Fire Them Cannons: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tracker

[BigBucs]

First off – I’m just some fan in the stands – these are my impressions and not any sort of professional opinion. You’ve been warned.

Benn looked very good. Did not appear tentative at all. Was making crisp turns complete with planting and cutting.

Price still appeared to have a very quick first move when lined up for 11v11 scrimmage. However, he was running through some of the DLine drills much slower than some of his counter parts. Spent a good deal of time on one knee after drills. All in all – much better than expected.

Bowers looked LIGHTNING fast in some of the DLine drills. Appeared completely at 100%. I’m super excited about this guy.

Luke Stocker looks like the real deal. Dude is huge and made some very nice catches. Some cat in the stands kept calling him “cool hand luke” which Luke kindly acknowledged.

Other standout – Ed Gant. Dude looks like a Benn/Williams clone. Fast with excellent hands – didn’t see him drop a pass. Apparently Dom picked him off of Seattle’s practice squad. Will pay attention to him tomorrow.

That’s my $0.02 from today.

From the Bucs facebook page.

[BigBucs]

Kareem Huggins Is Getting Better - But Still A Long Way Away

In general, most Bucs are recovering well from injury. Gerald McCoy and Cody Grimm looked 100% in the min-camp after coming off a torn biceps and a broken leg respectively. Quincy Black, Aqib Talib and Davin Joseph participated fully as well. Kellen Winslow hasn't even had surgery for the first time in years. Arrelious Benn is returning from a torn ACL and was running and cutting already, though his rehab has not been completed yet. Only Brian Price and Kareem Huggins are unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. We've already talked about Brian Price, who had a unique surgical procedure and is still working on his rehab.

Karrem Huggins is different, though. His knee injury isn't really unique, but it is very severe. The Bucs have never said exactly what Huggins tore, but the Tampa Tribune noted that the injury was "very bad" and that "he blew out everything." This hurts Huggins more than most players, as his main asset was speed - and knee injuries often take away speed. The Bucs seem to feel the same way, as Huggins was the only restricted free agent not to be offered a tender before the lockout.

Still, Kareem Huggins told the St. Petersburg Times that he's close to returning. He was present at the three-day mini-camp this past week, but did not participate in drills. While Huggins may be close to finishing his rehab, he is still a long way away from being ready to return to the field of play. And even if he does return, the odds are against him retaining all of his speed and skills. If he does return, with all of his speed intact, he can be an asset for the Bucs' offense. Unfortunately, he likely won't be on the field in 2011, if ever again.

http://www.bucsnation.com/2011/7/3/2257062/kareem-huggins-is-getting-better-but-still-a-long-way-away

PewterReport Buccaneers News
Bucs RT Will Barker can't handle Bucs LE Da'Quan Bowers, who is too quick and strong. Adrian Clayborn looks quick and solid, too.

Craig Smith

The second day of practice wrapped up today at One Buc Place. Although it was not as fast and furious as Friday, with kickoff returns taking center stage for the first time, there was still some flash and excitement in team drills. Offense and defense faced off in 11-on-11s again, to the delight of the hundreds of fans in attendance. Josh Freeman was impressive for a second straight day, although maybe quite as sharp as Friday, allowing an interception and long return to WLB Geno Hayes.

The first significant injury in training camp occurred with TE Luke Stocker. According to Raheem Morris, Stocker injured his hip and will be out for a couple of weeks, although Morris had not yet been apprised by the training staff to the extent of his injury.

Mike Williams, who was carted off the field with cramps Friday, returned today and looked sharp, cutting and moving well. Williams, who set the team record for TD catches in a season last year, made getting in the playoffs both his personal and the team’s goal this season.

“Get in the playoffs,” Williams said. “I had a good individual season, but we didn’t get in the playoffs. We felt we got better each game at the end of the season. If we get in the playoffs, we could have done a lot of damage in the playoffs, so that’s just my goal for next year.”

In addition to Williams, Dezmon Briscoe continues to impress, contorting his body and making a leaping catch on a hard pass from his quarterback today. Kellen Winslow also looked very sharp for a second straight day, making several athletic grabs in traffic.

“He caught a lot of balls,” Morris said. “That’s Kellen Winslow. Kellen’s never satisfied. Kellen came to me (after Week 2 Carolina game) (and said) ‘I can do more’. (I said) ‘OK, do more.’ He’s just a critical guy of himself. He’s critical of his game. He’s always coming to me asking me what do I see in his route combinations, in his practice habits. Is his tempo getting better. He takes his playbook into the whirlpool. He’s just one of those guys. He’s just always going to be critical of himself and very demanding of himself. He has high expectations, and that’s what makes him a great player.”

Sixth-round draft pick RB Allen Bradford signed his contract and showed up for his first day of camp. The 5’11, 235-pound bruiser is a back that MLB Mason Foster does not like tackling.

“Man, he’s big,” Foster said. “He’s real big. He’s a monster. I’m glad we got Allen Bradford. I trained with Allen down in LA and played against him all throughout college. He’s tough. He’s a big guy.”

Foster and Tyrone McKenzie continued their battle today for the starting MLB position. I asked McKenzie if he feels he bring a level of physicality to the middle linebacker position that hasn’t been here for a while.

“I believe I do,” McKenzie said. “But to be honest with you, I’m trying to just be the best that I can be and be me. Whatever player that is, then I’m just gonna go out there and be (that) player, and let the coach tell me what he likes about it.”

Raheem Morris told me he likes what he’s seeing out of both so far.

“Seeing those guys really compete,” Morris said. “Seeing those guys go out there and learn every single day and getting better and better. I’m liking what I’m seeing as far as the run fits, as far as the guys making plays, as far as them being excited. The cohesiveness developing on the defense for those guys, and those guys being together in that room, it’s good. It’s a healthy competition.”

Practice resumes on Sunday morning with a closed-to-the-public morning session, followed by an evening session that is open to the public from 5:15 to 7:30.

[BigBucs]

More practice photos from our FB page.

[Shayn•Da•Pain]

:jizz:

[BigBucs]

Tampa Bay Bucs’ Training Camp: Day 2
by Rick Brown
Rookie tight end Luke Stocker suffered a hip injury on Friday and came out Saturday on crutches. He doesn’t think the injury is too severe although he will miss at least a week of practice.



“I got in an awkward position,” Stocker said Saturday. “My leg got twisted a little bit and (hurt) my hip.”

Stocker was a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee. He was expected to give the Bucs another big-play threat downfield along with Kellen Winslow. Now, it’s unsure when he will be back on the field. That’s not exactly the way Stocker drew it up after he got drafted.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I’ve got a crappy hand dealt but I’ve got to play it.”

Wide receiver Arrelious Benn was also held out but for precautionary reasons. Wide receiver coach Eric Yarber said he could have practiced but the team wants to take it slow.

Itching to Return

Right guard Davin Joseph, who re-signed with the Bucs with a seven-year deal on Friday, was at practice on Saturday but just watching. Per the CBA, free agents can sign but can not practice until Thursday.

Joseph wanted to be out there with his teammates.

“It’s not OK, but that’s the situation,” he said. “We’re able to work out at another facility but it’s not quite the same.”

Joseph was on the sidelines along with Jeremy Trueblood and James Lee, who both signed on Friday as well.

“It was tough watching everyone get after it today and not being able to participate but in due time,” he said.

“Having core group of guys from last year on offensive and defense coming back is going to help us in the whole process if we’re making a run to the playoffs and hopefully to the big game.”

No Doors Closed on Free Agents Yet

Coach Raheem Morris said he would not close the door on any of the free agents the team has not signed, including linebacker Barrett Ruud and running backs Cadillac Williams and Kareem Huggins.

“There’s interest still in a lot of our guys,” Morris said. There’s guys still alive. We’re talking about Cadillac being one of our leaders. I know our quarterback likes him. He gave us a bunch of great years of service. Hopefully we get some more out of him. But we’ll have to wait and see. I don’t want to put (GM Mark Dominik) in a corner. My job is to coach the guys in the seats.

“I don’t want to say we’ve moved on from anybody,” he said. “You don’t want to rule anyone out.”

Stay tuned.

Bucs training camp: Live Sunday (7/31/11) Updates



Quarterback Josh Freeman leads the Bucs offense through drills on Sunday.

Under ominous skies, the Bucs are getting in a Sunday workout at at One Buc Place. Roy Cummings and Anwar Richardson provide observations and analysis from the scene.

----

6:48 p.m.: GM Mark Dominik just breathed a heavy sigh of relief as everyone got up unhurt following a big collision in the end zone involving WR Dezmon Briscoe, S Ahmad Black and CB Vince Anderson. - R.C.

6:46 p.m.: Mike Williams just turned in one of the top plays of the day, leaping up in the back left corner of the end zone to snatch a touchdown pass away from defenders Sean Jones and E.J. Biggers. Williams is catching everything again today. - R.C.

6:42 p.m.: The Bucs are doing a lot of red zone work today and if this workout is any indication, Sammie Stroughter and Dezmon Briscoe are going to have big roles inside the 20. - R.C.

6:39 p.m.: One thing that's clear in this camp is that reserve tight end Ryan Purvis has improved as a pass catcher. - R.C.

6:36 p.m.: LB Dekoda Watson intercepts Freeman in 11-on-11 drills. Encouraging sign for Bucs linebackers. - A.R.

6:32 p.m.: Players are taking a water break. Practice resumes in four minutes. - A.R.

6:25 p.m.: Raheem Morris is signing autographs. Amazing to think so many people wanted him fired two years ago. - A.R.

6:22 p.m.: MLB Tyrone McKenzie looks so comfortable leading the defense. We will have to see if Ruud is missed. - A.R.

6:18 p.m.: Veteran TE Kellen Winslow catches another pass in triple coverage. Looks like he's back at the U - Miami. - A.R.

6:12 p.m.: Bucs are in 5-on-7 drills now. Five receivers vs seven defenders. - A.R.

6:10 p.m.: Earnest Graham is seeing action at running back. Talk about a flashback. - A.R.

6:07 p.m.: Another trick play on offense by the Bucs. Greg Olson is opening the playbook. - A.R.

6:05 p.m.: The real fun is starting now as the Bucs have moved into their first set of 11-on-11 drills. And already they're wowing the crowd as Freeman called a flea flicker that resulted in him throwing a 40-yard TD pass to Dezmon Briscoe. - R.C.

6:01 p.m.: With Luke Stocker slated to miss a couple of weeks with a sore hip, fellow rookie TE Daniel Hardy has a chance to prove he's just as good an option in the Bucs' two-tight-end sets. - R.C.

5:58 p.m.: QB Josh Freeman doesn't let up. Even during the individual portion of the workout he's correcting players when they run their routes wrong. - R.C.

5:57 p.m.: WR Preston Parker really seems to be maturing. He has good speed and hands. Could be someone to watch. - A.R.

5:56 p.m.: One guy who need to get his act together out here is PK Josh Jasper. Jasper has been banging kicks off the goal posts all week, and his chances of making a good impression are fading. - R.C.

5:53 p.m.: It's been a very clean practice so far. Not a lot of mistakes in the individual portion and the tempo is good. - R.C.

5:50 p.m.: Not too much going on at the moment, but that's just because players are going through individual drills. - A.R.

5:37 p.m.: The QBs are working on their rollouts, throwing the ball on the run. - R.C.

5:35 p.m.: This is the second day Arrerlious Benn is not at practice. Coaches are being extremely cautious with him. - A.R.

5:33 p.m.: The players are through with the warmup portion of the practice and are now going into the indicidual position group phase. - R.C.

5:31 p.m.: Just saw two guys wearing Shaun King jerseys. Is this throwback Sunday? - A.R.

5:27 p.m.: Players are currently stretching. The action will begin soon. - A.R.

5:25 p.m.: The threat of rain has kept the crowd down a bit, but the players are on the field and the workout has begun. - R.C.

TBBuccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nice moment for undrafted rookie LB Nick Reveiz out of Tennessee. He just picked off a short pass over the middle.
12 hours ago »

TBBuccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR Dezmon Briscoe, lying on his back in the EZ with one arm hooked by a defender, somehow still made a ridiculous 1-handed catch just now.
13 hours ago »

TBBuccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Red zone practice right now...Josh Freeman just threaded the needle on a real nice seam pass to Sammie Stroughter.
13 hours ago »

TBBuccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Thanks to the presence of Josh Johnson, the Bucs' run defense is also getting practice defending the Wildcat.
13 hours ago »

TBBuccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gotta keep the D honest in team run period...O just ran a flea-flicker on 2nd play and J.Freeman found D.Briscoe deep.
13 hours ago »

TBBuccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Cheerleaders are throwing t-shirts to the crowd tonight. Another bonus for those who came out.
14 hours ago »

TBBuccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you were thinking about coming out to Bucs camp, good news! We beat the weather and practice is just underway.
14 hours ago

[BigBucs]

Bucs dial down tempo for morning (8/1/11) training camp session

By The Tampa Tribune
Published: August 01, 2011

TAMPA --
In anticipation of putting on the pads and cranking up the intensity this afternoon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers slowed things down a bit during their morning workout at One Buc Place today.

The two-hour workout looked more like the walkthrough that it's labeled as and less like the high-energy practices the Bucs have been holding since they returned to the field last Friday.

"I was going too fast according to my rules, so I had to slow it down,'' Morris said after he re-started the final period of the practice to ensure the proper tempo. "We want to make sure we apply to the (league) rules.''

Morris said the session was mostly devoted to focusing on situational football, but he said he and his staff are excited to see the players put on the pads this afternoon.

"It's time,'' said new Bucs defensive line coach Keith Millard, whose position group is one that Morris is especially anxious to see work out once the gear goes on and the intensity increases.

The Bucs added two new defensive ends in first- and second-round draft picks Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers and second-year pro Gerald McCoy remains the trigger pin of what the Bucs hope will be an improved pass rush.

Elsewhere, Morris said position battles are starting to take shape at middle linebacker, backup running back, third cornerback and right tackle, where the top two combatants have yet to make it onto the field.

Jeremy Trueblood and James Lee, who split time as the starting right tackle last year, are stuck on the sidelines by a league rule that prohibits free agent signees from working out with their teams until Thursday.

PewterReport Buccaneers News
Assante strips Blount, returns for TD.

LedgeronBucs Rick Brown
First goal line stance, Ty McKenzie sticks LeGarrett Blount. A scuffle ensues. Good stuff.

RoyECummings Roy Cummings
QB Josh Freeman is clearly impressed with what the Bucs have in DEs Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers. "Those guys are studs,'' he said.

DavinJoseph75 Davin Joseph
The rivalry btw defense & offense has officially begun at One Buc. #1stdayin pads

CraigInTampa Craig Smith
I commented today on the goalline TDs I saw. That was pretty much it. Defense came to play today, was physical. DTs won most of the battles.

RoyECummings Roy Cummings
Regis Benn missed another workout today but the Bucs are just being cautious with him. He's working out on his own after practices.

RoyECummings Roy Cummings
No worries about Gerald McCoy's right knee. He's fine, but he gave everyone a scare after three guys fell on it and bent it the wrong way.

RoyECummings Roy Cummings
The defense won the goal-ine drills today. "I want that drill again when we have Trueblood and Joseph in there,'' QB Josh Freeman said.

CraigInTampa Craig Smith
Cant get over how mature Josh Freeman is. Addresses you if you asked the question,gives thoughtful answers. How the hell is he only 23???

AJaClay Adrian Clayborn
#bucnation strong at practice today

ahmadblack35 Ahmad Black
Too small and too slow again?? Okkayyy!!! So when I ball, write a story about me still being "too small and too slow" hahahaha

Blount actually threw a few punches. Not good. Needs to control his temper. Right after, he walked up to Morris and apologized for it. Rah did accept his apology, but not w/out giving him a hard time about it.

[Point Blank]

Welp, at least you guys have a good photographer..

[Poundtherock]

2011 Season

Awwwwriiiite. Got some catching up to do. Most, if not all, of my training camp info will be coming from http://www.bbs.tbaybucs.com/, St. Pete Times or joebucsfan.com. Haters and fans all welcomed to participate...... Leggo.


St. Pete Times

Really! Great catch up!!!

Find the hidden gem

The Bucs usually know by this time each year which undrafted rookie free agents have a chance to make the team. The lockout pushed that process back months, so the Tampa Bay will have to determine during training camp if there is a hidden gem among that group of players. That won't be easy to do. The Bucs will be evaluating drafted players for the first time, as well, and those players will garner the majority of the attention. Still, it's imperative the Bucs find a keeper or two from its group of undrafted rookies. Injuries eventually will take their toll on this team, so the Bucs need to find some young backups without suffering a drop off on the field of play.

Keep your eye on this guy.....just signed by the Bucs, undrafted FA out of Syracuse....a blocking TE demon....and can catch the ball! 6-5, 250.

Check the vids..........3 or 4 TEs may be the case this year!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39J4rL0owso[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFQE3HiPFjA&feature=related[/ame]

[BigBucs]

Really! Great catch up!!!

Keep your eye on this guy.....just signed by the Bucs, undrafted FA out of Syracuse....a blocking TE demon....and can catch the ball! 6-5, 250.

Check the vids..........3 or 4 TEs may be the case this year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39J4rL0owso

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFQE3...eature=related

Man, we are deep at TE in camp.

K2, Ryan Purvis, Luke Stocker, Daniel Hardy and this guy? Anyone else?

[BigBucs]

Welp, at least you guys have a good photographer..

Everyone welcome but division rivals. Get your spying ass outta here. :screams:

[Point Blank]

Everyone welcome but division rivals. Get your spying ass outta here. :screams:

Official Atlanta Falcons Thread
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (2 members and 0 guests)
Point Blank™, BigBucs

[BigBucs]

Official Atlanta Falcons Thread
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (2 members and 0 guests)
Point Blank™, BigBucs

[BigBucs]

Alright, I was also able to make it out to camp today. I took notes on my phone all throughout, so I'll try and give a play-by-play the best I can, going in chronological order (might end up sort of "tweet style, as that's how my notes are). I couldn't type everything I saw (or I would have missed every other play) but I did the best I could. If anyone has any specific questions go ahead and ask as it may jog my memory. I'll start with mostly the facts of what I saw, then a follow with a few overall impressions. Here goes:

Nice moment of the day: During a Special Teams oriented warmup session at the very beginning of practice, some guy in street clothes runs out from OBP and acts (jokes) like he's about to participate next to coach Morris. It was Hayward, and he exchanged some words, and handshake, and a lot of smiles with Morris. Happy to see him back, he's a versatile guy who played very well last year when he got the chance.

Kregg Lumpkin had the best catch of the receiver warmups - a one-handed grab with arm fully extended.

As I'm sure we've all heard, Benn wasn't out there again today. Briscoe had the only drop I saw, on a slant route. A few more balls were incomplete but those were bad throws (either by a backup QB or coach). The receivers practiced many various routes vs. air, mostly medium and deep, and mostly complete. Coughlin had a few ugly ones though. Carpenter wasn't taking snaps today, though he was in attendance (no pads).

I noticed the offense practicing the signature Earnest Graham HB pass in the red zone. It was complete, for the record. Also practiced some other tricky play action throws with heavy run personnel. Looked good.

Next thing I watched was WR vs. DB 1v1's, all thrown from around the 25 yard line. Initially there were a lot of incomplete attempts, some due to good coverage but mostly due to bad throws by our camp-arm QB (Coughlin) and a few bad ones from JJ as well. Coughlin was on another level of suck though. Here are a few battles I took notes on:
- Williams beats Talib on a deep out in right field. Talib not happy.
- Ed Gant makes a great over the head catch in the left corner of the end zone. Forget who gave it up (some practice squad type guy) but the catch would have been difficult vs. air.
- Lewis gets beat initially by Mike Williams but does a great job recovering to break up an end zone pass in the corner from Freeman.
- Briscoe beats Talib on a approx. 10 yard out route. Talib still not happy. Later, Briscoe drops a similar pass that should have been caught.
- Ronde Barber puts himself in great position but drops the Freeman INT in some great slot coverage vs. Winslow
- Last one - Mike Williams makes an outstanding catch over his outside shoulder streaking down the sideline. Talib is once again the victim, and this time takes his helmet off. Definitely pissed at himself.

Next was 5v7 pass drill with QB, RB, TE, and 2 WR vs. the back 7 on D. Freeman starts it off. On the first play, Ronde Barber makes a great play to tip the ball up and grab an INT from Freeman, once again in great coverage on Winslow. Defense won the first four plays in a row, their streak finally broken by a Freeman to Mike Williams slant. Next, Briscoe makes a catch on a deep out route (~15 yards) against Myron Lewis. Freeman comes out and JJ is in, and proceeds to throw two checkdowns to the RB for minimal gain. Next play, Sean Jones reacts perfectly and gets a nice pass breakup against one of our TE's. JJ ends on a good note when Winslow finds a seam and grabs a pass about 30 yards down field.

Next we moved to punt team practice, which usually I wouldn't mention, but as someone before said, Malone was absolutely crushing the ball. One in particular had us punting from our own 20 yard line, and he boomed the ball, with great hangtime, to the opposite 10, where it bounced into the end zone. The next two, from the same spot, get to the 15-20 yard line area. We're talking 60+ yard punts here folks. Very surprising. To top it all off, from our own 30, he sent a ball perfectly to the corner, bouncing out of bounds within the 5 yard line.

Finally we got to some full team drills, mostly practicing 3rd and 1 situations (which we sorely needed last year). Kyle Moore was with the first team. In fact, I didn't really see Bowers plays any 11 on 11's. Not sure if he was held out or just didn't make a noticeable play. Anyway, all on 3rd and 1 situations:

- Two runs up the middle to begin...both looked to be successful.

- Pass play, everyone covered well, Freeman scrambles, gets cheers from the crowd, but probably would have been lit up by Mason Foster is he'd been allowed to hit.

- Lumpkin gets a carry and gets the 1st.

- JJ in. Rollout pass from JJ to Rendrick Taylor complete for the first down and then some.

- Next play, McCoy absolutely destroys the line on a run play, could have just about taken the handoff.

- Freeman comes back in, and the period ends with a successful play action pass to Winslow.


Finally, the day ended with Goal Line 11v11, from the 2 yard line. In order:

- Blount gets stuffed my Tyrone McKenzie, and they got into a scuffle. Luckily no one hurt.

- Pass breakup (couldn't see by who), then on the next play Clayborn made a nice tackle to stop another run play.

- McCoy, once again, blows up the line and makes the tackle for loss.

- Finally Blount plows through on a run off left tackle. Seemed like that early fight put some fire in him.

- Lumpkin scores on a dive to left guard two plays in a row...looked fearless hitting the hole.

- Finally, one of our play-action passes completely fools the defense, and Winslow makes the easy catch by himself in the left side of the end zone.

Notable observations after practice:

- Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount were both very courteous with autographs. Williams started leaving twice, only to loop around to a different part of the crowd to sign some more stuff. Blount stayed a very long time too. Winslow was one of the first to leave from autographs.
- Mike Williams, Preston Parker, and Dezmon Briscoe ran a bunch of 100yd sprints together after practice for some extra conditioning. Good to see.

Overall observations:

1) Freeman and Mike Williams are both looking VERY good. Very exciting to see. Freeman's passes today were almost all sharp, quick, and very accurate. He had one or two overthrows on deep balls, and a couple mistake throws, but mostly Ronde should be given credit for great plays on those breakups (and the INT). Unfortunately, if Freeman goes down, we're doomed. JJ was okay, but had some misses and still doesn't have nearly the zip that Freeman does on his intermediate passes. He also relies too heavily on his check downs. Carpenter didn't play today, and Coughlin was terribly inconsistent. He'd have one nice throw followed by 2-3 awful ones.

2) That brings me to our corners. Ronde showed why he absolutely thrives in the slot. Playing the outside, he got beat a couple times by Mike Williams (pretty bad PI on one to prevent the completion, but he knew it and smiled at Williams), but inside all our TE's were having problems with him. Talib struggled quite a bit. It's still very early, but that was definitely disappointing.

3) Our receivers as a whole are a very promising group. I can't wait to see these guys in preseason. It's going to be a tough battle between Briscoe, Stroughter, Parker, Spurlock, Gant, Webber and the rest for those 3rd-5/6th roles. The one who really stood out to me today was Ed Gant. He caught everything thrown his way, has a nice long frame, and was deceptively fast with good routes for his size.

4) I got my first dose of Kregg Lumpkin, and he showed me some of why the staff has been so high on him. He caught the ball well, and was VERY physical in his runs. Specifically in the 3rd and short and goal line drills, he hit the hole harder than any RB and actually scared me a few times when I saw heard the collisions. I was sure someone would be hurt. I hope he stays healthy long enough to see how that translates against a real opponent. Blount had a couple nice runs too, and was working a lot on improving his pass catching.

5) Gerald McCoy. He was incredibly impressive today - a whole new player. I can't wait to see how he fares when we get Davin Joseph back in, because he was blowing up our reserves like they were toys on a few plays. I hope his little leg tweak doesn't set him back at all. I didn't see Price play much, but as others have said, he's got about 15-20lbs too much on him. Judging by his long sleeve shirt today, I think he's trying to sweat some of that off.

6) I liked the recurring pattern I saw today in 11v11's. The defense usually took the first few plays and shut down the offense, but once the offense had a few plays to adjust, they adapted and were pretty successful overall.


Unfortunately, due to my seating and focus on the offense, I didn't get to see as much defense as I'd have liked, so I didn't get to see much of our new ends or of Foster/McKenzie outside of 11-on-11's. If I can make it on Friday, I'll try and pay a little more attention over there next time. The only lineman 1v1 I remember seeing was Clayborn dominate some no-name, bottom-of-the-roster tackle. Woop-de-doo.

[BigBucs]

Regarding Mondays (8-1-11) Practice

TAMPA --
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held their first padded practice of training camp Monday afternoon.

We followed the action here on TBO.com with live updates from beat writers Roy Cummings and Ira Kaufman. (Note: this report runs with the newest updates first. To start from the beginning, scroll to the bottom of the page and work your way up.)

7:12 p.m.: And that's a wrap. An intense, spirited session that no doubt was exactly what the coaching staff was looking for.

7:12 p.m.: TE Kellen Winslow just made up those 3 yards and more, catching a 10-yard pass. He had to reprimand young CB Anthony Gaitor after Gator took him down with a nice tackle.. Must protect those knees. - R.C.

7:10 p.m.: DT Gerald McCoy is just fine. He just blew up a running play by getting into the backfield at about the same time that the handoff was being made. That would have been a 3-yard loss. - R.C.

7:04 p.m.: Another run stuff for the defense with rookie DE Adrian Clayborn and DT Roy Miller leading the way. The battle is even overall, though. - R.C.

7:02 p.m.: Now they're turning around so that the offense is backed up inside its own 20. DT Gerald McCoy is still in, but he's still flexing that knee a bit. - R.C.

7:00 p.m.: DT Gerald McCoy is back in after skipping a couple of plays. You can go back to breathing now Bucs fans. - R.C.

6:59 p.m.: Bucs trainer checking on DT Gerald McCoy. Doesn't appear serious. - I.K.

6:58 p.m.: Talk about intense, LeGarrette Blount, Ty Mckenzie and Adrian Clayborn got into a scuffle on the first play. On the second, S Sean Jones broke up Earnest Graham's flea-flicker psss in the end zone. On the fourth, Gerald McCoy stuffed Kregg Lumpkin for no gain. Not to worry, though. Blount scored one play later. The bad news is McCoy has come up limping and he's flexing his right knee.

6:57 p.m.: RB LeGarrette Blount breaks a few tackles at the goal line. Seems like old times. - I.K.

6:52 p.m.: Coach Raheem Morris just huddled the team up. This is going to be 10 minutes of game-like situations and the offense is working on its goal-line package. - R.C.

6:52 p.m.: The players are gathering near the end zone for some high-intensity contact. - I.K.

6:51 p.m.: Break in the action for a few minutes before things get physical out here. - I.K.

6:50 p.m.: The players are coming off a brief cool-down break. Looks like some intense 11-on-11 work is just ahead. - R.C.

6:37 p.m.: Rookie DE Adrian Clayborn may have had some trouble with Donald Penn but Cory Brandon is no match for him. Clayborn just bull-rushed Brandon into the first row of the stands. - R.C.

6:34 p.m.: We just got a glimpse of that thump that MLB Tyrone Mckenzie brings. On a short pass over the middle to LeGarrette Blount, McKenzie got to Blount at the same time as the ball and just about blew Blount up. Had it been a game, he would have leveled him. - R.C.

6:32 p.m.: Left tackle Donald Penn just took on rookie DE Adrian Clayborn twice in a row in a one-on-one drill and schooled him twice. That's OK. That's how the rookie will learn. - R.C.

6:30 p.m.: Captain Fear is stoking up the crowd with the help of some cheerleaders. These fans want to see some fierce hitting out here. - R.C.

6:29 p.m.: Ronde Barber is having an All-Pro day. He broke up a Josh Freeman pass a few plays ago and just intercepted the Bucs QB during a 7-on-7 drill. TE Kellen Winslow can't seem to shake him. - R.C.

6:27 p.m.: They're leaving no stone unturned here. The running backs are now practicing their tackling in a drill that represents a pass being intercepted by the opposition. - R.C.

6:23 p.m.: Mike Williams just leaped high into the air at the goal line to take a ball away from Aqib Talib and score a long touchdown. - R.C.

6:19 p.m.: Mike Williams got behind Myron Lewis on a deep ball but Lewis won the battle by turning around at the last second and getting his hand up to break up the pass. - R.C.

6:17 p.m.: Kregg Lumpkin just broke off a nice gain on a run off right tackle. That's what the Bucs are looking for. - R.C.

6:16 p.m.: LeGarrette Blount is running like a sledgehammer. - I.K.

6:11 p.m.: This has not been one of WR Dezmon Briscoe's better days. He's dropped a couple of passes already. But now comes a chance to redeem himself in the 11-on-11 work. - R.C.

6:09 p.m.: While the rest of the offense works on its goal-line running attack, the receivers are running deep routes and taking passes from Josh Johnson. - R.C.

6:06 p.m.: Yesterday it was red zone passing. Today the offense is concentrating on its goal-line running. - R.C.


6:02 p.m.: The humidity has dropped markedly in the past hour here at practice. - I.K.

6:02 p.m.: So far the offensive linemen are winning the majority of the one-on-one battles. Adrian Clayborn has been the exception to that rule. - R.C.

6:00 p.m.: Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer is watching the start of individual blocking drills. - I.K.

5:57 p.m.: The real fun is beginning down at the far end of the field where the linemen are going one-on-one against each other. - R.C.

5:54 p.m.: Still no Arrelious Benn out here. This is the third straight day that he's missed an afternoon workout. The Bucs are either being extremely careful with him or he suffered a slight setback in his recovery. The good news is that he has been coming out after practice to work on his own. - R.C.

5:46 p.m.: The hitting hasn"t even started and already we have our first casualty. FB Erik Lorig is walking off with what appears to be a left foot, ankle or leg problem. At least he's walking. Could be a wardrobe malfunction. - R.C.

5:42 p.m.: OK, I was wrong about doing the warmup inside. They just started that now. Individual work should pick up again right after this. - R.C.

5:41 p.m.: The running backs are working on making one-handed catches. Kregg Lumpkin just wowed the crowd with one. - R.C.

5:40 p.m.: The boys are done - for now - with special teams and are going right into the individual or position-specific fundamental portion of the workout. That means they probably did the warmup inside while waiting for the threat of lightning to pass. - R.C.

5:39 p.m.: New OL coach Pat Morris is working with his guys off to the side. Morris says he likes what he has to work with. - I.K.

5:37 p.m.: Based on the shout-outs he's getting from the fans here, former USF Bull Tyrone McKenzie is fast becoming a fan favorite. - R.C.

5:35 p.m.: Newly re-signed LB Adam Hayward got a nice round of applause when he sauntered out onto the field a few minutes ago. - R.C.

5:33 p.m.: Josh Freeman is warming up on a far field. When he arrives, that's when the real action will start. - I.K.

5:31 p.m.: Cody Grimm may be a starter at saftey, but he's still a regular on special teams. He's showing guys how the job is done here. - R.C.

5:32 p.m.: Coach Raheem Morris brought out the sound system for this one. Nothing like mixing business with pleasure. - R.C.

5:29 p.m.: These special teams drills are seldom as exciting as 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 drills, but they're very important. This is where young players like S Ahmad Black and LB Darrell Smith make the team. - R.C.

5:24 p.m.: The part of this workout the coaches and general manager are looking forward to most is the battle up front. Everyone is eager to see how DEs Da'Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn and DT Gerald McCoy look. - R.C.

5:22 p.m.: The threat of rain and lightning is passing and the players are on the field - in pads. For starters, they're going through some coverage drills. - R.C.

5:17 p.m.: We are in a hold pattern because of nearby thunder and lightning. Fans are still streaming in and it looks like players are returning to the field. - I.K.

Bucs notes: Energy, passion on full display



Once the pads went on, running back LeGarrette Blount wasted no time putting his bruising style to work, much to the delight of the fans.

By ROY CUMMINGS, IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune
Published: August 02, 2011

TAMPA --
The pads returned Monday — and so did the intensity.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers players donned pads on the fourth day of training camp during a public practice that featured some spirited hitting.

"Everybody can rush the passer with only jerseys on,'' said Bucs rookie DE Adrian Clayborn, "but you see who really likes to hit when you put the pads on.''

Bruising RB LeGarrette Blount plowed over defenders during goal-line drills and the Bucs rewarded an appreciative crowd by working in a few trick plays before today's off day.

"The first day of pads is always a fun one,'' QB Josh Freeman said. "Lots of energy, a lot of passion. It was fun to go out and watch our new guys — Clayborn and (Da'Quan) Bowers. I feel really set with the guys we have.''

Pressure points

Coach Raheem Morris added a few fresh names to the list Monday when asked to pinpoint the most interesting position battles of training camp.

While most of the early attention has focused on the competition at middle linebacker (Tyrone McKenzie vs. rookie Mason Foster) and right tackle (James Lee vs. Jeremy Trueblood), Morris mentioned third-year RB Kregg Lumpkin and second-year CB Myron Lewis as players to watch.

With veteran back Cadillac Williams still testing free agency, the Bucs are looking for someone to assume the third-down role behind Blount, with the accent on pass blocking and receiving skills out of the backfield.

"That second running back spot is really intriguing,'' Morris said. "That guy who comes in and pass protects, whether it's Earnest Graham or Lumpkin or one of the new guys, (Allen) Bradford.''

Lumpkin, claimed off waivers from Green Bay in September, played 11 games with Tampa Bay last season, catching one pass and posting one carry.

Lewis, a third-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2010, didn't make his NFL debut until Game 5. He played more extensively late in the year, gaining confidence each week and registering four tackles in the season finale at New Orleans.

With Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib assured of starting jobs, Lewis is pushing E.J. Biggers, one of last season's biggest surprises, for increased playing time as Tampa Bay's third corner.

"In the secondary, we're pretty clear-cut, so to speak, but we do have Biggers and Myron Lewis battling,'' Morris said. "Biggers had a great season, but Myron Lewis came on at the end and played well down the stretch. We're trying to define his role — how much do we play dime (six defensive backs), how much do we play nickel (five defensive backs) and how does he factor in?''

Isn't that special?

The Bucs replenished their linebacker depth and secured a key piece of their special teams units by re-signing Adam Hayward to a three-year contract.

Hayward, a sixth-round draft pick in 2007, started three games last season and made a team-high 20 special teams tackles.

"A warrior, a Buccaneer, a gentleman in the community, probably our special teams MVP,'' Morris said of Hayward. "I'm very excited to have him back.''

The Bucs also signed undrafted free-agent TE Jose Cruz of Syracuse and released LS Aaron Feld and RB Deonte' Jackson.

Extra points

DT Gerald McCoy tweaked his right knee during a goal-line drill but returned to the field after a few snaps. … Former Bucs LB David Lewis signed autographs before practice at the merchandise tent. … The start of Monday's late-afternoon practice was delayed 10 minutes due to lightning in the area. … DT Brian Price, still recovering from a pelvis injury that undermined his rookie season and required surgery, participated in the contact drills and said he was happy to put the pads back on. … Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer attended Monday's practice.

Bucs news and notes: Pads worn at last, Ahmad Black's bad run works for Morris


By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, August 2, 2011


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote of the day

"I think that, frankly, when you have good players around you and you have a guy breathing down your neck, it makes you play better. It's almost human nature to become complacent. It's nice to have somebody to push you and strive to get better."

OT Jeremy Trueblood on the expected competition along the offensive line

Slowpoke

When rookie S Ahmad Black ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February, he probably became discouraged about his draft status. Bucs coach Raheem Morris got giddy. "I was the happiest guy in the world when he ran a bad time because I knew we had a chance to get him a little bit later," Morris said of the fifth-round pick. "He comes in here, he's got that Cody Grimm type of attitude where he's just a playmaker.''

Play of the day

Ronde Barber's leaping deflection and interception of a Josh Freeman pass intended for Kellen Winslow was a highlight of the 7-on-7 period. With Freeman forcing the ball down the middle, Barber broke on the pass and batted it up, got his balance, caught it in stride and took off down the sideline. But the secondary took its lumps, too, with CB Aqib Talib biting on an inside move from WR Mike Williams that led to a long TD. "Sometimes it gets a little frustrating when you have Ronde on one side and Aqib on the other side," Freeman said. "Those two guys are the best in the business. It's fortunate they're on our side. You saw Ronde make that incredible play. Nobody else I can even think of can make that play."

Getting physical

The Bucs donned pads for the first time, allowing players to finally make full contact, and the day didn't disappoint.

In the much-awaited goal-line drill, the defense got the better of the offense, allowing touchdowns on four of the 10 attempts.

LB Geno Hayes was in on a couple of stops, including an attempted pass to Ryan Purvis, and a stop of RB Allen Bradford at the goal line. One score came from RB LeGarrette Blount, who broke two tackles on his way to the end zone, running behind LT Donald Penn.

QB Josh Johnson threw an easy touchdown to TE Kellen Winslow after Johnson sold a play-action to the running back and put the ball on his hip.

"That was a fake that we've been working on for a long time, trying to perfect it," QB Josh Freeman said. "Actually, he could've held it as long as he wanted."

The offense was without G Davin Joseph and OTs Jeremy Trueblood and James Lee, who can't practice until Thursday because they only recently signed their contracts. Freeman is looking for another go-round when his full complement of linemen is available.

"We know what kind of players Brian Price and Gerald (McCoy) and Adrian (Clayborn) and Da'Quan (Bowers) are," Freeman said. "They're studs. There's no doubt about it.

"I want a repeat of this drill when we get Davin and Trueblood back. We'll be ready to go then."

[Poundtherock]

Thanks for gathering all this, BB. And good to see Hayward back......gives the special teams a lift.