-Running backs were getting nowhere in the first team period of practice. There were a lot of short passes in the backfield and the defense was ready for all of them. Backs and receivers alike were tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage most of the time.
-During the blitz period, quarterback Jameis Winston had to get the ball out quickly. He decided on wide receiver Chris Godwin and just as Godwin turned around, the ball hit him square in the hands. I honestly think Godwin himself was a little surprised by it – but when you're in the right position and your quarterback is on target, catches like that don't require a whole lot of thinking.
-Winston tried for a deep ball down the left sideline as wide receiver Mike Evans went sprinting down the left sideline. Cornerback Ryan Smith was there on the coverage and got his hands up to prevent the completion.
-Wide receiver Breshad Perriman made a great catch on a short post route from Winston in red zone drills. It was in the back corner of the end zone and I say he was in. The effort to go up and get the catch alone was impressive enough.
-Tight end Tanner Hudson, who had a great game Friday night that even saw him nab a one-handed touchdown, caught a ball from quarterback Blaine Gabbert as he was already going to the ground. Rookie linebacker Devin White rolled over him immediately for the tackle but Hudson held on.
-Linebacker Jack Cichy is moving really well coming back from a torn ACL last season. He's playing physical in practice and today had a great stop of running back Dare Ogunbowale. Tracked him all the way out as Ogunbowale tried to escape to the outside and got to him at the line before Ogunbowale could gain any ground.
-Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves got the first of three interceptions for the defense when he got in front of Mike Evans and intercepted the deep ball down the left sideline.
-Kicker Matt Gay, after tying a Heinz Field record with a 55-yard field goal, kicked a 61-yarder in practice today. Easily.
-Though today there were no pads, cornerback Carlton Davis got a decent hit on Tanner Hudson in the middle of the field. The whole indoor facility heard that one and while it may have been a little overzealous, Hudson popped right back up and the defense continued to show more physicality.
-Winston through the smoothest pass I've ever seen to Evans over the middle. The ball sliced through the air and caught Evans in stride as he seamlessly continued on his route after making the catch. It was beautiful.
-Winston followed it up with another pass ot Evans as he was heading to the sideline. Evans got both tiptoes down to stay in bounds and get the big gain.
-Wide receiver Bobo Wilson had a nice catch on a pass from quarterback Ryan Griffin, who threw for over 300 yards on Friday night against the Steelers. Wilson was able to make the grab and turn upfield to shoot down the sideline.
-Running back Ronald Jones escaped through the middle and turned on the jets to get downfield in a hurry. Even with the limited tackling, I think Jones would have made it through in live tackling. He looked incredibly shifty.
View some of the top photos from Buccaneers Training Camp practice at the AdventHealth Training Center.
-Cornerback De'Vante Harris continued the defensive day with another interception as he jumped a route in the last team period.
-The situation at the end of practice was a must-score situation. Winston hit Evans, because of course, in the back left corner of the end zone despite pressure from outside linebacker Carl Nassib that came extremely close to ending the play before it started.
-In the same scenario, Winston went for two and it was inside linebacker Deone Bucannon who batted down the pass intended for tight end O.J. Howard.
THE BEST THING I SAW:
-The last play of practice ended with cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting making a great play. After jabbing his receiver, he proceeded to stare down Griffin as he was looking through his progressions. Murphy-Bunting zeroed in on where the ball was going and sure enough, got a hand on it to tip the ball in the air before ultimately coming down with it in the end zone, sealing the game for the defense.
