When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened training camp three weeks ago, they had not yet released their first official depth chart of the season. Obviously, though, one was already forming in the heads of the Buccaneers' coaching staff, after 14 OTA days and two mini-camps had provided necessary evidence.

That's how second-year man Kyle Moore found himself on the field at left end for the first training camp snap, and how rookie Mike Williams was in the huddle with the starting offense on Day One. That Moore and Williams would be starting in the regular-season opener on September 12 wasn't decided then - and it still isn't set in stone now - but the jobs were clearly theirs to lose.

Neither Moore nor Williams did anything over the next three weeks to lose their spots and if they are still starting when the third and most important preseason game rolls around on August 28, they'll be near-locks for that September 12 assignment.

But left end and receiver weren't the only positions of interest when training camp started three weeks ago. Some of the battles, both in the starting 22 and farther down the depth chart, seemed to get some pretty clear answers during camp. Others appear to still be in development. As training camp breaks, let's take a look at some of the position issues the Buccaneers were facing when camp began and see which ones appear to be decided and which still remain undecided.

Note that even the "decided" spots are still open to competition. Perhaps another one of the young receivers will surge and give Williams a run for his money in the starting 11. Would a preseason sack binge by, say, Tim Crowder lead to a re-evaluation at left end? We'll simply assess the situation as it appears on this day, at the close of training camp, with the usual caveat that the analysis below is not necessarily meant to reflect the opinions of the Bucs' coaching staff or personnel department.

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DECIDED: Running Back/Fullback.

When the 2009 season began, the Buccaneers' offensive backfield boasted three tailbacks who had proved they could be productive NFL starters. Cadillac Williams, having completed a remarkable comeback from two serious knee injuries, managed to seize the starting job, and he has done nothing to lose it since. That put newly-signed back Derrick Ward into a complementary role and made it possible to move Earnest Graham to fullback when that position was hit hard by injuries.

A year later, that still appears to be the manner in which the Bucs will utilize Williams, Ward and Graham. Head Coach Raheem Morris said on Wednesday that Williams has earned the right to start again in 2010, and if any of the three is going to be a workhorse, it's likely to be the former Auburn star. The Bucs expect their running game to be significantly improved in 2010, which would lead to more productive days for both Williams and Ward, and there is certainly plenty of evidence around the NFL that a pair of runners can thrive together in the same backfield.

Graham has two young players behind him at fullback in second-year man Chris Pressley and rookie Rendrick Taylor, and the competition between those two is certainly worth watching. However, the Bucs are likely to want to keep Graham on the field as much as possible due to ball-carrying threat he brings to the fullback position and his very good receiving skills. Graham has thrived in every role the Buccaneers have given him over his seven years with the team, and fullback is no different.

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UNDECIDED: Flanker.

Williams is running first in the "X" receiver position for the Bucs, what some refer to as the split end. Fifth-year man Maurice Stovall has taken the early lead for the other starting receiver spot, what is commonly called the flanker. Morris said Stovall's ascension began last year when he proved he could produce on a regular basis when injuries struck Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton. Always a hard-worker, Stovall has built on that 2009 momentum throughout the offseason and training camp.

However, there are two related factors that would seem to keep this starting job in play for a few more weeks. First, there is a deep group of young players behind Stovall pushing for more playing time and second, they're going to get a greater opportunity to display their skills with Stovall out for a week and possibly a little more. Stovall suffered an ankle injury early in the preseason opener at Miami and will definitely not play on Saturday against the Chiefs.

Sammie Stroughter strived as the Bucs' slot receiver last year in his rookie season. Would he be best utilized in the same role or would the Bucs want to get him on the field even more as a starter. Newcomer Reggie Brown has been a 50-60 catch man in the NFL and could break out again if given enough snaps. Micheal Spurlock has opened eyes recently, and not just as a return man. Michael Clayton remains in the mix.

To say that this position remains undecided is no knock on Stovall whatsoever; in fact, Stovall works every day as if he is still fighting for a job. It is simply an acknowledgment that the Buccaneers are deeper in potential at wide receiver than they have been in a long time, and it's too early to count out some of the other candidates.

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DECIDED: Three-technique tackle.

In a way, this one might have been decided on draft weekend back in April. The Buccaneers obviously hoped that first-round pick Gerald McCoy would step right into a starting role and have the sort of impact he did in college at Oklahoma.

Still, the job wasn't going to be simply handed to McCoy. Solid evaluation of linemen is difficult during the offseason, but once the pads went on and the hitting began, McCoy would have to prove that he wasn't overwhelmed by the NFL game. Fortunately, he has done just that.

In the Bucs' preseason opener at Miami, McCoy's presence was felt immediately. Despite his rookie status, the Dolphins chose to double-team him repeatedly, and the result was more open ground than Buccaneer defensive ends have been used to in recent years. The Bucs have been thrilled with their newfound defensive tackle depth in general, especially with the good work of Roy Miller and Dre Moore, and rookie second-rounder Brian Price is about to be worked back into the mix. It would seem, however, that McCoy has solidified his spot at the front of the line.

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UNDECIDED: Strong safety.

Incumbent Sabby Piscitelli started the first preseason game at strong safety and newcomer Sean Jones will start the second one against Kansas City this Saturday. Morris said the lineup in the third preseason contest, against Jacksonville on September 28, will be a very telling sign in this battle.

The Bucs haven't short-changed either player in the competition for that starting job, nor do they appear to have made a decision yet. Piscitelli and Jones have been alternating regularly with the first-team defense on the practice field, and neither one has fallen off the pace. It appears that this is a job that will be won by one of the competitors, not lost by the other one.

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DECIDED: Left defensive end.

As mentioned above, Kyle Moore has seized control of this job and could become the breakout pass-rusher the Bucs are looking for in 2010.

Morris said Moore "matured" significantly during the 2010 offseason and also added muscle to his tall frame. He has shown a quick first step on the practice field and was frequently in the Miami backfield last Saturday, notching one quarterback pressure and knocking down a pass.

Inserting Moore into the starting lineup would allow the Bucs to keep Tim Crowder in a role that he appeared well-suited for in 2009, working both ends of the line as a reserve. Crowder actually started games at both right and left end last season, and against the Dolphins he frequently came in on passing situations as Moore moved inside to play defensive tackle.

Morris said that Moore would likely see less time on the interior line when Price returns to action. Moore will instead focus primarily on left end, and on keeping his first NFL starting job.

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UNDECIDED: Nickel back.

This should prove to be one of the most hotly-contested jobs in Buc-land by the time the preseason is over.

Second-year player E.J. Biggers fired the first shot in the battle in Miami when he was perhaps the team's best defensive performer. Playing in the nickel in the first half of the game, Biggers held his own against Brandon Marshall and finished with four tackles, a tackle for loss, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed.

Elbert Mack started that game at left cornerback with Aqib Talib not in town, but Mack is also a strong candidate to play in the nickel, a job he has held before. Rookie cornerback Myron Lewis will finally get a chance to throw his hat into the ring, too, when he makes his NFL debut on Saturday against the Chiefs.

The Bucs took Lewis, the former Vanderbilt star, high in the third round in April's draft, and they obviously intend for him to be a part of their defense long-term. Lewis is the team's biggest cornerback, at 6-2, 203, which should ultimately make him very valuable against the league's army of oversized receivers.

Talib and Ronde Barber are entrenched as starters, but the Bucs are sure to keep using Barber in the slot when they go to a nickel package. That means the third cornerback into the game will actually be taking over one of the outside spots. Lewis, Biggers, Mack and young holdovers Brandon Anderson and Derrick Roberson will get plenty of chances to prove they can handle such a role in the remaining three preseason games.

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DECIDED: Punter.

Is it silly to include this one? After all, the Bucs went into training camp with only one punter on the roster, so no real decision had to be made over the past three weeks at that position.

Except that it did. The Buccaneers obviously believe in the potential of rookie Brent Bowden, the punter they took out of Virginia Tech in the sixth round, as they released their trio of veteran holdovers before and after the draft. Still, they needed proof in training camp and during the preseason that their confidence was well-founded. As Special Teams Coordinator Rich Bisaccia has pointed out, Bowden is competing with other punters, namely anybody currently on the waiver wire.

So far, so good. The Bucs have emphasized Bowden's placement skills on the practice field, often asking him to angle his kicks precisely to the sideline. Making his NFL debut in Miami, Bowden dropped his first punt down at the Dolphins' one-yard line, where it promptly bounced back away from the goal line and was downed at the six. Bowden actually settled half of his four punts down inside the Miami 10.

Bowden might need to continue his strong work through the rest of the preseason to keep his bosses eyes off the waiver wire, but for now he appears to have answered any questions that might have existed.

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UNDECIDED: Defensive end depth.

Even if Moore and Stylez G. White solidify their starting spots at the two ends, the makeup of the rest of the DE depth chart remains unclear.

Behind Moore and White are a fourth-year player (Crowder) and a second-year player (Michael Bennett). Behind that are three rookies: seventh-round pick Erik Lorig and undrafted rookies Brandon Gilbeaux and James Ruffin. How many of those players the Bucs keep, which ones they keep and who will be kept active on game day is difficult to predict.

Bennett had a nice game in Miami, recording the Bucs' only sack. Morris has spoken favorably about the practice-field work of Gilbeaux and Ruffin. Lorig already appears to be finding a niche on special teams - the better to nail down a roster spot - and Morris said he is "freakishly" athletic. Those players are obviously unproven on the NFL level, but Morris doesn't think that puts them at a significant disadvantage.

"I think we're all unproven," said the coach. "Those guys have to go out there and get their snaps, and be good in the snaps they get, and it's up to me to control the tempo. You don't want to rush the process. You want to get them out there, get them their time, let those guys all be evaluated and let them make their mark."

That thought could apply to any group on the Bucs' depth chart, and any battle for jobs that is still going on. Some of those battles appear to have produced winners already, but some are still ongoing. On Saturday, the search for answers will begin again when the Kansas City Chiefs come to town.