Bucs rookie center Graham Barton to start, says he still has a lot to prove [Video]

TAMPA, Fla. — Graham Barton is eager to prove himself with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The rookie center claimed a starting job this week and will take snaps with the regulars in a game for the first time when the Bucs and Miami Dolphins conclude their preseason schedules on Friday night.

“They had to name someone, but I still think it’s something where I’m coming in here to prove what I can,” Barton said Wednesday following a joint practice between the intrastate rivals at Tampa Bay’s training facility.

“I had a lot on my plate, mentally and physically. I’m starting to adjust and get a feel for the game and how everything is operating here,” the first-round draft pick out of Duke added. “It’s a work in progress and always will be. … It’s a role I still have to earn every day.”

Coach Todd Bowles clearly likes what he’s …