Josh Freeman conducted a very successful test of his broken right (throwing) thumb last night, leaving the Bucs encouraged that he'll be fine when the season opens next Sunday.

But his injury will cause him to modify some things.

According to coach Raheem Morris, Freeman has been testing different methods of gripping the ball and will probably wear a glove on his throwing hand against Cleveland.

"I told you he tossed it back and forth in practice and you saw him grip the ball and kind of get a feel for how it feels and how it’s comfortable and what he wants to do," Morris said. "He’s going to go with the Tom Brady look, with the glove."

The Bucs are off today and will conduct a walkthrough on Saturday. The next full-squad, full-speed practice is on Tuesday, which is Freeman's target date for returning to the field.

As for his performance Thursday night, Morris was impressed, but he said Freeman's teammates might have gained the most confidence after witnessing Freeman's throws.

"I don’t know if I was encouraged as much as his teammates were," Morris said.

Morris and his players also got a sense for what kind of heart Freeman appears to have, too.

"It was just encouraging to see him be around his team and show that mental toughness that we talk about from a leader," Morris said.

"He’s getting a feel for it. He’s a postivie young man and I think you’re starting to learn about his touugness. That’s kind of the player and person that he is. If it was hurting, I don’t think he’d let you know anyway. He’s just a tough guy like that."