Bucs Practice Notes

[yuccaneers]

Notes from today
This is the first practice so little can really be derived from it, but some things I noticed today were:

Quarterbacks
Josh Johnson was the first player out before practice. He has a good release but seems to lack ‘zip’ on the ball when he gets lazy with his footwork. This carried over to the full squad drills where his passes were often behind the receiver or sailing over their heads.

Brian Griese looks like Brian Giese. His play-action is ridiculously good, he seems in control of the offense but his actual passes look very “Brad Johnson-y� Not that we did not get a ring with Brad, but he was never accused of having a rocket for an arm.
Chris Simms looks to have bilked up. He showed far more arm strength than last year. He had a couple of nice connections in the early session showing both good zip and touch on different routes.

Chris Simms looks to have bilked up. He showed far more arm strength than last year. He had a couple of nice connections in the early session showing both good zip and touch on different routes.

Luke McCown was the best looking QB of the morning session. Out of the guys on the field he appears to have the strongest arm (though two long balls were short making the receiver wait - Both still caught) and looks very fluid in the pocket and out.

Running Backs
Ernest Graham looks fast. I do not remember him looking fast before but today, he looks fast.

Warrick Dunn does not look his age and has shown good hands out of the backfield.

Michael Bennett is also very fast and was the best back today at his cut backs and change of direction game in general. I hope this guy knows the blitz pickups this year as he is exciting to see on the field.

Wide Receivers
Michael Clayton looks slimmer than last camp and it is translating into looking faster on the field. He and Maurice are looking like #1 and #2 right now and have been paired in almost all drills. No drops that I saw and a number of flat out good catches.

Maurice Stovall looks to be recovered and moving well. His stride is deceiving as he got open a number of times long even though he looked to be jogging. He is gobbling up all passes thrown his way and doing what he did last year. Coming out early and going in late to get in extra reps.

Antonio Bryant looks fast. His speed out of cuts is pretty impressive. It will be interesting to see if that translates to pad and game speed. He has shown good hands and like I mentioned does not look slow next to Dexter Jackson.

Dexter Jackson is very fast. He is also very, very small. I know that should be obvious, but it is made painfully obvious as he lines up with this receiving corp. He has seemed to look better than the scouts gave him credit for coming out of double moves and has done a good job of catching the ball away from his body; something he did not do well in college.

Ike looks, well, old. He is clearly half speed in drills but speeds up for scrimmage scenarios. I know what Ike does and how he does it, but right now, he does not look good. Then again, Joey looks absent and we know what he can do, so only time will tell.

Tight Ends
Alex Smith looks like the starter because he is the starter. He looks confident and played well all morning.

Jerramy Stevens made a number of good plays but they looked like most of his plays last year (with the exception of the TD in NOLA). They were clumsy and almost incomplete and I prayed that he would not get hit and fumble (even though it was a non contact drill).

Ben Troupe was the surprise for me of the morning. He looks solid and fluid on the field and is bigger than I remember him being. It will be interesting to see what he does in the afternoon session and the rest of the week.

I will try to focus on the bigs this afternoon. Buenning looked good this AM as did a few others. On defense, Cato June looked very good. Defense seems to shine in pads though. Stay tuned for more information!

This is a post by Oldschool76 who is the voice of whatthebuc? local internet radio that he posted on Bucschat.

Hope this helps fill the need until PR post there camp insider

[Bucco40]

Great work Yuc, Good insight and I hope Ike and Josh Johnson will improve this afternoon. Anything on BJ Askew???

[Plank]

Sweet info, thanks bro!

[yuccaneers]

Bucco40, not my work a stated Oldschool76's insights as he is at camp today getting a birds eye view of practice. Just figured I would post it so fans had a chance to get some insight on the first practice. He is the voice a WhattheBuc? an internet radio station brought to you by the fans for the fans.

[Bucco40]

Oh, my bad yuc I didnt realize that. Thanks anyways

thanks

[Simms2Clayton05]

Thanks yucc

[CurtR1995]

Excellent update.  Thanks

[Detrimental]

Great insight, appreciate it. We'll see who is really fast when the pads come on. I've had Bryant as the #2 starter the day we signed him, he better not let me down. I'm not on the Clayton bandwagon until  the pads come on. Stovall I'll give him time because he's only 23, and seems to be a "late bloomer".

[1sparkybuc]

The afternoon practice is in the tent and closed to the public.

[yuccaneers]

Part of the afternoon practice was held in the tent while the other half was held outside the tent with players switching shoes to be able to play on the rubberized surface in the tent. The team run period was held outside.

[quezilla]

good work

[yuccaneers]

Stovall had to go to the training room in between practicing in the tent an practicing outside it was unclear weather or not he returned to practice

[Madman]

Great report Yucs.

How did Talib look out there?

[msakaniwa]

Thanks for the insight.  Keep it up