On Monday, the Buccaneers reported to team headquarters for the start of offseason workouts. Over the course of the next 10 weeks, players and coaches will begin preparing for the upcoming season as a group, instead of working individually like they have been since the conclusion of the regular season.
WATCH: MONDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCES
For players returning from last season, they walked into team headquarters for practice with a new head coach in charge; Monday was the Bucs' first workout session with Dirk Koetter as their head coach. Koetter has been promoted this winter following a stellar season as the team's offensive coordinator.
Koetter has communicated with his players since taking the reins as the Bucs' head coach, but Monday was his first time speaking to his team as a group under the same roof.
"I did talk to the guys," Koetter said, "mainly just to say that it's a long road. It's a long road and everybody's excited on the first day, of course. I wanted to impart on them that the coaches are happy that they're back."
There are certain restrictions as to what players can and cannot do up until certain dates. Monday was just a conditioning workout, not an on-field practice. Koetter used the session as a briefing more than an arduous workout.
"I didn't want to bombard them with too much heavy stuff today," Koetter added. "Mostly just an outline of what the next 10 weeks are going to be like, what the offseason program is going to be like over the next 10 week (and) a few logistical things you've got to take care of. I'll be talking with them a lot more after these first weeks in phase one."
Koetter has a new position with the Buccaneers, but isn't a new coach. When he took the job to be the Bucs' head coach, he hired several new assistants. For many of those newly-hired coaches, Monday was an opportunity to meet and work with their players for the first time.
"We've got several new coaches, several new players and several new staff members, so just letting them getting eyes on who the new people are and basically just kicking it off," Koetter said. "In this five-month process I think you just have to make a little bit of progress every day and get a little bit better every day."
The Buccaneers will be holding offseason workouts until the end of May, when players will report for OTAs. Rookies will be at team facilities a few weeks earlier for rookie mini-camp. Mandatory mini-camp follows in the middle of June.
