FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• Bucs inside linebacker Devin White, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has been generating some buzz as a potential NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. That idea is not far-fetched according to teammate Kevin Minter, a veteran inside linebacker.

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Minter said. “He has the potential to be. Obviously, it’s easier said than done in this league, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it happened – not at all. He has all the tools to be as great as he wants to be.”

Bucs ILB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Minter is a bit biased about White considering that they both went to LSU, but he has watched White’s development over the last few years on TV as Minter has kept tabs on his alma mater.

“He’s a good kid,” Minter said. “He’s an all-around good kid. I always knew it – he used to hit me up when he was at LSU, always asking questions and always wanting advice. Now seeing him up here and how he works and how he pays attention and how he learns – he’s going to be really special in this league if he keeps a level head and keeps that hunger.

“You can’t help but like him. All he wants is the best for his teammates and his team. It’s easy to follow a guy like that. He obviously has stuff to prove with being a rookie, but he’s going to be a great one.”

Minter appreciates how White has already stepped up and assumed a leadership role on the Bucs defense, while also soaking up information from veterans like he and Lavonte David.

“I love working with the kid and so does Lavonte,” Minter said. “It’s one thing for us to be helping him, but we’re dealing with a guy that wants to be helped and that makes it all the better. Devin White is going to be great.”

• Bucs wide receiver Justin Watson is one of the smartest players in Tampa Bay having hailed from Penn, which is an Ivy League school. He’s already learned his second offense in as many years, and one of the reasons why is because Dirk Koetter’s offense and Bruce Arians’ offense are similar in nature.

Bucs WR Justin Watson – Photo courtesy of Univ. of Penn

Both offenses feature vertical passing attacks with the biggest difference being that Arians likes to attack the middle of the field down the seam whereas Koetter liked to attack deep outside the hashes near the sidelines. But Watson noted one other big difference, which are more option routes in Tampa Bay’s new offense under Arians.

“There are a lot more adjustments based on what the defense is showing us that we are going to make on the fly with option routes and hots (hot routes) based on the defense blitzing,” Watson said. “Those were the slower learning parts, but we’ve picked those up by now.”

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2019 season is rapidly approaching, and PewterReport.com and WDAE (95.3FM / 620AM) are excited to partner together for a third year of Bucs coverage. With over 20 years worth of appearances on Tampa Bay area radio station analyzing Buccaneers football, PewterReport.com will once again provide the station with unique insight, analysis and news on WDAE on air and digital platforms.

Following two disappointing 5-11 seasons back-to-back, the Bucs are trying to end a playoff drought that dates back to the 2008 season. With high expectations with the arrival of new head coach Bruce Arians, PewterReport.com coverage will continue to have a dominant presence on WDAE from the start of training camp through the 2020 NFL Draft.

“PewterReport.com is really excited to partner once again with 95.3 WDAE, home of the best Bucs coverage on radio, and offer up our expert analysis and observations from our year-round coverage of the team,” said PewterReport.com Vice President and Publisher Scott Reynolds. “Looking forward to talking Bucs football again on a weekly basis with our good friends Ronnie and TKras, Pat and Aaron and Ron and Ian, and of course the WDAE audience of Bucs fans. It’s such a strong line-up of radio personalities – I can’t wait for Bucs training camp to begin.”

“WDAE is thrilled to be partnering with PewterReport.com and their team for a third straight season,” WDAE Program Director John Mamola said. “With a new and exciting season set to begin, we are very excited to be continuing this partnership to further magnify the local coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Combining Tampa Bay’s top sports radio authority in 95.3 WDAE and 620 AM and the best online resource for Tampa Bay Buccaneers news and analysis in PewterReport.com is a huge win for Buccaneers fans all day, every day! Go Bucs!”

Beginning on Friday, July 27, WDAE listeners will be able to hear PewterReport.com analysts every Monday and Friday throughout the entire schedule of Buccaneers training camp among other appearances on the weekends.

Ian Beckes and Mark Cook – Photo by: Jerry Petuck

Starting with the kickoff of the regular season, you can hear PewterReport.com coverage with three weekly radio appointments during the whole Bucs season on Ronnie and TKras morning program (Monday, Wednesday and Friday 6am-9am) plus twice weekly during the regular season on the other WDAE daily programs.

PewterReport.com content will also be prominently featured on 953wdae.com each and every day, as well as The Insiders pre-game show each Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. before kickoff.

• TKRAS PREVIEWS BUCS CAMP ON THE LATEST PEWTER NATION PODCAST! Speaking of WDAE, Mark Cook and I had the pleasure of recording the latest Pewter Nation Podcast in the WDAE studio with 95.3FM morning host Tom Krasnicki of the Ronnie And TKras Show with co-host Ronnie Lane. TKras, Cook and I talked about the Bucs’ strengths and weaknesses heading into training camp, in addition to the ridiculous Instagram video from Jason Pierre-Paul, who is wearing a neck brace from his May car accident, actually getting behind the wheel again.

Click here to listen to Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 130: TKras Previews Bucs Camp

TKras is the second WDAE personality that has been featured on a Pewter Nation Podcast this summer. I was out of town the first week of July, so Pewter Reporters Mark Cook, Taylor Jenkins and Matt Matera were joined by special guest and former Tampa Bay guard Ian Beckles to talk Bucs football on the Pewter Nation Podcast. Beckles, who is the afternoon host with Ron Diaz on WDAE 95.3 FM and 620 AM, had some choice words to say about the departure of Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and the arrival of Ndamukong Suh, who is his replacement. Don’t miss this episode!

Click here to listen to Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 129: Ian Beckles

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.

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.

• Ryan Smith’s four-game PED (performance-enhancing drug) suspension will be a costly one for the fourth-year cornerback, provided he makes the 2019 Buccaneers. Smith was due to make $2.025 million in 2019 and the four game checks he’ll have to forfeit add up to $476,471. Considering he made just $630,000 in 2018, that’s a sizeable loss in wages for Smith.

It’s interesting to note that with Smith’s suspension the Bucs have had at least one player suspended for at least one game in seven straight years, as The Athletic’s Greg Auman noted on Twitter this week.

Sorry, it’s actually seven straight years in which Bucs have had a player suspended — Dashon Goldson missed one game in 2013, Jorvorskie Lane missed two in 2014, then Alexander in 2015, Martin in 2016-17, Mike Evans in 2017, Winston in 2018, now Ryan Smith in 2019.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) July 10, 2019

• COME OUT AND MEET THE PR TEAM! PewterReport.com has two fan events coming up this month, beginning with the PewterReport.com – Mike Alstott Family Foundation Bowling Event at PinChasers Midtown location on Tuesday, July 16. All proceeds of the ticket sales go towards the Mike Alstott Family Foundation, which supports various local Tampa Bay charities. Alstott will be on hand to do a Bucs Q&A with fans and will sign autographs and take photos with paid bowlers. Tickets are $20 per person and $10 for kids under the age of five. Click here to get tickets or for sponsorship information.

Our second PewterReport.com event is our Pewter Nation Summer Event at WTR Pool & Grill at The Godfrey, which is located at 7700 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa on Thursday, July 26 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., which is the night before the start of Bucs training camp. Come talk Bucs football and meet the PewterReport.com staff, win some autographed Bucs gear, and enjoy the beautiful view of the waters of Tampa Bay with our private bar and exclusive Pewter Report party area.

This event is free for all Bucs fans and PewterReport.com fans. We’ll have a special PR Happy Hour drink list which will include $4 drafts, $4 wells and $4 wines. There will also be a special $5 Pewter Nation “Pirate Cocktail.”

For bigger groups or businesses, we have four cabanas that fit 6-12 people w/special bottle service and sponsorship opportunities, please call Greg Miceli for more information at 727-487-9004. We look forward to seeing you there, Pewter Nation!

• BUCS TRAINING CAMP IS ALMOST HERE – FOLLOW 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.

So if you aren’t one of the 32,000+ that follows PewterReport.com on Twitter please do so right now so you don’t miss out on Bucs practice footage, press conference notes and video, injury updates, breaking news and notifications about the latest stories and columns on PewterReport.com. Follow us today!

• And finally, the Bucs announced their multi-year partnership with TradeWinds Island Resort on St. Pete Beach on Thursday by detailing plans for their first annual Beach Bash at TradeWinds Island Resort, which will feature a free Billy Ray Cyrus and Parmalee concert on September 21.

RumFish Grill is the flagship restaurant at TradeWinds Island Resort and has a location at Amalie Arena and will be opening up a new location at Raymond James Stadium for the 2019 football season. PewterReport.com readers are encouraged to visit those locations in addition to the original RumFish Grill at TradeWinds Island Resort at 6000 Gulf Boulevard on St. Pete Beach.

Experience dining in front of a huge saltwater fish tank at RumFish Grill, which has a fantastic menu of fresh seafood and amazing craft cocktails. RumFish Grill also has the area’s largest selection of Guy Harvey merchandise. Check out the menu on RumFishGrill.com