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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Takeaways from Bucs OTAs: Day 4

Some notes and observations from the team’s fourth day of OTAs at AdventHealth Training Facility.

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-The receiver group had a good day. There were a couple of great catches by rookies and veterans alike. If you want to see a great catch in traffic by Mike Evans, head over to the Bucs' Instagram story. It is worth noting that you're going to see a lot of completed passes at this point of the offseason given that the defense can't tackle so quarterbacks have a little bit more time to let routes develop.

-Bobo Wilson is one of those receivers that's been standing out so far during OTAs. He seems to have taken a big step forward this offseason and he had a great catch today on a long post route. Wilson got behind the defenders and made the catch with one hand before hauling it in and taking it the rest of the way into the end zone.

-Following each practice, the coaching staff will review tape of both fields. When asked what stuck out the most after the first week of OTAs, Head Coach Bruce Arians said he was particularly impressed with some of the younger players.

"Some really young players really stepped up, especially [running back] Ronald Jones," Arians said. "He had a heck of a – well, he had a really good day today and really enjoy watching him where he is at right now in the backfield. In the backfield. [Wide receiver] Bobo [Wilson] has had a couple nice days. He's switched from field to field. [Wide receiver] Scotty [Miller] came in and had a real good day the other day when he stepped out there, so there were a bunch of guys. Defensively, there are a couple guys too on the field that could rush the passer. We saw it at minicamp with the rookies. They're still doing a great job and I don't want to praise them too much, but I'm anxious to see them put pads on and get after somebody else."

Of course, the no-pads caveat has to be noted. There is only so much you can tell without contact, but one extremely encouraging sign remains that classroom time is clearly paying off. Rookies and younger players are putting themselves in positions to make plays, meaning they're picking up what they're learning and can also apply it.

-Defensive tackle Vita Vea is another one who has caught the attention of his head coach. This will be Vea's second scheme in two years as a pro, but Arians said that he can already see the versatility in Vea's game.

"They're working their tails off," Arians said of the defensive line. "Each guy is showing his position flexibility, so if you can play two or three spots, that helps you make the team. I'm really pleased with where Vita [Vea] is. I think he's making extremely good progress as a three-technique and a nose. He's played some five, so they're all growing and [Defensive Line Coach] Kacy [Rodgers] is doing a great job teaching them."

Defensive tackle Beau Allen also weighed in, commenting on how each player is cross-training all over the line itself. They're getting familiarity with a variety of positions to ultimately get a more thorough understanding of how the line operates in the new defensive scheme.

-Every practice includes a field goal period where both Cairo Santos and Matt Gay kick from various distances. The rumors are true; when Gay kicks, there is a very distinct boom and today, was kicking toward the uprights closest to the actual building. I'm not sure the team will make that mistake again – Gay lost a ball on the roof because he kicked it so hard.

THE BEST THING I SAW:

I feel like I probably shouldn't be surprised anymore, but rookie safety Mike Edwards made a great read and jumped in front of an underneath route to nab himself an interception on the first field today. He was drafted for how smart of a player he is and he's showing that very early on during his first couple of weeks with the team.

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