“The Smoke Is Real”
June 22nd, 2026
Rookie Bucs receiver Ted Hurst.
A guy with access to practice film who hears all the dirt at One Buc Palace (at least most of it) weighed in on the behind-the-scenes chatter after the Bucs wrapped up spring practices.
Who was shining?
Buccaneers legend Rondé Barber had answers during the WFLA-TV streaming show that bears his name.
After gushing about how first-round draft pick Rueben Bain will be a tremendous change agent, Barber turned to third-round pick Ted Hurst, the pride of Georgia State.
“The smoke is real. There is fire underneath that smoke,” Barber said of the rookie receiver. “He’s been impressive. I hear he’s learning a couple of positions. He’s not just focused on the X position. … He’s got the football IQ to do both.”
So, Rondé, who is most likely to jump out once training camp starts?
“Kenneth Gainwell, watch out, dude. Watch out,” Barber said of the veteran free agent running back.
Joe would have named Gainwell, too. He looked sharp with fresh legs and he is smooth running routes.
Barber also praised veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone for standing out with his approach and how he plays, and rookie tight end Bauer Sharp, who Joe also has heard turned a lot of heads for a sixth-round pick. Remember, the Bucs traded up significantly to snag him; he’a virtual lock for the roster.
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:14 pm
I want to believe and I respect this coming from Barber. But as a life long Buc fan I heard this about Larry Brackins, Kenny Bell, Trey Palmer…
Hurst seems different.
I hope the smoke is real…whatever the hell that means.
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:20 pm
At least Trey Palmer did something. Not much but a touchdown in a playoff game is something.
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:21 pm
Fan..
Fair points.
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:25 pm
Would be pretty amazing if Licht hit another WR pick out of the park. Hope it’s true once the pads come on.
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:29 pm
Fanofdabucs Says:
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:14 pm
I want to believe and I respect this coming from Barber. But as a life long Buc fan I heard this about Larry Brackins, Kenny Bell, Trey Palmer…
——-
Yeah and don’t forget Danny Pebbles.
The Bucs always miss on their WR picks, that’s for sure.
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:39 pm
How exactly do they always miss on wr? Hmm ok
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:43 pm
@Rod
Licht got better at drafting WRs in recent times, including getting Tez in the 7th round last year. To get any production out of a 7th round WR in his rookie season is good. For him to stay healthy given how small he is was impressive. Hopefully he added some muscle in the off season
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:46 pm
I dig it
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:49 pm
Thought that was Russell Gage when I first saw it! LoL. In other news… So, Man U is building a brand new 100,000+ seat stadium. Well, ain’t that nice.
June 22nd, 2026 at 3:53 pm
Hopefully, Ronde is right about this one… He’s definitely do! Hahah.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:00 pm
This is starting to look like a very, very, very, very good draft class!!!
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:09 pm
In recent times they have hit on
evans (there was actually a lot of question between him and Daniel, who made who)
Godwin
Egbuka (lot of people said we didn’t need a wr)
Tez (a 7th rounder playing is awesome)
J- mac
Scott Miller (6th round pick, outplayed his draft spot big time).
That is actually a lot, and I can’t name a high pick (4th or higher) that they missed on since licht has been here.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:12 pm
Yes Licht has missed on some receivers and he’s hit on some. It’s called the Draft and you don’t come close to hitting on them all anyways. Including 1st rounders. Nevermind as the Draft goes on and later round picks. To say he got better in recent memory is to imply he used to be bad. His first WR ever was Mike Evans, then he nailed a 3rd rounder in Godwin for starters.
Yes there are the Kenny Bell’s, Robert Herron’s, Jaelon Darden’s and others he hasn’t hit on, but for all them, there are also the Tez Johnson’s, Egbuka’s, McMillian’s, Scooter Miller’s, etc.
There are certainly gripes about some of Jason Licht’s draft picks at certain positions and his 2nd round bugaboo, but wide receivers in totality is not one of them. He’s hit on them in many different rounds and from the very start of his tenure until now. Of the gripes out there about Jason, choosing his drafting of wide receivers as one of them sounds silly. Almost as if you’re just looking at or for the negatives. Credit where it’s due and the adverse when it’s not.
Get out of here with the Jason can’t draft receivers stuff tho or that he stunk early on. I’m very pleased Jason drafted both Mike & CG to start his tenure. I’m also very glad he’s restocked the WR room the last couple years with some of his Draft picks & promising young talent too.
At best he had a bit of a lull in the middle, but collectively speaking he’s done a fine job there.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:20 pm
BoriMex813 Says:
This article is exactly why some of y’all have been overreacting about life after Mike Evans. Every week it’s the same crowd acting like the offense is going to fall off a cliff because ME13 betrayed the family. Meanwhile, the reports out of One Buc are the complete opposite.
Tampa Ted is already drawing praise from Rondé Barber for his football IQ and ability to learn multiple receiver spots. Kenneth Gainwell is turning heads. Bauer Sharp is exceeding expectations. Rueben Bain is being called a “change agent.” Alex Anzalone is bringing veteran leadership.
What does that tell me?
It tells me this roster isn’t standing still. Jason Licht and the front office aren’t trying to replace Mike Evans with one player. They’re adding weapons of mass destruction , versatility, depth, and speed across the entire roster.
Some of the usual doom-and-gloom crowd:
Warren Brooks Lynch, KABucs, and anyone else already writing the obituary for this offense in June seem to forget that football isn’t played with one receiver. It’s played with 53 men. We have king baker, Godwin, Bucky, WIRFS. I know I sound like a broken record when I say that we have one of the most creative young offensive minds in Pistol 🔫 Zac that will prove his worth with the Bucs.
Now they’re adding young talent that is already earning praise before training camp even starts. I’ll keep saying it: this offense doesn’t need to replace Mike Evans. It needs to evolve. Everything we’re hearing suggests that’s exactly what’s happening. I’ll take all the smoke.
And yes… I’ll keep the receipts. 🧾
LFG!!
Ring ME
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:21 pm
@ Fanofdabucs Says: “I hope the smoke is real…whatever the hell that means.”
You heard the man… Why, he’s own farrrr. There’s a FARRRR under this SMOKE by God. It’s a burnin’ HOT HOT HOT.
He’ll have his moments. He’ll make some nice plays! It’ll prob be a bad sign though, if they are forced to throw him into the FARR like that right away, and have to rely on HIM. Cause, that’ll mean BIG ‘injuries’ AGAIN to Godwin, JMac, & EE. It’d make it awfully tough on the Rook. There’d be LOTS of ‘ups and downs’ that way, and could make it a loooong season for him. You’d like to pick your spots with him, and bring him along SLOWLY. It’s such a HUGE difference in talent level, versus what he was used to playing against at Georgia State. It’ll be a BIG step up for him. An entirely different ballgame. Might take him awhile.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:27 pm
I saw a few practice clips online of Hurst catching slants and I was immediately impressed. A guy that is that size with good hands that is also fast and fluid? He’s going to be a problem.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:30 pm
“This is starting to look like a very, very, very, very good draft class!!!”
MAN. Tell me about it! SHEW. Is it ever. It’s REALLY lookin’ good. Now, I haven’t actually SEEN any of them in pads yet, BUT they’re looking VERY VERY good. Lmaoooo.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:33 pm
@ Mike – That’s just an unbelievable comment. “A few slants.” “Immediately.” Absolutely, MIND-BLOWING.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:39 pm
Let’s see how real all this is when the rookies get hit in the mouth a few times or until they hit the wall in game 10. It’s just more hype until the real bullets start to fly.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:43 pm
@ BoriMex 813 Says: “Tampa Ted is already drawing praise from Rondé Barber for his football IQ and ability to learn multiple receiver spots. Kenneth Gainwell is turning heads. Bauer Sharp is exceeding expectations. Rueben Bain is being called a “change agent.” Alex Anzalone is bringing veteran leadership. What does that tell me?”
It tells ME that you would be ‘willing’ to believe ANY Freaking THING you are TOLD, if it is what YOU WANT to HEAR. I mean, seriously… Come TF On. It’s just so absurd. How bout have an actual real unbiased opinion, that is YOUR OWN. Some people will never learn. It’s… Hook. Line. And, Sinker. EVERY. TIME.
June 22nd, 2026 at 4:46 pm
@ BoriMex 813 – You’re just regurgitating straight up Propaganda, that you are being TOLD.
June 22nd, 2026 at 5:01 pm
I’m getting excited! I think this team is going to be good.
June 22nd, 2026 at 5:02 pm
Melvin thanks for the clarification. Makes sense. Clear as mud
June 22nd, 2026 at 5:22 pm
They are repeating Ronde’s opinion. Which is far more likely to be valid than yours, Melvin.
June 22nd, 2026 at 5:34 pm
I’ve been around since the 2-14 years and was still optimistic about the following season. It’s fun to be optimistic about life as well.
Problem is (like my dad used to say) there’s a lot of people who aren’t happy unless they’re miserable. That holds true for a good portion of fans on this site.
June 22nd, 2026 at 5:34 pm
New and fresh always exciting ! You guys know you get these clowns repeatedly saying the same thing over and over negativity blows!
June 22nd, 2026 at 5:54 pm
I enjoyed your post Borimax.
I am still haunted by our practice schedule. You have guys who love to play football so much that they all show up for the optional camp. They play with such enthusiasm that the NFL punishes them by canceling a practice. The next day, they are all back, loving football and “balling out.” Then what happens? They get “rewarded” with another (punishment?) cancelled practice. This bothers me a lot. Play good, get time off. Sound familiar?
June 22nd, 2026 at 6:25 pm
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but Melvin you seem to take particular delight in trying to slap people down. You don’t need to do that. It’s ok to be pumped, and I hope the gushing we hear is real but, like you, I will wait and see with my own eyes. Hurst could pick up and fly outta the gate, why can’t he? I have to think that the sheet show we saw last year was due in large part to the players we had. None of us, for a fact, know what went on behind closed doors. We can see with our eyes but the whole truth can be a little different. I don’t think a lot of fans on here are far off based on what we saw, but that don’t tell the whole story. It’s nice to see you’re a passionate fan Melvin, and mad at what happened last year with the rest of us. Let’s hope we have a healthy year and everyone jells. Wouldn’t it be nice to give Bowles some credit and see the team succeed.
June 22nd, 2026 at 6:26 pm
The difference with Bell , Brackins , an Palmer is they were all late Round picks the last WR Jason picked at number.84 in the 3rd was Chris Godwin so I got Total faith that Hurst is the real deal he gets to learn from a great Group of Guys who will all Help him.ouy.out.WR room is so Selfless I mean we have a 8 Deep WR room Godwin Jmac Emeka TEZ Hurst Kam Sills Rivers the UDFA has some.serious speed so yes they have a deep WR room
June 22nd, 2026 at 6:57 pm
Borimex, Bucnjim & Crickett Baker 👍👍👍
June 22nd, 2026 at 7:14 pm
I noticed that Ronde only has highlighted players that are new to the Bucs Nobody that was playing for the Bucs previously.
June 22nd, 2026 at 7:15 pm
All I know is that if Bowles and Licht turn this team around alot of you clowns will be eating freekn crow and how can you not hope for it!