Pewter Report’s Bucs Training Camp coverage is presented by Synergy Outdoor Kitchens & More

Become the envy of the neighborhood – and the place to come for Tampa Bay watch parties and home tailgating – with a custom outdoor kitchen from Synergy Outdoor Kitchens & More! Get a FREE Coyote Portable Tailgate grill – an $800 value – with the purchase of a new outdoor kitchen Wesley Chapel • Sarasota/Bradenton • Tampa • Orlando / Call Synergy at 813-993-1531 or visit SynergyFL.com

We are officially in the dog days of Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp, and Day 9 of practice on Sunday was a hot and humid one at the AdventHealth Training Center. Looking for a breeze in Tampa Bay? This was not the place to find it. It was a scorcher with a capacity crowd on hand, which had plenty to cheer for with several highlight plays made by the offensive side of the ball.

Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds, Adam Slivon, and Nick Geddes were in attendance on Sunday. Here were their big observations and takeaways from Day 9 of training camp, the final practice before the Buccaneers head up to Florham Park, New Jersey, for joint practices ahead of the preseason opener against the New York Jets on Friday.

Bucs Defense Gets After The Quarterback

The Buccaneers’ new and improved pass rush has been impressive throughout the training camp. That continued Sunday with another all-around effort. Once again, second-year pro David Walker led the way with yet another would-be sack. Walker has now recorded a sack in nine consecutive practices to open up training camp. Walker saw time with the first- and second-string on Sunday after spending the first week and a half relegated to third-string reps.

Beyond the sack, Walker routinely had his way with swing tackle Ben Chukwuma, who is getting the bulk of the work out wide with left tackle Tristan Wirfs sidelined with a hamstring injury. Walker did, however, run into a roadblock known as right tackle Luke Goedeke on a handful of occasions. In fact, during one 11-on-11 period, Goedeke flattened Walker to the ground.

We did have a Chris Braswell sighting in training camp, a welcome development for a player whom Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds recently suggested is at risk of not earning a spot on the 53-man roster. It’s been a quiet two seasons for Braswell in Tampa Bay – and a quiet 2026 training camp – but he came up huge with a couple sacks on Sunday. Braswell also got the better of Chukwuma, who really struggled dealing speed rushes from Tampa Bay’s outside linebackers.

Bucs OLB Chris Braswell and OT Ben Chukwuma – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Yaya Diaby also came up with a sack. Diaby is entrenched as a starter on this football team, and nothing Walker or rookie Rueben Bain Jr. do now is going to change that. That being said, it hasn’t been a highlight-filled camp for Diaby, so it was good to see him get to the quarterback on Sunday.

Tampa Bay’s defense failed to record an interception on Sunday, but the performance of the guys off the edge more than made up for that.

It’s Ted Hurst’s World, We’re Just Living In It

Jason Licht just knows what top level receiver play looks like. Kudos to him for taking a chance on Ted Hurst, who shined at small school Georgia State, in the third round. Hurst has been one of the stories of training camp, his highlight-reel catches drawing the biggest cheers from fans in attendance.

On Sunday, Hurst made another series of plays that were simply impressive. The first one came with Hurst matched up opposite cornerback/special teamer Josh Hayes on the outside. Hurst ran a simple downfield route, and backup quarterback Jake Browning trusted that the 6-foot-4 wideout could go up and come down with the ball over Hayes. That he did, though he took a hard landing to the ground straight on his back. Hurst got the wind knocked out of him and stayed down for a few moments before walking back to the sidelines with trainers.

When Hurst returned, he quickly made his presence felt. During a brief period of goal line work, Mayfield attempted a fade to Hurst with cornerback Jacob Parrish in tight coverage. Most of the time, I would be shouting from the rooftops, “BAN THE FADE.”

But when it comes to Hurst, you shall hear no complaints from me moving forward – I would even advocate for it after what I witnessed on Sunday.

Parrish had perfect coverage on Hurst, but the big-bodied receiver made it look so easy as he came down with the score. I was sitting around 10 yards away from where the play went down. I saw the trajectory on the ball from Mayfield and how Hurst went up. I knew he was going to catch that ball for six, and so did everyone watching. Super impressive stuff.

Parrish was so impressed by his teammate that he compared his style of play to that of Buccaneers legend Mike Evans.

“I wanna say Mike Evans, but Mike Evans is different,” Parrish said after practice when asked if Hurst reminds him of anybody he’s played against for with. “I kinda see similar same length and everything. He’s [Hurst] still got a long way to go, but I see that.”

Hurst was flattered by the comparison.

“Mike Evans is, of course, a legend,” Hurst said. “… He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and just being able to be compared to a guy like him, it’s a level of confidence that I take within myself and just display that. … How he attacks the ball, goes up for his length and my height, it’s definitely a comparison.”

Ayden Garnes Is Going To Make This Football Team

Ayden Garnes just makes plays. Pewter Report has been all over Garnes since the beginning of training camp – for good reason – as the undrafted cornerback out of Arizona has been one of the top standouts through nine days of practice.

Yes, we have to see how Garnes holds up in an actual game, and his issues with tackling that was all over his tape in college must improve at this level. That being said, Garnes is sticky in coverage and finds ways to get PBUs. His first PBU on Sunday came in the first 11-on-11 period, swatting down a pass from Browning intended for wide receiver Dean Patterson IV. Later, Garnes jumped in front of a pass from quarterback Connor Bazelak, showcasing tight coverage on wideout Eric Rivers.

Bucs CB Ayden Garnes – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Not only is Garnes going to make this team, but don’t be surprised to see him on the field in certain situations, especially with fellow cornerback Benjamin Morrison still not practicing due to a hamstring injury.

“I think between the OTAs and minicamp finishing and the way he’s coming to camp now, he’s really learned a lot and studied and looks like he has a better grasp of the scheme, so he’s playing faster,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “We knew he was quick and fast, he made a couple plays in OTAs, but he’s really playing consistent football right now and that’s good to see from him.”

Other Observations And Takeaways From Day 8 Of Bucs Camp

• As mentioned just above, Benjamin Morrison continues to be a non-participant in practice for the Buccaneers. The 2025 second-round pick out of Notre Dame had injury concerns coming out of college, and those have followed with him to the pros. He missed the majority of training camp last season with a hamstring injury, and another soft tissue injury has kept him off the field this training camp. Morrison will make this team, but it’s tough, at this point, for the Buccaneers to count on him as a reliable option in 2026. Look for Parrish, who primarily played nickel in 2025, to get more reps outside in 2026 opposite Zyon McCollum.

• The Buccaneers are clearly prioritizing getting the ball out quickly. They frequently went to the screen game on Sunday, using running backs Kenneth Gainwell, Sean Tucker, and Josh Williams out of the backfield. A few of those really hit, Gainwell taking a swing pass for a big gain in 11-on-11s.

• Veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. was a level above the rest on Sunday. The Buccaneers went his way early and often, Mayfield connecting with him for a few decent chunk plays in the first 11-on-11 period. We even saw Godwin take an end around for a would-be first down. In goal line work, Godwin easily beat rookie cornerback Keionte Scott on an out route for a touchdown.

Pewter Report Recaps Today’s Bucs Camp Practice On The Pewter Report Podcast

Join Scott Reynolds and Adam Slivon break down all of the action from Tampa Bay’s Sunday practice at 1:30 p.m. ET on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel for Sunday’s Pewter Report Podcast.