FAB 3. Bucs’ Camp Battlefield

Tampa Bay’s first week of training camp is nearly in the books and thankfully there has only been one major injury, and that was to reserve running back and return specialist T.J. Logan, who suffered a patellar tendon injury that will be surgically repaired on Saturday. That injury might end Logan’s season, which is a shame because he was having a good camp.

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There have been a couple of camp skirmishes since the pads came on at the beginning of the week, but the real fighting is for a handful of available spots on the Bucs’ 53-man roster. Tampa Bay has 80 players on its roster right now, and will likely only have to part ways with just 11 players as teams are allowed to have 16-player practice squads this year due to the rules adjustments by the NFL and the NFL Players Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a safe bet that the vast majority of the Bucs’ practice squad members will come from the players in camp because of their familiarity with the offensive and defensive schemes.

With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the more competitive camp battles and some of the more compelling stories and surprises through the first week on Tampa Bay’s 2020 training camp. I can’t be as in-depth in my analysis this year as in summer’s past due to the restricted information the media is allowed to report on.

With training camps closed to the public and no preseason games this year due to COVID-19, the media can’t be too descriptive and are not allowed to write about personnel groupings or depth chart news that might affect Tampa Bay’s competitiveness and put the team at a disadvantage if other teams read PewterReport.com’s reporting.

Most Competitive Position Battle – Offense

The Bucs will keep at least five wide receivers – maybe six depending on special teams. Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are entrenched as the starters with Evans having an incredibly hot start to camp. Scotty Miller and Justin Watson are fighting for the No. 3 receiver spot vacated by Breshad Perriman’s departure in free agency. Miller is the more dynamic of the two due to his deep speed and appears to have the edge in my book, but Watson makes the team as the No. 4 receiver at worst. He’s had his best camp in three years in Tampa Bay and is a core special teams player.

“Scotty added about 10 pounds – he looks great,” Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said. “Justin finished the season playing really well. He’s running as fast as I’ve ever seen him right now, running and playing. …  Again, it’s that three, four and five – maybe six – and on special teams where Justin led our team in tackles last year on special teams, so he has his niche.”

Bucs WR Tyler Johnson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The real battle is for the fifth receiver spot. The Bucs were hoping that Tyler Johnson, the team’s fifth-round pick, would grab that spot. But a soft tissue injury kept him out for a week and he just returned to practice. Arians said that Johnson is “light years behind” due to the missed time. That actually might put his roster spot at jeopardy, especially if Tampa Bay keeps five receivers. If Johnson doesn’t end up on the 53-man roster he would wind up on the practice squad.

The other receivers that are really vying for the fifth receiver spot are Jaydon Mickens and Cyril Grayson, both of whom saw limited action at the end of the 2019 season when Evans, Godwin and Miller all succumbed to hamstring injuries. Both Grayson and Mickens are also in the running for the returner duties, which only helps their chances. Grayson and Mickens are smaller receivers, but have speed to burn with Grayson, a sprinter at LSU, having 4.33 speed.

“I think John Franklin and Cyril Grayson, some of the guys that were here, have a lot of athletic ability and speed, so they’re looking for their roles,” Arians said earlier in the week.

Franklin suffered a knee injury in Friday’s practice and Arians said it “doesn’t look good,” which could mean it’s season-ending.

Bryant Mitchell and undrafted free agent John Hurst are dark horses with fellow undrafted free agent Josh Pearson needing some more time to develop.

Most Competitive Position Battle – Defense

Tampa Bay has a lot of talent at the outside linebacker position, starting with the pass-rushing bookend of Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul. The Bucs have been very pleased with the development of Anthony Nelson, last year’s fourth-round pick, who will take over for Carl Nassib as the No. 3 outside linebacker.

“Nelly is a good dude,” said Bucs inside linebacker Kevin Minter said. “He’s smart – not just defensively, but also on special teams. He’s comfortable and he’s doing great. He’s much further along than you would think for a second-year player. He’s helping a lot of the young guys out and you would think that he’s been in the league three or four years. He’s stepping up. He went to work this offseason. This could be a big year for Nelly.”

Bucs OLB Quinton Bell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But the real battle is for the fourth and final OLB spot between a host of young, talented players. Kahzin Daniels and Quinton Bell return from a year ago, and the Bucs have undrafted rookies Michael Divinity and Cam Gill also in the mix. Bell, a former wide receiver, who is 6-foot-4, 253 pounds, has 4.48 speed and an incredible 41.5-inch vertical. He’s impressed so far with his athleticism while he learns how to rush the passer and drop in coverage.

“That man won every damn sprint we’ve had,” Minter said. “That man can move. Obviously, he passes the eye test – he’s big and strong and fast. He’s still trying to figure out how to play defense, but the sky is the limit for him as an athlete.”

Minter, a LSU alum, has watched Divinity play for his alma mater for years with inside linebacker Devin White.

“I’ve seen Divinity for years and he’s a dog,” Minter said. “That’s the best way to describe him. He wants to make every play. After seeing him in practice and watching him at LSU he definitely has some pass rush moves.

“Gill is showing he can be a player in this league. He’s shown up on special teams with his technique and he’s doing well on defense. He’s picking up the playbook. It’s going to be a fight in the outside linebacker room. There’s a lot of talent in that room.”

Most Competitive Starting Battle

Outside of the battle for the No. 3 receiver job, the Bucs’ starters on offense are set across the board, especially with the addition of new right tackle Tristan Wirfs, the team’s first-round pick. The only starting positions really up for grabs are on the defensive side of the ball at the two safety spots.

Four safeties have been getting the most action in camp – Jordan Whitehead and Andrew Adams, both of whom started most of the 2019 season, along with Mike Edwards and rookie Antoine Winfield, Jr., the team’s 2020 second-round pick. The two that have looked the best in terms of making plays in practice have been Edwards, who had the first pick of quarterback Tom Brady, and Winfield.

Bucs FS Mike Edwards – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I like Mike’s progress,” Arians said. “He’s getting his hands on balls, breaking on balls, getting out to centerfield [and] covering a lot of ground, and he’s doing a better job tackling when we’re tackling.”

Minter has also noticed Edwards’ progress in camp this year.

“He’s coming along and he’s always been an instinctive player,” Minter said. “I saw some of his highlights from college and he’s an instinctive guy. He’s really starting to come on and make plays on the ball. Coach [Todd] Bowles and Coach [Nick] Rapone have done a great job of staying with Mike and getting him prepared. It’s hard in this league to play safety. We have a tough division, but our guys give him some great looks. To be honest, I don’t think he’s going to see better competition than our guys the way we’re playing right now. He’s definitely one to watch this year, especially if our pass rush is what I think it’s going to be.”

Edwards could be on his way to one starting position, likely at free safety, whereas Winfield is pushing for the other safety spot. The Bucs only had two interceptions from the safety positions last year, while the play-making Winfield recorded seven in his last year at Minnesota.

“Smart kid – you can tell he’s a player’s kid,” Minter said. “Winfield is humble and he always has a pen and paper, taking notes. You don’t have to correct him too many times. He’s a physical dude, which we love. He’s always around the ball. Some people are just living right. The ball just finds them. He’s one of those guys.”

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Arians loves Winfield’s versatility and envisions him playing all over Tampa Bay’s defense. Whether or not he’s a starter in Week 1 at New Orleans, Winfield will see the field early in his rookie season.

“There’s no doubt,” Arians said. “He’s a player that could be dime, nickel, back end safety – his versatility allows him to be with any group of guys we want out there, whether it’s three corners, three safeties, whatever package we want to put in, he could be in there.”

The dark horse is D’Cota Dixon, who has also received a good deal of playing time in camp as a reserve. He’s seen time in the box at strong safety as well as nickel cornerback. If the Bucs want to keep five safeties, he’ll make the team. If not, Dixon could be destined for the practice squad.