FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• Bucs defensive end Will Gholston has liked what he’s seen from second-year defensive tackle Vita Vea this offseason. Not only is Vea’s power evident, even without pads on, but Gholston has seen some real maturity from Tampa Bay’s first-round pick from a year ago.

“I feel like Vita is ready to take a big step,” Gholston said. “If you look at the beginning of when he started playing last year until the end of the year, he had the right mindset. He has the right mindset right now. I like where he’s at for a second-year guy. The way he’s approaching everything now you can tell that he has some veteran maturity about him. You wouldn’t even think he was a rookie last year. He’s got a great year ahead of him.”

Bucs DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Getty Images

• It’s not just defensive tackle Vita Vea that has caused disruption for the Bucs offensive line this offseason. It’s a myriad of blitzes from cornerbacks, safeties and linebackers coming from everywhere from Todd Bowles’ aggressive system that have aided in the development of Tampa Bay’s offensive linemen.

Because mini-camps and OTAs are non-contact and it’s quite difficult to evaluate the play of offensive line and the running game. But where progress can be measured with the offensive line is the mental side of the game in regards to blitz pick-ups. According to head coach Bruce Arians, the Bucs offensive line practicing against Bowles’ defense will prepare them for any blitz they’ll see during Sundays in the fall.

“Nothing surprises you in a game, because there’s really the Rolodex that he runs of defenses, there’s nothing more that you really see in a game,” Arians said. “Now [when] you see it all in one practice it’s a little overwhelming, but when you game plan you see parts of it. So, there’s always recall – how you handle this, how you handle this, if this team runs this blitz then you can pull the film back up. This is what we did in the spring when Todd ran this blitz, so there’s a lot of recall for that. That’s the extra teaching that you need, especially on the offensive line, because you don’t get enough time out there.”

One of the linemen that has really gotten the most from his extra coaching is a player that perhaps needed it the most – second-year guard Alex Cappa, who is being groomed to take over at right guard this year. Bucs veteran defensive end Will Gholston has gone up against Cappa and has seen the strides he’s made in pass protection after a difficult rookie year transitioning from playing left tackle at Humboldt State.

Bucs RG Alex Cappa – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Cappa has actually gotten better every single day, and I line up against him all the time,” Gholston said. “He’s gotten better consistently and he’s really listening to the coaching, but he’s also getting good information from the defensive linemen, and that helps. I think he can take the next step. I wouldn’t know how the transition is for the offensive linemen, but I can see he’s ready and he’s absorbing and soaking up all of the information.”

• A NEW, IMPROVED PEWTER NATION PODCAST! Check out our latest Pewter Nation Podcast, Episode 127: Same Uniform, Different Practices where the Pewter Reporters discuss the Bucs uniforms, training camp practice times and answer a bunch of fan-submitted questions. As usual, Mark Cook provides some laughs and yours truly provides some analysis on your favorite team – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Click here to listen to Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 127: Same Uniform, Different Practices

We want YOU to be a part of the next couple of episodes this summer! Submit your questions to us on Twitter by using the hashtag #PewterNation and we’ll answer them on the next episode of the Pewter Nation Podcast.

The Bucs wrapped up their 2019 mini-camp two weeks ago and we recorded TWO NEW Pewter Nation Podcast episodes – one on Tuesday (Episode 124) and one on Thursday (Episode 125) where we were joined by special guest Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, who dished out some interesting info about his team as it looks ahead to training camp in late July.

Click here to listen to Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 126: Bruce Arians

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians and PR’s Mark Cook – Photo by: PewterReport.com

Did you miss these previous editions of the Pewter Nation Podcast where Pewter Reporter Mark Cook, also known as Captain Interruption, was suspended (or was he?)? Check out the drama that began in Episode 123 and continued through Episode 125. To fully understand the context of the three latest Pewter Nation Podcasts, start there before listening to the three most recent episodes – all of which are packed with Bucs analysis and insight from OTAs and mini-camp, as well as the news of the arrival of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and the departure of Gerald McCoy to NFC South rival Carolina.

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 123: OTAs AND Suh

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 124: A Boy Named Suh

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 125: REVENGE Of Captain Interruption

There is no better time to listen to a new Pewter Nation Podcast, which is presented by Chris Garrido of Westshore Financial, than on your drive home from work on Friday or running around doing errands or at the gym on Saturday. The next Pewter Nation Podcast will be taped next week, and we’ll answer some of your questions. Submit them via our @PewterReport Twitter account by using the hashtag #PewterNation

The popularity of the Pewter Nation Podcast continues to grow. In addition to listening to the Pewter Nation Podcasts on PewterReport.com you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here. And of course the Pewter Nation Podcast is also available on iTunes. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.

• Former Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy just wrapped his first mini-camp in Carolina last week, while his replacement, Ndamukong Suh, suited up in red and pewter for the first time two weeks ago in Tampa Bay’s mandatory mini-camp. Bucs left guard Ali Marpet will square off against Suh plenty of times in training camp when the pads come on and is looking forward to the challenge.

“He’s going to help us out and give us a physical presence on defense,” Marpet said. “He’s a great player and I think it’s a great addition.”

Former Bucs DT Gerald McCoy – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

At the same time, he’s also looking forward to facing McCoy, his former teammate for the past four years, in Week 2 when the Bucs travel to Carolina to face the Panthers.

“It’s exciting,” Marpet said. “He’s a good player, so obviously it’s going to be good competition. He’s a guy that goes hard every snap of the game. It’ll be fun seeing him twice a year.”

Although Bucs defensive end Will Gholston is good friends with McCoy and wishes him well in Carolina, he isn’t rooting for him.

“Hey man, there’s not a lot I can say about it, but I can understand the move for sure,” Gholston said. “He’s still, in my opinion, going to be one of the dominant defensive tackles in the league, and that’s the defense that can definitely show his strong suits. He has a great core of guys over there – I know because we play them twice a year. At least I get to see him again twice a year. But I’m not even rooting for him. We’re trying to take the division this year.”

• HELP US REACH 32,000 BUCS FANS BY FOLLOWING PR ON TWITTER! The PR Twitter account continues to grow in popularity and there are some big reasons why. We cover Bucs practices, Bucs press conferences and break news on our @PewterReport Twitter account.

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• In last week’s SR’s Fab 5 column, I wrote about how the Bucs outside linebackers needed to rise up to replace the loss of Jason Pierre-Paul, who suffered a neck injury in a May car crash that could put his 2019 season in jeopardy – and possibly his career in Tampa Bay. In JPP’s absence, Carl Nassib returns as the Bucs’ leading sacker with 6.5 last year, and is entering a contract year along with 2016 second-round pick Noah Spence, who played sparingly last year.

Nassib and Spence have had a good offseason and appear to enter training camp as the starting outside linebackers from the left and right side, respectively. The duo have grown close this offseason and both are ready to have a career year in 2019.

Bucs OLB Carl Nassib – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“For sure,” Spence said. “Carl is relentless. He’s one of my good friends and we talk everyday at work and outside the building. We’re tight as a defense and as an outside linebacker group. I really like that dude. He’s really making strides with his drops every day and he’s close to making some picks. Every day he gets closer to getting one.”

Nassib likes the edge that Spence brings to practice and acknowledges that the position change from defensive end to outside linebacker will really benefit the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Spence.

“Noah is a great athlete that comes to work every day with a chip on his shoulder,” Nassib said. “He looks really comfortable out here and it’s going to be fun to watch him this year.”

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