HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On what he likes about the talent and depth at defensive back)

"We've got a lot of guys at the safety position that are very good special teams players, and they can help us on [special] teams, especially at the gunner spot, as well as [at] corner. A lot of them play nickel, as well. They're multi-talented, so it's hard to let them go."

(On keeping four tight ends on the 53-man roster)

"Well, we will play some more two tight end [sets], as well, so we need tight ends. They're all up-and-coming. Ko [Kieft] can play some fullback, as well, so just for different personnel groupings we needed him on [the roster]."

(On the most difficult roster decisions)

"It was really the cross positions where you're weighing the outside [linebacker] against the sixth [wide] receiver and that type of stuff, but we felt that it's hard to get pass rushers in this league and hopefully we can get [the wide receivers] through to the practice squad and bring them up as needed."

(On what he likes about the 53-man roster)

"Well, they work hard, and they've got good chemistry – that's the biggest thing you can see right now. You've got to wait until they play to see them play. Obviously, we want to play mistake-free football but coming together as a group as early as they did – that's positive."

(On the advantages and disadvantages of the youth of the 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

"The advantage is they can run in practice every day. You don't have to hold too many people out. The disadvantage is, obviously, the experience and them understanding and knowing things as they get ready."

(On 44-of-53 players on the original 53-man roster being drafted or originally signed by Tampa Bay)

"It's great to have them. That means you're drafting the right guys if they can make the team and contribute. If you're drafting 44 of them and you've only got about 15 of them [still on the roster], that doesn't say a whole bunch. It says a lot about the front office and the draft process [and] about the coaches preparing them and getting them ready to play. You find players everywhere. Whether they're free agents or whether they're draft picks, you want the best guys on your team."

(On if it says even more about the front office considering Tampa Bay hasn't been selecting at the top of the NFL Draft in recent years)

"It's more about picking the right guy than it is picking the best guy. The right guy that fits us – or any team for that matter – is important to pick. They do a good job at that and there's a good collaboration."

(On what he saw from WR Sterling Shepard during training camp and how much the injury impacted him)

"Well, early on he showed a lot and then he got injured and missed a lot of time. That obviously has to weigh in on it. Hopefully we can get him back in some capacity because when he was fresh, he was good. He made a lot of plays."

(On how much more complicated injuries make the roster decisions)

"It's complicated, but if you have a skillset and you've shown something… For example, [Tyrek] Funderburk. We saw him in the spring, summer and early on when he came in – he's a good football player. You knew right away that he had a damn good chance of making this team, so you weigh those type of things. But when you're an older guy and you get hurt, it's not so much. It becomes more [about] versatility – how versatile can you be at the back end of the roster [with] special teams, this position, that position, [etc.] and it kind of comes down to that because when you get injuries during the season, you have a guy that can go in and play. You can't go outside and say, 'Hey, I got this guy.' So, that's important for us."

(On when he realized WR Kameron Johnson could be a player that sticks around on the roster)

"You saw it in the spring – you saw a lot of promise in the spring. He was quick in and out of his cuts, in and out of his routes and he has great hands. He runs like a running back, he's quick, he's sudden and he was very sharp."

(On the scouting department's ability to find undrafted free agents who can make the 53-man roster)

"It says a lot about the work they put in. It says a lot about the work they put in, the time they put in, the meetings that we have and everybody being on the same page and getting these guys in here. In this league, you can't pay everybody. You've got to find some gems somehow and we do a good job at doing that."

(On the coaching staff's ability to develop these players)

"There is a great collaboration going on and the coaches do a good job of teaching and bringing people along. They do a good job of bringing players along, getting them better and they do a good job of teaching – they do a great job of teaching."

(On if he anticipates any more moves ahead of Week 1)

"Maybe. There [are] a few guys. We want to see what the rest of the waiver wire looks like, and we will weigh those positions against the ones we think we need, and we will kind of go from there. I'm not going to say we're done, but I'm not going to say we're going to go out and just take anybody."

(On his confidence level in QB Kyle Trask if he were to have to step in for QB Baker Mayfield at some point throughout the season)

"I'm very confident in Kyle. I thought he had a couple good years here and he's a very confident guy. He understands the offense, he knows what he has to do and he's a competitor."

(On what he most looks forward to about the regular season starting)

"I'll be happy if we won the first game."

(On if players that are currently not practicing due to injury are all trending toward making it back for Week 1 and practicing next week)

"I'm hoping they can. I can't say confidently and then they have some type of setback, but they're all trending the right way."

(On the status of OLB Yaya Diaby)

"We will see next week. He's trending [in the right direction] – we will see next week. We've got to keep getting better and better and then we'll see next week."

(On if S Jordan Whitehead practiced in full today)

"He had a full day."

(On what sticks out to him about the Washington Commanders in Week 1)

"Obviously the quarterback they drafted, number one. [He has an] outstanding arm, [he's] very accurate, throws a great deep ball, knows when to get rid of the ball [and] can run, as well. Obviously, [Terry] McLaurin is another threat. They've got two big D-linemen in there that we're going to have to pay attention to along with the rest of the guys I'm not even mentioning. They've got a slew of players, they've got a very good coaching staff and I know they will be ready to play."

(On how the new kickoff rules have changed things from a personnel perspective)

"It's different because you had more athletes before because it wasn't that close of quarters. Now, you need some power, and you need some athletes at the same time. You could put more DBs (defensive backs) on there with the regular kickoff – now you've got to be on the outskirts, and you probably need some [linebackers] and tight ends and maybe some bigger running backs. And if you've got an athletic defensive lineman or something like that, you kind of put him up there because you've got to be stout in the middle."

WIDE RECEIVER CHRIS GODWIN

(On what he thinks of WR Kameron Johnson's story of going from Division II to the NFL)

"It's amazing. I was talking to Kam out there at practice today, and just kind of briefly reflected with him between periods about that because it's very cool. One, to make an NFL roster and then like you said, coming from a D-II school – I didn't know he was the first person from his school, so that makes it even better, but being a D-II college athlete, the odds are kind of stacked against you. He worked his ass of to earn a spot, so I couldn't be happier for him. Seeing how he works… It makes sense, and you can tell that from the way he tracks the ball. It's a high level. He has great attention to detail. He's tough, and he's also willing to learn, so I think that he has a good head on his shoulders and it's working."

(On how the options that QB Baker Mayfield can choose from has an effect from a wide receiver standpoint)

"I would say there [are] a lot more plays, but our responsibilities on those plays are also more as well. The learning curve is a little bit steeper, but I think that it's set up so that once you get like the base of it, you're able to interchange a bunch of pieces so it's not like we have to come up with new plays in order to get different matchups, if that makes sense."

(On what he is most excited to see once the regular season starts)

"I think I'm most excited just to see how it all comes together because we really only got the one drive in the preseason, and we moved it like really effectively. It will be nice to get back out there. It'll be nice to actually game plan for a team and see how we can actually take advantage of some of the things that they do, but also what our halftime adjustments look like. It'll be cool to see how Liam [Coen]'s play calling is in games and how he adjusts, and then just comparing that to what the defense is doing. They [have] a lot of great players over there, obviously [with] Lavonte [David] leading them. We've got players all over the field, so it's going to be really crucial to get off to a hot start."

(On there being more confidence going into this season in comparison to last season)

"I think so, but I think that just comes from just not as much complacency at this point in the year. I think, for a lot of people, there's probably some uncertainty about – like the quarterback situation, as well as the new 'OC' (offensive coordinator), we [have] a new type of offense which we hadn't really learned before, and now this scheme is from a similar family as the last scheme so [there's] not as much uncertainty this year, and obviously Baker [Mayfield] being our quarterback helps with that stability. Guys just feel a lot better going in."

WIDE RECEIVER KAMERON JOHNSON

(On how he found out he made the team and what his first reaction was)

"Honestly, I didn't get a call. I was just keeping up with it on Twitter, and then I saw my name when they released a 53-man roster – I saw my name up there. It's just a feeling of gratitude. I was overwhelmed with emotions. I mean, I'm just grateful that God brought me here. Hopefully he continues to shine through me, so I give him glory at the end of the day."

(On how training camp has been with being injured briefly but still being able to showcase his abilities)

"Training camp was hard. You know, dealing with injuries sucks, but at the end of the day, I did just enough to make the 53 [man roster]. I think I showed them what I'm capable of – my abilities. I am not just a one-dimensional receiver … I can also run the ball, I can return some, I can play gunner, I can make tackles. Training camp was pretty good for me actually."

(On if he's thought about what the moment will be like the first time he plays in a regular season game)

"I haven't, but if it's anything like that preseason night… [I'm not] going to lie, I can't wait for it, because this fan base is amazing. I can't wait to make plays in front of them."

(On his connection with QB Baker Mayfield and if Mayfield's thoughts may have helped him make the roster)

"Baker's a great guy. Honestly, he's definitely a top five quarterback in the league and it obviously shows, day in and day out. If I was getting high praise from Baker, that maybe helped a little bit but hopefully I just keep showing what I can do [and] keep my work ethic going, and just keep doing what I was doing."

-BUCCANEERS-