Bucs Training Camp 2025 Day 9 Practice Notes
August 2nd, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles tried to mix things up for his team today as the grind of training camp continues.
Not only did Kyle Trask and Connor Bazelak get a ton of work — they were the only quarterbacks who practiced again today — but Bowles had some of his starting offensive linemen (Graham Barton, Ben Bredeson) play at different positions on the line, just in case of emergency.
Baker Mayfield again sat out with a hand injury. Bowles said after practice Mayfield will return to practice next week. Mayfield wasn’t the only player to watch from the sidelines.
In addition to no-longer-using-crutches Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin, others sidelined included Cade Otton, Lavonte David, Trey Palmer and Tez Johnson.
Yes, it was underwear football again today. Teams are limited how often they can have padded practices.
* Rachaad White begins 11-on-11 in the Bucs’ habitual tradition with a run up the middle. Drink!
* Kyle Trask is fired up to lead the first team offense. In the huddle after White’s run, Trask claps vigorously to keep the offense alive.
* Bucky up the middle.
* Trask hits Emeka Egbuka on a seam route to the right and Egbuka gets some decent YAC out of it.
* Bucky tries to run off right tackle and is tripped up at the line.
* Sean Tucker runs inside the right tackle.
* Bucky up the middle for a nice gain.
* Sounded like Trask pulled off a successful hard count. Several defensive players in the front seven jumped.
* Jalen McMillan takes a handoff and runs left (per Bucs media protocol, Joe is unable to describe this play in any greater detail).
* Tucker runs left.
* Tucker gets wide ass open over the middle and Connor Bazelak hits him with a pass.
* Tucker getting a lot of work early. This time he takes a handoff out of shotgun.
* The quarterbacks had a good day today, unlike the sloppy play yesterday. Kyle Trask had maybe his best throw Joe has seen as far as production. He launches a bomb down the left sideline that Bucky Irving reached out and pulled in. Beautiful. The crowd went absolutely crazy and began chanting loudly “Buh-KEE… Buh-KEE… Buh-KEE!” It was a perfect throw. As Bucky returned to the huddle, Payne Durham gave Bucky a huge swat on the backside for his effort. When guys make plays, even in practice, teammates show love.
* Another good crowd of fans today. Bleachers were full. It was very, very quiet as if the crowd was napping but that Bucky catch of a Trask bomb sure woke up the fans.
* Jalen McMillan on a reverse (per Bucs media protocol, Joe is unable to describe this play in any greater detail).
* Bazelak hits Dennis Houston in the hands, maybe a tad high, over the left side. The ball pops in the air and Joe is pretty sure it was picked near the left sideline but Joe was screened on the play and couldn’t make out the number.
* Trask lets another loose down the left sideline aiming for Garrett Greene but no. Jamel Dean looked to have a pick but he couldn’t hang on as Greene collided with Dean as the two tumbled to the ground and knocked the ball loose.
* The Jamel Dean haters are not going to like the following but he’s having a really solid camp. Barring an injury — always a real possibility with Dean — Joe sees Dean keeping his starting job.
* Trask connects with Tanner Taula to the left.
* Antoine Winfield jumps the gun and is busted for offside. Next play Trask throws behind Emeka Egbuka on a crossing pattern. Had there been hitting, Winfield would have sacked Trask on a blitz from the defensive right.
* Someone is getting exposed on the left side of the line. Joe didn’t catch the number but there was another blitz on Trask and he scrambles to save his life.
* Bazelak throws to the newly signed Jacob Harris (UCF product who is 6-5). However, if there was hitting, Jacob Parrish would have buried Trask as Parrish came from the defensive right as well.
* Trask with a quick pass to Houston on the right side.
* Three straight runs: Rachaad White left, White up the middle, Tucker up the middle.
* Tucker catches a pass from Bazelak to the right. Tucker is getting a bunch of touches today.
* Trask dirts the ball as there was a jailbreak in front of him.
* Trask connects with McMillan on a deep pass down the left sideline. Again, defense would have had a sack.
* Trask to Greene on a quick throw to the right.
* Bazelak to Houston to the right who was wide ass open. Houston got a lot of YAC on the play.
* Owen Wright (free agent running back) catches a Bazelak pass on the right side and got some nice YAC on the play.
* Tucker takes an RPO handoff from Bazelak to the right and has a nice run.
* Trask connects with Devin Culp on the right side and the Washington product gets a big gain with YAC.
* Bucky runs inside left and is met with a wall. He bounces outside left, weaves through defenders and maybe gets seven or eight yards.
* McMillan takes a handoff (per Bucs media protocol, Joe is unable to describe this play in any greater detail).
* Sterling Shepard catches a Trask offering on a screen to the right but didn’t get much.
* White on a running back screen to the right but he doesn’t get much either.
* Bucky runs up the middle.
* Trask would have been sacked by a blitzing Deion Jones. He went up9 the gut to get to Trask.
* Pretty play: Bazelak fakes a handoff to White and throws right to Egubka. This was the best pass Joe has seen Bazelak, who is often inaccurate, throw. Hit Egbuka perfectly in stride, allowing the rookie from Ohio State to get YAC. Equally impressive was that the throw threaded a needle as Egbuka was surrounded by Bucs defenders. If the pass was off just a little, it may have been picked.
* Some day in the 2030s, Bazelak will be at a Super Bowl party in Dayton and after Egbuka catches a touchdown pass from Mayfield, Bazelak will scream at the TV, “That guy caught one of my passes once!”
* Bucky runs left.
* Baselak finds Tucker down the left seam for a good gain.
* Houston with a fingertip catch of a Bazelak pass in stride for a touchdown.
* What’s gotten into these backup quarterbacks today?
* Tucker up the middle.
* Bazelak connects with Taula but it wouldn’t have mattered in real football as UDFA Dvon J-Thomas from Penn State had Bazelak for a sack.
* Bazelak hits Greene down the left seam who quickly turns upfield for a big gain.
Red zone
* Trask throws for McMillan at the goal line to the left pylon and Jamel Dean breaks up the pass.
* Trask throws for Sterling Shepard at the near right pylon and Jacob Parrish breaks up the pass.
* Bazelak tries for Greene in the back of the end zone and Benjamin Morrison breaks up the pass. That’s two breakups in two days on the same play by the rookie from Notre Dame.
* And practice ends with Bazelak throwing a can of corn pass to Rachaad White to the left and White crosses the goal line with little effort.
Bucs have a walk-through tomorrow that is closed to everyone and then have the day off Monday. Training camp resumes Tuesday morning.
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Fantastic notes, Joe….you fill in lots of our blanks….thanks
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:46 pm
Tampabaybucfan:
You’re welcome!
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:56 pm
Thanks Joe!
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Interesting putting Barton at LT for a bit. Baze might win the PS job over Pratt for the simple reason he’s healthy. Don’t know why it’s taking the Bucs so long to bring in another QB. I gave up on Pratt when he couldn’t suit up for camp. Can’t understand how Pratt hurt himself so bad since he hasn’t taken the field in four months. Did he trip over his dog, slip on a bananna peel? Why we wasting time on this guy?
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:07 pm
Thank you Joe, like I was there except for the swamp-butt!
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:27 pm
Thank you, Joes. Any observations on how Sean T. and Bucky have looked in pass protection?
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:34 pm
Sounds like they were seeing how Kyle was working under pressure as it seems all the blitzes were run at him, it sounds like he did fine , drawing the defense off on a long count, no fumbles ,no interceptions , and still completed a ton of passes including bombs . Also seems like Bazelak was working on routes with receivers, both did well.
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:56 pm
I’ve read that you saw Trask make possibly his best throw quite a few times now. That’s good!
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:56 pm
@joe
Have we had to do any sets with our TEs having to line up online next to our LTs to help run block or pass protect since Tristian has been out?
August 2nd, 2025 at 2:04 pm
How about mention of Harrris, new WR? UCF and East Lake High local kid.
August 2nd, 2025 at 2:15 pm
No hitting
August 2nd, 2025 at 2:27 pm
Joe mentioned him. He caught a pass.
As always, Joe isn’t a fiction writer unless you just want Joe to type “(insert player’s name) walked out of One Buc Palace at 8:30 a.m. to practice today.”
August 2nd, 2025 at 2:32 pm
feel bad for the first team offense having to play with trask. seems like a waste of practice
August 2nd, 2025 at 2:46 pm
Dan frustrates us all with the injuries but he’s still our CB1. That said we don’t have a shutdown CB on the roster. The hype machine is running full tilt on Zyon, but other than being a great athlete and a good kid I just don’t see him as anything more than an average CB. Hope he proves me wrong. The new guys look promising but as always time will tell.
August 2nd, 2025 at 2:48 pm
Some day in 2026*, Bazelak will be at a Super Bowl party in Dayton and after Egbuka catches a touchdown pass from Mayfield, Bazelak will scream at the TV, “That guy caught one of my passes once!”
Fixed that for you
August 2nd, 2025 at 3:14 pm
I don’t remember how many picks and sacks we had last training camp but it seems like there have been a lot more this year.
T/A differential was a BIG issue last year.
August 2nd, 2025 at 3:30 pm
Macmillan on the benn’d around. There, I said it
August 2nd, 2025 at 3:44 pm
Grizz has been around some very good offensive minded coaches. He’s an Ivy League guy. I gotta believe that he is running the ball up the middle on every first play because that is not what he will do when the real games start. It’s a ruse. Mark my words – when the ever important preseason game gets underway nest Saturday. Grizz will run White, Bucky or Tucker up the gut.
August 2nd, 2025 at 6:38 pm
dave canales favorite play up the middle for no gain lol
August 2nd, 2025 at 8:24 pm
I think Bucs should pick up Shedeur Sanders when Cleveland cuts him. He is worth taking a flyer on and can not be worse than Pratt and Bazelak.
August 2nd, 2025 at 8:46 pm
As always, a great write-up.
Also the 1st down up the gut goes back as far as time itself.
Ray Perkins
Mike Shula
Jon Gruden
Dirk Diggler
Bryon Leftwich (for the first 10 1st downs of the game – then it was all throws from shotgun, because why would you want to playaction pass when you can telegraph you’re not going to run up the gut – idiot)
Canales
Really Coen was the only coach, in all of Bucs history, where I didn’t find his 1st down calls to be incredibly predictable. I hope wiz kid actually goes back and looks at the tape and trends – all he has to do is copy and paste what Coen did, and he’ll be a HC candidate next year.
August 2nd, 2025 at 9:38 pm
LOL!
August 2nd, 2025 at 10:48 pm
Joe im confused by “per Bucs media protocol, Joe is unable to describe this play in any greater detail” bit. Did I miss an inside joke somewhere? I’m pretty sure I read every post!
August 3rd, 2025 at 12:26 am
thx joe
August 3rd, 2025 at 4:37 am
Thank you, Joe! Feels like being there with your notes.
Go Buh-KEE! Can’t wait to shout that out again during the games! Good to hear about the backup QBs stepping up and making solid connections.
BakerFan Says: “I think Bucs should pick up Shedeur Sanders when Cleveland cuts him. He is worth taking a flyer on and can not be worse than Pratt and Bazelak.” Fully agree! He’s young and we know Baker, Mike, Chris, and others would be good mentors for him too.
August 3rd, 2025 at 8:33 am
Tighter coverage?
Trask can throw the long ball.
Pass Pro issues or just camp meat issues. Left side concerns?
Durham invisable?
Go Bucs!
August 3rd, 2025 at 8:53 am
Bakerbucs. Shadure Sanders will be there starting quarterback and he will be a good quarterback for them. And you will go back to being a Cleveland Browns fan again. Kyle Trask is playing good and the rest of the Baker boys are no where to be found because he’s playing good. I keep telling y’all these people ain’t real bucs fans they’re all about Baker Mayfield and they don’t care if win or lose as long as Baker has a good season. Lol 🤣
August 3rd, 2025 at 11:50 am
Thanks for the info & insight into the Bucs camp. Plus enjoyed your show on 620 Saturday
August 3rd, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Thanks for the updates, Joe. I would normally elaborate; however Bucs media protocol does not allow me to go into more details.
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:47 pm
Onielbuc just can’t help himself. If Baker is not practicing what is there to talk about him? Oh that’s right time for you to take some kind of shot. And of course there is you agenda for saving Sanders in Cleveland. Trask is a backup. That is all he will ever be.
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:57 pm
Thank you!
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:01 pm
Media is not supposed to report detailed information on plays in practice. That’s why you don’t see Joe type about formations, motions, etc. Of course, fans post videos on social media of the very same plays but media can’t do the same.
So when Joe types something odd like “McMillan takes a handoff” you’ll have to use your imagination. 🙁
August 4th, 2025 at 2:29 am
Wow Trask didn’t throw a pick or fumble the ball, amazing!