When A Rookie Makes A Star Look Human
August 5th, 2025
Another day, another play.
OK, here goes. Buckle up because Joe is very redundant with the following.
Emeka Ebuka is smooth.
The best way Joe can describe Egbuka — and has dozens of times — is that he’s a Chris Godwin clone, as in a veteran Godwin, not Godwin as a rookie in 2017.
Yeah, Egbuka is a little bigger, but he just looks like No. 14 on the field, masquerading as a rookie wearing No. 9.
Today, Egbuka made a move that floored Joe and Joe isn’t sure Godwin could pull it off.
Bucs icon Lavonte David was back to practicing. There may not be a more fundamentally sound defender on the Bucs roster. That fits because Joe believes David some day ought to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But today, what Egbuka did to David is something you’d expect the bad Devin White to be the victim of, not David.
Egbuka was doing Egbuka things in practice: looking silky smooth on each of his routes and burning Bucs corners. Well, today, it appeared Egbuka met his match, at least for a brief second.
Egbuka caught a pass over the left seam from Baker Mayfield. He was immediately hit by David, who, as he always does, wrapped up.
Egbuka was down, right? David gets his mitts on you, you’re done. But no! He broke free! Forced a missed tackle on the great No. 54.
Joe didn’t think that was possible. A receiver, a rookie receiver no less, breaking free of David’s bear hug? But it is true. It happened, right in front of Joe’s eyes. Maybe it’s a training camp thing.
“That’s what he does,” Jalen McMillen told Joe about Egbuka forcing a missed tackle on Lavonte David of all people. “Yeah, that’s Emeka.”
Even Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht said after practice today, Egbuka has been better than he expected.
Joe might need to take a cold shower thinking about Egbuka burning the Dixie Chicks Week 1.
#BeatAtlanta
August 5th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
Egbuka and more Egbuka!
August 5th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
LET’S GO!!!
August 5th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
#MustWin
August 5th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
Anybody can get got, just depends on who’s doing the gettin
August 5th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
If Godwin returns back to his normal healthy self, we may have three #1 WRs. McMillian is a solid #2. With White and Bucky being an above average pass catchers in the backfield and if Culp turn into a downfield threat – Watch out!
August 5th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
sounds like CG14 will start the season on the PUP list
GO BUCS!!!!
August 5th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
Or maybe David wasn’t going full tilt because it’s a teammate in training camp?
August 5th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Imagine trying to cover Mike Evans, Godwin, Egbuka, and McMillan on a 4 wr set.
August 5th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
Love to hear this, won’t have to worry about rushing CG12 back to action.
August 5th, 2025 at 1:46 pm
Damn! Yes!!!!!!!!
Your Darden clones aren’t gonna do that.
August 5th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
Booyaka Booyaka!
August 5th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
First Last Says:
Imagine trying to cover Mike Evans, Godwin, Egbuka, and McMillan on a 4 wr set.
^^^^^^^
4 WR still gives you another weapon: Bucky, White, Otton, or Culp. Yikes!
August 5th, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Practice? We’re talking about practice? In a regular game Lavonte would not let him break a tackle.
August 5th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Egbuka is bigger than Godwin? Really? He didn’t look like it on college tape – and they’re about the same size on the measurements, although Godwin was a bit heavier – also Godwin to me looked like he has bulked up over the years. I’m not questioning Joe’s take, he’s seeing them side by side, but that’s very surprising and good news.
Anywho, great to hear all the good things with Egbuka continuing. He was widely considered the safest player in the draft and a guy who can and should play early at a high level. So far in camp, it sounds like that is his floor.
August 5th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
Emeka and Egbuka are a mouth full. Double E? E squared? Or just The Man!
BEAT ATLANTA!!!
August 5th, 2025 at 3:33 pm
Hopefully he gets the stink off that #9 jersey the previous owner left behind.
August 5th, 2025 at 3:43 pm
Little bit.
August 5th, 2025 at 8:42 pm
“He broke free! Forced a missed tackle on the great No. 54.”
Dude – it was PRACTICE….
54 is not going to hang on for dear life nor slam his teammate receiver to the ground like he would be sure to do in a real game.
These guys aren’t going anywhere close to 100% against their own teammates in practice – especially when it comes to tackling.
August 5th, 2025 at 9:26 pm
OOOHHH! Glad you tipped Joe off. He thought he was watching a playoff game.
OK, Joe will put it in context for you:
Joe can’t count how many training camp practices he’s watched with the Bucs. Maybe have missed two in the past four years.
Joe cannot recall Mike Evans or Chris Godwin breaking a tackle on David once he wrapped up. Or any receiver for that matter unless it was underwear football.
Yesterday’s practice was full pads.
But Egbuka did just that.
You act like it was a walk-through practice.
If practice is so worthless as you seem to imply (“Dude – it was PRACTICE….”) then why the hell are you even reading a story about practice? If practice is so worthless, why do the Bucs coaches and suits spend hours each day combing through every second of video?
What, should Joe just shut this site down in the summer when the Bucs are practicing in training camp? Should Joe no longer attend practices because you don’t like it?
Sorry if Joe tries to be the eyes and ears for fans at practice. A real practice with hitting and tackling. And yes, breaking tackles too.
August 5th, 2025 at 10:10 pm
Don’t let a rookie do that to you Lavonte… aim for the knees next time…
August 5th, 2025 at 10:29 pm
Great story, appreciate the inside info!!
August 5th, 2025 at 10:42 pm
You are welcome GJ!
August 6th, 2025 at 11:07 am
I hope we get to call this guy “End-zone Emeka”