Bucs Rookie Minicamp 2026 Day 1 Practice Notes
May 8th, 2026
Rueben Bain was locked in prior to his first Bucs practice.
If the Bucs have an open practice, then Joe’s going to take notes, even if only (maybe) six or seven of the guys out there on the practice fields behind One Buc Palace will be employed by the Bucs in four months.
As always, minicamps of any sort are underwear football practices. No pads; only helmets. No hitting of any sort.
Though practice barely met the threshold of “hot” for Floridians, Bucs coach Todd Bowles noted after practice the Bucs had to take it easy as several players were not used to Florida weather, and as a result were struggling.
* Unlike last year, the Bucs have quarterbacks this rookie minicamp who can give receivers a chance to catch the ball. Last year — and Joe knows exactly who was there and what a certain quarterback is doing now — Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson barely got a chance to show their skills because the guys throwing the ball were wilder than Ricky Vaughn. Joe thinks Jacob Parrish got more hands on the balls last year at rookie minicamp than Egbuka. Today, Jalon Daniels (Kansas), Chandler Morris (Virginia) and Gaston Moore were throwing passes, though Daniels by far got the most reps.
* Tight end Ademola Faleye (Washington State), 6-7, 253 is a very tall man.
* Offensive tackle Paul Rubelt (Central Florida) is even bigger. He stands 6-10, 310. Joe would try to find a way to keep the German-born Rubelt just to play nose tackle on the field goal defense. He has a wingspan of 83 inches!
Seven-on-seven
* Finn Hogan (Bowling Green) caught a pass from Daniel coming from the left and he was able to get some yardage as he was forced out of bounds on the left sideline.
* Dean Patterson (Georgia Tech) catches a pass from Daniels on the right side.
* Tight end Kenny Fletcher (Rutgers) catches a Daniels pass in a crowd near the left sideline.
* Keontez Lewis (Oklahoma) catches a perfect pass from Daniels that hit him in the hands on the right sideline.
* Running back Rashad Amos (Georgia State) gets about eight yards on a run to the left.
* Running back Kadarus Calloway (New Mexico State) has a short run to the left.
* Bonding: Later, Joe noticed Amos with his arm draped around the shoulder of Bucs running backs coach Skip Peete.
* Daniels connects with Bucs’ third-round pick Ted Hurst on the left side in a crowd of defenders. No problem for the 6-4 Hurst.
* Daniels to Fletcher along the right sideline.
* Daniels tries for Noah Short (Army) in the left seam but it’s broken up by Jarod Washington (South Carolina State).
* Daniels throws to an unknown receiver in the left flat but no one was home, though Washington was nearby.
* Morris throws to the right sideline and if he was trying to put the ball at a spot that only Devin Voisin (South Alabama) could only get the ball, then Morris perfectly succeeded. Voisin used every fraction of his 69.36-inch wingspan to catch the ball.
* Fletcher bobbles a pass from Morris along the right sideline but recovers and turns upfield for a nice gain.
11-on-11
* Daniels throws to Anthony Fries (UCLA) to the left sidelines for maybe 10 yards.
* Daniels aims for Hurst along the right sideline and JayVian Farr (Augustana) races in and blows up the play.
* Daniels connects with Junior Vandeross (Toledo) down the right sideline.
* Joe has no idea if the Bucs keep Daniels but he’s shown he’s accurate (yeah, Joe knows, one practice in shorts) but he’s mobile, which gives the Bucs an added dimension they currently do not have. Many passes Daniels completed came on the move. He may have only taken two steps but he looks very comfortable and smooth in a moving pocket.
* Daniels tries a long pass down the right side of the field and it hits Jackson Zimmerman (Colorado School of Mines) right in the chest but he couldn’t haul the ball in.
* Daniels to Lewis for a first down.
* Gary Bryant (Oregon) hauls in a pass in a crowd from Daniels.
* Play of the day comes on the second-last play of practice. Hurst flies down the right sideline and puts a double-move on a corner to gain separation and hauls in a Daniels pass for about a 30-yard score.
May 8th, 2026 at 7:12 pm
Bain looks like he’s practicing his mug shot.
What’s the over/under on him being arrested before the season starts?
You can’t fix bad character and dumb decisions.
Hope Licht has a backup plan for the inevitable.
Never mind. We have a Guru HC\DC. Solved.
May 8th, 2026 at 7:20 pm
Joe, thank you for being out there and taking notes today.
May 8th, 2026 at 7:22 pm
Joe, they gave Daniels 247 grand guaranteed, he’s the 3rd QB. Sorry Baze won’t beat him out. He might have an advantage if we were running the same scheme, but were not.
May 8th, 2026 at 7:23 pm
I remember Jalon Daniels had that huge bowl game against Arkansas
I think it was in 2022, l never seen a passing performance like that
He passed for something like 545 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT
It was a performance for the ages
He may win the QB3 job
May 8th, 2026 at 7:33 pm
Here is where Daniels sort of has an advantage:
If a No. 3 QB is playing, that’s obviously an emergency situation for the Bucs and they aren’t going to lean on him to pass the Bucs to wins.
But he can run. So if he has to start, the Bucs could put in more of a running offense using Daniels’ wheels as a second or third running back.
May 8th, 2026 at 7:44 pm
Yes! Joe’s training camp notes…We’re getting closer!!
May 8th, 2026 at 7:58 pm
LynchMob: 3 years ago Bain made one mistake. He’s made up with the family of the person in the crash. He had another car accident, not nearly as bad. What other instances indicate bad character? The only one with questionable moral judgment here seems to be you with that statement.
May 8th, 2026 at 8:20 pm
Love this stuff, thanks for posting Joe!
May 8th, 2026 at 8:35 pm
After we signed Jalon Daniels as an UDFA, I went and watched his tape and said at the time, thankfully the Bucs finally signed a QB who at least has the skills to be a legit practice squad guy and could perhaps make the team as a 3rd QB. From what I saw he’s a clear upgrade over Ballsack, at least based on what I’ve seen of him (I’ve heard Ballsack improved a ton, but just going by what I personally saw, and I wasn’t impressed at all). Honestly, Daniels, watching his college tape, just looks like a guy who hangs around an NFL team forever and next thing you know he’s 35 and still in the league. We’ll see if that happens or not, but glad to hear he looked like a real QB as the Bucs have a tendency to get these rookie UDFA and after watching their college tape I have no idea why they’d ever get an invite to an NFL camp, more less be signed to a UDFA deal.
May 8th, 2026 at 8:38 pm
Daniels might be our QB of the Future.
He’s got that ‘It Factor’.
Also, Hurst is our Week 1 Starter at X Receiver. Just watch
May 8th, 2026 at 8:40 pm
It would be nice to have someone on special teams as tall as or taller than Paul Rubelt to block punts and field goals.
If I were the GM, I’d find a 7-footer with a great vertical leap for that purpose.
Back when Wilt Chamberlain played in the NBA, he was 7’1″ with a reported vertical of 48″.
May 8th, 2026 at 8:45 pm
Practice notes this time of year are always a fun read. Gets me away from the hustle a little while. Thanks! Adding the player specs and university was a good detail. Helped capture in detail what was happening with background information.
May 8th, 2026 at 8:54 pm
Daniels sounds like he is very accurate hopefully he makes the team maybe beat out qb2
May 8th, 2026 at 9:02 pm
I like BFS1996,s idea. Change the kicks projectory if not blocked. Get a stilt guy from the circus. Just like Eagles have tush push, Bucs can make a move of their own. Just got to think of a good name for it.
May 8th, 2026 at 9:09 pm
Wow Lynchmob50
How low can you go?
It’s cute or funny to you, I guess, to use a traumatic event that cost someone their life and forever impacted multiple families? Smdh – that’s fuked up even for a pathetic little excuse of a man like yourself.
Any of your butt buddies want to give you a “right on” for this one? Aqua? Grover?
May 8th, 2026 at 9:24 pm
Jack, if he feels like that about Bain, he’s a troll, not a fan. Don’t waste your time on him.
May 8th, 2026 at 9:35 pm
@Hodad,
It wasn’t a waste of time. Jack expressed what many are thinking.
May 8th, 2026 at 9:44 pm
Rubelt officially measured at 6’10 1/2″ or… 6’11.
May 8th, 2026 at 10:59 pm
It’s Ted Hurst not Ben, right? Now I’m not sure myself lol…
May 8th, 2026 at 11:37 pm
Christopher Schiefen:
I dunno, something about 50’s post makes it feel like if Bain was raised by monks and the accident never happened, he’d have the same opinion of the kid.
May 8th, 2026 at 11:45 pm
Good stuff Joe, maybe we keep Daniels, why is Bazelak still on the team? Glad to see Ted Hurst making plays. Good stuff!
May 9th, 2026 at 1:07 am
Yea! TY Joe
May 9th, 2026 at 2:01 am
Joe named TE Kenny Fletcher hauling in catchers three times – that was tops for the day by my count. I hope he sticks and makes it onto the roster.
We won’t see it in underwear football, but Fletcher doesn’t just catch the ball. After playing WR in high school, he was a pass rushing DE for two years at Rutgers before switching to TE to get more playing time. The DE experience shows. He is a solid inline blocker. But, when he gets to move before a block, he hits his target with a wallop like a DE in the gap trying to put a running back or QB flat on their back. He may have the makings of the best all around TE on the team.
And, while I love watching Kieft play, I would like to see OT Rubelt as an inline TE. He was successful at UCF at LT giving up only 2 sacks, but he looked awkward there in pass protection. But, as a blocking TE, he would be a beast.
And, at 6’10-1/2″, 310#, running a 4.99 forty with a 32 inch vertical and an 83 inch wingspan, if he can catch the ball at all, sending a jump pass his way should be an automatic first down or touchdown in short yardage situations.
May 9th, 2026 at 8:04 am
Some real news. Thanks Joe!
May 9th, 2026 at 8:18 am
“* Offensive tackle Paul Rubelt (Central Florida) is even bigger. He stands 6-10, 310. Joe would try to find a way to keep the German-born Rubelt just to play nose tackle on the field goal defense. He has a wingspan of 83 inches!”
Yes!
Nice notes.
May 9th, 2026 at 8:31 am
Joe – no news about Trotter, Scott or Bauer Sharp?
May 9th, 2026 at 8:44 am
Good to hear about Daniels being accurate, hopefully we get to see him play this preseason.
May 9th, 2026 at 9:18 am
Lynchmob50, it must suck to have peaked in Junior High.
What an ignorant post.
May 9th, 2026 at 9:53 am
Lynch Mob
I’m not sure what the thing is with Bain but perhaps if you spelled out your disdain then it “might” make more sense. Personally I’m a Bain fan for what he brings to the team and I’ve got a feeling most feel the same so if your going to go for broke on a newly minted potential hero, you’re going to have to give a clear and or at the minimum “current” reason as to why you’re so turned off.
Otherwise, it does look like you’re throwing darts blind folded.
So what’s the problem with Bain that needs to be drug into the light?
Otherwise viture signaling without some STRONG reason is just treading water while bleeding in a “small pool” with a sharks who specializes in victim shaming, ESPECIALLY if you’re not giving one h3ll of a reason for your personal stand. (you know, a reason not to get eaten) Do you have more than a bad situation from the past? Besides, sometimes people do deserve a second chance. I myself would tend to doubt that Bain crashed his car “on purpose” to hurt someone else. Unless you know something everybody else doesn’t know about him?
May 9th, 2026 at 11:08 am
Great notes and great imagery – thanks Joes!
May 9th, 2026 at 11:08 am
3.28.Evans Aqua turd was actually born a D*ck first . The rest of his body came later,minus the brain. Being a d*ck just comes so naturally to him. Poor guy what a miserable life.
May 9th, 2026 at 12:47 pm
All offense… I thought we had upgraded the D. Perhaps tomorrow.
May 9th, 2026 at 2:41 pm
@Toopanca⬆️ re Kenny Fletcher. The best all around TE? Good grief. He went undrafted and not on any ranking boards for a reason. And converting a 6’10 lifetime offensive tackle to TE, just because he is tall with long arms? Even worse. Why don’t we just go sign some 7’5” NBA rejects and start them at TE….
May 9th, 2026 at 10:36 pm
LynchMob50 Says:
May 8th, 2026 at 7:12 pm
“Bain looks like he’s practicing his mug shot.
What’s the over/under on him being arrested before the season starts?
You can’t fix bad character and dumb decisions. ”
That is idiotic. There was zero bad character involved. He was in an auto accident and his passeger died.
That’s not bad character…even he was assigned fault. Yes, he was charged with reckless driving, but upon investigation, they dropped the charge. The passenger’s family didn’t even blame him.
Try learning about situations before you accuse someone of bad character.
May 10th, 2026 at 3:59 pm
Would love to get some info on Cody Mauch. Has his injury really healed? would love an overall piece of what the offensive line looks like and how all the injuries from last year have been sorted out…
May 10th, 2026 at 4:15 pm
Mauch told Joe maybe the last week of the season he was ahead of schedule in his rehab and would be 100 percent for OTAs. Licht or Bowles (or both) said the same at the combine.
Haven’t heard anything about Ben Bredeson.
May 10th, 2026 at 10:59 pm
The tackling in underwear football is highly correlated to Bucs defensive performance in midsession “form.”
Yes I am aware they don’t tackle in rookie minicamp. Perfect. They don’t know how to when they’re supposed to either.