The Bucs continued their second week of the team’s 2023 training camp at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa under sunny skies and very hot conditions on Monday morning. Temperatures were in the mid 90s with a light breeze – and Kyle Trask continued his hot play for a second straight day.

The Bucs wore full pads on Monday, and will practice at night on Tuesday in the team’s indoor practice facility from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET

Bucs Not Practicing Today

CB Carlton Davis III

Davis received a veteran rest day and should be back at practice Tuesday night.

C Ryan Jensen

Jensen received a scheduled veteran rest day and should also be back at practice Tuesday night.

Russell Gage Fully Participates In Practice

Bucs wide receiver Russell Gage returned to practice on Sunday after missing most of the offseason with a hamstring injury. The injury was to his left hamstring, which is the same leg where his hamstring injury occurred last year in camp. On Monday morning, Gage was finally a full participant, taking part in 11-on-11 team drills after only working during individual drills on Sunday.

No Update On Calijah Kancey’s Calf Injury

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles did not have an update on the severity of Calijah Kancey’s calf strain.

“It’s going to be today, so we haven’t gotten [the update] yet,” Bowles said.

Kyle Trask Continues To Excel, Kade Warner Makes The Catch Of The Day

Second-year quarterback Kyle Trask had his best day of practice ever in Buccaneers uniform on Sunday. That got overshadowed a bit by the sheer dominance of both wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but that dynamic duo contributed to Trask’s big day. On Sunday Trask, who was working with the starters, threw multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions, while Mayfield did have an interception by inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis.

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

On Monday, Trask was working with the second string, but once again made plays and avoided turnovers. Once again he was assertive and decisive – not just with his throws, but also with a couple of scrambles.

“He’s not Randall Cunningham, but he can get outside the pocket some,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. “I don’t expect him to run down the field like Lamar Jackson, but he can use his legs when he needs to use them to get out of trouble.”

Bowles noticed Trask’s assertiveness and his improved decision-making.

“He’s worked hard over the summer,” Bowles said. “He’s worked on his mechanics. Obviously he shortened up his step, and he understands he’s not trying to make the big play, he’s trying to make the right play. He understands the game and he’s been more decisive with his decision-making and I think that’s a credit to him working on his mechanics over the summer.”

At the end of practice the Bucs worked on a pair of last-second situations. The first of which was with 22 seconds left and the Bucs needing a touchdown to win, trailing 13-7, just outside the red zone. Baker Mayfield was looking for tight end Cade Otton, but safety Antoine Winfield Jr. jumped the route and came up with an end zone interception.

Bucs WR Kade Warner – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

When Trask got his turn in the same situation, he hit tight end David Wells with an intermediate pass down to the 1-yard line before hitting rookie receiver Trey Palmer with a quick strike touchdown against cornerback Don Gardner with four seconds left.

The last situation was with 19 seconds left and Tampa Bay trailing 16-14 and needing a field goal to win, and starting around the offense’s 35-yard line. Mayfield nearly threw a pick as Ryan Miller fell down on the route and safety Ryan Neal dropped an interception that hit him between the numbers.

His next pass was a beautifully thrown deep out that was hauled in by a diving Kade Warner, who got his feet down before rolling out of bounds for the big play. Mayfield got the offense in field goal position with that deep throw.

After practice, Bowles praised Warner, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas State.

“He’s a technician,” Bowles said. “He’s a hard worker. He understands the game very well. He can play all three positions. As the pads continue to go on and we continue to play it will be very interesting to see what he does because he’s a very interesting guy.”

Next up, Trask did the same thing in the same situation, hitting receiver Rakim Jarrett with a deep throw over the middle in field goal range and getting up to the line and spiking the ball with three seconds left. Trask’s path to winning the starting job is making plays and avoiding turnovers. Mayfield did the better job of that last week, but this week Trask is up 2-0 in the last two practices, according to offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

First Day In Pads Was A Success, Todd Bowles Happy To See Shaq Barrett Back

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was pleased with the effort and execution of his team during the first day in full pads, especially in such hot conditions.

“Some technique things we’ve got to clean up obviously, but I thought the alertness was there,” Bowles said. “We’re starting to understand some situational football things, so I thought we put in good work.”

Bucs outside linebacker Shaq Barrett was among the standouts in full pads, and had a couple of good rushes against left tackle Tristan Wirfs on Monday.

“It feels great, it looks great,” Bowles said, about having Barrett back for the start of camp as a full-go player. “I didn’t have any expectation coming in. I didn’t know when he was going to be ready. The fact that he got cleared and the fact that he’s out here running around and chasing people at full bore is a big plus for us. It’s a welcome sight.”

After practice, Barrett addressed the media for the first time since battling back from his Achilles injury last year and the heartbreaking pain of losing his two-year old daughter, Arrayah, to a drowning accident at his home.

“It’s a daily battle, a tough battle,” Barrett said. “I felt it heavier today than I did the last couple of days. It just comes in waves. We (Jordanna, his wife)  just talk to each other, talk through it with each other and just lean on each other to get ourselves through, and lean on the Lord, as well. It doesn’t get any easier. It’s just me being busy and keeping my mind off of it for a little bit. It’s just tough – it’s always going to be tough.”

Bucs Practice Observations

• The Bucs offensive and defensive linemen had 1-on-1 battles and nose tackle Vita Vea shined in two reps against center Robert Hainsey. Backup nose tackle Deadrin Senat also had an impressive rep, executing a push-pull move and knocking backup center Nick Leverett to the ground. Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor got the best of guard Aaron Stinnie twice, and outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka had the best rush of the day, beating right tackle Luke Goedeke with an insane spin move to the inside.

Bucs TE Payne Durham and S Kaevon Merriweather – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• Rookie tight end Payne Durham needs to pick it up. Not only is David Wells doing everything he can to keep a grip on the TE2 spot behind Cade Otton and ahead of Ko Kieft, but Dominique Dafney and rookie Tanner Taula, an undrafted free agent, are coming on. Both made some really good plays in the passing game on Monday with Dafney leaning back to make a fantastic catch on a throw from Kyle Trask that was just behind him.

• The nickelback spot was hot on Monday morning with rookie Josh Hayes breaking up two passes and Dee Delaney, who is still the starter in the slot, breaking up one in the end zone. Baker Mayfield rifled a red zone pass to Mike Evans in the back of the end zone, but Delaney came off his man to swat the ball down for an incompletion. Great read and throw by Mayfield, but Delaney made a heady play in the nick of time.

• Speaking of pass breakups, second-year safety Nolan Turner had a diving pass breakup on an interception across the middle near the goal

• Third-string quarterback John Wolford continued to get a few reps with starting receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and hooked up with Evans for another touchdown for the second day in a row.

• With Ryan Jensen out, Robert Hainsey was back as the starting center on Monday. Nick Leverett was the backup center.

Bucs Military Appreciation Day – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• Rookie outside linebacker YaYa Diaby was giving right tackle Luke Goedeke fits in 11-on-11 periods. He had two really good power rushes that knocked Goedeke backwards and collapsed the pocket. Diaby also made a diving interception on a tipped Baker Mayfield pass at the line of scrimmage. Rookie Josh Hayes was coming on a nickel blitz and forced a quick throw, which was batted down at the line and Diaby snared it before it hit the ground.

“I’m just happy he caught it,” Bowles said after practice about Diaby’s diving interception.

• It was Military Appreciation Day at Bucs training camp and head coach Todd Bowles put the day in proper perspective.

“It makes you understand that this is only a game,” Bowles said. “There are people out there risking their lives for you. The things we get upset over is minute compared to the things they do for this country and do for us. It just makes you appreciative of the job you have, and you’re just happy to do for them what you can.”