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About the Author: Matt Matera
Matt Matera joined Pewter Report as an intern in 2018 and worked his way to becoming a full-time Bucs beat writer in 2020. In addition to providing daily coverage of the Bucs for Pewter Report, he also spearheads the Pewter Report Podcast on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel. Matera also makes regular in-season radio appearances analyzing Bucs football on WDAE 95.3 FM, the flagship station of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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The Bucs have just finished their 11th day of practice at training camp. By the end of the week this team coached by Todd Bowles will have had 12 practices before their first preseason game that takes place on Saturday.
By no means are the 2024 Bucs a finished product, nor will they be even halfway through the regular season. But it’s not a bad thing to come out sharp instead of sluggish and then have to play catch up the rest of training camp.
So what has been the biggest point of interest from Todd Bowles thus far through almost two weeks? He recently gave a response on what’s stood out to him.
What Has Impressed Todd Bowles?
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
“The penalties are a work in progress,” Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles said. “We’ve got to get that taken care of. After being in camp for a week, you’ve got to get used to the pads, you’ve got to get used to the heat and then you’ve got to carry out your assignment. That’s a work in progress.
“I’m really pleased with the mental approach these guys have come in with. We haven’t had any sloppy days. We’ve had mental errors, but we haven’t had any sloppy days. Guys are locked in and they’re trying to get better.”
Having a roster full of players with a high football I.Q. was important for the Bucs this year. It allowed Todd Bowles to bring on offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who comes from an offense run by the Rams but requires more focus as several plays are called at the line of scrimmage. The team could do this because they have trust in their players’ study habits and attention to detail.
Football intelligence was also an important component for Tampa Bay drafting players including safety Tykee Smith, who has been given tons of positive reviews on how he’s fit into the defense and hit the ground running. After tweaking his ankle during Saturday’s practice, he returned and participated on Tuesday and Wednesday and should see his first NFL action on Saturday night in the preseason opener at Cincinnati on August 10.
Veterans Were A Little More Ready
Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
While many of the rookies and younger players have impressed so far, there’s still room for improvement. For the first time all training camp, the Bucs had consecutive days off on Sunday and Monday before coming back on Tuesday. It looked like the young players may have to learn more about preparing the right way as it was the veterans that came out of the gate a little faster in Tuesday’s practice.
“The older guys came ready to play, the younger guys [have] got some mental work to do,” Todd Bowles said. “The mental part of it has got to be key for us going into this ball game, especially the younger guys we wan to see play, so that’s going to be important. The next couple of games will tell a lot (referring to what rookies have caught his eye).”
Tampa Bay plays on the road against the Bengals on Saturday to begin the preseason. Bowles has yet to divulge the plan as far as the playing time for the starters goes. We will of course see more younger players play than older veterans, but it’s also our first showcase of Tampa Bay’s rookie draft class in a live game.
Todd Bowles wasn’t ready to anoint any of them as potential starters just yet, but he did mention a handful of rookies that may end up in a marquee spot. The games will give them a better look.
“[Jalen] McMillan has been playing well, Tykee [Smith] has been playing well,” Bowles said. “Bucky [Irving] has been playing well. There are a lot of guys. [Tyrek] Funderburk shows up. We’ve got to see how they play in games. There [are] a lot of other guys that we’ve got to see in games that have kind of caught our eyes here and there. The next couple of games will tell a lot.”
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