The Bucs had been again collectively once more on the AdventHealth Coaching Heart Wednesday morning for an additional mini-camp follow, one which was initially speculated to function their second of three this week. However with the announcement that Thursday’s mini-camp session was canceled, Wednesday grew to become the staff’s closing exercise earlier than it breaks for the subsequent 5 weeks.
Media alert: The Buccaneers have canceled the ultimate day of necessary mini-camp initially scheduled for Thursday, June 18.
Media will nonetheless have the chance to attend in the present day’s follow and communicate with Head Coach Todd Bowles and choose gamers following follow.
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds, Matt Matera, Bailey Adams and Kat Beutel had been available at One Buc Place for Wednesday’s mini-camp finale. Listed below are their observations and takeaways from Day 2.
Assured With The place They Are, Bucs Break For The Summer time
The Bucs had practices on all three of their allotted days throughout the first week of OTAs on the finish of Could, after which they’d all three practices the next week to start June. However within the closing week of OTAs, the staff was given Tuesday off earlier than the much-talked-about Wednesday follow that the league took away as a consequence of too many guys hitting the bottom throughout an earlier OTA exercise.
Tampa Bay held its closing OTA follow on Thursday earlier than coming again for mini-camp this week. So, with two days off final week leading to solely seven out of 9 attainable OTA periods getting used, why cancel the ultimate mini-camp follow on Thursday? Merely put, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and his workers are pleased with the place the staff is after the work they’ve put on this summer season.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
“We had a good practice. Tomorrow’s practice was going to be more of the younger guys anyway,” Bowles mentioned after Wednesday’s follow. “They got a lot of reps today, especially closing out the two minutes, so we feel good with where we are.”
The youthful guys did get loads of work in throughout Wednesday’s 90-minute follow, particularly within the waning moments as Bowles mentioned. Throughout that interval – a two-minute drill led by rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels – the offense was trying to not less than get into subject purpose vary with 1:24 to work with on the clock. Daniels received the drive began with a slant throughout the center to Kameron Johnson for a primary down.
From there, Daniels threw incomplete passes on first and second down with a false begin penalty blended in. On third & 15, he discovered Garrett Greene for a bit of yardage to make it a fourth-and-short state of affairs. On fourth down, the Bucs offense transformed as Daniels discovered David Sills V for a brief acquire. However that’s the place the drive stalled, as Daniels threw incomplete deep, cornerback Ayden Garnes dropped an interception after which the protection ultimately made a fourth-down cease to complete follow.
With that, the Bucs will head into their summer season break earlier than returning to start coaching camp close to the tip of July.
Bucs Get Standout Day From A Trio Of Move Catchers
The offense dominated a lot of the day by fast hitters within the passing sport, and that effort was led by a trio of move catchers of various makeups. Veteran working again Kenny Gainwell, a newcomer to the Bucs offense, was a significant standout. Throughout 7-on-7 work, he caught a fade for a landing from Baker Mayfield, going as much as make a leaping catch earlier than falling to the bottom and securing the ball.
Bucs Kenneth Gainwell – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Gainwell later caught a display screen move out of the backfield for a pleasant acquire and later introduced one in on a wheel route. It was a giant follow for the brand new Buccaneer working again, and it was consultant of the kind of summer season he had in Tampa Bay’s offense. Getting loads of the reps with the starters as a consequence of Bucky Irving’s restoration from damage, Gainwell shined each as a runner and as a move catcher. However it was his work within the passing sport that stood out essentially the most. It actually seems to be like he’ll be a giant a part of the passing sport underneath new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.
The subsequent big-time efficiency for a move catcher throughout Wednesday’s follow got here from second-year receiver Tez Johnson. The undersized-but-elusive receiver had a fantastic exhibiting on Tuesday, and he stacked one other spectacular day on high of it to proceed displaying his development since his five-touchdown rookie season in 2025.
Johnson had the primary huge landing of the day, hauling in a move from Jake Browning close to the sideline earlier than taking it the remainder of the best way to the tip zone. He later regarded to make a spectacular catch behind the tip zone throughout 7-on-7s, although it was on the far aspect of the sector and it was unclear whether or not he received each toes in bounds. Nonetheless, it was a spectacularly athletic catch. He hauled in a pair extra passes all through the day as nicely, serving as a go-to goal for each Browning and Connor Bazelak.
The third within the trio of spectacular move catchers from Wednesday’s follow was David Sills V. The 30-year-old veteran was all over the place on Wednesday.
Bucs WR David Sills V – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Along with the fourth-down catch he had on a Jalon Daniels move over the last 11-on-11 interval, the 6-foot-3 receiver caught two touchdowns throughout 7-on-7 pink zone work, with the second approaching a deeper throw from Daniels to the again of the tip zone.
Whereas Tampa Bay is stacked on the extensive receiver place with Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson and Ted Hurst main the best way, Sills shall be an attention-grabbing one to look at come coaching camp as he seems to be to latch on as one of many closing receivers on the Bucs’ 53-man roster.
He has an edge in expertise over guys like Kam Johnson, Garrett Greene, Dennis Houston and Eric Rivers Jr., notably inside Zac Robinson’s offense given their time collectively in Atlanta. However his largest differentiator is likely to be his dimension. With Mike Evans gone, the offense is missing some size on the receiver place outdoors of Hurst, a 6-foot-4 rookie. So, Sills’ 6-foot-3 stature might play into his favor come roster cutdown time.
Josh Hayes’ Choose-Six Highlights The Protection’s Day
On a day that didn’t characteristic too many splash performs from the protection, one huge one stood out. Throughout an early 11-on-11 interval, Josh Hayes was in the appropriate place on the proper time as Tez Johnson slipped popping out of his break. The throw from Jake Browning was already out, and Hayes was there to select it off and take it again to the tip zone untouched for a pick-six.
Bucs CB Josh Hayes – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
It didn’t take a lot from Hayes, but when something, it confirmed he was in the appropriate spot. And given the proclivity many Buccaneer defenders have a tendency to point out for dropping interceptions, the fourth-year cornerback/particular groups star holding on for the choose was a welcome sight, too.
This was a novel summer season for Hayes. He’s all the time been extra of a particular groups playmaker than a viable cornerback choice, however with second-year nook Benjamin Morrison lacking extra time throughout OTAs and mini-camp as a consequence of damage, it’s been Hayes who has benefitted from elevated reps. And if Tampa Bay doesn’t exit and add a veteran cornerback earlier than the season, Hayes might have a definite benefit over a number of the different depth cornerback choices on the roster.
The staff introduced in Chase Lucas and Kemon Corridor throughout free company, however neither has beginning expertise. Whereas it wasn’t the prettiest sight to see at instances, Hayes does have beginning expertise underneath his belt. In fact, there’s additionally the sting he has by way of expertise in Todd Bowles’ protection. Coaching camp shall be a giant alternative for the previous Ok-Stater, and it’ll be attention-grabbing to see if he takes benefit of it.
Different Observations And Takeaways From Day 2 Of Bucs Mini-Camp
Listed below are some quick-hitting observations and takeaways from the Bucs’ closing follow earlier than summer season break:
There was an unlucky second throughout Wednesday’s follow the place outdoors linebackers Mo Kamara and Chris Braswell collided throughout a drill. Simply after Kamara slipped whereas bending across the nook, the 2 needed to run it once more. This time, Braswell got here round a bit of extensive and the 2 clipped one another, with Kamara getting the worst of it. He stayed down for a while earlier than gingerly strolling off the sector with a coach.
Bucs OLB Mo Kamara – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Chris Godwin Jr. continued to have a fantastic summer season. He was rather less concerned on Wednesday, however he has been closely featured within the short-to-intermediate passing sport. He’s such chain-mover and was at his finest early in 2024 underneath Liam Coen, and the return to a scheme just like Coen’s underneath Zac Robinson seems to be to be benefitting him in a giant manner.
Ted Hurst has drawn rave opinions from his teammates this week. Baker Mayfield spoke extremely of the rookie receiver on Tuesday earlier than each Antoine Winfield Jr. and Emeka Egbuka praised his bodily make-up, talent set and work ethic after Wednesday’s follow.
Rookie receiver Dean Patterson, undrafted out of Georgia Tech, made a few good performs early on in Wednesday’s 11-on-11 interval. Eric Rivers Jr., one other Georgia Tech rookie, had a landing in 7-on-7 work.
The distinction wherein the Bucs are working towards throughout particular groups durations this yr in comparison with previous years is unbelievable. The whole lot they’re doing underneath Danny Smith is finished with intention and urgency, and the unit’s depth is matching that of the 72-year-old Smith, who is without doubt one of the loudest coaches on the sector. On Wednesday, Smith began a punt return drill with just one minute left within the follow interval, but the group received by it in 45 seconds.
Bucs DT Vita Vea – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
After follow, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned he’s not involved about Vita Vea’s contract state of affairs affecting Vea or the staff. He merely mentioned they’ve been by this earlier than with different gamers and it’s simply part of the enterprise.
