Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie coach Raheem Morris will take over defensive play-calling duties after relieving Jim Bates as defensive coordinator, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer issued a statement Thursday denying a Tampa radio report that the team will be put up for sale.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently have exactly two viable fantasy starters, and neither of them is very reliable.

Three games into the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making a change at quarterback, as Josh Johnson was named the team’s starter on Monday over veteran Byron Leftwich.

Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris said Monday that Jermaine Phillips suffered a broken thumb in Sunday’s 33-20 loss to the Bills.

Well fellow fantasy fanatics, it looks like we’re looking at another backfield committee, this time in Tampa Bay. Cadillac Williams, not Derrick Ward, will open 2009 as the starter.

The Buccaneers announced Thursday that they have dismissed offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, making him the second offensive coordinator this week to be fired by a rookie head coach. Earlier, Kansas City Chiefs first-year head coach Todd Haley fired veteran offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.

The Buccaneers have been contacting other teams this week to gauge interest in their quarterbacks after putting off a decision to name a starter, according to league sources.

Bucs coach Raheem Morris said Monday that both Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown will get equal time in Thursday’s third preseason game as the team’s QB competition gets one final look.

Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris had initially set a self-imposed deadline — following the team’s second preseason game — to pick a starting quarterback, but earlier today told the media he may put the decision off for another week. It turns out he has.

Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Raheem Morris isn’t quite ready to name a starting quarterback, and didn’t deny he could extend the competition for the starting spot through the team’s third preseason game.

While rookie QB Josh Freeman patiently learns the offense, veteran Byron Leftwich is earning the respect of his defensive teammates with the way he’s been throwing the deep ball.

Success in the NFL for new coaches is dependent on many variables. So I’ve put together a few observations from training camps to keep an eye on for some of the new coaches.

According to NFL.com senior columnist Thomas George, new Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris is preaching that his players must yearn to “be your best self” every day.

NFL.com’s Thomas George made a few observations while visiting Buccaneers training camp.