Competition heats up at Bucs training camp

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Imagine a job where it's not all about teamwork, but about outdoing your co-worker.

Welcome to NFL training camp.

"One person raises their level of competition and everybody raises it," said Buccaneers offensive tackle Donovan Smith. "It just brings the best out of everybody."

The competition during training camp is different from Sundays during the regular season. The players are competing against their own teammates, working for a spot on the 53-man roster. They say this year, head coach Dirk Koetter is igniting a different kind of intensity amongst the players.

"The way Coach Koetter, he came in, and one of our main things is to compete in everything that we do, whether it's just a drill during an individual period, whether it's team, 9-on-7," said tight end Cameron Brate. "Guys are getting after it, which has been really cool to see on film."

In the last week, Koetter has named Brate his top tight end and Adam Humphries the Bucs third wide receiver. Both players went undrafted last year and know it doesn't mean they're locked in to start during the regular season.  

"We're just at the beginning of training camp really," said Brate. "We still have, I mean, all four preseason games. It's good to be at the top right now, but still have to come every day and bring it and hopefully maintain that spot."

"When you're competing, you're going to have guys ahead of other guys at different times," said Koetter.

"Wouldn't you want that at every positions to elevate the whole team? That's what competition does."

To bring out the best, and try and be the best come time for kick off September 11th.