Here is what you need to know about what happened at Buccaneers training camp on Wednesday, August 15:
BUCS INJURIES
• Bucs defensive tackle Roy Miller, who was carted off the field on Tuesday due to heat exhaustion, was back at practice on Wednesday. Two players who sat out on Wednesday were tight end Luke Stocker (not feeling well) and defensive tackle Gary Gibson (Achilles). Both were also out on Tuesday as well. Stocker was not in uniform, but Gibson was in pads and was limited with the work he did on Wednesday.
Left tackle Donald Penn (calf), wide receiver Arrelious Benn (knee), cornerback E.J. Biggers (foot) and defensive end Da’Quan Bowers (Achilles) are still sidelined, although Bowers and Benn were out at practice observing the team.
TAMPA BAY’S ROSTER MOVES
There were no roster moves on Wednesday.
BUCS DEPTH CHART NEWS
• Tiquan Underwood joined the kick return unit as a return man along with Sammie Stroughter and Michael Smith. Smith’s return would have been the only one in a live game as he went up the left sidelines the whole way untouched.
• Stroughter was running with the first team in the slot receiver role on Wednesday ahead of Preston Parker. Parker, who muffed a punt return in Friday’s game at Miami, was not seen returning punts on Wednesday. Instead, Parker, rookie running back Michael Smith and wide receiver Mike Williams were handling punt return duties.
THE BIG NEWS AT ONE BUC PLACE
• Wednesday marks the conclusion of the Buccaneers’ 2012 training camp, and the first camp with head coach Greg Schiano. Outside of a broken foot suffered by Biggers and Benn’s MCL sprain, there were no major injuries suffered during training camp.
• The Buccaneers’ preseason home opener against Tennessee is not sold out and will be blacked out on local television. To date, none of Tampa Bay’s 2012 home games are sold out. The best chances the Bucs have at selling out a home game are the season opener against Carolina, which features free parking and half-priced concessions (excluding beer), and the Philadelphia game later in the year as that game will likely host well over 10,000 Eagles fans.
STANDOUT PLAYS IN TAMPA BAY
• Rookie middle linebacker Najee Goode, who is not known for great pass coverage, picked off quarterback Brett Ratliff and returned it for a touchdown at the start of practice in 7-on-7 drills. Goode, who is the third-string Mike linebacker, is coming off a so-so performance in Miami in Tampa Bay’s preseason opener where he gave up a touchdown in pass coverage and also failed to make a key block on Smith’s 74-yard kick return that would have sprung him loose for a touchdown.
• Cornerback Eric Wright and Vincent Jackson battled to a draw in 11-on-11 drills. Jackson got the best of Wright on two catches, but the newly signed cornerback defended Jackson perfectly on two other throws, breaking up both pass attempts to the 6-foot-5 wide receiver. Wright has also proven to be a very effective blitzer throughout training camp and sacked quarterback Josh Freeman on a nickel blitz.
• Replacement referees aren’t the only officials making mistakes in the NFL. Rookie receiver Greg Ellingson made a beautiful, over the shoulder catch in the back of the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but the refs hired to work Tampa Bay’s training camp practices said that he did not get both feet in bounds. Bucs officials complained and showed the footmarks in the grass where Ellingson dragged his feet as he hauled in Dan Orlovsky’s pass, but to no avail. The refs did not overturn their call and Ellingson was robbed.
x close























COMMENTS
August 15, 2012
8:24 pm
August 15, 2012
4:14 pm
August 15, 2012
12:04 pm
August 15, 2012
11:45 am
August 15, 2012
11:40 am
August 15, 2012
11:20 am