During his Monday afternoon press conference, Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris said the battle for left guard is still up in air. Ted Larsen seemed to enter training camp with the edge after being pressed into duty and playing well last season when injuries to Jeff Faine and Davin Joseph decimated the offensive line. By the end of the season the Tampa Bay offensive line had seen nine different starters plugged into the five positions. But veteran Jeremy Zuttah is pushing Larsen for playing time, according to Morris.

“There’s always a battle there. You can never say no to Zuttah,” Morris said. “ What he brings to our offensive line is unique. Him having the ability to play center, play guard; he’s playing with a nice nasty demeanor. But that battle will continue to go on for as long as those two players are here, I believe.

“Larsen did a nice job of going out there and being thick and playing heavy for us last year. Zuttah did a nice job when he went in there and played center for us and played a bunch of games. We had a bunch of wins with him. And he also started the year before for us at guard. I’d be telling you a story if I didn’t tell you that was a battle because of the two players.”

The other offensive line battle most were eager to see coming into the 2011 season was the competition between Jeremy Trueblood and James Lee for the starting right tackle spot. But with numerous penalties and missed assignments, Lee has played himself out of the chance to start opening day.