TAMPA, Florida — On a hot, sunny Tuesday morning at One Buc Place, every Tampa Bay Buccaneers player reported for duty for Day One of mandatory minicamp.
Some veteran players have already been putting in the work to prepare for the upcoming season during voluntary OTAs (Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs, Antoine Winfield Jr., just to name a few), but this time around, plenty of familiar faces were out there practicing.
One player on the radar for Bucs fans is star linebacker Devin White, especially after reports said he requested a trade back in April.
Although he was in his practice uniform, White did not participate in any activities and will not the next two days either.
Head coach Todd Bowles quickly addressed the situation by saying it was nothing more than the team looking out for his health.
“No, it’s not a hold-in, we like to see where he is physically,” he said. “I feel like we don’t need to put him out here right now until we test him and do everything. Two or three days of camp is not going to help him that way."
The team will continue running conditioning tests with White, but that will be the extent of his participation until late July.
"His mindset is good. It’s just business – that’s part of it,” Bowles said. “That takes care of itself. He’ll be ready for training camp and he’ll be good to go.”
In regards to the drills completed at minicamp, Bowles said there were a few turnovers from his offense – something that gives him mixed feelings.
“Offense has some good plays but you’re not going to win many games turning the ball over and we stressed that after practice,” he said. “I’m happy for the defensive guys but you’re not happy from an offensive standpoint. It negates all the good things they’ve done, but this is what camp is for.”
However, for quarterback Kyle Trask, he said it’s all part of the learning process as offensive coordinator Dave Canales continues to experiment with his weapons.
“First day, [we’re] still working through some things, still tightening up some things but altogether, I think we’re really getting all the concepts down very well and looking pretty solid,” he said. “It’s offseason minicamp, it’s practice and we’re trying out some new ideas and some new things, [so turnovers] will happen.”
The feeling is mutual for fellow competitor Baker Mayfield.
“Offensively, we did some good things,” Mayfield said. “There were a few turnovers, obviously some things that we have to clean up, but that’s what happens when you get the full defense back out there and competition starts flying out a little bit.
“We just have to hone it in, but luckily it’s minicamp now. So, we’re going to be able to watch the film altogether and do a walk-through to crack some of those mistakes.”
Both quarterbacks said minicamp is all about building chemistry, but that only works as long as everyone is putting in their maximum effort in practice.
This is something wide receiver Chris Godwin is seeing amongst the group, all the way from starting players down to the rookies.
“I see a lot of flashes from the new rushing guys,” Godwin said. “I also think Tristan [Wirfs] is going to do a really good job of being a leader this year. It’s good to hear him get a bit more vocal and you respect that, that’s exactly what we need.
“Both quarterbacks have done a good job and Rachaad [White] is coming to his own, so he’s doing a great job. It was really good just to see everybody training together and there’s a lot of really good stuff out there.
Godwin may only be 27 years old, but he is now one of the team’s leaders and veterans. That may have felt awkward to him at first, but he is now embracing it – especially during minicamp.
"Surprisingly, I do [feel like an old guy]. I walked into the building early in OTAs before everyone was here and usually, there’s like 10-15 guys that are older than me and there might have been a couple of guys. I’m like, ‘Man, this is weird,’” Godwin said. “It’s fun though, we’ve got a lot of young guys, a lot of young energy. It energizes me, energizes all the guys around. It’s just a new feeling.”
Bucs players who suffered injuries last year were also seen working their way back on Tuesday.
Center Ryan Jensen was more involved in drills, whereas guard Aaron Stinnie was following walk-throughs and exercises not requiring a partner or any contact – and while we’re on the topic of the offensive line – Bowles confirmed Matt Feiler is the starting left guard, right now.
Outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who tragically lost his daughter after she drowned in a pool at his family’s home in Tampa, is still recovering from a torn Achilles injury he endured last season. He was off to the side doing light drills.
"That’s a testament to him. Shaq is one of the mentally toughest character guys I know,” Bowles said. “To have him out here still trying to get ready – I’m sure it’s not easy – but he’s handling it and we’re behind him.”
There was a new face that was not named on the current roster for Tampa Bay – former Indianapolis and Arizona kicker Rodrigo Blankenship. Bowles said he was brought in to compete against Chase McLaughlin.
"He was very productive in the past,” Bowles said. “We needed another kicker in here – [Chase] McLaughlin can’t kick every day and Blankenship has made some big kicks and he’s made some consistent kicks. Competition doesn’t hurt anybody.”
Day 2 of minicamp resumes on Wednesday, June 14. Although not all teams across the NFL are conducting the mandatory practices, Bowles said he is going to take every opportunity possible to have his players on the field before training camp.
The Bucs will play its first preseason game on Friday, Aug. 11, at Raymond James Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the season opener is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 10 against the Minnesota Vikings. That game can be seen on 10 Tampa Bay. To see the team’s full schedule, click here.