Youngry

In the process of building his team, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris made a new word. Youngry, young and hungry, describes the team and the coach. At 35, Morris is the youngest coach in the league. With 74 of the 90 players in camp age 35 and under, the Buccaneers are the youngest team in the league. They are fast becoming one of the most talented. At 10-6 last year, the talent has started to show. They fell just short of making the playoffs. That made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hungry.

Every time I see Raheem Morris coach or interviewed, I'm reminded of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Their energy is infectious and inspiring. They also both started coaching in the same corner of the NFL, the Buccaneers defensive backfield. Despite the youth of the coach and the players, the Buccaneers strike me as a very confident team. It's not the naive confidence of youth. It's a confidence in the system and a confidence in each other. A lot of this starts with their 23-year old quarterback. Josh Freeman should be mentioned with Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco as one of the best young QBs in the game. In their first year together, Freeman and rookie receiver Mike Williams were an often lethal combination. Fellow receiver Arrelious Benn and tight ends Kellen Winslow and Luke Stocker provide nice options for Freeman. Another young player about to explode is runningback Legarrette Blount. If he's learned from his idiocy in college, he could be a major weapon out of the backfield. All this behind a solid offensive line. A trio of 2011 draft picks may help propel the defense for years. Defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers and linebacker Mason Foster could make an immediate impact. The always solid, and comparatively ancient, Ronde Barber leads the secondary.

The roster turnover since Jon Gruden was fired is amazing. A rebuilding effort that produces results this quickly is typically aided by veteran additions. With youth, it usually takes a few years. Tampa Bay seemed to do it immediately. It's easy to call the Buccaneers an up and coming team. I say they are already there. They concede nothing to New Orleans and Atlanta in the NFC South. With their youth, the Buccaneers could be a threat for a while.