TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) – With only one more training camp session remaining on Sunday prior to preseason play, the Bucs took to the field at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa on Friday morning.
A capacity crowd watched the team in action ahead of their trip up north to play the New York Jets on Friday, August 14th.
The players are ready for the challenge and the opportunity for a new opponent to face off with.
“Yeah I think you get to the point where you want to see other guys, you know?” Buccaneers rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter said after practice.
“You’d rather hit other teams, than keep hitting your same teammates,” he added.
As week two of training camp approaches completion, Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles is optimistic in what he’s seeing from his players.
“They’re really mentally tough and they’re making each other better,” Bowles said.
“You know, they understand what we have on each side of the ball, and they’re really trying to make each other better,” he added.
One of the strengths emerging in this iteration of the Bucs is the defensive prowess, combining new and returning players, including rookies like The University of Miami’s Reuben Bain Jr., and the University of Missouri’s Josiah Trotter.
“Overall, I feel like we’ve all been getting better within that part of our games, and just trying to grow, just make more plays in the passing game,” Trotter said.
The players remarked on the playful trash talk amongst one another on and off the field.
“You’d be surprised, Reuben Bain talks a good amount in the group chat,” Trotter said with a smile.
“Everybody’s hungry,” Buccaneers Outside Linebacker Yaya Diaby added.
It’s their way of getting the most out of one another.
“I really think that by the end of this season we can make a really good jump and be in the top ten in defense once everybody stays healthy and be locked in,” Diaby said.
“What’s special about it, is you’ve got players after players after players in every position that can do it at a high level,” Buccaneers Defensive Lineman A’Shawn Robinson said.
“Not just be okay, but be dominant,” he added.
Tampa Bay will host Kansas City in preseason action on Saturday, August 22nd in their next matchup after traveling to take on the Jets on Friday, August 14th.
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