The upgrades that the Bucs have made at every level of the defense has led to higher expectations for the group. But because there are new additions, there’s still a lot to be figured out by the unit.

For example, K.J. Britt is becoming a full-time starter at inside linebacker, safety Jordan Whitehead is returning to Tampa after a two-year hiatus, and the rest of the secondary has plenty of new additions like rookie third-round pick Tykee Smith and several undrafted free agent lobbying to make a spot, plus veteran free agents Bryce Hall and Tavierre Thomas are in the mix.

That’s plenty of new names and pieces that need to be glued together by the start of the season. As we’ve come to learn, when the Bucs get hurt from a big play Todd Bowles will usually say it was a “busted coverage,” which in other words, is saying a miscommunication that occurs from members of the secondary or linebacking corps.

Thankfully, that hasn’t been much of an issue for the Bucs so far during camp. Yes, many defensive backs did get beat like a drum on Wednesday’s joint training camp against the Jaguars, but that’s because they lost their individual matchups, not because of a lack of communication. There will be adjustments and other players to help make sure it doesn’t become commonplace.

Where The Bucs Defense Has Made The Most Progress

Defensively the Bucs can get very loud. One can hear inside linebacker K.J. Britt barking all the time or All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. making calls on the back end. Winfield particular has many people he needs to get the message to and he feels the message is coming across. He revealed that some of the biggest strides this team has taken is just knowing how to play amongst one another to achieve their common goal.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. and SS Jordan Whitehead – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I think just being comfortable with one another, even like some of the new guys coming in,” Winfield said. “Just being comfortable and then confident with what you’re doing, and also communication comes with that. I feel like overall, all around, we’ve been better in all areas.”

A big area where the Bucs need an upgrade this year is interceptions. There have been plenty from Tampa Bay in training camp thus far. It’s a byproduct of what they’re doing as a team from a communication standpoint.

“The ball is money,” defensive back Tavierre Thomas, who leads the Bucs with three interceptions, said. “Anytime the ball is around me, anytime I get my hands on it, I’m trying to take it away. Every play, [I try] to punch the ball out or get the ball. Lovie Smith taught me that, and I just stuck with it. Even on special teams, my goal is to get the ball out, and that’s what [I will] continue to try to do.”

Bucs’ Starters Treating Joint Practices Like A Game

The odds are that Winfield and many other starters won’t be playing in Jacksonville to make sure they’re healthy for the regular season. In essence, Wednesday and Thursday’s practice against the Jaguars are their true time to bring extra spark to their efforts.

Bucs ILB K.J. Britt – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“One hundred percent,” Winfield said. “This is a game for us because we might not be playing in all of the preseason games, but this is a game for us… game speed, game mentality, so we have to come out here and actually execute what we’re doing.”

Winfield admitted that the Bucs came out flat. However, by the end of the practice, they were getting where they wanted to be. Of course the turnaround for their group started with a Winfield sack on a blitz. Then it was a K.J. Britt with a tackle for loss followed by a rush by the defensive line that forced Trevor Lawrence to scramble for a very short gain. That’s exactly what they want for tomorrow.

Tampa Bay’s defense then started to get to Lawrence with regularity. Defensive tackle Vita Vea had a sack, rookie outside linebacker Chris Braswell had a pair of sacks, fellow outside linebackers Jose Ramirez and Jay Person also had sacks.

“I would say the physicality and mentality that we had towards the end of practice,” Winfield said. “I feel like as practice went on, we kind of juiced it up, so making sure we come out here tomorrow with that first, instead of waiting [until] the third or fourth period to get to that mentality.”