The PewterReport.com staff will choose a daily Bucs Camp MVP during Tampa Bay’s 2017 training camp based on that player’s performance. Visit PewterReport.com daily to find out which player is named the Bucs Camp MVP.

Bucs Camp MVP 8-8: Rookie Howard Pushing Through The Heat

The grind is real.

After being spoiled somewhat with cloudy and rainy weather at the start of training camp earlier this month, the Florida skies have delivered their annual summer promise of bright blue skies, stifling humidity and temperatures that are overwhelming, at times. The players are struggling somewhat, and today was no exception. Practice was so uninspired early, at one point head coach Dirk Koetter stopped practice and had a talk with his guys.

“We just weren’t practicing very well,” Koetter said after practice. “We were going through the motions. If you are just going through the motions, you either need to practice better or just go back in.”

One player who knows a thing or two about hot summers is Alabama native rookie O.J. Howard. The former Bama star had a solid day for the Bucs in a practice with some nice one-on-one reps.

The first was on Keith Tandy. Tandy is pretty helpless on a drill like that, especially against a player like Howard. In the play above, he showed his suddenness with how quickly he could change direction at his size.

The second was on Chris Conte – if you’re keeping score at home, that’s against both of the Bucs starting safeties.

Howard was also the main tight end in the scrimmage when the team was going through running drills. Whether it was with two tight ends or a tight end and a full back, Howard was the preferred option as an extra blocker.

A dominant day blocking and catching, that’s an MVP day for a tight end.