1. Jameis Winston is more accurate.
As Head Coach Dirk Koetter mentioned, and as Scott Smith pointed out, Jameis Winston has been much more accurate this year than he was in training camp in 2016. Koetter said that Winston has been completing an extra 10 percent of his passes. That's really impressive considering the sample size that stat is pulled from. The Bucs chart every one of Winston's passes during practice and, obviously, in games.
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- We don't know who the SAM is.**
Heading into training camp, Davonte Bond was the starting strong side outside linebacker with Kendell Beckwith competing for the job. Bond has missed the past week with a leg injury and the Buccaneers have used several players – not just Beckwith – with the first-team defense. Cam Lynch and Adarius Glanton have both filled that role, but Beckwith has probably been the most impressive of the bunch.
3. This year's kicker might not be on the roster.
When the Buccaneers released Roberto Aguayo, it seemed that Nick Folk would be the team's kicker for Week 1. After Folk struggled in the team's second preseason game, the Buccaneers may still be in the market for another kicker. This year presents a different obstacle that in years past. Teams make just one cut from 90 players to 53 this year. In the past, the first round of cuts was an optimal time to add a new player mid-camp.
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- Ryan Smith is developing.**
Smith has had a few big adjustments to make in the past 16 months. He played for a smaller college program, so adjusting to life in the NFL a challenging transition. Smith played safety as a rookie but made his biggest contributions on special teams. This year, it looks like he could see significant playing time on the defensive side of the ball at cornerback. He has been working with the first-team defense while Brent Grimes recovers from a leg injury.
5. The Buccaneers' pass rush could be dangerous.
Gerald McCoy has been Gerald McCoy thus far through camp; he's been playing at the level one would expect a five-time Pro Bowler to. But the Buccaneers have a few extra pieces that could make this year's pass rush one to fear. Noah Spence has flashed often during camp and Ryan Russell has performed well with the first-team defense in obvious passing situations. The Buccaneers have both talent and depth along the defensive side of the ball, with several players capable of playing both inside and outside.
