Notes From Day 2 Of Training Camp
July 29th, 2017
Mike Evans conducts an interview while a “Hard Knocks” production crew hovers in the background.
Yes, here are Joe’s famed training camp notes for Day 2 of Bucs Training Camp 2017. Enjoy!
* Topless football is more boring than underwear football. Fans in stands grow restless as a result.
* Helmets back on; music returns; flag carriers spring to action; fans now engaged.
* Doug Martin still bites the football like a rookie. He also still runs way downfield to finish underwear football runs, just as he learned as a rookie. #SchianoMan
* The misplaced Stampeder (Donteea Dye) seems to get caught in traffic and can’t get to a Jameis screen to the right.
* Even a nondescript pass to tight end Alan Cross along the right sideline gets applause. Fans are fired up for Bucs football.
* O.J. Howard catches a tipped pass that was slightly behind him in traffic over the middle from Jameis with one arm (not hand). Crowd absolutely roars.
* Bucs working on a lot of dumpoff passes and screens.
* Charles Sims can’t catch up to Jameis deep ball down the right sideline. Good coverage by Keith Tandy may have been the culprit.
* Topless football returns.
* Stands are packed, which Joe sort of expected being Saturday and all the hype surrounding the team. Despite cloud cover, still a sauna out here.
* Back to underwear football and Kwon Alexander is bouncing to the beat.
* 7-on-7 drills and Jameis threads needle between two defenders to connect with Cam Brate on left side.
* Jameis goes deep to Mike Evans down the right sideline but maybe too much air gave defenders time to recover and break up pass.
* Later, Jameis threw short to Evans at the right sideline and Evans went low to dig up the ball.
* Crowd breaks out into a “Kwon… Kwon… Kwon… ” chant.
* Cam Brate nearly comes up with a tipped pass. Bobbled, bobbled, bobbled and… hits the ground.
* Howard couldn’t come up with a pass down the right seam from Ryan Fitzpatrick as he juggled the football over his head. Howard may have gotten away with a push off.
* If not for orange jersey, Will Gholston would have absolutely mauled Jameis.
* Jameis underthrows DeSean Jackson down the left sideline and it doesn’t matter. He. Gone. Crowd goes bananas.
* Rain coming down and surely players loving it. Instantly 10 degrees cooler if not more.
* The misplaced Stampeder goes high to grab Jameis pass.
* In the pouring rain, DeSean Jackson catches a tipped bomb from Jameis along left sideline. Very impressive! Touchdown.
* This DeSean Jackson is a freaking human highlight film. This guy plays on a level that may not be human. Bucs fans, you have every right to be geeked out of your minds with this addition. So fun to watch.
* Javien Elliott with a nice breakup of Fitz pass.
* During a 7-on-7 drill, rookie running back Jeremy McNichols was getting a lot of work with the “ones.”
* Winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said when the pads come on Monday, he wants to see consistent tackling from rookie safety Justin Evans.
* Cool scene after practice: There is an area for fans with special needs. Many in wheelchairs. Most players will stand on their side of the fence to sign autographs. Not Chris Baker. The free agent defensive tackle, as soon as practice was over, jogged to the area, jumped the fence, and sat amid the fans. He spent at least 20 minutes just shooting the breeze and talking to the fans seated in that section.
* Another guy who did some autograph time was Keith Tandy. He had to have spend 30 minutes signing autographs and likely it was more than 40 minutes.
July 29th, 2017 at 12:41 pm
I think you mean Charles Sims? Isn’t Chris Simms in the broadcast booth these days?
Great stuff as always. Can’t wait for the real action to start! Go Bucs!
July 29th, 2017 at 12:41 pm
So those two former skins are making they’re presence felt. Free agency at its finest.
July 29th, 2017 at 12:44 pm
He huge Joe??? Just imagine how much more Kwon about to eat behind a body like that eating up O linemen. Sorta like how Ray use eat behind big Siragusa up in B more.
July 29th, 2017 at 12:46 pm
Swaggy vs Sweezy should be a fun watch next week. H3ll ME said during his presser the player He looks forward to watching the most when the pads come on is JR Sweezy. Marshawn wasn’t the only Beast mode in Seattle.
July 29th, 2017 at 12:49 pm
If we get consistent tackling from Evans, coupled with getting Godwin in the third. This draft class could start being known as the pick 6. Howard,
July 29th, 2017 at 12:51 pm
Last thing DeSean,Start Your Engine my G😀. 10 and 6 my d@$!.
July 29th, 2017 at 12:53 pm
Sorry, early send. But:
Howard
Evans
Godwin
Beckwith
McNichols
Stevie T
All have opportunity to not only make the roster but impact play this season.
July 29th, 2017 at 12:57 pm
Like the comment about DeSean’s play. From what little I’ve heard, he is a fantastic WR, “at another level” – who hasn’t slowed down at all. Great signing.
July 29th, 2017 at 1:00 pm
Cam Brate said full pads tomorrow, not Monday. Maybe he was mistaken. He’s not very bright…
July 29th, 2017 at 1:00 pm
Well, Chris Simms isn’t on the roster, so…
Joe has a hunch he will never get over this brainfart. 🙁
July 29th, 2017 at 1:05 pm
“Koetter said when the pads come on Monday, he wants to see consistent tackling from rookie safety Justin Evans”
and it starts….. miss a couple tackles in College and everyone (including coach who hasn’t seen you tackle yet) assumes you have a “tackling problem”… LOL
July 29th, 2017 at 1:12 pm
The guy who schedules and organizes practices, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said — and Joe was standing five feet from him — shells tomorrow, pads Monday. That was two hours ago.
Bucs media reps told Joe yesterday that pads go on Monday.
Enough credible sources for ya? 🙂
July 29th, 2017 at 2:12 pm
Yeah, Brate of Harvard. And I’m guessing Casey Morgan didn’t go to Yale.
July 29th, 2017 at 2:15 pm
That secondary is going to really take things to another level this year
July 29th, 2017 at 3:00 pm
You’re welcome for the Kwon chant, my nephew and I got that going hahaha. DJax is unf*@$ingreal!! Bucs fans we are in for a real treat this year!! GO BUCS
July 29th, 2017 at 3:08 pm
Ha! You were sitting not too far from Joe. DJax is fun as heck to watch.
July 29th, 2017 at 3:10 pm
If they can hang with their own teammates, they should be OK for the regular season.
July 29th, 2017 at 3:18 pm
Hey guys, when Joe wrote had Jameis not had an orange jersey he would have been mauled by Will Gholston? Rock Riley caught that play on video.
You can watch the video here.
July 29th, 2017 at 3:42 pm
Joe, I was looking for you two ugly mugs haha. Me and my boys are in the Rock Riley video right around the 13-14 sec mark. The kid with the red and white bucs wig and joker skeleton mask is my nephew. Those Djax catches got the boys i coach fired up. One even said COACH! im doing that on Monday! Hahaha.
July 29th, 2017 at 4:04 pm
There is sooooo much to be excited about!!! But I think as much as anything I am totally thrilled that this team and the fan base are bonding so well so early.
Once again the team and their fans can fall in love again! I’m ecstatic over Joe’s reports about how the fans are responding.
I woke up to 66 degrees and a light breeze off Lake Superior…just awesome..but I gotta confess I’m missing next Saturday. I would love to join the “stick carriers” descending on the Bucs practice.
A totally turned on fan base is one of the ingredients that’s going to get us to Minny!
July 29th, 2017 at 5:27 pm
@stpetebucsfan
Where are you spending time these days?
July 29th, 2017 at 6:05 pm
Excellent coverage Joe, as usual. I am more interested in the play of the defense and we will know more when the pads come on Monday. What is your opinion of their status and is Coach Smith pulling all this together? Thanks.
July 29th, 2017 at 6:27 pm
Very hyped to see if all this VH3 crazy good play is going to show up in the regular season. And even though I want Justin Evans to come out crackin skulls, he better not injure any teammates.
July 29th, 2017 at 7:58 pm
Really, really hard to tell because they are no in pads. Koetter has stated twice already defense is ahead of the offense, yet DeSean Jackson is lighting up the defense.
July 29th, 2017 at 8:54 pm
Haha!
Cool that they are in Rock’s video. Will check it out.