On Tuesday the Bucs took the field for the second week of OTAs (organized team activities) and the second open practice for the media at the AdventHealth Training Center. Once again the practice was held under hot and humid conditions and partly cloudy skies. As is the case with all 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 two weeks ago)
C Ryan Jensen
OLB Shaquil Barrett (likely not cleared to practice due to Achilles)
ILB Devin White
ILB Lavonte David
ILB K.J. Britt
CB Carlton Davis III

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

Nose tackle Vita Vea and cornerback Jamel Dean were absent last Tuesday, but both were present and practicing this week.

Bucs Offensive Notes

Quarterbacks

Bucs QBs Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• Kyle Trask is noticeably trimmer this year, looking downright skinny. Trask weighed 240 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2021 coming out of the University of Florida. He lost 10-12 pounds in his first two seasons with Tampa Bay and has dropped another 5-10 pounds this offseason he said on Tuesday after practice. That likely puts Trask somewhere around 218-223 pounds.

• Trask said he’s been on a stricter diet and wanted to shed some excess weight to help increase his mobility for Dave Canales’ offense, which features plenty of rollouts, bootlegs and waggles. There is not nearly as much throwing from the pocket as he experienced the last two seasons in Bruce Arians’ offense.

• Trask took reps with the second-string offense again on Tuesday, but head coach Todd Bowles said that both Trask and Baker Mayfield were alternating days as the starter. The third-year quarterback had a strong finish to practice, throwing a touchdown to undrafted free agent receiver Kade Warner in the end zone, and launching a low strike to undrafted free agent receiver Ryan Miller, who made a great diving catch.

• Mayfield took starting reps once again and overcame a somewhat slow start to catch fire at the end of practice. He showed great anticipation hitting Warner on a quick slant and following that up with a dart to sixth-round pick Trey Palmer on a skinny post. Mayfield also showed great patience in allowing routes to develop just outside the red zone before finding a wide open Rakim Jarrett for a score. Once inside the red zone, Mayfield showed off his scrambling ability on a designed QB keeper end-around for a rushing touchdown.

• John Wolford also shined in the red zone. The Bucs’ third-string quarterback had a strong end to Tuesday’s OTA, throwing a low touchdown pass to Palmer on one play, and then coming back and hitting Kaylon Geiger for a touchdown in the back corner of the end zone on another.

Running Backs

Bucs RBs Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• Running backs Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker continue to sit out due to injuries. Rachaad White remains the starter with Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Patrick Laird and undrafted free agent rookie Ronnie Brown as the four backs the Bucs have to work with until Edmonds and Tucker take the field.

Wide Receivers

• Chris Godwin continues to lead the receivers in the absence of Mike Evans and Russell Gage. Tampa Bay’s second-year and rookie receivers continue to pile up the reps, which are invaluable at this time of the offense as they continue to learn Dave Canales’ new offense. Trey Palmer and Kade Warner made some nice catches and stood out on Tuesday, but the catch of the day was made by Kaylon Geiger, who jumped up and caught a touchdown pass from John Wolford on the last play of practice over two defensive backs. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Geiger leaped over Kedrick Whitehead and Derek Pitts for the score.

• Gage’s absence is a bit concerning because he’s not outside standing and watching practice. Last season Gage struggled with a hamstring injury early in training camp that hindered him all season. When asked what kind of injury Gage had and how long he would be out, Todd Bowles declined to discuss injuries after practice.

Tight Ends

• Tampa Bay’s tight ends didn’t really stand out during Tuesday’s practice, so there wasn’t as much to report on with more of the balls going to wide receivers during this OTA. During the individual period, rookie Payne Durham made a nice catch.

Offensive Line

Bucs C-G Robert Hainsey and LG Matt Feiler – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• The biggest adjustment to the offensive line on Tuesday was the insertion of Nick Leverett as the team’s starting center. Leverett saw time at center in the Bucs’ Week 18 loss at Atlanta when Robert Hainsey was injured on the first series. Hainsey was Tampa Bay’s starting center last year and also last Tuesday. But Hainsey was taking reps as the second-string left guard on Tuesday behind Matt Feiler. Ryan Jensen continues to miss voluntary OTAs, but head coach Todd Bowles indicated the team is encouraged by his recovery this offseason.

• Feiler is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds. In fact, he may be the biggest guard the Bucs have had since Carl Nicks (6-5, 343) had a brief stint with the Bucs (2012-13). Standing next to 6-foot-5, 345-pound left tackle Tristan Wirfs, Feiler looks roughly the same size as Wirfs, who has looked good in his transition to the left side.

• Undrafted rookie free agent Silas Dzansi was lining up at left tackle with the second team next to Hainsey with John Molchon taking reps as the backup center. Brandon Walton was the backup right guard with Justin Skule as the backup right tackle.

Bucs Defensive Notes

Defensive Line

Bucs NT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• The Bucs continue to start Mike Greene at defensive tackle next to Vita Vea and Logan Hall. First-round pick Calijah Kancey is being brought up slowly in Todd Bowles defense and continues to get second-string reps alongside Greg Gaines and Willington Previlon. Vea’s return to OTAs was a big boost for the Bucs’ revamped defensive line, as Bowles wants to see the unit develop some camaraderie and cohesion without veterans William Gholston and Akiem Hicks.

• Vea looks to be in very good shape for OTAs. He looked heavier this time last year and it appears that he is slimmer this summer. Vea eventually got into shape during training camp and had a fine season with a career-high 6.5 sacks, but he could be off to a better, faster start this season with him already being in shape.

• Kancey’s 4.6 speed and athleticism really showed up on one play where he read a Baker Mayfield rollout and sprinted laterally down the line of scrimmage all the way to the sidelines to cut Mayfield off. With all of the receivers and tight ends covered, the Bucs quarterback only scrambled for a minimal gain due to Kancey’s closing speed and pursuit.

Outside Linebackers

Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• Charles Snowden continues to stand out a bit in OTAs. Snowden was a midseason practice squad addition who really stands out at 6-foot-7, 245 pounds. Out of the outside linebackers dropping into coverage and catching the ball, Snowden was one of the better more fluid defenders in that drill. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, YaYa Diaby and Anthony Nelson all had at least one drop with George Edwards throwing catchable passes.

• Cam Gill has returned from his foot injury and looks noticeably thicker. Gill is still listed at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds on the roster, but could be closer to 250 pounds. After two years of being the smallest outside linebacker, that distinction now goes to Markees Watts (6-1, 240), Brandon Bouyer-Randle (6-2, 240) and Ramilcar Rashed Jr. (6-2, 251).

Inside Linebackers

• The Bucs were without Lavonte David, Devin White and K.J. Britt on Tuesday, so that meant a ton of reps for young linebackers like SirVocea Dennis, Jeremy Banks, Ulysses Gilbert and J.J. Russell. Dennis and Gilbert were the starters with Banks and Russell running second team on Tuesday.

Secondary

• New starting safety Ryan Neal is the biggest safety the Bucs have at 6-foot-3, and he looks thicker than his listed weight of 200 pounds. Undrafted free agent rookie Kaevon Merriweather isn’t far behind at 6-foot, 207 pounds. Neal is a very explosive athlete and is quickly learning the defense. He has one of the best teachers in safeties coach Nick Rapone.

• Nickelbacks Dee Delaney and Chris Izien each recorded would-be sacks on blitzes from the slot. So far, Izien, an undrafted free agent, has flashed a bit more than Josh Hayes, a sixth-round pick. Izien isn’t tall at 5-foot-10, but he weighs 200 pounds and physically resembles Antoine Winfield Jr.

• With Jamel Dean manning one starting cornerback spot, Zyon McCollum started in place of Carlton Davis III on Tuesday. McCollum is doing a better job of shadowing receivers, but needs to start making more plays on the ball in practice.