The entire Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster will convene at the AdventHealth Training Center next Tuesday, July 26, for the start of the team's 2022 training camp. However, roughly half of that 90-man roster will already have a three-day head start by then.
Buccaneers who fall into four groups will report on Saturday for what is colloquially known as 'QB School' but actually includes 42 players who could use that head start for a variety of reasons. Those four groups are quarterbacks, rookies, first-year players and those who are recovering from injuries suffered either last season or during the offseason.
Those three extra days won't involve any on-field work but each of those two days will include classroom meetings and film work in both the morning and afternoon. The 42 players in attendance will also have a chance to work with trainers, if needed, and get in lifting sessions.
The activities on Saturday will mostly be for orientation purposes for the Bucs' 24 rookies. They will have a chance to complete physicals and conditioning tests, hit the weight room and then gather for a rookie meeting in the evening.
It is common for teams to bring their rookies in a few days or even a week earlier than the rest of the team. The rookies for the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, for instance, reported for camp on Wednesday the 19th even though the veterans aren't due in until the 26th. The preliminary work makes it easier for those inexperienced players to get up to speed and mesh more seamlessly with the veterans when camp proper begins.
Similarly, quarterbacks have more on their plates, mentally, than any other position on the team and need to be ready to run the show once camp practices began. And those who are hoping to return to action from injuries can obviously use as much time with trainers and strength and conditioning staffers as possible. 'QB School' is all about that head start, and there are plenty of players on the Bucs' 90-man roster who can benefit from it.
