Below is a selection of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quotes from today's earlier media availability. Full video of press conferences can be found on Buccaneers.com.

Head Coach Bruce Arians

Quarterback Jameis Winston

Head Coach Bruce Arians

(On if there are certain 'boxes' Arians wants to 'check' at every practice)

"Oh yeah, we put our guys in specific situations every day just, so we become a smarter football team, because you never know when they're going to happen in the beginning. Today, 22 seconds, no timeouts. Back at the eight with two timeouts. Every day it's a different, 'must-win' the game scenario, offensively and defensively, so that we become a smarter team."

(On what Arians sees out of TE O.J. Howard)

"A lot of potential. He's an interesting guy, because he can hold the point of attack and he's obviously a mismatch versus safeties and linebackers. So, you're trying to use him in a lot of different ways. Matching up those three tight ends we have should be a lot of fun this fall."

(On Arians' confidence level in the offensive line)

"It should be really good. We've had one or two guys miss quite a bit. So, about five guys haven't been out on the field together, which I'd like to see some chemistry that way, but we have plenty of time when we put the pads on to get that done. You can see they're seeing every blitz known to man that they've seen this spring and you see them starting to see it pop where their coming from and it's not easy to pick up. I've been down this road with Todd once before and it's tough on the offense the first time around."

(On how much it will help QB Jameis Winston grow having a coordinator who was previously a quarterback)

"It'll help some. I think I've had a lot of them come off to talk to me and I didn't play in the NFL – I coached it. I think it's a respect [factor] 'What did you see? What's on this picture?' – now video – so that we can communicate on an honest level and so far, so good. 

(On how much DL Ndamukong Suh is going to help get the defensive line in shape)

"Well, a lot more in pads. Right now, he's a smart player. He's going to get to training camp healthy. So, yeah, it's going to be one-on-one. It's going to be a battle and all those things that he adds and brings will definitely. You want to go best against best, which we'll do a ton in training camp, so we'll all get better."

(On how confident Arians is with the secondary)

"With the number of balls they're touching, the communication – I'm hearing a lot of communication and like I said, we've got a five corners, three or four safeties and now I think we have three rookies, that's a unique situation. I don't give a [care] if they're rookies, these guys can play. They're getting their hands on a lot of balls. They're doing things that veterans do, because they listen and their smart. The veterans are helping them out and they've got very good coaching.

(On the rookies playing with their feet) 

"Yeah, I mean we're a man-to-man team, but we mix in zone coverage. So, we have both principals defensively. But yeah, it's a battle right now and not enough receivers are winning one on one."  

(On what Arians has liked from WR Scotty Miller so far)

"His competitiveness. He's jumped out there and he's made a play in every practice, whether it's in the red zone [or] all the way down the field. We had a miscommunication today – had him deep. So yeah, he's bringing speed, but he's bringing a lot of compassion to this game."

(On how Arians expects to improve the pass rush)

"Well, you can create it a bunch of different ways. It's not a front four. I know Tampa traditionally had a front four for years. We don't have a front four, per se. We've got a bunch of guys coming after the quarterback. Now, it could be four, could be three, could be eight and it's that unknown, that's how you create a pass rush." 

(On the competition between the two fields at practice)

"Yeah, there's no doubt if you're on field two you want to put great stuff on tape to get over there, which has happened to a couple guys through injuries. It's also a great conditioner. It's great football conditioning. You can go out and run wind sprints all year, but as soon as you get to camp you're going to pull a groin, because you're not changing your actions. So, it gets us in great football shape."

(On if WR Justin Watson is one of those players that has gone from field two to field one, because of injuries)

"No, Justin's been on field one the whole time. Yeah, he's been there the whole time."

(On what Arians likes about Watson)

"Very, very position-flexible. He's got a great feel for especially zone defense and he's won a bunch against man-to-man. So, he's shown me he can play." 

(On carrying two practices during the regular season)

"During the regular season, no way, but training camp, yes. We'll have different days where we'll have two seven-on-sevens or two blitzes, just to get off the field faster and not be out in the heat so long."

(On where the two-practice system came from)

"With Coach [Bear] Bryant we had four of them going on. We had 250 players back in the 70s and 80s."

(On how much Arians attributes the players getting their hands on balls to their performance)

"It's mostly them and quarterbacks learning new systems tend to look too long where they want to throw the ball and guys are breaking and making plays. Some are poor receiver [plays]. Quarterback trusts his receiver and he doesn't win. He's the one-on-one, he's got to win. So, a couple of them are that way, but yeah the DBs are playing really well."

(On the players stepping up early and getting their hands on balls)

"Maximizing their opportunity."

(On K Matt Gay)

"He's got a lot of range when he doesn't try to kick it too hard and he's pretty consistent. So, it's a very good competition going on."

(On how much it helps the younger players when higher up players are missing practice due to injuries)

"Yeah, Breshad [Perriman] was sharp enough. We put him on a different color jersey, so he really only missed two days. Mike [Evans] missed about five now. Jameis [Winston] misses it more than they do. It does give another player another opportunity, but we need to see those guys with Jameis. So, he's learning and some guys he's never played with, so I stare at him a little bit too long, because I don't know where this guy is even going with it. Some of that goes on too."

(On CB Sean Murphy-Bunting and the other rookies)

"Very, very mature. Very, very bright guy. All those guys we drafted are very bright, very mature and have picked it up extremely fast, which is unusual for rookies. But, these guys are all very, very mature players."

(On injured players Arians doesn't expect to be ready for the start of training camp)

"Everybody else is on schedule. We got our fingers crossed on really nobody other than JPP [Jason Pierre-Paul]."

Quarterback Jameis Winston

(On how things are going so far for Winston)

"I feel great man. Just excited to be here. The competition is tremendous. So, we can only go up."

(On if Winston feels the defense is pushing him more now than in previous years)

"Yeah. It's challenging, because they don't have pads on, so they have the upper hand right now, because our big guys can't put their hands on them. But, for the most part everyone's executing, everyone's doing well. It's just exciting. It's exciting to compete."

(On what Winston is focused on)

"I'm focused on competing against myself. Our defense, they're going to do their job. I have to do my job. So, I'm competing against myself and how I can get better at the end of the day."

(On having a coach that's actually played quarterback in the NFL to talk to)

"I think it's very important building that relationship with Byron [Leftwich]. Seeing things how I see it. Understanding from being in that pocket and not all from a strategic standpoint. It's excellent."

(On which receivers have stood out)

"Everybody. Everybody is showing up to work every single day. Like Jenna was saying, our defensive backs, especially our young defensive backs, they've been challenging them well. So, it's good that everybody's stepped up to the challenge and some guys that are fighting through injuries themselves are still playing."

(On Winston being excited for the offense and working on getting better)

"I'm excited every single year for offense. Definitely going to be excited for Byron and coach BA (Bruce Arians) to call plays, but again man, I'm focused on getting better myself. Trying to beat me out every single day so I can be the best I can be, so I can be able to lead this team and help them out."

(On how Winston was different today from previous practices)

"I'm getting better every single day."

(On how much the terminology has changed from last year to this year)

"A lot. Conceptually things are similar, just different terminology. That's always the biggest change, dealing with new coaches."

(On there being more option routes in this offense)

"Yeah people have – they can do certain things against different coverages to create favor in our scheme."

(On Winston's impressions of WR Scotty Miller) 

"Scotty's been phenomenal. Very, very quick and fast. When you lose a guy like Adam Humphries, it's hard to fill that role, but Scotty's doing everything he can to fill that spot."

(On what Winston has seen from the young defensive backs)

"They're competing and that's all you can really expect. It's shocking that you're not – they're playing with their feet. You're not getting too many holding calls, you're not getting too many pass interference [calls] and for young guys that are practicing like this for the first time, it's unique. So, I'm happy to see it. If you look at them right now, our young guys are out there on the field doing extra reps, not our veterans. When you look at our defensive back room, we don't have any veterans. After loosing Brent Grimes, everyone is under 24 years old. So, all those guys are feeding off each other and they're executing pretty well."

(On guys not being able to practice with WR Mike Evans yet)

"Well, when you don't have Mike Evans out there it's challenging. Mike is the jack of all trades. So, those guys haven't had a chance to face him much. So, we got to put some more fear in their hearts."

(On what Winston wants to accomplish at every practice)

"Just footwork, taking care of the football and completions. Footwork, taking care of the football and completions, all day."

(On how it's been building chemistry with WR Breshad Perriman)

"Oh, it's been excellent man. He's been doing a phenomenal job taking the top off the defenses and making some clutch catches, contested catches as well. All of our guys are doing really, really well. We just have to put the pieces together and execute."

(On if Winston can feel a presence of DL Ndamukong Suh at practice)

"I mean you just feel his presence in the locker room. Just a great guy, NFL vet and has been dominating in this league for a long time. So, we're definitely very happy to have him."

-BUCCANEERS-