Bucs Training Camp 2026 Day 4 Practice Notes
August 2nd, 2026
Lightning moved practice this morning inside the Glazer Shed. Tuesday night practice will be inside as well, marking a rare two practice sessions indoors out of three — after tomorrow on grass.
Joe knows some fans go to just about every practice. How they have those tickets, Joe is unsure. But props to them for their dedication and love of the Bucs.
So these same fans will have a treat this week. Since this morning’s practice was moved inside the Glazer Shed due to lightning, and Tuesday night’s practice is also scheduled to be indoors, it’s a rare time where two practices inside a three-day-practice window will be in the air conditioning.
The Bucs started mixing things up. Some guys who have mostly worked with the twos (second string) got reps in with the first team (starters). The one that caught Joe’s attention was rookie receiver Ted Hurst, who did not embarrass himself.
Practice was a little bit crisper as the Bucs were wearing “shells,” shoulder pads. Tomorrow, the full pads come on. Finally.
So for today’s notes, let’s go!
* Baker Mayfield rolls right and turns and nearly throws against his body to Bucky Irving over the middle.
* Mayfield throws to running back Kenneth Gainwell in the flat to the left side. Rueben Bain damn near chased him down from behind, running from the middle of the field. This Bain is hungry for contact.
* Mayfield has to dirt the ball under pressure.
* Mayfield fires over the middle to Jalen McMillan maybe 20 yards downfield.
* Next play sure seemed exactly like the last, only this time Mayfield connected with Hurst. Good to see Hurst taking snaps with the starters.
* McMillan runs left. (Due to Bucs media relations protocol, Joe cannot go into further detail with this play.)
* Backup QB Jake Browning goes deep down the right sideline for a big play from Hurst. This Hurst may not be flashy for his speed, but darn if he isn’t consistent. Very consistent. Makes plays look easy. Catches just about everything. Play after play.
* Browning in shotgun and it’s a bad snap. Browning reached with his left hand but the ball bounced off his hand high in the air, and the ball landed right in the arms of Josh Williams, who cradled the ball with a basket catch. Luck of the bounce.
* Williams runs slightly to the right and hesitates, all the while pumping his feet, waiting for a hole to open up.
* Don’t know if Jalon Daniels threw too early or Devin Culp broke too late but linebacker Caden Fordham (North Carolina State) nearly had a pick-six as he broke up the pass. Joe knows Devin Culp is at or near the bottom of the tight end depth chart but unless a player is rehabbing, it’s not a good thing if a guy is on the third team. Those guys are bubblelicious.
* Kameron Johnson runs left (Due to Bucs media relations protocol, Joe cannot go into further detail with this play.).
* McMillan is wide ass open down the right sideline. But both Josiah Trotter and Alex Anzalone closed the gap and batted the ball away. Superb play. Bucs inside linebackers playing pass defense? What a concept.
* Mayfield with a screen pass to Otton on the right side for a nice gain.
* Another screen to the right this time to McMillan. The Washington product is getting a bunch of targets today.
* Sean Tucker runs left and cuts it upfield along the left sideline for a very good run.
* Holy smokes: Mayfield again goes deep to McMillan down the right sideline and it looked like McMillan had a catch. Antoine Winfield had other plans. He raced in and tore the ball out of McMillan’s hands. This happened on the far side of the field, where Joe was so not sure if Winfield got both feet in with possession. Winfield is tearing up training camp so far this summer.
* Veteran newcomer receiver David Sills is double-covered down the left side and Mayfield hits a bull’s eye. Sills does the rest as he finishes with six.
* Mayfield throws to no one on the left side, medium distance. He may have been targeting Emeka Egbuka. If so, it was totally overthrown, or Egbuka was way too shallow with his route.
* Browning throws into double-coverage and it hits safety Rashad Wisdom right in the numbers. That may have been the worst mistake of training camp for Browning, who hasn’t made many.
* Browning throws a short pass down the right hashmarks for rookie TE Bauer Sharp.
* Joe doesn’t know if Sharp is going to make the 53-man roster. But when a guy playing mostly on the second team is making plays daily, and a veteran at the same position is on the third team not making plays, well, feel free to do the math there. (But damn if Culp doesn’t show up the few times he gets into games.)
* Daniels rifles the ball targeting Eric Rivers (Georgia Tech). It was nearly picked by Kemon Hall (North Texas) who got a hand on the ball.
Red zone/Goal line
With Rueben Bain standing up at left outside linebacker, that’s where Mayfield decides to go. And he connects with Otton in the near right corner of the end zone.
* Chris Godwin slithers into the end zone to the left on a pass from Mayfield. Joe is not implying Godwin is a snake, but that he looks so smooth out there this summer.
* Anthony Nelson and Al-Quadin Muhammad converge on Mayfield for a “sack.” The two then chest bump to celebrate.
* Mayfield fakes a handoff, rolls right and hits Payne Durham in the right corner of the end zone.
* Same play this time to Sills. Joe isn’t sure if he was inbounds, though.
* No, no referees. Yet.
* Next play, Sills is targeted again but has the ball batted out of his hands. Ayden Garnes (Arizona) and Wisdom were defending.
* Two plays after that, Browning finds Sills in the back of the end zone for six.
* Mayfield tries for Tez Johnson in the far left corner of the end zone but no.
* Tucker runs to the right for six.
* Former West Virginia quarterback Garrett Green skies high to pull in a touchdown pass from Browning.
* Browning had to get rid of a pass as Chris Braswell (!) was breathing down his neck.
11-on-11
* Mayfield targets Otton on a crossing pattern to the left and SirVocea Dennis knocks it away the instant the ball hit Otton’s hands. Dennis celebrates.
* Same play only Otton runs a pattern to the right. Otton hauls this one in.
* Mayfield throws to Egbuka over the middle and Damarion Williams bats it out of Egbuka’s mitts.
* Browning connects with Kameron Johnson along the right sideline.
* Browning to Hurst along the left sideline but Josh Hayes (!) breaks it up. Hayes, aside from two or three plays, has had a rough camp.
* Daniels targets Justin Houston but the ball is batted up in the air and falls incomplete.
* Otton grabs a Mayfield pass over the middle.
* Mayfield goes deep to Tez, who is wide ass open, but the ball is underthrown. Zyon McCollum races in to bat the ball away.
* Godwin catches a slant to the inside.
* This was a clustereff by someone on defense. With the ball at midfield, Tez is wideass open way, way down the left sideline. It appeared YaYa Diaby was guarding Tez part of the way — in no sane world should YaYa ever be defending Tez or anyone as quick as Tez and Diaby was 20 yards downfield. Joe guesses YaYa was supposed to hand Tez off to a corner or a safety but there was no one back to help. When Tez caught the ball near the goal line and walked in, YaYa face-palmed himself. Damn near every Bucs fan who wasn’t cheering and applauding also was face-palming themselves seeing YaYa 20 yards downfield in pass coverage. Aggravating, man.
* Browning rolls right and connects with Johnson for a nice gain downt he right sideline.
* Browning throws to Josh Williams to the left for a major chunk of yards.
* Mayfield rolled right until he damn near ran out of real estate waiting for someone to get open. He sees Bucky Irving by himself on the other side of the field and you can put six on the board.
* After practice, Joe notices backup outside linebacker Mohamed Kamara sparring with Justin Skule to get in some extra snaps and work on their moves.
Offensive line version of a gauntlet. pic.twitter.com/1hsmP2R9Vo
— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) August 2, 2026
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:43 pm
Yes, Football is Life for some fans. God Bless them. As time has gone in it has proved to be a nice diversion from life’s nonstop curveballs for most. The Owners and the Players could care less about the Fans.
Let’s hope the Putrid Pass Defense of recent past is just a bad old nightmare. Go Bucs!!
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:44 pm
Great defense once again
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:53 pm
I’m glad Robinson is still torching toilet bowls. Exposing him in his own practices. Not surprising.
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Yaya being 20-yards downfield covering a quick WR and then nobody having his back in coverage is a prime example of EXACTLY WHY Bowles needs to go and why he should’ve been fired after last season.
Fundamentally, his defense isn’t going to change.
And it would need to in order to be effective again. 💯
SMH.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:06 pm
“(Due to Bucs media relations protocol, Joe cannot go into further detail with this play.)” – To quote the great Bill Murray in Stripes… dare I say.. “RAZZLE-DAZZLE!!”
As to Yaya in coverage downfield….. please bring on the PTSD for last season. Todd… please just stop!
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:12 pm
Gee I sure hope that Tez guarded by Yaya type play is fixed soon. We saw a couple too many of those during the past season!!
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:14 pm
Bring on the pads!
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:18 pm
That YaYa play is the same play that gave up a TD against the Bills. I think it was YaYa covering someone out of the flat. Good to see Todd’s defensive calls working like a charm. Looks like the backup QB is better with the deep ball which isn’t surprising. Good to hear AWJ name. Looking forward to seeing him get back to form
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:19 pm
Usedtocould Says:
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:53 pm
I’m glad Robinson is still torching toilet bowls. Exposing him in his own practices. Not surprising.
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Cool story bro except the defense had a better day…. But don’t let reality get in the way of your mature football analysis.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:20 pm
Rob in Land O Lakes … ‘As to Yaya in coverage downfield….. please bring on the PTSD for last season. Todd… please just stop!’
Sounds more like an obvious screw-up on the part of the CB than it was Ya Ya being too far downfield. If no CB picked up Tez, Ya Ya did the right thing I think in staying with him best he could. Makes me wonder how many times last season similar handoff situations happened & thos eplays ultimately went for big yardage.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:23 pm
LOVE these notes! As do we all. It sure seems that there is juice on both sides of the ball, and the fans are bringing it too.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:23 pm
Great notes Joe
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:26 pm
Devin White has been signed to a one year prove it deal with the Detroit Lions. How many times does this guy have to prove that he can’t do it!!!??? LOL
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:26 pm
Got Todd over there saying things got to change and then you see Yaya in coverage against tez 20 yards down the field 🤦 Everytime I get hopeful for this team Todd says hold my beer. Looks like more of the same incoming.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:33 pm
Browning looks like a legit backup QB, at least at this point. Hopefully that translates to decent performance when the bullets start flying in real games should he have to go in for Baker.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Does Sills have a chance at making the 53? He seems to tower over the other WRs
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:48 pm
Where is David Walker?
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:03 pm
Thank you Joe for the notes.
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:09 pm
Last year of Todd.
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:16 pm
After practice, Joe notices backup outside linebacker Mohamed Kamara sparring with Justin Skule to get in some extra snaps and work on their moves.
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Want to talk about PTSD… just seeing that Sucke is back is enough to cause that. My God, we had all better hope he never gets into a game.
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:22 pm
Dewey Selmon Says:
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Does Sills have a chance at making the 53? He seems to tower over the other WRs
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He’s listed at 6′ 3″… also he’s already 30-years old, and has 314 yards for his career. He was in Atlanta this past season and had his career year (191 yards, 2 TDs), but seems like a huge longshot to make the team as a WR. But who knows, the team almost always keeps 6 WRs, and so in theory there might be one slot open between him and Kameron Johnson / Greene perhaps. Not sure if Sills is a special teams guy or not, only shows 2 career tackles.
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:24 pm
DR, all I know is he put together some pretty decent games in 2024 in Cincinnati.
No matter what, an upgrade in the back-up qb from last year
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:29 pm
Seems like there have been several bad snaps to Browning….same center and/or any common denominators?
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:30 pm
Joe, thank you for the notes.
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:53 pm
“My God, we had all better hope he never gets into a game”. Rod Munchisfunny, you’ve gotta give the guy credit for his sticktoitness.
Now if he could just stick to defensive ends and tackles a little bit we might have us something.
August 2nd, 2026 at 4:02 pm
Seems to me a lot of balls have been batted out of the receivers hands, is that because the defense is making good plays, do the receivers have butter fingers, or is it, dare I say for fear of bringing out the haters, a qb issue.
August 2nd, 2026 at 4:11 pm
@ D Rules !! Im confused ! I thought mayfield was the legit backup ?? Im just reading these expert posts ! Can you help me understand, Is this a qb competition im witnessing??
August 2nd, 2026 at 4:18 pm
Steve V … ‘Is this a qb competition im witnessing??’
Mayfield making $33 mil; Browning at probably $1 mil.
I think we can figure out the answer Steve.
August 2nd, 2026 at 4:21 pm
Drunk Bucs Fan … ‘all I know is he put together some pretty decent games in 2024 in Cincinnati. No matter what, an upgrade in the back-up qb from last year’.
All I know is that if Baker gets seriously hurt again part way through this season, I don’t want to see him in there gutting it out and us losing 7 of 9 games to end the season. If you’re hurt, you don’t get better by getting beaten up in more games.
August 2nd, 2026 at 4:33 pm
Game announcers frequently coo over the complex Todd Bowles blitzes, particularly when he lines up seven but only four or five rush the passer. They marvel how you just don’t know who is really coming, which makes it so hard for the QB and offensive linemen.
What they fail to point out, however, is that the pass rushers who do not come are now going to need to do something else – like cover somebody – and most of them couldn’t cover Vita Vea on a go route.
That’s why you see someone like Ya Ya in no man’s land, twenty yards away from a wide ass open Tez Johnson.
August 2nd, 2026 at 4:34 pm
“Browning had to get rid of a pass as Chris Braswell (!) was breathing down his neck.”
Darn you Joe & your typos! Is there no one there that can proofread?
I’m sure Chris made a great swim-move against thin-air to rush Browning’s throw.
No one WAOs (Wide A$$ Open) like a seasoned Todd Bowles defense!
Simple T, it sounds like the QB’s under throws have as much to do with the “D’s” good day as Todd’s play designs. See WAOs, above (and the past 7 years of Bucs’ football)!
August 2nd, 2026 at 5:29 pm
I’m thinking these 3 offensive coaches are gonna groom us up a good QB. We sure could use one.
This Daniels kid can throw it and run it. That being said, he wasn’t drafted. Browning, he’s more of a gunslinger who’s proven he can win in the league.
If I have Godwin, Egbuka, JMac, Tez, and Hurst with these running backs and TEs?
Edge to the veteran gunslinger. If he has to go in, at least we’ll have a good chance regardless.
The coaching oughta give us an edge in being ready there. Browning will look even better if we can snap him the ball without bunging that up.
August 2nd, 2026 at 5:41 pm
So according to well over half the posters, mayfield is just an over paid average/ backup qb???
August 2nd, 2026 at 5:48 pm
Macmillan runs left. You mean the Benn’d around?
August 2nd, 2026 at 6:07 pm
Licht traded up for Sharp…he’ll be on the practice squad at a minimum.
August 2nd, 2026 at 6:20 pm
“That’s why you see someone like Ya Ya in no man’s land, twenty yards away from a wide ass open Tez Johnson.”
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Failure in the secondary is why you see that, not because Yaya was supposed to man cover Tez. A corner or safety fuc$ked up.
August 2nd, 2026 at 6:36 pm
Thanks Joe! It’s good to hear that Z-Rob is using the TEs in the red zone, something that Grizz didn’t do.
August 2nd, 2026 at 6:59 pm
DR – All I know is that if Baker gets seriously hurt again part way through this season, I don’t want to see him in there gutting it out and us losing 7 of 9 games to end the season. If you’re hurt, you don’t get better by getting beaten up in more games.
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1000%. I know most of it was his hard headedness (I’m a fan but it’s part of the package), but you can’t tell me somewhere in the back of his mind Baker wasn’t thinking, “Well, we have sort of a chance with a 70% version of me. No shot with 100% of Teddy”.
August 2nd, 2026 at 7:20 pm
Good coaches adapt to new schemes from opposing teams. They also know the best defensive and offensive schemes that make their players the most effective with NFL level competition.
Failing coaches don’t change. They fail to LEARN from what they see. Coach Bowles’ resume has demonstrated this for his career far too often in a weak division with solid BUCS personnel; and in some areas, ALL PRO level players
I see him gone if the team does another mid or late season losing streak. You can have the finaest personnel and fail if they aren’t coached and used properly.
August 2nd, 2026 at 7:23 pm
Let’s just hope at some point Todd took our new OC in the dungeon, just the two of them, turned on the video and asked, “OK Zac, WTF did you see?”
August 2nd, 2026 at 7:44 pm
So Egbuka didn’t catch a pass in practice?
August 2nd, 2026 at 8:04 pm
This is not a play-by-play but Joe seems to recall he did. No need to worry about Egbuka.
August 3rd, 2026 at 12:35 am
Kenton Smith Says:
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:53 pm
“My God, we had all better hope he never gets into a game”. Rod Munchisfunny, you’ve gotta give the guy credit for his sticktoitness.
Now if he could just stick to defensive ends and tackles a little bit we might have us something.
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I will give Sucke credit for something … he was so incredibly bad in 2014 vs the Lions and Broncos, that Coen had to completely change up the offense to try to account for how fast he was getting beat – and that’s when Coen went to the short/quick passing game and things took off. That week 4 coaching job by Coen vs the Eagles, when he caught them completely off guard by having Baker get rid of the ball as fast as he could was as brilliant of a regular season gameplan as you’re ever going to see. And that was 100% caused by Sucke being more worthless than if they put a lawnchair on the field.
Maybe the Bucs brought him back as a good luck charm – or to remind the OC to get the ball out quickly.
August 3rd, 2026 at 2:27 am
Kenton Smith Says:
“Browning, he’s more of a gunslinger who’s proven he can win in the league.”
He most certainly has not. Check his record.
August 3rd, 2026 at 5:21 am
Buccaneer Bonzai. Browning went 16-0 his senior year of high school and threw for 5800 yards and 91 touchdowns AS A Senior. That’s one year! In 2023 with Cincy he came in for twinkle toes Joe at Cincy and had 2000 yards throwing with a dozen touchdowns and a 100 qb rating.
So, I’m saying that there’s something there. And we sure have a coaching staff that oughta be able to coach him up to at least give us a puncher’s chance?
That being said, I’d rather have Flacco. Or better yet, maybe Baker stays healthy and guns for Browning’s senior year in high school records. If we can throw 91 TD passes this year we’re gonna be tough to beat. And I ain’t whistling Dixie.
August 3rd, 2026 at 7:00 am
Was Connor Bazelak out there?
August 3rd, 2026 at 2:45 pm
“Superb play. Bucs inside linebackers playing pass defense”
Best news I’ve heard in Joe’s practice notes.
“Winfield is tearing up training camp so far this summer.”
2nd best news…
Bucs might just have a good pass defense this year.
A lot depends on whether McCollum can get back on track.
I have zero concerns about Parrish playing well.
Winfield and Smith are one of the premier safety duos in the league.
We haven’t heard much about Scott yet – but expectations are rightfully high.
If Zyon can play up to his contract (I know he has it in him!) – Tampa Bay might just be cooking with gas in the defensive backfield this year….
If the pass rush improves as much as I think it will in 2026 – these DBs are going to be feasting on turnovers….
August 3rd, 2026 at 6:18 pm
Simple T means simple Thinking supporting Bowles’ Toilet Bowl defense because he hand picked your love Jones qb. Ya Ya or any lineman is instantly beat against Tez, doesn’t matter if a db doesn’t get there in time. It’s bad enough our dbs give 10 yard cushions and still get roasted. Bowles is a fool because dlinemen mostly rushed the qb in college but he wants them covering much faster guys, that’s why they never get better at applying pressure because dbs be doing it for them too much. These so called exotic blitzes only confuse Bowles and our players