Bucs ready to get down to business

Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris' first training camp last season was more like "Camp Chaos" than "Hard Knocks."

As players report for training camp Friday, Morris will lead a team with less turmoil and confusion than last year.

"As a head coach, it's all on you, it's your team and the quarterback is not far behind you," Morris said. "It's your fingerprint. It's your mold. It's the people that you drafted. There are two draft classes (so far). It's all the guys you liked as a position coach here and all the people that you want to be here will be here now giving their best efforts."

Tampa Bay will need to give a better effort than last year.

Many of the Bucs' difficulties began in training camp and carried over into the regular season.

Quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown waged what eventually became a meaningless battle to become the starter. Leftwich won and McCown was traded. After beginning the season 0-3, Leftwich was benched and eventually placed on injured reserve.

There was also a futile competition between kickers Mike Nugent and Matt Bryant. Nugent won the job and Bryant was released. After struggling as a starter, Nugent was also given the boot.

In addition, the Bucs wasted countless hours installing the plays and philosophies of former offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski and defensive coordinator Jim Bates. Jagodzinski was fired 10 days before the season, while Bates was relieved of his duties after 10 games.

The Bucs began last season 0-7 and finished 3-13, their worst record since winning three games in 1991.

With only one week of training camp open to the public this year, Morris is not concerned about Bucs fans jumping off the bandwagon. Instead, he plans to use last year's struggles as motivation for his players and to regain fan support.

"The support is not going to come from the average fan. The support is going to come from the Buccaneer lover," Morris said. "The 3-13 will help us thrive. The 3-13 is what's going to make us. The 3-13 is what we're going to look at, set examples for, and go out and really punish people for it."

Quarterback Josh Freeman is no longer on restriction.

Freeman was a first-round draft selection by Tampa Bay last year, but he received few reps during training camp. The inactivity slowed Freeman's development, and he spent most of last season learning.

Freeman has some experience to draw on this season after seven games as a starter, weeks of independent film study, plus months of voluntary workouts and time spent with offensive coordinator Greg Olson and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. Freeman enters this year's training camp with confidence and a willingness to become Tampa Bay's leader.

"I had a great summer working with Greg Olson and Van Pelt. We worked on a number of different things, whether it's protections, accuracy, footwork or film study," Freeman said. "It's been a 360 as far as things you can cover from the quarterback standpoint.

"I feel that much more prepared about entering the season and this preseason than last year."

The Buccaneers are also better prepared.

There will be intense battles to see who emerges as Tampa Bay's starting receivers. Many will be watching rookie defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to see if he lives up to the hype. The maturation of Freeman is also something to keep tabs on. Meanwhile, Morris no longer has to worry about coordinators he does not have confidence in.

So ends the chaos.

"We will remain hungry," Morris said. "We'll treat the first day like it was your last. Treat your last day like it was your first. We'll go out there and be our best self every single day, and that is what's going to make us win."