– Bucs QB Baker Mayfield photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs took the field for their first OTA, which was open to the media, on Tuesday at the AdventHealth Training Center. It was hot and humid under partly cloudy skies, which made it very muggy for those in attendance. As is the case with OTAs, they are voluntary, and there were several Bucs veterans who were not in attendance.

Bucs Not In Attendance

WR Mike Evans
WR Russell Gage (got hurt last week)
C Ryan Jensen
DT Vita Vea
OLB Shaquil Barrett (likely not cleared to play due to Achilles)
ILB Devin White
ILB Lavonte David
CB Carlton Davis III
CB Jamel Dean

A few Bucs were in attendance but not practicing – possibly due to injury: running backs Sean Tucker and Chase Edmonds, cornerback Duron Lowe, tight end Dominique Dafney and guard Aaron Stinnie.

Former Titans general manager Jon Robinson, a close friend of Bucs general manager Jason Licht, was on hand to observe practice. Robinson spent several years in Tampa Bay serving as Licht’s right-hand man as vice president of player personnel before getting the Titans job. Surprisingly, he was fired at midseason and is currently out of the NFL.

Bucs Offensive Notes

Quarterbacks

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and OC Dave Canales – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• New quarterback Baker Mayfield took the starting reps during Tuesday’s practice ahead of Kyle Trask. But because this is an open competition, there will undoubtedly be days when Trask gets the starter reps to make it fair. The quarterback group as a whole is considerably smaller under Dave Canales than it was under Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich.

• The previous play-callers preferred tall pocket passers. Tom Brady and Trask are 6-5, while Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin are both 6-foot-4. Mayfield is 6-foot-1, and new third-string quarterback John Wolford is just under 6-foot. That leaves Trask as the giant in the room.

• Because this is the first day in a brand new system throwing to a receiving corps that featured just two experienced veterans in Chris Godwin and newcomer David Moore, who played four years in Seattle, it’s tough to make a serious evaluation about Mayfield and Trask as there were some laser throws on target from each, as well as a few misfires. But without knowing if it was a bad read read or throw by the quarterback or a bad route by a receiver, it’s difficult to assess blame. As expected, the Bucs quarterbacks did a fair amount of rolling out with bootlegs and waggles, finding receivers and tight ends downfield.

Wide Receivers

• The quarterback position wasn’t the only position that was noticeably smaller on Tuesday. Without 6-foot-5 receiver Mike Evans in attendance, the receiver group was as small as it’s been in Tampa Bay in some time. Godwin, Kade Warner and Trey Palmer are all 6-foot-1, and are the next tallest receivers on the roster. Moore, who is 6-foot, 219 pounds is the heaviest receiver. But without Evans and 6-foot-3 Julio Jones, Tampa Bay’s receivers are shorter, but faster.

• Palmer’s speed is evident as he had no trouble getting opener. Warner picked up where he left off from rookie mini-camp, making clutch catches from the slot and the perimeter.

Tight Ends

• The league’s youngest tight end room features second-year players Cade Otton and Ko Kieft as the veterans. Cam Brate was released this offseason and fellow veteran Kyle Rudolph was not re-signed. While the team drafted Payne Durham on Day 3, it was undrafted rookie Tanner Taula, who made a spectacular catch downfield in the back of the end zone on a bomb from Trask.

Running Backs

• Without Chase Edmonds or Sean Tucker participating, Rachaad White, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Patrick Laird split all of the carries and reps. White looks bigger, as advertised. He’s up eight pounds this offseason and weighs closer to 220 pounds. After practice, head coach Todd Bowles did not have an update about when Tucker, who is suffering from a heart condition, would be cleared to practice.

Offensive Line

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• The starting Bucs offensive line is notably bigger this year. Tristan Wirfs is about 15 pounds heavier than Donovan Smith was, and 330-pound left guard Matt Feiler is about 30 pounds bigger than Nick Leverett. And of course 6-foot-5, 305-pound Cody Mauch is significantly bigger than 6-foot-1, 300-pound right guard Shaq Mason.

Robert Hainsey was once again filling in at center for Ryan Jensen, who was absent, and he looks bigger as well. The same can be said for Luke Goedeke, who weighed 312 pounds last year. He looks bigger and stronger and might be close to 320 pounds.

Tampa Bay’s reserve offensive tackles look massive as well. First-year player Grant Hermanns is listed at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, while veteran Justin Skule is 6-foot-6, 315 pounds. While Brandon Walton (6-5, 300) played some offensive tackle in 2022 he lined up as a reserve left guard during Tuesday’s OTA.

Bucs Defensive Notes

Defensive Line

• Second-year defensive tackle Logan Hall looks considerably bigger this year as he’s spent the offseason working out in an NFL facility. Playing in the low 280s last year, the 6-foot-6 D-lineman is up to 296 pounds. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said that Hall is definitely stronger due to his diligent work in the weight room.

• New defensive tackle Greg Gaines is a big man. Listed at 6-foot-1, 312 pounds, Gaines is a bowling ball of mass and strength. Fellow defensive tackle Deadrin Senat is listed at 6-foot-1, 305 pounds, but Gaines looks considerably bigger – perhaps 320 pounds.

Outside Linebackers

• While Shaquil Barrett wasn’t in attendance, the Bucs had a near full compliment of edge rushers in attendance. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson were predictably running with the starters with YaYa Diaby and former practice squader Charles Snowden up next. Fellow draft pick Jose Ramirez was also in the mix with reps after that.

Inside Linebackers

• No Devin White and no Lavonte David meant veterans K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell were in the lineup in their place. Rookie SirVocea Dennis and Ulysses Gilbert, a practice squader from last year, were up next. The Bucs’ young linebackers got plenty of reps without the team’s starters at practice, which will only accelerate their learning curve this offseason.

Secondary

Bucs S Kaevon Merriweather – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• The new safety tandem of Antoine Winfield Jr. and Ryan Neal was in attendance and got some valuable time working together on Tuesday. But it was undrafted free agent safety Kaevon Merriweather that continues to flash in practice. Picking up from where he left off in rookie mini-camp, Merriweather was loud on the field as a communicator and covered receiver Taye Barber like a blanket on one route all the way across the field.

Once Kyle Trask let go of the ball Merriweather made a perfect jump on the pass and came away with an interception. Neal did make a nice play on a deep ball thrown by Mayfield to Palmer in the end zone. He made a divving stop knocking the ball out from Palmer after he initially had his hands on it. Just great effort not giving up on it.

• Rookie safety Josh Hayes also made a big play, accidentally colliding with fellow rookie receiver Rakim Jarrett and knocking him to the ground. Hayes didn’t mean to hit Jarrett, but it’s easy to recognize that he doesn’t shy away from contact. Look out for Hayes when the pads come on.

• Without Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean at practice, veteran Dee Delaney and second-year cornerbacks Zyon McCollum and Don Gardner filled in on the outside.