Bucs head coach Todd Bowles addressed his players at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23 on the eve of the start of Tampa Bay’s 2024 training camp. In a revealing look, the Buccaneers put out a video of Bowles’ six-and-half minute pre-camp speech to the team, which had several messages.

The biggest takeaway is that it’s time to level up. After winning three straight NFC South championships, the last two while Bowles was head coach, the expectation needs to be to make it to the Super Bowl – and of course, win it.

“It’s the most in-shape team we’ve had in a long time,” Bowles said. “The expectations for us shouldn’t be just the division. It’s got to be the Super Bowl. We won the division the last two years. We saw how good we were last year. We can’t take none of it with us. Our expectation has got to be – how we can be great?”

Bowles added: “We play a lot of great teams this year. We play all the championship teams – all four of them. We play the Super Bowl teams. That’s great for us because we want to be great. You can’t get to the playoffs without being great, so the expectation it’s got to be high.”

Todd Bowles Addresses Key Positions On The 2024 Bucs Team

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and RBs coach Skip Peete – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles took the time to single out certain position groups and outline their expectations heading into the 2024 season.

“Positionally, I’ll go over it for you,” Bowles said. “Offensive line – it’s the most continuity we’ve had since the Super Bowl. Still got to work some kinks out, but the only way you guys can be great is to work with each other. You work with each other we’re not going to get out-toughed by nobody. We don’t want to miss blocks. Make them make a great play. But we’ve got size, we’ve got athleticism, you’ve got intelligence and you’ve got toughness. There’s no reason for us to fail there.”

Offensively, the Bucs have a new offensive coordinator in Liam Coen, who has given quarterback Baker Mayfield the freedom to audible and make checks at the line of scrimmage. That will give Mayfield more control over the Bucs offense than he had last year.

“Quarterback – Bake, you run the show,” Bowles said. “It’s your team. You get to be the eyes and ears of Liam. You check in now. You’ve got athletes everywhere. Give them the ball. Let them go. That’s what they get paid for. Give them the ball let him. Go make the smart decisions. Get us in the right set and we can go.

“Running backs – make the yards they give, you take the yards they don’t, right?” Bowles said. “Take care of the football. You’ve got to be jack-of-all trades. You’ve got to run. You’ve got to catch. You’ve got to block. We got hella fire receivers – you’re going to be open. You’re going to be open, right? You gotta know, but you gotta block too. You gotta block.

Bucs DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bowles, who serves as Tampa Bay’s defensive play-caller, then turned to his side of the ball during the team address.

“D-line – probably the most athletic we’ve been,” Bowles said. “Defensively, as a whole, probably the fastest we’ve been in a couple years. Probably the fastest. Hard to say who’s the slowest guy. It ain’t Vita [Vea]! I’ll give you the name [Wednesday], but it ain’t Vita. I can tell you that much.

“There should be 11 guys on the frame every time going to the football. We get outside runs, screens, anything like that, we should be A-to-B right now. Got to read our keys and all that’s taken care of – I understand that. We’ve got to read our keys. Corners, safeties, ‘backers even outside ‘backers – turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Sacks aren’t good enough. You’ve got to sack them and get the ball out. Gotta sack them and get the ball out. We’ve got to defend every blade of grass.”

Todd Bowles’ Parting Words To His Players On The Eve Of Training Camp

Bucs OLBs coach George Edwards and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Todd Bowles wants to see competition, competition, competition from this year’s squad in training camp to make the team the best it can be.

“We’re not the Tampa Bay Bucs yet,” Bowles said. “There are a lot of people in this room, a lot of competition. A lot of competition, right? Every spot – almost every spot … again, I’ve said this in the past. It’s not the best 53, it’s the right 53. It’s the right 53, so you’ve got to fit what we’re trying to do. You’ve got to earn your keep as a starter, as a backup, as a practice squad guy. Even if you’re injured, you’ve got earn your spot.

“I don’t want nobody trying to make the team. Make the team just means you’re trying to get over. I’d rather f*cking cut you and have somebody that’s busting their ass then for you to just make the team. You’ve got to want to be something on this team. You got to want to be something on this team – and that’s what I’m f*cking looking for. We get that done and we’re gonna have a hell of a team. We’re off to a good start we just gotta get started [on Wednesday].”

To watch Todd Bowles’ entire message to the team, click here or click the video below.