There’s a lot of eyes on many Bucs players so far in training camp. But it just takes your ears to know when Keanu Neal is on the field. While he may not be the most famous Keanu (Keanu Reeves), you would want to dodge him coming at you like Reeves does bullets in the movie “The Matrix.”

Neal, a new member of a revamped Tampa Bay secondary this offseason, has added a different element to the secondary – a hit stick. Take it from a former teammate and new Buccaneer himself, Julio Jones.

“He definitely is a clubber,” Jones said during his initial press conference. “He is going to make plays, he is not going to shy away from being a hardworking guy, his work ethic is through the roof, he’s not lazy, doesn’t take plays off. At least with my years being with him in Atlanta to come in as a young guy, like his work ethic – everything about him. He’s going to be real good.”

At practice, Neal has shown the ability to break up plays with force. He did such during Friday’s practice, breaking up a would-be completion to Jerreth Sterns.

Neal Finding His Role In Bucs Defense

Bucs S Keanu Neal and WR Jerreth Sterns – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

So far in camp, solid safety play has been abundant. There are four players who could start at the two safety spots in Neal, Antoine Winfield Jr., Mike Edwards, and Logan Ryan. That’s not even mentioning veteran Ross Cockrell and undrafted Clemson Tiger Nolan Turner, who has impressed so far. With all of these safeties providing value, it is a surplus that will take shape in the coming weeks.

There is sure to be shuffling, such as Winfield experimenting in nickel, Ryan at free safety, and some instances of Neal in the box. Head coach Todd Bowles talked more about this “problem” on the second day of camp.

“They have a lot of position flex because they can do a lot of things,” Bowles said. “Between Mike, Winfield, Keanu, Logan, and Ross, they can do a lot of things. So depending on who we’re playing and how we’re playing, we’ll tinker with some things. And we’ll see what they do best together and try to work it out that way with everybody else.”

For Neal, a 2017 NFC Pro Bowler with the Falcons, 2022 will be another season of adjustment. Being a strong safety for most of his career, he spent 2021 as a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.

His versatility to this Bucs secondary adds another layer to what they can do in terms of packages. Bowles commented after practice today that the three-safety install package “hasn’t gone in yet.”

When it does, it is something Pewter Report will be keeping tabs on in practice and in the preseason. Bowles has already done a lot of shifting on the depth chart through scrimmages thus far. He’s building upon the team chemistry and cohesiveness of various units and position groups. While there are going to be eyes in many different places for the next month, we will keep our ears on alert to know where Neal is making his mark.