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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QUOTE SHEET 4-17-23

QUARTERBACK KYLE TRASK

(On the experience of playing in the regular-season finale last season)

"Yeah, not really being able to get some real game reps [previously]. Obviously, the game didn't mean a whole lot for us at that point in the season in terms of playoff contention and things like that, but just for me to be out there getting some real game reps just kind of reminded so much of why I love playing football. Just being out there – it wasn't scout team any more, it wasn't practice reps. Being out there in live action, it was awesome and just great experience for me because prior to that it's only been preseason reps and scout team, and whatever I get in practice. To really see some live bullets and get a better feel for the speed of the game was, I think, huge for me."

(On the offense being installed by new coordinator Dave Canales)

"I'm very, very excited about this new offense. I'm loving every part of it so far, and if you look back to what they were able to do in Seattle last year, it's a very quarterback-friendly offense. They do a great job of tying the run and the pass game together, putting themselves in the best position possible. I think that's going to be very good for the people in this building. I noticed this morning, it's going to be a very young team, a lot of new faces, so it's going to be very important for us to have, not necessarily a simpler system, but a system that allows us to play fast and play confidently."

(On if his approach to the offseason changes now that he is competing for the starting job)

"This is a good opportunity for me, and a great opportunity for me to compete with someone like Baker [Mayfield], who's definitely proven himself in this league. So, it will be very fun to get to know him and compete with him every day. For me, I always try to be as consistent as I can. I'm always trying to build my routine, square it away as tight as I can. So, it's just very important for me to really lock that in at a time like now and try to make myself as productive as possible to help this team in the end and hopefully help the overall success of this team."

(On what he's been told about the quarterback competition)

"I've just been told it's an open competition, but at the end of the day I know that the team's going to do what they have to do to put whoever on the field that's going to allow our team to be the most successful. For me, I feel this time I just really need to hone in and be as consistent as I can. At the end of the day, I'm just trying to do whatever I can to make this team succeed. Fortunately enough, I've had two years of prior experience with a very veteran quarterback room, and there's a lot to take away from that. I'm going to try to implement some of those styles and routines that they had into my routine, and hopefully that will make us more successful at the end of the day."

(On his ability to avoid committing turnovers and Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales stressing ball security)

"I think to be a successful NFL quarterback, number one has to be about protecting the football, no matter what team you're on. Look at every successful team; I'm sure they don't have a very high turnover ratio. That's obviously been a big emphasis for me personally because one of the number-one rules of football is just protecting it. I'm glad that he's making that such a big emphasis for us, because it is one of the most important things you can do. Looking back to my college numbers and things like that, I try to do the best job I can of just taking what the defense gives me. I feel like I'm just going to continue to try to do that, and implement that whenever I get my opportunities here."

(On how he can win the quarterback competition)

"Kind of just piggybacking off of what I said earlier: being as consistent as I can. I guarantee you the job won't be won if I'm thinking about outside things and different types of narratives. That's not going to translate to success on the football field. I need to narrow my focus and do my best to put the team in the most successful position possible. And at the end of the day, just have fun and lift the ones around you, because I think when you do that it ties the whole thing together and everybody plays better."

RUNNING BACK RACHAAD WHITE

(On new offensive coordinator Dave Canales)

"I'm very excited. Coach Canales has great energy, so that's a big thing – when you sense and feel great energy around you, it makes you excited. That's a big thing. I've been having conversations with him today and [we've been] going over a lot of things – it's going to be great to kind of see what our offense is made of and what we can accomplish when we're all on the same page. Like you said, being able to run the ball and understanding that football is a physical game. A lot of things that we're going to do sets up other things that we want to do. He spoke on it today – we just want to do everything well and be very balanced."

(On General Manager Jason Licht calling him a "stud")

"For me, I'm blessed that Mr. Licht feels that way about me, honestly. I expect myself to be a stud – that's just kind of who I am. I put that kind of pressure and expectation on myself, especially with the journey I had to take. That feels good, like I said, that Mr. Licht and everybody upstairs believes in me. It's just up to me – I've got a great opportunity ahead of me, as well as the team, so it's up to me to do what I do."

(On being able to showcase his abilities as the lead running back)

"For me, it's a blessing to be able to have an opportunity. For me, I think that's how I go about things – to be 'RB 1.' I wouldn't say I'm 'RB 1' yet – we've got a lot of great guys in the room. We're all going to compete. I like the energy, the good vibes in the room right now [with] Chase [Edmonds] – meeting him earlier – plus 'Sneak' (Ke'Shawn Vaughn) and Pat [Laird]. It's a good room. I'm pretty proud of that. But being able to compete and things like that – that's all you can ask for: an opportunity in life."

(On what he learned last year and his goals for this season)

"I just kind of learned how you kind of go about this lifestyle and how to carry yourself in a [good] manner. I was very grateful, blessed, fortunate that I have three older brothers an older sister, a younger sister, my mom and my family – I was raised well and raised to always be humble and appreciate the small things, the little things in life. Taking that and then seeing guys – seeing how Mike [Evans] works, how Chris [Godwin] works, how Tom [Brady] worked – seeing how guys worked and how great of human beings they [were]. That was the biggest thing for me – I always pride myself on being who I was before I was here and just keep being a great human being. At the end of the day, I just learned that and [learned] how can I make guys around me, like my teammates, better and have an impact on my teammates more than anything. If my teammates say, 'Yeah, Rachaad is a great teammate,' that's what I want most over anything."

(On ball security)

"We're talking about it right now. Coach [Bowles] put great slides up of me actually cupping my wrist in times like that and I'd say yeah, that's on me. It's kind of like being young and understanding the game. I embrace it, though – it's part of the game. A lot of people ask me how can I have more poise or just keep moving on to the next play and catch a ball or something like that – but, it's part of the game. Coach Bowles put a lot of emphasis on it and Coach Peete puts a lot of emphasis on it. It's huge – you don't want to give the other team the ball. It's really about technique and understanding the game of football – when not to do too much and when to do too much. As the year went on, I got better at that."

TACKLE TRISTAN WIRFS

(On having a new starting right guard next season and who he thinks it might be)

"[Offensive lineman Robert] Hainsey, [guard] Luke [Goedeke], [guard Aaron] Stinnie, [guard] Nick [Leverett] all those guys, they're all great players. I have 100 percent trust in them, I love them to death. All of us showed up on the first day of OTA's so that was really good to see, even [center Ryan] Jensen was here. But it's good, I love those guys, I have 100 percent confidence in them so however it shakes out it shakes out. We've got a long way to go but it'll be fun to see that whole thing shake out or whatever it comes down to."

(On being one of the oldest guys in his room and becoming a leader for the offensive line)

"Absolutely. I don't want to say, 'Take over the room,' that's not the right phrasing but I want to be somebody that the guys can turn to or is going to be the voice of the offensive line. [Somebody] that's going to stand up for us when need be and kind of take the brunt of things if things aren't going so hot. I think I'm more than ready to do that. It kind of started last year and has been snowballing into where we are now. Yeah, I'm all for it. "

(On what the offense looks like now with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask)

"I think it's going to open up a lot of options for us. Both [of] those guys can run around with it a little bit. As much as I love [quarterback] Tom [Brady], you guys know how I feel about Tom, but he can't run. So, it will open up some new stuff for us and it'll be really exciting."

(On if the team has a 'chip' on their shoulder)

"If you want to say we have a chip or if people want to think [we] have a chip on our shoulder then that's fine, [but] that's not how I think of it. Yeah, we won the [NFC] South but there wasn't much to it really. So, I think what we're going to do this year is we're going to establish a good culture and kind of let that breed itself. We want it to kind of affect the whole team and everyone will be on the same page and us to be a unit. We have got a new thing up on the board it says, 'Attitude breeds responsibility.' I think that kind of speaks for itself. Responsibility is not just going to come, you guys have heard me say it so many times, there are two things you can control, attitude and effort. I've been saying it for three years, so I think if everyone kind of buys into that it's going to be really good. "

-BUCCANEERS-

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