After their first training camp off-day, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned to the practice field on Wednesday with an effort that drew a decidedly neutral reaction from Head Coach Dirk Koetter. Koetter, who isn't known to sugarcoat his thoughts, called the practice, "good and bad both ways." Koetter also suggested a good reason why his team might have an uneven practice: Six straight days of installing the playbook might have a few of the younger heads spinning.
Every training camp has its ups and downs, of course, and every seemingly good moment for the offense is a potential problem for the defense, and vice versa. There have still been some unequivocally good signs during the first week of the Bucs' camp, and on Monday Koetter highlighted a handful of players who are off to a good start, including tackle Demar Dotson, running backs Doug Martin and Charles Sims, tight end Cameron Brate, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, linebacker Lavonte David, safety Chris Conte and cornerbacks Alterraun Verner and Brent Grimes.
Pictures from the Buccaneers' training camp practice on Wednesday.
3 QB Jameis Winston and team
11 WR Adam Humphries
25 RB Mike James
44 RB Russell Hansbrough and #28 CB Vernon Hargreaves
22 RB Doug Martin and #58 LB Kwon Alexander
11 WR Adam Humphries
13 WR Mike Evans
Bucs Training Camp
22 RB Doug Martin
74 G Ali Marpet and #3 QB Jameis Winston
3 QB Jameis Winston
38 CB Jude Adjei-Barimah
Bucs Training Camp
Defensive Line Coach Jay Hayes
72 C Ben Gottschalk
57 DE Noah Spence and #76 T Donovan Smith
66 OT Leonard Wester
91 DE Robert Ayers
98 DT Clinton McDonald
3 QB Jameis Winston
13 WR Mike Evans
29 DB Ryan Smith, #35 CB Javien Elliot, #39 S Isaiah Johnson, #44 LB Micah Awe, and #58 LB Kwon Alexander
3 QB Jameis Winston
35 CB Javien Elliot, #28 CB Vernon Hargreaves, and #39 S Isaiah Johnson
19 K Roberto Aguayo
93 DT Gerald McCoy
43 RB Peyton Barber
10 WR Jonathan Krause
76 T Donovan Smith and #57 DE Noah Spence
30 S Bradley McDougald
84 TE Cameron Brate
89 WR Russell Shepard and #24 CB Brent Grimes
74 G Ali Marpet
93 DT Gerald McCoy
58 LB Kwon Alexander
98 DT Clinton McDonald
78 T Cherilus Gosder
29 DB Ryan Smith
93 DT Gerald McCoy
3 QB Jameis Winston
Bucs Training Camp
98 DT Clinton McDonald
3 QB Jameis Winston and #59 LB Devante Bond
HC Dirk Koetter
22 RB Doug Martin
22 RB Doug Martin
3 QB Jameis Winston
3 QB Jameis Winston
24 CB Brent Grimes
21 CB Alterraun Verner and #11 WR Adam Humphries
24 CB Brent Grimes
GM Jason Licht and HC Dirk Koetter
24 CB Brent Grimes and #83 WR Vincent Jackson
Special Teams Coach Nate Kaczor
10 WR Jonathan Krause
Special Teams Coach Nate Kaczor and team
64 T Kevin Pamphile
3 QB Jameis Winston and #4 QB Ryan Griffin
30 S Bradley McDougald
69 T Demar Dotson and #3 QB Jameis Winston
74 G Ali Marpet
HC Dirk Koetter
Bucs Training Camp
80 WR Kenny Bell and Offensive Coordinator/WR Coach Todd Monken
89 WR Russell Shepard
70 Caylin Hauptmann
88 TE Luke Stocker and #84 TE Cameron Brate
17 WR Donteea Dye
83 WR Vincent Jackson
Defensive Line Coach Jay Hayes
3 QB Jameis Winston
46 TE Kivon Cartwright
HC Dirk Koetter
3 QB Jameis Winston
84 TE Cameron Brate
43 RB Peyton Barber
13 WR Mike Evans
11 WR Adam Humphries
46 TE Kivon Cartwright
Bucs Training Camp
3 QB Jameis Winston
3 QB Jameis Winston and Quarterbacks Coach Mike Bajakian
3 QB Jameis Winston and HC Dirk Koetter
8 QB Mike Glennon and Quarterbacks Coach Mike Bajakian
Bucs Training Camp
HC Dirk Koetter
13 WR Mike Evans
On Wednesday, Koetter also volunteered one thing that the team as a whole – or at least the offense – has excelled at so far: the deep pass. And that's not simply a matter of long completions being the most visually obvious moments of success in practice (and the surest way to get a rise from the crowd); Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken has been keeping track.
"That is the best thing we've probably been doing right now, other than we did a lot better running the ball today," said Koetter of the long ball. "But consistently over six practices – Coach Monken charts our completions over 10 yards – it's probably the best thing we're doing on offense right now, which is a good thing."
Indeed, a certain number of "explosive plays" on offense is a big part of Koetter's formula for success and he wants Jameis Winston, his strong-armed quarterback, to take plenty of downfield shots. The Buccaneers had a strong rushing attack in 2015 and expect that to carry over into this season, and that combines well with long throws due to the threat of play-action.
As the offensive coordinator last year, Koetter directed an attack that started to unlock some big-play potential. Tampa Bay ranked fourth in the NFL with 77 plays that gained 20 or more yards. That's a bit misleading, however, because it includes a league-best 20 rushing plays of that length. If one pushes the bar up to 25-yard completions, the Bucs drop down the rankings into a tie for 28th, with 26 of them. Given that the deep ball was considered a strength of Winston's coming into the 2015 draft, and that he's got a great downfield weapon in Mike Evans, the Bucs expect more explosive plays in 2016.
Winston and Evans, in particular, have been seeking a better connection in their second year together, and the third-year receiver thinks they are finding it.
"It's only been six practices so far, but it's already showing," said Evans. "We know where he's going to throw the ball , like I said. We're thinking before the play starts. Now that we're in the second year of this offense, we're playing fast. [Winston] knows where we're supposed to be. Based off what coverage, he know where we're supposed to be. It's been great so far."
