The battle for the remaining spots at wide receiver on the Bucs’ roster is heating up. There are only two or three spots available, with about 10 guys competing for them. Stacking good days of practice is particularly important, as are special teams contributions. And Scotty Miller is a player who has been showing out on both phases recently.

Miller put on about 10-15 pounds of muscle this offseason in preparation for a bounce-back season. That should help him as he competes for one of the final spots.

“It’s helped me a lot,” Miller said. “I’ve always been undersized, so this year, I really focused on gaining a couple pounds to show the coaches I can do a lot of different things in the offense. It’s been nice so far, I just feel more explosive and really fast. The fastest I’ve ever been. Just trying to show them I can do a lot of different things on the field.”

Versatility The Key For Miller Making The Roster

Bucs QB Tom Brady and WR Scotty Miller – Photo by: USA Today

Miller knows what he needs to do to set himself apart from the other receivers on the Bucs roster. The more you can do, the more valuable you are to an NFL team. In what he calls one of the best wide receiver rooms in the history of the NFL, it’s that versatility that will set him apart and help him make the team.

“It’s tough,” Miller said. “I think we have one of the best receiver rooms in history probably, we’re loaded up. I just got to keep showing them how versatile I am, that I can do a lot of different things. I think I can play in the slot, I can play outside, I can help out on special teams a little bit. So, just trying to show them all the different things I can do. I think I’m a really explosive player. I don’t think [there] a lot of guys who can do what I can do, so [I need to] just go out there every day and prove that.”

Miller has shown that versatility throughout the first two weeks of camp, whether at receiver, competing daily for the open returner position or showing off his ability as a runner. Ultimately though, Miller is competing for a receiver role and he’s been working hard on the little things to perfect his craft.

“Probably just trying to perfect the receiver position,” Miller said. “All the small things, route running, releases, just quickness in and out of breaks. Trying to use my speed to my advantage and have the DB think I’m going deep on every single route. Just all those little things to help me become the best receiver I can be.”

The Best Ability Is Availability

One of the other issues to keep in mind in Miller’s pursuit for a roster spot is availability. Last season, he missed seven games due to a severe turf toe injury. But so far, Miller has been healthy during training camp. But as Bucs head coach Todd Bowles alludes to, he’ll need to stay that way through preseason action to land a spot on the Bucs roster.

“Staying healthy is the main thing,” Bowles said. “He goes two or three weeks and [then] he has a freak injury that’s kind of holding him back some. But he’s healthy right now, he’s stronger, he looks fast. It’s a war of attrition going through preseason, so we’ll just take it day by day and try to keep him fresh.”

If Miller can stay healthy and show he can be an asset on special teams, don’t be surprised to see his name on the final 53-man roster come September.