The Bucs received again to work Saturday morning on the AdventHealth Coaching Middle with kickoff of their preseason opener simply seven days away. The group was in shorts and helmets for its ninth apply of coaching camp, working by a lighter day after 4 practices in pads this week.
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles mentioned they are going to have a walkthrough Sunday earlier than Monday’s off day. That was already deliberate with the schedule forward of camp, nevertheless it coincidentally works out effectively given the climate forecasts over the weekend in Tampa.
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds and Bailey Adams had been in attendance for Saturday’s apply. Listed here are their observations:
One other Key Bucs Defender Suffers An Harm
Simply 4 days after left guard candidate Sua Opeta suffered a season-ending ACL damage and beginning security Jordan Whitehead picked up a quad damage, and solely two days after beginning outdoors linebacker Yaya Diaby suffered a excessive ankle sprain that can hold him out of the preseason, the Bucs noticed one other key participant go away apply with an damage.
About half-hour into Saturday’s apply, third-round defensive again Tykee Smith walked off the sphere with a coach and didn’t return, with Pewter Report studying that he has a gentle ankle sprain.
#Bucs rookie DB Tykee Smith has not returned to apply after spraining an ankle throughout particular person drills. He received his ankle taped up, however he’s executed for the day.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) August 3, 2024
Todd Bowles confirmed after apply that Smith “tweaked his ankle a little bit bit.” That definitely appears like a manageable damage for the rookie and never one to be overly involved about, nevertheless it merely added one other banged-up Buc to the checklist from this week. And whereas it is probably not overly severe, a sprained ankle might nonetheless put Smith’s standing for subsequent Saturday’s preseason opener unsure.
We’ll know extra subsequent week, and the walkthrough Sunday and break day Monday come at a very good time for the previous Georgia standout who has shortly emerged because the seemingly starter at nickelback on the Bucs protection.
Bucs Who Have been Not Training
The identical group of injured Bucs missed out on Saturday’s apply, with Kameron Johnson, Chase Edmonds, Shaun Peterson Jr., Jordan Whitehead and SirVocea Dennis all watching on from the sidelines. There was a brand new non-participant, although, and that was fourth-year outdoors linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
Joe-Tryon Shoyinka and Kameron Johnson (rib) are amongst those that will not be practising at the moment. Chase Edmonds stays out as effectively. pic.twitter.com/ZLy2EepXta
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) August 3, 2024
With Tryon-Shoyinka out and Yaya Diaby therapeutic up for Week 1, rookie Chris Braswell received elevated reps on Saturday, beginning at outdoors linebacker with veteran Anthony Nelson.
Bucs End Off A Sturdy Week, As soon as Once more Avoiding A Sloppy Observe
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
With out the pads on, it was a lighter apply for the Bucs on Saturday. However that doesn’t imply they didn’t get some invaluable work in. The group had a fairly crisp apply, one thing that has been a theme — if not a relentless — all through coaching camp up to now. Not all the things has been good, however Tampa Bay’s first 9 practices of camp this yr have felt manner totally different than 2023, when there have been loads of sloppy practices because the group received again along with numerous query marks.
“The penalties are a piece in progress,” Todd Bowles mentioned Saturday. “We’ve received to get that taken care of. After we’ve been in camp for per week, you’ve received to get used to your pads, you’ve received to get used to the warmth, you’ve received to hold out your project. That’s a piece in progress. I’m actually happy with the psychological focus the fellows have are available in with. We haven’t had any sloppy days. We’ve had psychological errors, however we haven’t had any sloppy days. Guys are locked in and attempting to get higher.”
The primary week and a half of Bucs coaching camp has featured numerous forwards and backwards between the offense and protection, which has been enjoyable to see. Even with the offense studying a brand new system below Liam Coen after studying and working Dave Canales’ offense final yr, all the things appears to be coming collectively faster and contributing to a extra aggressive environment in comparison with final August.
What definitely helps is that this yr’s Bucs already know their id. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is settled in and main a gaggle that surpassed expectations final yr and feels nice about its possibilities of taking the subsequent step ahead this yr. Consequently, practices have been enjoyable — but additionally business-like. The errors are there, however issues don’t appear disjointed the way in which they did at instances final summer season.
Observations And Highlights From Day 9 Of Bucs Camp
Listed here are some quick-hitting observations from Tampa Bay’s ninth coaching camp apply:
Lavonte David and Mike Evans continued to get some further relaxation throughout 11-on-11s, opening up some alternatives for youthful guys. Vi Jones and Kalen DeLoach received further reps at inside linebacker with the first-team protection, whereas Rakim Jarrett and Ryan Miller benefitted from some extra snaps at large receiver.
Talking of Jarrett, he had a robust apply on Saturday. It was in all probability his finest of coaching camp to this point, catching a few passes in site visitors from Baker Mayfield and later making a diving catch over the center of the sphere. Todd Bowles had some reward for the second-year receiver after apply, however famous that he must be extra constant.
Rookie tight finish Devin Culp had one other spectacular apply, showcasing a few of his pace and separation skill. Late in apply, he caught a ball over the center from John Wolford and raced to the top zone for a landing.
Tavierre Thomas and Christian Izien each had spectacular cross breakups in the course of the 11-on-11 interval.
Bucs DT Logan Corridor – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Bucs defensive sort out Logan Corridor has had a extremely stable week of apply and he ended it on a excessive notice. Corridor has executed a pleasant job penetrating the backfield in 11-on-11s and had some good cross rushes in one-on-one cross rush/cross safety drills on Friday. Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles needed to present Eric Banks a glance with the starters in base protection on Saturday, so Corridor was relegated to second string. However he made the play of the protection on protection, dropping into protection throughout the center and choosing off backup quarterback Kyle Trask and taking the interception again for a pick-six. As soon as he received into the top zone, Corridor punted the ball to have a good time. Even with the No. 2 protection on Saturday Corridor was benefiting from his alternatives.
New outdoors linebacker Jay Individual is definitely the lightest edge rusher the Bucs have. The rookie from College of Tennessee-Chattanooga was signed on Friday to assist bolster the surface linebacker room with Yaya Diaby’s damage and Randy Gregory’s absence. Individual is 6-foot-2, 237 kilos and received shoved round fairly a bit in his first apply in Tampa Bay. It’s apparent that his head is swimming having simply arrived and never realizing the protection, however he’s extremely gentle and never significantly quick across the edge. Individual appears extra like a camp physique than an precise contender for the roster or the apply squad at this level.
Bucs working again Rachaad White was large open the flat within the purple zone and waltzed into the top zone for a simple landing in the direction of the top of apply. After he caught the scoring strike from Baker Mayfield, White received on the bottom and began rowing the boat, which is the celebration the Bucs protection usually does after making a turnover. White, who’s a famous trash talker, was taunting the Tampa Bay protection. Vast receiver Trey Palmer joined in on the enjoyable and began rowing the boat together with White.
