game on Tampa Bay's offensive line since the beginning of the 2003 season.

"Now you have to work doubly hard on your backup plans," Coach Jon Gruden said. "Just like when you lose (running back Mike) Alstott, when you lose Charlie Garner, whoever it may be. You have to go deep into your roster for a contingency plan."

Alstott missed a month with a knee injury.