Byron Leftwich

For the past several days, and seemingly for the past couple of weeks, there's been an assumption in these parts that the Buccaneers will address their quarterback situation in a predictable way. That is, that Byron Leftwich, the apparent leader in the starting race, will be No. 1, followed by Luke Mccown and first-round pick Josh Freeman.

But it's becoming clear the Bucs are still considering their options, and everything remains on the table. Yes, Leftwich is the leader in the position battle and appears likely to win the job unless he takes a huge backward step Saturday night at Jacksonville. But beyond that, things might not necessarily go according to the script.

The key here is Josh Johnson. He has impressed coaches with his performance in his limited snaps during training camp, and he certainly did nothing to hurt his case to make the roster with his performance against the Titans last Saturday. It's enough to give coaches and the front office reason to pause when deciding his ultimate fate.

We know the Bucs have said they plan to keep just three of their four quarterbacks.