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2015 a 'growing year,' Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer says

 
Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer speaks to the media before training camp’s second practice.
Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer speaks to the media before training camp’s second practice.
Published Aug. 3, 2015

TAMPA — Despite the frustration of sitting through a 2-14 season last year, Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer said Sunday it brought the No. 1 overall draft pick and what he hopes is a franchise quarterback in Jameis Winston. But he believes Tampa Bay fans should still consider 2015 a "growing year," while acknowledging "anything can happen."

"This is a growing year," Glazer said before the start of the Bucs' training camp practice. "With a rookie quarterback, everybody in this community is really excited about that, the team is excited about that, and with Jameis, we're going to put it on his shoulders and see how he goes. But it's one step at a time. We're not trying to do it all at once here."

The Bucs have not reached the playoffs since 2007 and have not won a postseason game since Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003. In the past five years, they have had three head coaching changes, including the hiring of current coach Lovie Smith last year, and have had two general managers.

Glazer said it has been hard for his family, which owns the team, to endure the losing seasons and playoff drought.

"It's hard. It's hard to sit here," Glazer said. "You try each year to put it all together and get all the right pieces, and some things don't work out. That happens not only for us but for a lot of teams in the NFL. It is frustrating to watch, but as much as we own the team, we're fans, and we want to win.

"One of the things we've seen over our ownership is that this is a quarterback-driven league. So hopefully with the quarterback (Winston), we could have success for a long time."

The addition of Winston, the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner from Florida State who won a national championship in 2013 and lost only one game in his two college seasons, has re-energized the franchise and its fan base, Glazer said.

"You can feel it throughout the whole community, the excitement with Jameis here," Glazer said. "But also, the team made strides last year, even though the record didn't show that. The team played better and better as the year went on. Now, if you can get that franchise quarterback, which we think we have, you can take that next step."

How many wins does Glazer see for the Bucs in 2015?

"You can't really put a number on it," he said. "We say that every year. You want to see improvement. You want to look at everything, but there's also things that happen you can't predict, like injuries and that. But we hope to see improvement throughout the whole team."

One thing Glazer and the Bucs couldn't predict in 2014 was the loss of offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford, who was put on indefinite medical leave after a heart procedure in the preseason. Tedford is now the coach of the British Columbia Lions in the Canadian Football League. The Bucs hired former Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to replace him.

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Among the other issues Glazer addressed was plans to construct an indoor practice facility at One Buc Place.

"We actually are working on that right now," he said. "The architects have been drawing that up, but that is a work in progress, and it's going to happen. As soon as we get the drawings all done, we'll give you further details, but that is actually happening."

Glazer said he was hopeful an indoor field could be completed by 2016 but had no timetable. The Bucs also are nearing a deal with the Tampa Sports Authority and Hillsborough County on extensive enhancements to Raymond James Stadium.

"At the end of the day, we are very invested in it," Glazer said. "That conversation will come another day, but we're making a very major investment."

The Bucs' first open practice was washed out, and they were forced to have a private workout at USF on Saturday night. On Sunday, the weather broke, and fans packed One Buc Place to watch Winston and the Bucs in their first training camp practice there.

Glazer moved freely through a standing-room-only crowd and interacted with fans. Winston looked sharp, already providing hope for this season.

"I didn't call it a rebuilding year," Glazer said. "I said we're progressing and anything can happen. I mean, this is a team that has potential to go very, very far, and you just don't know. A lot of our games were close last year, and you flip the switch on those, you play great at the quarterback position, and anything can happen."