TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QUOTE SHEET 8-1-23

HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On what he liked about today's practice)

"The energy was good. The energy was good on both sides of the ball – intelligence was not. The penalties were not. We've got to be better at that."

(On the scuffle towards the end of practice)

"Yeah, we addressed quite a few plays. It wasn't just that play. There were quite a few plays that happened. We've got to take better care of each other. When we're live, we're live – but when we're not, we're not."

(On his thought process behind scheduling three practices followed by an off day)

"Usually on about the fourth day, you start to pull something here and there. They've got to have a day off each week, anyway. I sit down in the offseason with everybody – trainers, strength coaches and nutritionists – we thought that was the best way to get some rest and maximize their effort out on the playing field."

(On how the quarterbacks played tonight)

"I've got to see the tape. I know they made some throws. I've got to see the tape and look at them fully. I was looking at quite a few other people, offense and D-line, really."

(On QB Kyle Trask not having a turnover in three straight practices)

"It's a great thing – their number one responsibility is don't turn the ball over. He's been doing a good job of not turning it over."

(On what QB John Wolford has brought to the quarterback room)

"I'll check the tape. Some of the things you guys see are touchdowns or sacks and so-forth. We've got to check the tape from that standpoint. He's very smart. He helps the quarterbacks in the room. He's very accurate when he's down there, he knows what he's doing, he knows where to go with the football. I'm glad we have him."

(On OLB Yaya Diaby)

"He's a powerful guy. He takes off the ball. We just understand he's got to learn some technique, he's got to understand what he's doing at that spot. We can move him around some but he's still getting his feet wet. We like what we see."

(On if any offensive linemen stood out now that the pads are on)

"No, not really. The continuity was there – we're looking for that. We'll get some stuff done on inside runs because you can't do one-on-one. We've just got to keep working and get used to the pads and playing technique. I thought they did well as a unit."

(On if he's going to Canton, Ohio this weekend for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction)

"No, I talked to Rondé [Barber], I'm not going to be able to make it. I'll be at practice here but I wish him my best and I'll be sitting there, rooting for him."

(On how much he mentions Rondé Barber to young defensive backs)

"I mention it to them, but today's player probably only goes back as far as 2019, 2018. So, it's kind of among deaf ears. They find it hard to believe that I played – I'm like Knute Rockne to them. You bring it up and they've got to Google everything, so they'll Google it and see but it doesn't relate much."

(On if he thinks players don't know that he played)

"They know from Google or they know from hearing about it. I think half of them don't know I played, honestly. And that's probably a good thing – that was a long time ago."

(On if there is any concern with CB Carlton Davis III being held out of practice)

"No, he bruised his shoulder, so we are just taking care of it. We are just taking it one day at a time."

(On if he is pleased with where the team is at this point in training camp)

"We are in the dog days of camp. You don't have preseason games this week. You are pleased and unpleased, tempers flare, it is about that time of camp where things get antsy. Now you have to concentrate and focus on fundamentals, technique, and be playing smart. I am looking for that to increase. We have had the out of pad days, we have had the acclimation of pads, and we have had the energetic practices. Now we have to sit down and focus on the X's and O's and understand the execution of it all."

(On what he has seen from S Kaevon Merriweather thus far in camp)

"He is very smart. He showed up in mini-camp, intelligence wise. We know he can hit, we saw his tape. We saw some things out here tonight, he showed up a time or two. I think he is a very good athlete. He looks like a linebacker but he plays safety. We will have to look for him to keep getting better and better."

(On if he is going to be cautious with DL Calijah Kancey's injury or if he could play against Minnesota)

"It all depends on if and when he gets healthy. If he gets healthy in enough time, then obviously he will play. If he is iffy right up until the game, then he may not play. I do not know exactly when he is going to come around and get healthy, but we will monitor it and we will play it by ear."

(On who will start the third preseason game at quarterback)

"We will see. We will see how the other two go. We don't have a preset plan for the third game yet. We will see how the rest of it goes and how practice goes, and we will go from there."

(On why they had OL Michael Niese getting reps at center)

"We were trying to see who could do some swing play. During the course of this game people are going to get hurt. We are getting guys at different positions, trying them out to see if there is any value there."

(On if it is music to his ears that WR Mike Evans is running routes he has never run before)

"It is a different offense. He is happy to be in it. He is happy to learn. He is full of energy right now. He is playing like a rookie and I love that about it because he is into it. He has done a good job. Brad Idzik is doing a good job getting those guys ready. I like the excitement he is bringing. It is a great fresh challenge."

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DAVE CANALES

(On his assessment of the position battle between quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask)

"It has been good. The first couple of days, the experience that Baker [Mayfield] brings just playing in games, being in camps, going through installs, you can see where the offense was gelling really well. The timing of the snap is really critical for us, so probably a little bit of an edge for Baker to start off in terms of the smoothness of the offense. But it just took a couple of days for Kyle [Trask] to really settle in and then what we saw in the last two practices, Kyle really showed what he can do, stretching the field with his arm, getting the ball out quickly, and making decisions. I am really excited about both of those guys and the progression that they have made throughout the last couple of days."

(On if he has seen a more efficient Trask and if there are any other changes he has noticed)

"Yeah, he is mastering the concepts, so the more that he can, in a pre-snap way, gather information and really start to progress. You know in any pass concept that you have, you could have as many as three or four progressions, but you do not have time to check all three. It is kind of like a true sprinkler type of read. When guys start to play comfortable and play fast, is when they eliminate one and two, then they are getting to three and four in the same rhythm they would. That is what I am seeing from him that I am excited about. Then the other thing too is just – what is happening with Kyle is, as I call a play, he is finishing the play – the sentence before I can finish it. That just speaks to him studying the offense, studying the formations, and being really comfortable with what we are calling."

(On what it is about this offensive system that allows his players to play fast and free)

"First, I will just give Brad Idzik some love. He does a fantastic job. Him, Jeff Kastl, and David Raih are all in the receiver room, so you have three coaches that are in there really making sure that nobody gets left behind, whether it is an extra 10 or 15 minutes with this guy or with that guy. Then the intentionality of the install, so what we try to do is, not overwhelm them with volume. In the past a guy might be responsible for the entire playbook. We are going in to our seventh practice right now. If you break it up into smaller clusters, it can really help you focus on say two or three days at a time. That can really help the young guys. This goes back to Pete [Carroll], way back to USC, and his promise to a lot of the freshman coming in saying, 'You are going to play. We do not expect you to know all of the plays, but what you do well, we will let you showcase that.' That also followed us to Seattle. We were able to get some guys to play early and be effective by not overwhelming them with too much."

(On if the quarterback competition is even tighter since day one)

"Oh, absolutely. I think that. Going back to the spring, we were in this room talking about it, and the pros and cons of just naming a starter for the comfortability versus playing this thing out. I think what we are seeing is a couple of guys who both have to put themselves into that starter mind frame going into the practices, knowing, 'Hey, today is my day. I get to roll with the ones. I get a few more reps.' It is pretty much even, even with the way we go ones and twos, the way we do it. I just see the two guys really challenging each other. Then the cool part is in our room, which a lot of people don't get to see and hear, is just rule number one, we are here to help the Bucs win. Whatever that is, we do that. The second rule is, we help each other. Coach [Tom] Moore, myself, Thaddeus Lewis, Jordan Somerville, the assistant quarterbacks coach - now you have four coaches with three players. We are all in there talking. If there is something that benefits the team on a play, somebody sees it and says it. You see the guys helping each other and it is really just elevating the room and the competition factor. Don't leave John Wolford out of the deal too. He wants to make plays and he has his own style of doing it. He brings a lot to the table too, so it is a really good competitive cauldron that we are creating in there."

(On why he chose to pick his five offensive line starters and let them build continuity)

"High hopes that group just stays and plays, but we all know the NFL. We know that different combinations get thrown in there, but I think what happens is the communication thing. When guys get used to talking to certain players, then that communication becomes really fluid. They are used to guys playing next to them, the combinations, and the blocks. It is not just the verbal communication, but that physical communication where two people are working on one guy, comboing up to the second level, they start to get used to how he hits this guy onto me, or how this guy slows him down for this other combo to overtake it. Even if it doesn't end up being that combination, at least the work of it, the physical work of it, allows us to get good clips on film for us to study and to show the team like, 'Hey, this is a really good rep, etc.'."

(On how much technology is involved in tracking the quarterback competition)

"Yeah. We have the most experienced person in the building, Tom Moore. He is tracking the ball out every single play, every single pass. Whether it is seven-on-seven or team settings, he is sitting there and he is timing it. I am very critical on the quarterbacks in terms of getting the ball out, because we want to encourage our offensive line to be aggressive with their sets to where they don't have to sit back and wait for the defense to see what they are going to do, go get your hands on them, we are going to get the ball out. We commit to them to get the ball out in less than three seconds. 2.7 is our magic number and if we get it out in less than three – if it passed three, quarterbacks, you better be scrambling. So if you ever hear me yelling at practice it is usually because we are beyond that three second point and guys you realistically do not have time to just sit here and pick the open guy. We have to move. We have to train our players to scramble. We have to train the defense to cover down when we break the pocket, so it all works together that way."

(On why they force tempo during practice)

"It is just a big part of what we do, just making sure that every day has a little emphasis of the tempo. You know, it is hot. It is hot out there, so if I feel that we are really starting to break the huddle slowly, then I will throw a tempo play in. Then everybody is right back up. We try to do it in a respectful manner with the defense, because it is not realistic as they rotate and sub people as well. We try to let them get their call, get their eyes around, then let's go. Then that kind of trains the whole group to play faster, evaluate, diagnose, and then go from there."

(On if RB Rachaad White is everything that he was hoping for thus far)

"Yeah. I am just waiting to see some live bullet play from him, but I mean he is just so natural. Everything he does, the run game, the pass game, pass protection, and routes. He is really a natural with both hands catching the ball. I think he is going to be fantastic. My part, and our part as a staff, is just making sure that we are able to take advantage of all that skill set that he brings."

(On if running a zone scheme complements RB Rachaad White's playstyle more than a power scheme would)

"I wouldn't say that that is part of him being such a natural. There really is not a run type that he has not shown to just kind of feel. He feels it really well. He does not restrict us in what we do in that regard."

(On his assessment of the rest of the running back room)

"It is an exciting group. The cool part about 'Sneak' (Ke'Shawn Vaughn) is that he has enough experience right now where any run type you give him, he really knows what it is designed to do. He has patience on the ones where he needs to be patient. He hits it fast one the ones where he needs to. He is exciting. Chase Edmonds was a glorified slot receiver in Arizona. I coached against him and really just watched him play for a bunch of years while he was there. He is lightning in a bottle. He is shot out of a cannon. He can do as much as a lot of our slot receivers can too, so he is a really dangerous asset for us. You talked about Sean [Tucker]. What I am noticing about him is that he has another gear. He is probably the fastest guy we have in the room. He really has some suddenness to him. Patrick Laird does everything right. He is the guy who is tapping me on the shoulder like, 'Hey, in the Spring we had this route on this concept, is that what you want? The drawing was this.' Like, 'Yes, that is right.' So, he is on top of all that. Then Ronnie Brown [Jr.], I think what you are going to see is that we are going to play him a lot in the preseason. We are going to play all of our guys and he has a real skill set too in the run game and the pass game. He had a lot of carries at Shepard. He had a phenomenal tape if you ever get a chance to watch his highlight film on YouTube or something. If you have a second, it is pretty fun. He has personality too. He brings a lot of good juice to the room.

(On what he has learned from Todd Bowles defense and how has he applied that to what he is trying to build)

"Well, I don't want to speak too much about the defense, you guys just had Kacy Rodgers in here, but really for the most part, just the effort and the way they play together. They talk, that is one of the big things, that they communicate. They're always talking and Antione [Winfield Jr.], he is the quarterback on the field. He is yelling out the plays. He is starting to pick up where we are at, why we are doing it, here comes a jetsweep, you know? He is like, 'There are only a couple things that they have been doing out of this formation.' He is all over it. We have had some good conversations there and then just the corners and the nickels too, just trying to evaluate how we are going to attack them in the run game or the pass game. It is just a good group of dudes. I had a good chance to get a little crossover time in practice, in the cafeteria, and just try to build a team right now."

(On what WR David Moore has shown so far in camp)

"His contact balance - so what I am saying is, anytime someone is leaning on him, ball is in the air, he really does not get affected because he is so strong. Then the thing we have not really been able to showcase that he can do is, he is special with the ball. So, a lot of perimeter screens, jetsweep type of things on the perimeter, he can really make yards, in different ways as well. He was a solid guy for us in Seattle, he just got banged around a bit with some injuries and some different situations in some places. He came in here with a brand-new start, a fresh attitude and he kind of had a little bit of an edge because he knew some of our terms going into camp. I love him, he is just a great guy. He is great for the room. He is fun to be around, and I am glad he is here."

(On what some of the factors were in the move of Luke Goedeke from guard to tackle)

"Just necessity, right? So, he played tackle before so there is a level of comfort for him, but he is such a great athlete out there. I really feel great about our tackle situation with Tristan [Wirfs] and with him right now. It really gives you the ability and the feeling that you can run any run, any direction. In the pass protection stuff, they are both kind of playing new positions-ish, and so they are still just getting comfortable in their sets and doing all that. We are not going to sit back there and drop back 50 times a game and really force them to do that. We are going to play to our strengths and both of them really get after it in the run game."

(On what makes LB SirVocea Dennis so difficult to go up against)

"His eyes. He knows where he is supposed to be, first and foremost. He is in great position, but then he has a real suddenness to the ball. He tracks the quarterback's eyes and he is making – just quarterback 101, start with your eyes down the middle to hold the 'MIKE' linebacker. If we start staring routes down, he undercuts the things and he has great hands. That is the thing, it is not just his eyes and intelligence, but you have to be able to catch the ball too. He has a lot of that. He is a pretty good player."

(On TE David Wells' performance thus far in camp and what he likes about him)

"Just versatility. That is like the number one word you look for in tight ends, is versatility. For him to be able to play in the box, and then just in those passing situations. A lot of you have seen at practices, he is making plays down the field, he is making plays short, he separates, and he is just consistently doing the right thing. He is going to give himself a really good chance to help us."

(On who has caught his eye at the wide receiver position)

"Trey Palmer for sure. We talked about David Moore. He has been doing fantastic. Rakim Jarrett, he is doing great. He has a real skill set, you know? He has some power too and some things that he can do with the ball, as well, which I am excited to see. Shoot, I will go down the whole list as well, I love these guys. Deven Thompkins is just - he is so fast. We finally got to one-on-ones and we just had a fun time as a group watching a few of those reps. Seeing him fly around the field is amazing. Kaylon Geiger [Sr.] can really just drop down and stop on a dime. He showed some ability there. Kade [Warner] has a great feel for just getting open. Ryan Miller has done a fantastic job just doing what he is supposed to do. He makes big plays. He played tight end in college too, so he has a lot of that same thing I was saying about David Moore, with that contact balance and play strength that we are excited about. Then Taye Barber, he is still catching up a little bit with the system, but he will have flashes where when you see his ability. He is a really natural slot player, a really natural receiver who we are excited about as well."

RUN GAME COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE LINE COACH KACY RODGERS

(On how DL Calijah Kancey is doing thus far in camp)

"Actually he was doing a really good job from OTAs and into camp. The thing about him is that he is very sharp. He asks a lot of questions and everything. He was doing everything we thought he could do before he was drafted. We hope to get him back as soon as we can."

(On LB SirVocea Dennis' performance thus far in camp)

"He has a great characteristic; the ball likes to find him. That is always a good thing in the league. He has been making a lot of plays for us. It makes for a lot of healthy competition all across the board."

(On if there are going to be opportunities for LB SirVocea Dennis to get on the field)

"We do have two pretty good players there [ahead of him], but the thing about us with the way that we play defense is, if you make plays, we will find a way to get you on the field. That has always been on mantra here."

(On what he has seen from DL Logan Hall thus far in camp)

"What really helped Logan [Hall] was when we started OTAs and you look at all the film, the plays, the things he could improve on, and the mistakes that were made. It will be a big year for him growth wise. He was here all offseason. We are expecting him to take a big step forward."

(On Hall's weight gain and if it is something that can help him)

"It really is, and it also helps his confidence. Coming out of college and playing against the guys in this league, it is a grown man's game. That adjustment and the learning curve did him wonders."

(On what he thinks the role of Hall could be in)

"Well, the same thing is – one, we expect Logan [Hall] to make plays. We have guys to take on blocks and this and that, but Logan has a characteristic that we like coming on. He can make plays rushing the quarterback. He is tall, he is athletic, and those are the type of guys that you want on the field. We expect him to be more in the playmaking mode."

(On he has seen out of OLB Yaya Diaby)

"Woo. This guy, I think this guy has another chance – when you look at the defense as a whole, we have a lot of competition across the board. Yaya [Diaby] is right in the middle of that at the outside linebacker position. All those guys have unique traits. Yaya is really strong and powerful. Shaq [Barrett] has elite pass rushing skills. Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] is super-fast and athletic. 'Nelly' (Anthony Nelson) has the jack of all trades. Then you have Cam Gill and other guys, it is a very competitive group right now."

(On what he has seen from OLB Jose Ramirez)

"That is the thing about Jose [Ramirez], he is something else. He has athleticism. That is what I am saying when we look back and go through practice, in our attempts to get all these guys reps. Then watch what shows up in one-on-one pass rush – it is just those guys – there are going to be some tough decisions made in that room."

(On if DT Deadrin Senat can back up Vita Vea)

"Senat last year was kind of a surprise for me. I thought that our scouting department did an outstanding job on identifying him. He came into kind of a tight group and found a niche role for himself. He did a good job for us. 'Nacho' (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) did a good job for us but Senat is kind of right along that same kind of role."

(On what he has seen from new addition DL Greg Gaines)

"I was just sitting there looking at it, when you kind of plug in the pieces and Greg [Gaines] is a [surprisingly] better pass rusher than a lot of people realize when you just look at his sack numbers throughout his career and everything. Just watching him the first couple days in practice, he is a really good pro, just in the short time I have been around him. He made a lot of mental mistakes. Our system is not an easy system to come in and learn, but he has picked it up and everything. I did not realize him and Vita [Vea] were roommates and everything, so their communication has been really good. I am very pleased with where he is right now."

(On LB Devin White and the team's focus on restoring the run stopping ability of this defense)

"The thing is everybody had a hand in it. It was not like we just had to fix the support. It all starts up front. We have to make sure we are where we need to be. We have to make sure we are not misfitting. We try to outnumber you in the box, so it was not schematics that were necessarily the problem, but if it is we will adjust it. If it were a safety – safeties you have to get them on the ground to give us another – we all had a hand in it. We all have a hand in getting it fixed."

(On DL C.J. Brewer's transition from the XFL to the NFL)

"The good thing with C.J. [Brewer] coming from the system, the team he was with is, he had a lot of the same carryover coming from Wade Phillips system in the XFL to us. We all were with Wade Phillips in Dallas. There is a lot of similar terminology, so his transition has been pretty smooth, because he was able to pick up everything pretty fast."

(On what it means to have LB Shaquil Barrett at full health and if it is exciting)

"No doubt, because going into vacation, no one knew but he has busted his butt. Right now, not only was he just a participant but he was a full participant. That was just amazing and how eager he was to get back out there within the first couple days of practice. He wants more reps than we are giving him, so that is a good thing."

(On if there is any hesitation with Shaquil Barrett or if he is a full go)

"Not at all. We are calling everything when he is in. We are not taking anything. Everything, we call it. He is executing, running it, everything, so no holding back."

(On what things have shown up that were worked on in the offseason with LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka)

"We talked about it. It is not just with Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka], I think everything ties together. As a matter of fact, we had one of our first pass rush meetings today. Everything with our game has to be tighter. Executing our game has to be tighter. Winning our one-on-one's or creating the matchups we want, just stuff like that. Joe is a tremendous kid and a great athlete, so now he just has to put it all together. The thing is we know he can do it."

(On what separates some of these young pass rushers like Joe Tryon-Shoyinka)

"The margin of error is just so close. The thing is if he is just a little quicker here or quicker there, some of those quarterback hits turn into sacks or this and that. They come in bunches, sometimes you can have a great rush and not get the result, so it has got to work for him. If he keeps working, good things will happen for him."

(On what he likes so far from what he has seen at the nickel position)

"You know what, that is another competitive position. We have some young guys vying for that position. They are all showing up at different times. That is the thing going into camp, you have to say, 'Well, who is our guy?' I think that pretty soon, after one or two preseason games, it will be crystal clear."

(On who he is most looking forward to seeing in game action)

"Really, it is all of our rookies. For our older guys I kind of know what I am expecting. It is just with our young guys, because we have some young guys who we are going to count on and we expect them to do a good job. With just what we have been seeing in practice, with what you call our two's and backup players, they are a lot younger and more athletic than we have been in the past. We have some guys who we are going to have to get onto the field."

(On what he has seen from S Ryan Neal)

"The thing about having him here, just seeing the stuff that you guys are not seeing, he is a really true pro. He is coming up all the time and getting extra film study or extra this and that. We said earlier, our defense is somewhat complicated. It has a lot of moving parts to it and he has come in and picked it up. The communication between him and 'Winn' (Antoine Winfield Jr.) and the other stuff we are trying to do on the back end that we think will help us going forward, he has picked it up. He is definitely a team player. So far, he has seemed like a really good fit."

(On what DL Vita Vea's play at the B-gap last season does for him in terms of confidence in his pass rush and what does the team expect from him this season)

"The thing about him, and we talked about it earlier, we have to keep him going forward. It is not going to be good enough with him just to play OK. He is going to have to play at a high, high level. The thing is with our system and the way we do things, we create some matchups for him and this and that, they key for him is going to be, take advantage of favorable matchups. When he does not do that, he is just so-so. That is where he has to take the next step."

(On what DL Calijah Kancey will have to get up to speed on if he misses the preseason)

"The thing is just to stay up on the installs and everything. He is a talented kid as long as he knows what he is doing. He can play fast. Younger players when they do not know exactly what to do, they tend to play slow. As long as he knows exactly what he is doing, his athleticism and the things he does well will show up. He will be alright. He will be in every meeting. He will be OK."

SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR KEITH ARMSTRONG

(On how the kicking competition is coming along)

"Right now, I really like both guys. I like their attitude, their work ethic, and they know what they are doing in terms of technique. They are both two different styles of kickers, but they know exactly what they are doing. For example, they both made it from 58 [yards] with the ball on the 40 [yard line]. It has been a really good competition, and I am pleased with both guys. Good handle, good height on the ball, and doing a really good job."

(On if P Jake Camarda could be a Pro-Bowl punter)

"No doubt. No doubt. He is extremely talented. Obviously, punts and kicks off - he does a really good job with both. He has a strong leg, very athletic guy. He loves ball. I cannot say enough about him."

(On how the kick return competition is shaping up)

"It is going [well]. Deven [Thompkins] is doing a nice job. He is very twitchy just watching him out there. It is none of my business, but it looks like he is doing a good job at receiver as well, which makes me happy, [laughs]. You [have to] build a case, you know what I mean? No, but Deven [Thompkins] is doing a really good job. When we were talking about that speed last year, it was not just at returner, it was also we wanted to get some speed inside the guys that are actually blocking for them. I think we have done that as well."

(On if WR Deven Thompkins' size helps him as a returner and if it could be harder to find him on kickoffs due to his size

"It is not harder to find him, we just have to make sure that we are running the right plays with him, which we do. We run more of a zone play with him than a power-o, so to speak, because of his speed and his ability to change direction. He can get away with more single blocks and that type of stuff."

(On how LB SirVocea Dennis' playmaking ability can translate onto special teams)

"Big-time. The first thing about him is, he is what I call a one-timer. You tell him one time and it is done. He lines up and you tell him one time to watch the twist, bam, he picks up the twist. He is very good physically, he is a physical football player. He is a smart football player and he can run. That is what you are looking for, tough, smart, and athletic. He checks all boxes. I am very happy with him."

(On WR Trey Palmer's progress and any areas he could help on special teams)

"You look at a guy like Trey [Palmer], as a punt returner obviously. He has to learn to manage the game in this league, in terms of fair catches, peter calls, and all that type of stuff. He does the talent. He does have speed. He can catch the ball, all those types of things. Where he could help us is possibly as a gunner, playing a five on kickoff coverage, we want some speed inside. On punt return, he could be in the vice although he is a receiver. He could possibly line up inside on a slot, coming off the edge as a rush guy. He could be a big four player."

(On how the gunner position battle is shaping up thus far into camp and if there are any early favorites)

"Well, Zyon McCollum. I love him. He does a great job for us. There are some other guys who will get in the mix. Christian Izien is another guy who comes to mind that I am looking forward to seeing. As we get pads on, we just had a padded day, obviously, and went against each other in vice the other day. Christian [Izien] is a guy who jumps out right now."

(On if he is seeing a jump from Zyon McCollum on special teams)

"Yeah, he is doing really well. I mean, big man that can run, so that is what you want. He is doing a really good job. I am happy with him. It is important to him. He knows that is how he made the team, so he has not changed. I am still happy with him."

(On DB Josh Hayes' performance on special teams)

"Josh Hayes is a guy who brings some physical toughness to your unit. He will show up even more in games when you are really going after each other. I think he is one of those guys that'll make you say, 'Wow, I did not know that.' He may not be the four-two guy but he is going to hit somebody, and you will know it. I am looking forward to seeing him."

(On the value of having a 300-pound defensive lineman who can run like DL Patrick O'Connor)

"He presents an issue to guys, in terms of punt return. He has got to block on punt return obviously, and he has to block on field goals. All of that is because he can get off the ball. Then once he gets off the ball and he beats you to the punch, well you have got 300 pound. That guy has got you bent back. He does a really good job. The biggest thing that he does is he is a threat on field goal blocks, punt returns, and those types of things. Kick off coverage wise, the best thing about him is, if you are going to run the ball at him, he is going to go set that edge. He can actually get down field. He brings some physicality to the unit, some size, and creates mismatches."

(On if there are any other players who he is looking forward to seeing under the lights)

"Yeah, Yaya [Diaby]. I would say he would be a guy who will make you say, 'OK, I'd like to see that. I would like to see Yaya [Diaby] on punt. I'd like to see Yaya on kickoff.' He is very athletic and physical. It is on tape. It would not be a surprise if I saw him escape a block, make a tackle on kickoff, and run somebody down."

(On what he saw that made him want to bring in LS Evan Deckers to compete with LS Zach Triner)

"The biggest thing with long snappers now is, with the college rule, they do not block anybody, so it is kind of hard to tell whether a guy can actually vertical set and block. That is the big thing that they have to do. It is not the fact that the snapper, can he run? It is can he recover and block? Evan [Deckers] does a really good job snapping the ball. He is a good athlete. He has good feet. He does a good job of recovering, meaning being able to snap and get up because the rush is coming. He does a really good job of recovering. When he showed me that in his workout, I figured he would be a guy that would give us good competition. We are trying to push everybody and create competition everywhere, so Evan [Deckers] has done a good job. I think what will happen moving forward is that question will get answered by more people with the XFL and the USFL because they use more of a pro-style punt protection. We will see more young snappers getting a chance in this league."

(On the defensive players he uses on protection units)

"Yeah, like Vita Vea. It is hard to get past him. Yeah, and William Gholston. Those are two guys that you can trust. It is important to them. They would go through a wall for you. Those are two guys who you can trust, they are pros, and I totally respect them. They will do anything for you. More times than not, they block three people, so the end has to latch on, close off the C-gap, then he has a guy coming right down the middle at him, and then he has to punch out to a safety. He has to block three guys, so you have to be a bigger person to get that job done."

(On what was the origin of putting NT Vita Vea and DL William Gholston on protection units)

"The thing was, the bigger you are, the better you are. Here is the thing, I have never used the backup center and I've never wanted to fool with Ryan [Jensen]. I don't want to mess with the starting center or the backup, I am staying away from that. The biggest thing was the size. It was so much easier when you get bigger people. It is just so much easier to close off those gaps and footwork wise. Offensive guys can do it, [Brandon] Walton is a good one, our backup tackle, he does a really good job with it. He has that width and length that we are looking for. The bigger they are, the better. Less chance for error."

(On what making an impact on special teams does for players on the edge of the roster)

"For some guys it may be a deciding factor. Honestly, salary cap, you know what I mean, there is competition in some spots, and in other spots it is what it is. That is where I come in. I have to get the best out of them. For a few guys it will come down to special teams. Coach [Todd] Bowles is big on it. He is looking for dogs. He is looking for guys who want to get after it."

(On if special team contributions are just as important to this coaching staff as they were to former Head Coach Bruce Arians' staff)

"Yes. Yes. Yup."

(On if he is inclined to take chances on fake plays and how does the process of using fake plays develop with this coaching staff)

"I am all for fakes. I think that Todd [Bowles] is in on fakes. It has to be the right situation and the right time. Unfortunately, we had one in the right situation and the right time and it didn't work, but we are not afraid to run fakes. It is there. It is in. It is just a matter of us pulling them off and executing. I will say this too, when you look around the league – you know we get every play from around the league. When you look around the league, most fakes don't work. There is a good percentage of fakes – and it is not because the fake did not work, [but because there is] a flag on the ground. Somebody grabbed a guy or something like that, whatever. More than not – we are looking at them. We have always got them in. They're always there. Obviously just like on offense, if we call a fake, there is a check. If the look is not there, you check out of it and punt the football. Or you check out of it and if it was going to be a reverse and you kick it the wrong way, bam. Obviously, we are checking out of it when we see the flight of the ball."

(On if there is anything new that he has added to his process of coaching special teams)

"Well, yeah there are a few things in our return game that I have changed which I think will help us. I obviously do not want to get into it and elaborate on it, but there are a few things there that I have changed that can help us. Also in punt protection, I mean, every year you grow and every year you are going to add on to something. In every phase, Keith [Tandy] will get on some tape, we watch tape around the league. You will see situations and things that come up that will interest us. We have made those changes and we have made some adjustments. The biggest thing is execution. Coach [Todd] Bowles has given us extra time, which is really going to help us in particular being a younger group. We will need that time for technique and to be able to execute our scheme. But yes, we are always looking for change. We are always looking for something better. That is this league. It is a copycat league all the way around, special teams included."

(On how difficult it is to get younger players to refine their technique)

"I will tell you what, this group here is really good. I have not had a problem with these guys at all. It is a young group. They are very interested in everything that we are talking about, and they are willing. I am very happy with the group that we have. They are working hard. It is a very willing group."

WIDE RECEIVER MIKE EVANS

(On going into year 10)

"In the moment, it seems like it's taken a while, but then you just look up and you were just a rookie and now you're [in] year 10. That's how all the vets explained it to me and that's how I'm explaining it to the younger plays. You're going to look up and time is going to have flown by. Try not to take it for granted."

(On how his body is holding up)

"I'm a little achy but I feel better than I did when I was younger – much better."

(On if he thinks about his place among the best wide receivers in NFL history)

"I didn't know what I needed [to get into the top-10 in receiving yards], but I knew I was close to getting to that. That means a lot to me. I'm a fan of the game, I always have been. I've respected the game and hopefully – God willing I stay healthy – I'll get it done."

(On being able to join Randy Moss for having the second-most 1,000-yard seasons in NFL history)

"Arguably, he's the best receiver to ever play – definitely top-three in my opinion. Just to be in the same breath as all of these guys is a tremendous honor and I don't take it for granted. It's cool – something that me and my family and friends always talk about. It's happening. I'm just trying to do my best to make it all happen."

(On what he knows now that he didn't know when he was younger)

"It's life – you live and you learn. That's what I've been doing. I've had a lot of great vets come in and show me the way and I've picked their brains and seen what they've done: Tom [Brady], Gerald McCoy, Vincent Jackson, 'Shady' (LeSean McCoy). All of these guys, I got to see them prepare their bodies and things like that, just to maintain that longevity. It's been helpful. I've got a chef in both places I live – that's helped me tremendously. And I work out way more than I did when I was younger, so that's helped too."

(On how the way he sees the game has changed)

"Every year, the game changes. I remember when I was in college and Casey Hampton – who's from my hometown of Galveston, Texas – I used to always talk to him because I was like the next guy up from Galveston to make it to the pros and he would tell me that the game would slow down like I would never believe. Each year, it happened. I swear the game slows down for me, I'm able to make adjustments during the game. It's been cool. It comes with playing the game a lot and just getting that experience."

(On what he's learned from his experiences with QB Baker Mayfield and what changes he's seen in QB Kyle Trask)

"I mean, they've both been having a really good camp. We're all learning a new offense and it's going to be much harder on quarterbacks, but they're making some really good plays. They're both really mobile, they both [have] really great arm talent. [They're] really good, young players. They're doing well right now. I'm looking forward to seeing who gets the job."

(On what he likes about this new offense)

"I love what [offensive coordinator] Dave [Canales] has brought – a different type of energy. He's a really interesting guy – really fun to be around. In the past, I've been moved around a lot but in this offense, I'm going to be moved around even more. It'll be harder to get a double team on me. I'm looking forward to seeing what we are able to do this year."

(On how the new offensive system can help him evolve his game)

"Like I said, I'm moved all over the place. Everybody has the same plays, pretty much – it's just when to call them and they're called different things. But there are a few routes that I've never seen before and I look forward to running some of these routes. It's going to be hard to stop some of these routes."

(On if being moved around puts him in more advantageous positions)

"Absolutely. I'm going to be in more positions to get the ball and that's what I want as a competitor and as a guy with my skillset – I want to be able to do everything. I don't want to be limited to deep in cuts, deep outs and go balls. I want to do everything because that's what I can do."

(On giving advice to young receivers)

"I just be myself. It's easy. Anytime a younger player wants advice, they [can] just come to ask me – my door is always open for them. I'm [really] down to earth – you can ask most of the guys. I'm going to give it to them straight. A lot of the rookies are helping me out, too. They give me motivation. They're young and they've got juice and seeing that motivates me even more."

(On what it means to be engrained in the Tampa Bay community)

"That's one of the best parts about doing what I do – fans that really look up to me and want to know me and have been following my career and things like that. Every time I'm at practice in training camp, somebody is giving me something or showing me a picture from nine or eight years ago – it's cool to see things like that. It's really humbling and it's really an honor to have a great community like Tampa really rock with me and my family as they have."

(On if he sees himself playing deep into his thirties)

"At this point, I'm just taking it year-by-year. I feel very youthful. I feel better than I did when I was younger – obviously, I've been on record saying that. Just being able to take care of my body – I'm way faster than I used to be. God willing, if I don't have any big injuries, I don't know how long I can play but I want to play for a good while."

(On if he feels confident he'll work out an extension with the team)

"Yeah, obviously, it's no secret that I want to be a Buc for life. It's rare for players to stay – especially this day and age – to stay on a team for as long as I have. I want to just finish here."

(On if he watches the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction)

"I've seen it here and there, but I don't just watch it like, 'Oh, who's going into the Hall of Fame' and things like that. I'm going to watch for Rondé, though. I'm going to watch this one for Rondé. [He's a] great guy – I've gotten to know him over the past 10 years. [He is] so deserving of this award, so shoutout to Rondé. I'll be watching that one."

(On LeSean McCoy saying Evans was one of the best teammates he's ever had because he cares more about winning than personal success)

"I've always been a guy that wanted to win, because I've been on a team that's not winning and it's not as fun. I've had some decent individual success – I'd rather win all day. 'Shady' (LeSean McCoy) – that's my guy, man. That's a guy I looked up to and was happy that I got to be able to play with him. He was so great for the locker room. I miss him a lot. I miss 'Shady' – great guy, shoutout to 'Shady' for those kind words. He had a lot of teammates, too, so that's big."

(On Head Coach Todd Bowles)

"People say 'player's coach' – he's a player's coach. He is. He's awesome. Me and him have always had a great relationship, even when he wasn't the head guy. When he got the job, nothing really changed for me and his relationship. He looks out for us in practice. He's played the game, he understands what our bodies need to go through and he understands when our bodies need rest. He's been doing a great job. I love Coach [Todd] Bowles."

-BUCCANEERS-