Bucs Training Camp 2025 Day 8 Notes
August 1st, 2025
Jalen McMillan (15) prepares to field a punt at Bucs training camp practice on Friday.
The nicks of football are beginning to add up for the Bucs.
Baker Mayfield, Trey Palmer and Tez Johnson were all sidelined this morning with assorted ailments. Of course, the big news was Mayfield’s hand contusion, described as day-to-day. Cade Otton also remains out with a hamstring issue. Throw in Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs, and there were four starters on offense watching practice just like Joe.
After practice, Bucs coach Todd Bowles really downplayed Mayfield’s injury, “We’re not worried about it.”
So today was Kyle Trask Day at One Buc Palace as he ran the first-team offense. So let’s get after it with highlights.
* Friday was the final day of Bucs training camp practice was open to the general public. Like the previous two, the bleachers were packed. That’s a good sign that there is a lot of excitement for the Bucs in the local community.
* Most players are irked in some way if they cannot practice. At least the professionals. They know they cannot get better watching in shorts. Joe knows this bothers both Godwin and Wirfs and it seems to irritate Otton as well. So what does Otton do to try to kill time? Joe noticed him throwing passes to his fellow tight ends during position drills.
* With arguably their top two returners sidelined, Joe noticed Rachaad White and Emeka Egbuka fielding punts. Trust Joe, unless they are forced to, Joe doesn’t believe the Bucs want Egbuka anywhere near punt returns. They don’t want the Ohio State product getting blown up.
*Haason Reddick and Chris Braswell are winners in 1-on-1 pass rush/pass blocking drills.
* Mike Evans is wide ass open on the left side of the field. Trask puts the ball where only Evans and his pterodactyl-like wingspan can get it.
* Trask tries for Sterling Shepard in the flat but cannot connect. Drop! Zyon McCollum was defending.
* Shepard gets a pass on the right side from No. 4 quarterback Connor Bazelak, who is working with the second team today.
* Rakim Jarrett on a crossing pattern from the left gets open and Bazelak is behind Jarrett. Incomplete.
* Mike Evans looked like he caught a pass on the left side but somehow after Evans took a few steps the ball hit the ground. Joe isn’t sure if Evans just flat out dropped it or if Benjamin Morrison, who was lurking, knocked it out.
* Bucky Irving hops over a defender in the backfield for a nice gain.
* Rachaad White dodges rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish in the backfield and turns chickens(p)it into chicken salad.
* White dodges veteranl linebacker Deion Jones for a modest gain.
* Joe isn’t sure what Bucs fans should pray for more at night: Baker Mayfield’s health or the health of the Bucs’ first-team offensive line.
* White goes left and after a nice gain, tries to bowl over safety Kaevon Merriweather near the right sideline. Instead, it’s White who takes a hard tumble as Merriweather sidesteps White but still manages to bring him down. Hard.
* Sean Tucker takes off on a run.
* White with a big run down the left side for a touchdown. Cornerback Kindle Vildor met White at about the 12 and tried to rassle him down but White was too physical.
* Trask throws left in the general vicinity of Evans but it was clear Evans didn’t expect the pass because he never even looked for the ball. Either that or the pass was horribly underthrown.
* Trask throws back-to-back passes to Egbuka and Dennis Houston, respectively.
* Tucker with a huge gain to the left. On the next play, Tucker had a modest gain up the middle.
* Trask dirts the ball as he had a pass rush in his face.
* Devin Culp catches a Trask pass in the left flat.
* Near miss: Trask goes deep along the right sideline for Egbuka and the pass is a little long. Egbuka stretched out more than a yoga instructor and the pass was just off his outstretched hand, incomplete.
* Bazelak with a quick throw to the right for Jarrett on a rollout to the right.
* Tucker hauls in a Trask pass down the right seam.
* Trask throws left for Devin Culp to the left but cannot connect. Christian Izien had tight coverage.
Red zone
* Joe hopes red zone practice is not a window into what we can expect from Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard in games. Because, by golly (as Gene Deckerhoff would say), the Bucs run tons of passes (fades?) to the far right corner of the end zone in these drills. Joe guesses if one is targeting Mike Evans, then OK. These passes are clearly not Trask’s strength. It seems like the Bucs have but two red zone plays: the pass to the back right corner of the end zone and a pass in the back of the end zone under the crossbar.
* The first three passes (two by Bazelak, third by Trask) are passes to the back of the end zone. Only the first is complete. From Joe’s vantage point, Joe only saw the ball in the air and then a pair of hands dart out to catch the pass. Turned out to be Jalen McMillan’s hands.
* Trask to Bucky on the right side, six points.
* Bazelak for backup tight end Tanner Taula in the back of the end zone, no.
* Bazelak to receiver Dennis Houston to the right side, touchdown.
* McMillan snatches another pass out of the air beneath the crossbar for six. Trask threw it.
* Trask to Evans to the far right corner, touchdown.
* Garrett Greene (UDFA West By God Virginia) catches a touchdown on the right side from Bazelak.
* Taula catches a touchdown in the far right corner of the end zone from Bazelak.
* Bazelak aims for Houston to the left and the connection cannot be made.
11-on-11
* Trask throws left for Mike Evans. That’s never a dumb move.
* Trask throws to the right for Evans and it’s too high. Given that Evans was an accomplished hoopster, that should tell you about the altitude of that pass. Evans crashed to the ground after his effort, which freaked out the fans in the bleachers. Joe heard one fan holler, “Don’t fall down, Mike!” Savvy advice.
* Trask from shotgun pats the ball, pats the ball, pats the ball, then rolls right and hits Devin Culp along the right sideline. Shilo Sanders thought he had a pick and jumped the route and nearly got the ball.
* Trask throws to White over the middle.
* Bucs defense rises and bottles up Sean Tucker behind the line.
* Tucker catches a pass from Bazelak but doesn’t really get anywhere.
* Perfect throw but don’t forget the football: Trask does a quick pass to Culp along the left sideline and Trask hits Culp right in the hands. But Culp takes a couple of steps and Joe isn’t sure what happened. Either he flat dropped the ball or Benjamin Morrison, who was near Culp, punched it out.
* Trask is flushed to the right and tries to hit Evans along the right sideline but the pass is incomplete.
* Trask links up with Sterling Shepard deep down the right seam.
* Tucker darts up the middle.
* Outside linebacker Warren Peeples (UDFA Southeastern Louisiana) gets a “sack” on Trask.
* Ooph. Trask hits McMillan right in the numbers and he drops it. Don’t see that very often.
* Screen to Bucky on the left side for about 15 yards.
* Tucker is stuffed by Deion Jones.
* Bazelak is flushed from the pocket.
* Trask to Houston (a completed pass) to the right side. Good thing there aren’t any real sacks allowed in practice. Jacob Parrish, blitzing from the defensive left side, would have splashed Trask.
* McMillan takes a handoff (you read that correctly) and runs to the right for about 15 yards (Joe’s not allowed to describe this play in detail).
* Big run by White to the right.
* Bucky gets about three yards on the ground before he runs into a pile of defenders.
* While Trask may be consistently inconsistent, Bazelak is consistently inaccurate. Case in point: Garrett Greene didn’t just get open on the right side. He didn’t just get wide ass open on the right side. He got wide, wide, wide ass open. There may not have been a defender within 15 yards of him. And Bazelak nearly overthrew him. It took a herculean effort by Greene to save the play. He looked like Dennis Rodman going up for a rebound to get that pass. And he paid for it. After he came down with the pass and ran out of bounds, he was accidentally clotheslined by either a Bucs staffer or some camp meat. Dude took a helluva tumble. And yes, it was accidental. Joe isn’t sure the guilty party even saw Greene when the two collided. Wasn’t like someone was trying to be Doug Plank or Conrad Dobler.
August 1st, 2025 at 1:45 pm
It seems like Rachaad White is more explosive after slimming down
Deion Jones may be a big piece to this defensive puzzle
August 1st, 2025 at 1:48 pm
Joe says….* Trask throws back-to-back passes to Egbuka and Dennis Houston, respectively.
Does this mean they were completed? When no outcome is stated do we assume it is a completion?
August 1st, 2025 at 1:55 pm
these camp notes are great ty.
August 1st, 2025 at 2:04 pm
“Shilo Sanders thought he had a pick and jumped the route and nearly got the ball.”
When your eyes get bigger than your stomach, or hands for that matter.
* Bucs defense rises and bottles up Sean Tucker behind the line.
Really!?
“* McMillan takes a handoff (you read that correctly) and runs to the right for about 15 yards (Joe’s not allowed to describe this play in detail).”
Did he line up off-line Joe? and was there motion pre-snap? Remember this isn’t you explaining, it’s just two questions. Answer in Spanish if need be, si o no Joe
August 1st, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Sounds like our defense is still mia or having trouble with covering wr.. all I consistently see is Mike eavans wide open , our 3rd wr wide open . We heywyr tighten up the secondary
August 1st, 2025 at 2:18 pm
McMillan is having a really good camp! Why is he not getting more attention? The guy led the receivers in touchdowns the last 7 weeks of the season!
August 1st, 2025 at 2:20 pm
I bet Joe had to look up “pterodactyl”
August 1st, 2025 at 2:38 pm
Of course.
August 1st, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Joes not allowed to describe or explain the play in detail.
August 1st, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Of course.
August 1st, 2025 at 2:47 pm
Well done, Joes.
August 1st, 2025 at 2:51 pm
LakelandBuc Says:”It seems like Rachaad White is more explosive after slimming down”
Rachaad White was hard to cover by linebackers last year when he ran passing routes. Hopefully he’ll be more dangerous this year as a receiving RB.
August 1st, 2025 at 2:52 pm
MICAH PARSONS has formally jist requested a trade from the Cowboys!!!!
Jason Licht, you know what to do!!
MAKE THIS HAPPEN PUH-LEASEEEEE!!!!!!!!
August 1st, 2025 at 2:54 pm
I had lost hope for Logan Hall last year but he stepped up and proved me wrong. The same goes with Braswell. I was disappointed with his progress last year but now I believe he has taken a BIG step forward.
August 1st, 2025 at 2:55 pm
You guys think we make a play for Micah Parsons? Apparently he wants out of Dallas.
August 1st, 2025 at 3:06 pm
Trask , Consistently,inconsistent? Where did that come from ? First time I’ve heard that phrase ever used with Kyle. Pad night Trask was 11of 17 with no fumbles or interceptions, and today , working with the ones, in pads, , he was 16 of 24 , ( I didn’t count throwaways), with no interceptions and no fumbles, Not bad for the first practice in pads and the first time working with the ones, with quarterback and recievers getting used to each other , anyway , IMHO, I think it was very valuable time well spent, it could pay big dividends in the future.
August 1st, 2025 at 3:25 pm
I like that Trask plays it safe by throwing it away or throwing into the dirt but will also let it rip.
August 1st, 2025 at 3:26 pm
Secondary has been getting picks all camp !
August 1st, 2025 at 3:28 pm
JD Still: Trask-bashing is standard fare for Joe. Nothing new here.
August 1st, 2025 at 3:33 pm
Did Kyle Trask hurt you? I have never seen someone have it against a player who has never been given a fair chance.
August 1st, 2025 at 3:36 pm
Dean and a #1 is a fair price!
August 1st, 2025 at 4:10 pm
No one is gonna trade for Dean
His production is too low for his salary
August 1st, 2025 at 4:30 pm
Joe, thank you for the notes.
Overall, it seems like it was a good practice absent a few drops and incompletions here and there.
Hoping Baker’s hand is nothing serious.
August 1st, 2025 at 4:32 pm
NFL ain’t about fair. It’s about production.
August 1st, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Here’s a thought: Maybe if Kyle Trask didn’t give Joe any reason to type anything mean about his play? What a concept!
August 1st, 2025 at 4:50 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
August 1st, 2025 at 2:55 pm
You guys think we make a play for Micah Parsons? Apparently he wants out of Dallas.
Nah, It’s likely just a leverage play
August 1st, 2025 at 4:57 pm
Bucsfan714, you should read Parson’s long post on X.
In my view, This is definitely not a leverage post.
It looks like it’s been building up for sometime in the way that the Cowboys have handled his contract negotiation and purposely left out his agent.
August 1st, 2025 at 5:00 pm
Conrad Dobler. Now there’s a flash from the past. Very dirty player. But many D players played rough and tumble football back then. Of course much more recently, when Suh played for Detroit (?), I recall an incident when he stepped on a downed player’s head.
August 1st, 2025 at 5:05 pm
With Parsons…..it’s the money, stupid…and we don’t have it.
August 1st, 2025 at 5:36 pm
My heart dropped when I read Mike “Crashed” to the ground.” Felt like I was there!
Fantastic notes again, Joe!
August 1st, 2025 at 6:30 pm
Joe: Not that I disagree with the sentiment, but the credit must be given to Rastaferian Jenkins for that post, now, as for your comment about the NFL not about being fair , it’s about production , interesting, what kind of production? NFC South championships,(Barely), Leading the league in Fumbles and Interceptions , or Super Bowl wins? Big difference , as far as being fair, Brett Farve was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons , his coach hated him, said the only way he would ever get into a game was if there was a plane crash, never gave him a chance and traded him to Greenbay, Farve Won SuperBowls and went to the HOF, his Atlanta coach ? Never coached in the NFL again, Now, I really don’t see anything wrong with fair competitions, after all you don’t know what you got until you know what you got (to coin a phrase)Iron sharpens Iron, I believe fair competitions will only make us stronger, What about You?
August 1st, 2025 at 9:05 pm
Trask has always out played Baker Mayfield in training camps but that doesn’t matter anymore Baker is the starter regardless. Practice doesn’t matter anymore like it used to. Players are gifted staring jobs if they have a fan base which brings in revenue and that’s all they care about now days. So the Joe’s have to promote Baker Mayfield because he brings in money for the owners.
August 1st, 2025 at 9:19 pm
Why do we haave Bazelak the dude is not good and not helping if we are playing Bazelak in a real game I am not watching. How could there not of been someone anyone better? Shedeur Sanders in the late rounds would of been smart. WTF!!!!!!!!
August 1st, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Fanbois hate Trask because they know he out played Mayfield in training camp in 2023 and one of the Joe’s detailed it up here, and that’s the unfair part. In sports tie goes to the runner and Mayfield gave Bowles the best chance to saving his job after gifting the G.O.A.T. with his first and only losing season in a 22 year career. This is all water under the bridge because Mayfield had a pretty good statistical 1st year even though he played badly for half the year and then his 2nd year was great but was let down by the defense and coach Bowles. He led a Super Bowl worthy offense because he finally had a great OC in Coen.
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:27 am
I’m sick of that quote. It is stale.
So does aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and diamond. The bullfighter usually outsmarts the bull
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:46 am
I call BS Joe. Not only does the other longer lived Bucs fan sight say he had his best practice ever, the HC said it was one of his best also. Then I come here and read what you wrote and think a bunch of people saw something different than you. Perhaps if you remove those Nole glasses, you might be more fair?
August 2nd, 2025 at 3:38 am
We can’t afford Parsons. I don’t understand why people think this is fantasy football. We need to sign our own players next year.
August 2nd, 2025 at 7:36 pm
I wanna know more about this Houston guy. His name has been coming up a lot the past few days.