Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Arrelious Benn Upbeat and Nearly 100 Percent

As we strive to find good football news in this bad-news lockout environment, you can take solace in the fact that Arrelious Benn is one of the many Buccaneers who have been working out with team leader/quarterback Josh Freeman, and Benn is doing well with his surgically-repaired knee.

Benn called in to 620 WDAE's Ron and Ian Show Wednesday morning and touched on a number of subjects.

On this current, dreadful, horrible lockout:

Benn:  "It's frustrating but I'm that guy that like to take the extra step to get better."

Benn's been working hard with Freeman and studying his playbook.

On the state of his surgically repaired knee:

Benn: "I'm about 95 percent. It feels good."

On Josh Freeman:

Benn: "The guys got a cannon (for an arm). He loves the game. He likes to spread the ball around. He likes to see everyone succeed."

On the other receivers: Mike Williams, Sammie Stroughter, Kellen Winslow:

Benn: "The great thing about playmakers is we all want to see each other get better."

On his skills as a receiver:

Benn: "I don't look at myself as a pure, pure receiver. There are a lot of things I can do."

He mentioned running the football, perhaps even lining up in the backfield.

On his progress since last year:

Benn: "I now know what I'm doing. Last year I didn't know what I was doing."

On expectations for the 2011 season:

Benn: "We need to close out the games this year that we didn't close out last year."

Finally, Benn talked about trying to get ready for a season without OTAs, without mini-camps and possibly without a full summer camp:

"It's something we can't control. Have to be ready to go out there at any time and be ready for the season if we do have a season."

Hopefully, there will be training camp 53 or so days from now.

Hopefully, reason will prevail.

In the meantime, Benn sounds like he's on track for a full return.