Here are some of the best Bucs quotes following their the team’s training camp practice on Thursday, July 27.

Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles

On the defense getting some interceptions in practice today:

“SirVocea [Dennis] made a good play – he was doing it in the spring. He got a good break on the ball and came down with it. Nolan [Turner] is very smart – he’s a heady ballplayer. We can’t hold the ball that long and put it over the middle. We got some turnovers, defensively. Offensively, I thought we did [well], moving the ball pretty [well] – as much as you can in shorts and t-shirts. We’ve just got to finish at the end.”

On Bucs C Ryan Jensen not practicing today and what his workload will be like:

“We have a good program for him. We knew he wasn’t practicing today but he gets his work done and we’re confident in his schedule. We’ll keep seeing if he progresses.”

On Bucs RB Sean Tucker practicing since being medically cleared:

“We’re throwing him right in there. He’s got just as good of an opportunity as anybody over there. He has great college credentials, we knew that when we got him. We understood where he was when we got him. He’s shown that he’s a competitor when he’s in there, so [we’re] just ready to get the pads on and see what he does over the next couple of weeks.”

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On if Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs has improved at right tackle since OTAs:

“Tristan is a worker anyway. As soon as you challenge him to do something, he’s going to work his tail off to do that. He’s adjusted well over there, I think. There’s probably still some kinks he needs to work out, probably when we get in pads, from a hand placement standpoint but I think he’s done an excellent job so far.”

On how the two-minute drills went in practice today:

“It’s the team combined – I’ll look at the tape. We got down there – both quarterbacks got down there – but we didn’t punch it in. We’ve got to start punching that ball in. Defensively, we can’t let them get down there to begin with before you make stops. You don’t want it to be that close.”

On how he feels about the depth on the roster:

“I think we’re still developing those backups. It’s hard to say the depth right now with two days out of pads – that’ll come in pads. I see some guys that have a chance to be good depth players and possibly shoot for starting spots. That has to play out in pads, though, I’m not going to make that determination in two days of t-shirts. When the pads come on next week, it’ll be a good test to see how much depth we actually have and how many people can play multiple positions will play a big part in that, too. That’s yet to be determined.”

Bucs Quarterback Baker Mayfield

On if he is the Bucs starting quarterback as it stands:

“We just work each day. One day at a time right now. We have the first two days under our belt. We are just getting into the swing of things offensively, with just the recall of what we worked on in the spring. It has been really good, especially from our young guys, with them being able to remember our plays and the terminology. You expect a lot of rust the first few days when you are talking about that, but for the most part it has been pretty clean. We are happy about that and ready to keep installing the offense as we go and progressing each day.”

Bucs QBs Kyle Trask, Baker Mayfield and John Wolford – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On how the position competition between QB Kyle Trask and him is able to bring out the best in each:

“Obviously I am a little more outgoing than Kyle [Trask]. He is a great guy. To me competition always brings the best out in anybody. You want to have somebody pushing you to be better. You want to have somebody who is going to challenge you and bring a different aspect to it. John [Wolford] does that as well. He brings the aspect of knowing that offense that we are installing down to a science almost.

The combination of all three of us, it is pretty special to see how we are working together. When I mention the quarterback room being extremely important to be able to jell and get going, between Kyle, John and I, it is pretty cool how it is working.”

On how motivated he is by skeptics online, given the last time he was fully healthy in Cleveland he had a great season:

“I have been off social media for almost two years now. I am wired different. I don’t need anyone on the outside to tell me what I can or can’t do. I know what I am capable of. Yeah, I mean I got hurt in Cleveland. That is why my run ended there. Then last year, it was what it was in Carolina. Everything happens for a reason. I am here now, and I am ready to go. This team, you talk about skeptics and what the narrative is around this team, I think it speaks to our veterans and the people that were apart of the run to the Super Bowl and the success that they have had recently, more so than me.

I will always have a chip on my shoulder. That is how I approach every day, but it is good to be around a room and a group who has had that success and continues to have that mentality as well. It is a good fit, but we are going to write our own story. You cannot carry on anything from the past years. You might internalize and think about it, but nothing translates to the next year.”

On how much he is looking forward to practicing with pads on:

“Football with pads on is the real game. This is an extension of the OTAs. We are using this to revamp, get used to the heat again, and to learn the offense again so that when we play real boy ball you see the physical attributes of what guys are made of. It is going to be hotter with pads on so being able to continue the mental aspect of it, but also who is going to separate themselves with technique when they are tired with the pads on and continue to show us what type of team this will be.”

Bucs Quarterback Kyle Trask

On if he feels more comfortable with the offense now than during OTAs and what he did to train in that time:

“Obviously, [it was] a new offense coming in in the spring, so it was all new for us that first go-around. You have that downtime and you really want to make sure that you’re correcting the mistakes you made in OTAs. You’re always going to have new mistakes and new things to learn from – that’s football.

At the end of the day, you don’t want to make the same mistake twice, you want to be learning and progressing forward. Going through the day one installs all over again just makes you feel more comfortable every time you go through it again. I think just keep studying and try not to make the same mistake twice and just keep progressing – that’s really been my mindset.”

On how getting reps with Bucs wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin helps him:

“It’s awesome. Obviously, I wasn’t getting many reps with them the first two years. I’ll be honest, I was a little rusty throwing to them. Now, here in the spring when we first got started – because I had no idea what the timing was with them – but now that we’re getting that down, they’re really fun to throw to. They’ve been in the league this long for a reason. They’re really receptive and great even off the field, on the sideline [with] what they see and relay and [they are] great communicators. You can definitely tell why they’re true NFL veterans.”

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On what competition has done for him this spring:

“I think the quarterback room, as a whole, has been doing a great job of just spinning ideas off each other. As cliché as it sounds, we’re not really competing against each other. Obviously, on the outside, there’s its own perspective, but as cliché as it sounds, you just want to compete with yourself and make sure you’re progressing every single day.

Everyone is going to make different mistakes, so we all can get better at different things. The key to a good competition is everyone is just trying to better themselves every single day – that’s been my main focus.”

On where he’s most improved his game:

“Just staying calmer in the pocket. I think, in the past, I was a little agitated or maybe tried to force my feet around. I wasn’t as smooth as I am now. Just trying to be clean and smooth in the pocket and play taller. I think, in the past, maybe I was a little squatty and wasn’t playing like I was 6-foot-5 – I need to take advantage of it. Playing a little taller, smoother – smooth is fast. I would say that’s been my main focus, too.”

On what the biggest adjustment of learning this offense was:

“I feel like a lot of teams run similar concepts. Obviously, there’s variations. You’re going to have similar concepts no matter what offense you’re in – they’re going to have different names. But then you also have your styles and this style is going to be more keepers and mid-zones and things like that. With this offense, you’ve got to have your legs ready to scramble, get out of the pocket and go make a play, whereas in the past we were more drop back focused. So, just getting your legs ready to go and get out on the edge and make a play.”

Bucs Running Back Sean Tucker

On being diagnosed with a heart condition at the NFL Scouting Combine:

“When I found out at the Combine, it was something that came as a surprise. So, you know, just hearing that and taking it in and figuring out what I had to do to come back, and making sure I was on the positive side of things and just focus on what I had to do to come back out here and play football.”

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On learning from watching on the sidelines during Bucs OTAs:

“It wasn’t too bad. You know, coming from Syracuse, I feel like the running style was kind of similar so it’s not like a complete change for me. You know the mental reps I was getting on the sidelines during OTAs and everything [were] definitely helpful and then, you know, being able to come out here and actually do it felt good.”

On his personal goals for the season:

“I would say a personal goal is just being able to make the field however I can. Just being on the field and being able to play and, you know, just putting myself out there.”