The Buccaneers have a lot of position battles brewing but we highlight some that will likely end with someone out of a job. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE)

The Buccaneers are gearing up for their second preseason game which means we have some serious cuts ahead of us. Greg Schiano and company are going to have to start trimming the fat off the roster, toning up the final 53-man and all the other cliches. But this is a team that is largely unchanged in terms of core pieces from last year which means, with the new additions made in the offseason, there are some familiar names that are going be out of a job in Tampa. Let’s take a quick look at some position battles that are going to end with someone out of a job.

SS Larry Asante vs. Cody Grimm

This is one is a headliner, so to speak. Both are names we’ve heard in the past but only one is going to stick around. Grimm sort of made a name in 2010 but barely. Asante has been kicked around the safety rotation as well but not very impressively. Neither will be starters in Greg Schiano’s defense since rookie Mark Barron and veteran Ronde Barber will hold down the roles. But it’s always nice to have a semi-solid backup with knowledge of the defense. It’s possible that both could end up on the roster, but that’s true for all these position battles and not everyone is going to end up with both players surviving the cut.

Projected Winner: Cody Grimm

RB Mossis Madu vs. Michael Smith

Neither of these backs have really proven themselves up to this point, and we’ve only really seen Madu in a game situation since he filled in when the going got thin last year at running back. It’s really two guys for one spot when it comes to this battle because the only running back slot available is the third spot on the depth chart. Madu adds speed to the team but he won’t ever really be used with the revolving door of Blount and Martin. Smith isn’t that much better of an option when it comes to a third string back and both look pretty irrelevant on special teams. It’ll come down to the wire on this one: Madu has speed and is famliar with the team, Smith is a draft pick and with Schiano, everyone is as familiar with this team as Smith is. Some are saying both can make the roster but given the offensive weapons already here, only one back will make the cut. Especially when the others special team role can be given to someone who can make an impact.

Projected Winner: Mossis Madu

WR Ed Grant vs. Sammie Stroughter

Stroughter is really down on his luck. He came into last season the slot receiver but thanks to an injury, Preston Parker took over and stole the job away from him. Ed Grant is in a similar position; he was a favorite heading into camp last season but he fell off the map a bit. This is a battle where only one guy, if either, make the roster. The Bucs already have a full house at wide receiver and honestly, neither of these guys have done anything to warrant the Bucs creating a sixth slot. Grant is likely going to get cut and it could come as soon as after the Titans game, and Stroughter may stick around until the last round of cuts. But with Jackson, Williams, Parker, Underwood and Benn on the depth chart,  don’t rush out to buy a jersey of either of these guys any time soon.

Projected Winner: Both will be cut.

LB Najee Goode vs. Jacob Cutrera vs. Rennie Curran

We have our first three-way of training camp. It’s obvious that five linebackers will make the team, but as BucsNation.com states, it’s anyones guess after that. That’s not good news for Najee Goode, Jacob Cutrera and Rennie Curran. The first to get cut will likely be Curran who’s disappeared since camp started and Goode hasn’t been much better. Goode was a draft pick so obviously that’s a bonus for him, but past that (which by the way isn’t enough to earn a roster spot) he hasn’t done anything to convince Schiano and company he deserves a spot. The only guy who’s been worthy is Cutrera but even he’s been barely noticeable. But at least he’s had his name called a few times in game situations like the first preseason game. Like the battle at wide receiver, the Bucs wouldn’t be crippled if all three guys got the boot.

Projected Winner: Jacob Cutrera

CB Myron Lewis vs. Keith Tandy vs.  Leonard Johnson

Here’s another interesting three-way going on at camp, one that is most likely to end up with all three combatants on the roster. The depth at cornerback is dangerously close to the situation that Bucs had at running back last year. Leonard Johnson was an undrafted free agent pickup out of Iowa State an he can be a nice asset in terms of depth, but he hasn’t done much so far to prove that statement has any truth to it. Myron Lewis has had the best preseason of all three of these guys, despite a poor preseason game. But Tandy and Johnson could catch a break of Lewis converted to a safety, which is a real possibility. If he’s not, it’s still possible that all three make the team, but don’t bet on it. There’s really only two cornerback slots available and it’s highly likely that Lewis and Johnson make the cut.

Projected Winners: Myron Lewis and Leonard Johnson

The Buccaneers wrapped their final open practice of training camp, and it was a nice improvement over yesterday. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Ronde Barber sat out the Buccaneers first preseason game with a minor injury but he returned to practice today and head coach Greg Schiano worked him hard.

Barber saw work at what appeared to be every single spot on defense except the frontline as he saw an extra load of reps with the second unit. Roy Cummings of the Tamp Times noted that at one point it appeared Barber was playing linebacker while Dakota Watson slide down to the defensive line.

Interesting defensive look here: Barber at LB, Watson at LDE, Bennett at DT. That could cause a little confusion

— Roy Cummings (@RCummingsTrib) August 14, 2012

As Bucs Nation noted, and I fully agree upon, it’s likely that Barber was the slot corner with run defense responsibilities. But Watson played Michael Bennet played the defensive line a lot last year (well Bennett did because, ya know, that’s where he plays). Bennett played the three-tackle position in this package, something he did a lot last year too.

Ronde also got some regular reps at the slot corner spot as well. While Barber was sort of at home at corner, the safety spot opposite Mark Barron he left vacant was held down by Ahmed Black.

Barron himself was returning from a minor injury. He too, sat out Friday’s preseason opener and is set to make his Bucs debut this Friday against the Titans.

Speaking of safety, Myron Lewis got more first team even though his performance in Friday’s preseason game was less than impressive. Larry Asante and Cody Grimm were both practicing with the second unit and it looked like Grimm was getting reps over Asante. Grimm was also coming off a poor performance on Friday and continued the trend of safeties getting a second sot to prove themselves.

As for the offense, Tiquan Underwood continued to look impressive. But it was Mike Williams who had the best catch of the day, making an amazing catch and converting a 4th and 20 during the two minute drill, at the expense of rookie Mark Barron. Williams pretty much stole the ball away from Barron on the play, one that drew applause from the crowd.

The Bucs wrapped up their final open practice of training camp today and even though the season is just around the corner, there is going to be a lot of changes on this roster before September 9th.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially begun training camp today and are looking to erase the abysmal 2011 season from everyone's memory. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers open training camp today and officially kick off their 2012 season — one that they hope will be better than the abysmal and embarrassing 2011 chapter to their story.

But the Buccaneers did something they haven’t done in quite a while: they realized that they sucked and actually got better (hey, there’s a concept kids). They did this by adding a Pro Bowl left guard to protect Josh Freeman while he throws to a Pro Bowl wide receiver. Both Carl Nicks and Vincent Jackson will officially make their Bucs debut today at camp and the hype is only just beginning.

Beyond the two mega signings from free agency, the Buccaneers are also looking to work on an area Mark Dominik has shown a brilliance in: finding young talent and developing them into quality contributors. The Bucs usually sift through the undrafted free agent wires and practice squads to find these players, but this year Dominik constructed his first real draft and what the result is onthe field is something to watch.

With these young players coming in, training camp battles will be had at Bucs camp and they won’t just be at running back. Tampa still needs to sort out who will not only be their No. 2 receiver but just how that depth chart will look when we get to week one.

There’s also the matter of sorting out the linebacking corps which sees rookie Lavonte David joining a crowded but unproven group of players that includes Mason Foster, Quincy Black, Najee Goode and Dakota Watson. The decisions don’t end there on defense either as the front line needs to be fine tuned as well. Gerald McCoy is looking to stay healthy for a full season for the first time in his career and Adrian Clayborn is looking to build on what could be argued as the only strong performance on the team in 2011.

The Buccaneers are also making training camp easier for fans to attend. It’s one of the only training camps that is totally free to the public and it’s the first step the Bucs are making towards repairing their relationship with the fans. Here’s a quick rundown of all the public practices this year:

The 2012 season is finally upon us and with all the changes the Bucs have made, this is truly a revamped team. The only question now is can they make the product on the field as sexy as it looks on paper?