Bucs Insider Live, June 20

And now is the time when we do get to talk about a lot of these big picture things because the players are on this five week break that they get between mini camp and training camp. This is when we really dive into a lot of the potential potential battles of training camp of who's gonna be at what's starting spots or even roster moves, things like that, who's

gonna make the final fifty three? Uh So, for you to start off this break time, just want to hear what's your thoughts were on O T A S. Mini Camp, the whole big pictures so far of the off season, anything that we have learned or that you're you're even more uh you know inquisitive about now going to take away if you will take away or two? Um, you know many camp the three days of minicamp were probably most instructive of all because we watched all of that.

We didn't necessarily want all the ottees weren't open to the media, and we didn't see every minute of those practices, but we saw every minute of those three practices, and I think my biggest takeaway was the defense seemed to be a little more successful than the offense. And that's on one hand, that's not really unusual for this time

of the year. You know, the defense is by nature more reactive, and they do have the play and playbooks, but um, their success isn't quite as dependent upon being so perfect on knowing your plays and being the right place as offenses, right, So it's not surprising that the defense would be ahead. On the other hand, it's probably good news because that's the side of the ball that needed the most fixing after last year, which was quite obvious by our offseason moves, right, I mean, that's I

got a lot more attention. The other side basically got Ronald Jones and Ryan Jensen, the big big changes. There wasn't a whole lot of change otherwise. Um, so that was good to see, I think, um, and you know, it's good that it was competitive. You know, I was saying this to you earlier. We hear a lot this offseason players saying different things about the vibe round here, how it seems more confidence, more closeness, um, you know,

just a different energy level around here. And while I think that's probably true, or at least true to the extent that they believe it, and that's a good thing, it's still kind of what you'd expect players to say at this time of the year. Now. When Coach Cutter specifically said he thought it was practices were way more competitive this spring than a year ago, that carries a lot of weight with me because he's not really prone

to exaggeration. Yeah, that's a great point. Um, So if it is true that it's a lot more competitive, I think that's a really good sign. You know, Yeah, that's very true. Um. How much credence do you put into those things of where players are saying it's more we're having more fun or it seems more competitive. You said that Cutter isn't prone to exaggeration, but I think a lot of times players, you know, will say what they

know they're supposed to say. So does that also feel a little different to you than than other years past, or how much weight do you put on I think it depends on the player, Like, um, some guys. Some guys are just naturally more a beat, right and actually more effusive in the way that they talk. But I'll say, Lavante David was saying stuff like that, and he's not

a man of a lot of words. I also don't think he's going to exaggerate or or just say that there's a different vibr on here just because it's the right thing to say. So, um, given enough players talking that way, I think there's something to it. That being said, there's always a bit of cause and effect to this issue. Um, you know what, For instance, guys are saying that they want to have more fun this year, and that's good,

but what comes first? You know, it tends to be more fun, and your team tends to be closer and so on, so we'll see. I think the most important thing is not necessarily going to be the vibrun here, but if we were successful in adding talent that's going to take us to the next level. Like on paper, what was done to the defensive line is fantastic. It looks awesome, and I think it will work, but you can't. You can't guarantee it. You know, you you hope do

the best you can to put the pieces together. I do think not only I know they want to run eight nine deep in a rotation if everything works out well, and that would be great because I think that's a proven way to really get the most out of your d line in the NFL, like the Eagles did last year. But it also gives you a little bit more leeway

to weather injuries. Like when Noah Spence went down last year, we didn't really have another, you know, premier edge rusher type to replace them, right, so you didn't have to adjust. Now we've got a lot of guys that we can roll in it down there. And if you know, if Vinny Curry isn't available for a particular game, knock on what I didn't choose him for any particular nation. Uh, you know, you still have a lot of depth to still have that good pass rush. Hopefully. That's a great point.

Jeff wanted to know win training camp starts, and this is a question that I've seen a lot, and part of why I hadn't even brought it up is because we don't know all those dates for sure, yet is that still accurate at this point now? I was out of town the last few days, but I don't believe there's been an announcement. It's usually right around this time of year. UM. I wrote about that in my last

week's mail bag. It's last year. Last couple of years, the announcement of which training camp dates were open to the public, UM usually came in around June. So it should be coming out any day now, I would think, judging my history, one little trick you can do to figure out when training camp starts is that teams are not allowed to start training camp more than fifteen days before their first preseason game. Uh. To start counting back. Yeah, and they're not going to give away any of those days.

So every team starts on that exact day they're allowed to. So find out that what is it dogs twelve? Look up the first preseason game, count back fifteen days, and you're probably right about where the start of it will be. Okay, Uh, Brandon said, who are you most impressed by so far? Well, UM, Chris Godwin, just because according to the coach, he has been not only good, but so consisting instantly good like he does stuff every single practice that people feel good about.

UM on defense. You know, I will say this when Brent Grimes and his voluntary we have to keep repeating that wasn't it every O t A. But he was at mandatory minicamp and there was an obvious difference. There was a clear difference. He's a playmaker. He uh. He made a bunch of plays in the red zone and one of the practices I was watching, and that makes me also think of O. J. Howard who looked really good in the red zone in some of those drills. So he couldn't be a guy that takes a really

big elite forward. That's great to hear. And I'm I'm excited about this question. Kevin said, or any of the offseason rule change is going to make a big difference. We haven't talked about that a whole lot on this show. Well, I just wrote and we're posting today about the kickoff rule changes, and UM, I would urge you to go read that because I talked to our special teams coach Nate Catser because I want to know what he thought

would be the effect of all that. UM. Before I get into that, I will say the one that has the potential to make the most difference is obviously the new helmet rule, the leading with your helmet rule. Depending on how strictly that is called, that could significantly change the game. I tend to be of the belief that it's not. I'm not. I'm not one of these people that's really worrying about it a lot. If it happens, then we'll worry about it. I think they're they're looking

for the egregious hits. I think they'll be eight or ten more those over the season than you've been used to seeing. But I don't think it's gonna cause the Floria flags every time when guy's helmet comes in contact with somebody else. I don't think that's the biggest ure.

I think it's gonna be the ones where you can and you know, you can picture them in your mind, where a guy clearly could have made the tackle, even a hard tackle, without involving his helmet, but he made this conscious decision to put his head down and leave with his helmet. And that's what they're trying to get rid of. Now, back to the kickoff thing. Um nate cats are are special teams. Coordinator says it's not clear

yet which side is going to benefit the most. The design of the reason for the rule changes is UH to make the place safer. Um, but it will probably also result in one side or another kickoff or return coverage or return getting a bit more of an advantage. UH. And it if it turns out to be that it's better for the return team, then that's gonna be a big change because the kickoff has been fading a little bit and there were only I think seven kickoff returns

for touchdowns in the NFL last year. If that number goes up by eight or nine, ten, and hopefully one or two of those are the Buccaneers that can make a big difference, it could be exciting. I personally don't want to see it go up by like I don't want to see a touchdown kickerf returning every game, but a few more would be cool. Yeah, I agree with that. UH. Don wants to know who's the front runner to start opposite of Grimes at corner boy. That's a that's a

loaded question. That competition is so well, this is good, it's so there's so many possibilities there. Okay, you can't discount Ryan Smith because he was the guy last year. Um Carlton Davis has really opened a lot of eyes and could be a weapon against bigger receivers. But he's a rookie so whole. I think it's awesome. He's done well so far. There's still a long way to go for him to be proven that he should be starting from day one when Pad's haven't even gone on yet exactly.

And then um vernon hardrays because we mentioned several times, has looked quite good and slot the spring, but it's been said that he's still in competition to start on the outside and maybe have a hybrid roll in and out. So are you asking me the thing? Did he ask me the favorite? Put me on the spot. I'm gonna I'm gonna roll the dice and go with Carlton Davis. Okay, I like that? Yeah, I hope so that would be

a good That would be a good sign. Okay. Uh, Joseph wants to know who seems to be imposing their will more and the trenches, the O line or the D line. I'll already start with the caveat you're gonna give. There's no pads on, so it's not exactly a representative sample, but not at all is there anything that you feel like you'd be able to tell him that you can't

tell they they just can't. We get fined and have practices removed if they were hitting each other way they were supposed to, and and really when you just come up and make contact with them, kind of hold it there, How can either side be imposing their will? I just don't see how it's possible to tell that. Being said, it's gonna be great when we get to training camp and we get to see Ryan Jensen going against Vida bay at two new player. I mean Ryan just against

Jerone quite too, But I'm talking about two players. Which one or both will you know, get the upper hand and you know which so which side will proven to have a better edition? I like that. Chad said any chance a mid to late round or possibly even undrafted player has a chance to be a surprise starter Starter starter starter starter. Um, well, let's go down the Late Lake guys. Would be if fourth round counts Jordan Whitehead, he's got a shot, He's got a shot safety because

I think that's a little bit wide open. You can't really count out. I think Justin Evans is almost a lock to be one of them, and Chris Conti is the incumbent and would be the probably other starter, but um, I think they viewed him, even as a fourth round pick, as a guy that that could develop into a starter.

So maybe if that happens quickly, I don't see how fifth rounder Justin Watson or sixth round rounder Jack City is really in line to start unless Kindle back with us out and at the start of the season, City is the best option there, But I don't think either those are terribly likely, although I do think they'll both be on the roster. Um undrafted guys, there's some guys

that are gonna make it. I'd keep my eyes on Sean Wilson, the running the running back, ack Um, the tight end, some of those tight ends, maybe Donnie Earnsberger Um, the safety, Godwin Iguay b K. But I don't think any of those would probably be starters. Okay, Yes, Ed said, it looks like the d line is going to be much improved. How does that affect the scheme in the secondary? Well, it affects the secondary simply by hopefully reducing by a good amount the amount of time that they have to cover.

Because in the NFL, with these receivers and these quarterbacks. You can't give them too much time or they're always going to get somebody open, right, And we saw a little bit of that. We saw a lot of that

last year, didn't we. Yeah. Do you do you think that that would increase the amount of press coverage that they would want to do, especially knowing that again they wouldn't have to cover as long But then or is that more of a decision about personnel in the secondary, And probably because the reducing the time helps you whether you're doing press or zone, um in different ways. But yeah,

you could see. I do think there's gonna be some more press and if you can combine a faster pass rush with effective press coverage, you can keep guys from ever getting into their route quickly enough for the quarterback to have a chance to throw it. Um. So that's a good thing. I think in terms of scheme, it may affect a defensive line more. Um. You may just have more simpler lineup and go get your go get them, rather than need to do stunts and things like that.

I think it may be a simpler approach up front, just with more rotation and pressure legs. Yeah, that was something that some some people were discussing as seeing it practice how they were all playing different positions on the line that coach Buckner seems to really be emphasizing to them that they are d alignment. They are not interior or outside that they are. So maybe we'll see alignment.

And I thought that would be intriguing. So maybe we'll see a couple of stamps where I don't know, general mccoise on the edge would be interesting. And they said there was an example of JPP being on the inside. It's just I find all of that to be really interesting.

That would be cool if if opposing teams are coming into a game thinking, this is this is the guy we got to stop, whether that's McCoy or JPP or whatever, it would be good if there was some mystery as to where they were going to find that guy from snap to snap. Yeah. Uh, Stephen wants to know. Is there a front runner in the kicker battle this early? Yeah, the guy we signed as a free agent, Chandler Cotton Zarow.

And that's not too um, you know, say anything bad about the rookie and the Rockey kicker actually look pretty good at the driver more Y, Yeah, he's been looking really great too. But seriously, you sign and it's still no matter what happens. Is an awesome opportunity for Trevor Moore and every every kicker's NFL kirker's career has to start somewhere, and most of them take a while to get started. Most of them are on you have too guys. Most of them have to go to a few camps.

Maybe Trevor more will win the job here. I'm not going to discount that. But the obvious front runner is the guy you gave a pretty decent sized free agency contract, right, Yeah, that's it's always interesting how that does seem too effective instead of it just being about these two. I mean, how you acquire a player can factor into the decision

to a degree. And I'll say that, and I say that not because I think that his the contract that he's getting is the important part of the equation here, that the Bucks are going to choose him because they give him that much money. But simply you got that much money because you have already established yourself as a good NFL kicker, and therefore if you have any early struggles in training camp, knock on what hopefully it doesn't happen. Um, you're going to be given a little more leeway because

there's a track record. You know, if if Chandler misses a kick in his first preseason game, We're not you know, getting all worried thinking what we gotta go with the young guy. So I think that's the reason that's true. All right. Well, and with this one, Ryan wants to know what is the most important offseason edition we made?

M Can I have like a five way tie? I think in the I think in the long run it's gonna be de Bayo, really, but maybe right away i'd say the I'm gonna cheat a little and say the combo of the combo vans of of JPP and Vinny Curry. Okay, so the immediate improvement versus the long term effect on the franchise, that would be or two different. And you know, you took some people question vitave over some other positions, which as defensive tackle, especially after we signed Bone, may

not have seemed like the biggest need. But I think I think they value this guy as you know, as a guy that can become a game changing defensive tackle and the likes of Gerald McCoy or Aaron Donald and those aren't easy to get Gino Atkins, guys like that, and when those guys developed into that, like all the guys I just mentioned, they tend to be good every year for a lot of years in a row. And that's a good thing to have. And so even though you have Jeral McCoy, it can't hurt to have another

defensive tackle who's among the elite. And I think they drafted him because they think he will be that. And and that's probably of everybody we added three or four years ago, three or four years from now, we're going to think that was the most important one. Yeah, that's a great point. All right. Well, thanks so much for joining us here on Buccaneers Inside are Live, presented by

Miller Lte. Thanks for being here this week, and we hope you'll join us next week as well, and be thinking of those questions throughout the week to send us on Facebook. Have a great rest of your day.