HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On T Tristan Wirfs returning to practice in a limited capacity on Monday)

"Yeah, we're starting to ramp him up a little bit, see how much he can go through this week and kind of go from there."

(On what he saw from OLB Chris Braswell Jr. against the New York Jets)

"He didn't get much action. He did his job. I mean, he played the run well. Obviously, he took proper pass drops, but not much action came his way."

(On how WR Jalen McMillan is progressing)

"He's still day-to-day."

(On how WR Emeka Egbuka is progressing)

"He's day-to-day, week-to-week as well."

(On if Egbuka's injury will impact his availability for Week 1 of the regular season)

"[I am] not sure at this time."

(On what he tells players who are competing for a spot on the 53-man roster to focus on throughout the preseason)

"You've got to be consistent. You can't make the same mistakes twice. Obviously, with the starters playing some, they get a chance to be fresh on special teams as opposed to playing special teams and offense and defense last week, so, we look to see an improvement there. They've just got to keep growing."

(On the status of QB Jake Browning)

"He's doing better. We'll see how the week goes."

(On what a player like OLB Jack Pyburn has to do to make the 53-man roster)

"Obviously, if you're going to be toward the back end of the outside [linebackers], you've got to be able to play special teams, and you've kind of got to be a jack-of-all-trades and do certain things. He made us watch it. He made it known, and we're going to see what he does going forward, but he definitely made an impression."

(On CB Ayden Garnes' hard work in training camp resulting in a pick-six in the first preseason game against the New York Jets)

"I mean, it's great to see his confidence grow, and he doesn't have a lack of confidence from that standpoint. It's just about understanding and learning the entire system. It's not just the great plays. It's the little things that could cause big plays, as well. But, he has a short memory. He's very talented. He's coming along. He's got some things to learn, but we like where he's progressing."

(On what he wants to see from the starters in this week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs)

"Well, really just operation. It's for [Offensive Coordinator] Zac [Robinson]. It's for the new defensive guys, as well. It's just really [from] an operational standpoint, so we can make sure we're not doing things for the first time on game day when we open the season."

(On the competition in the wide receiver room)

"[There is] a ton of competition. It's going to come down to the last week."

(On how he feels about the team's depth at safety)

"Not great at this time. I mean, obviously, we added three new guys. We've got to see how they come along. Stay in shape – you might be next."

(On what has stood out about CB Ayden Garnes' development since OTAs)

"Just the grasp of the system and his confidence, understanding when he can make plays and when he doesn't have to make plays and do the right things. You can see him learning the system and playing team ball and playing more confident and being more vocal. That's really kind of stood out coming into training camp."

(On if there are any players who stood out on film from the preseason game against the New York Jets)

"I thought [Caden] Fordham had a heck of a ball game at the linebacker spot, and we don't talk about him much with the depth there as well, but I thought he played very well."

(On if he was aware of the fact that CB Ayden Garnes has donated bone marrow to individuals in need)

"I heard it. I'm not fully aware of all the details, but I did hear about it."

(On his opinion of Garnes donating bone marrow to people in need)

"I mean, that's unbelievable. That's really unbelievable. I have no words for that. It shows what type of human being he is, and that's much bigger than this game we're playing."

(On how CB Benjamin Morrison is progressing)

"He's progressing. He did some things today, so we'll look to see how he develops during the week."

(On if Morrison could play this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs)

"We'll see how he progresses, and we'll kind of make that determination on Friday."

(On whether QB Baker Mayfield is included in the starters that will play this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs)

"He is included in that."

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN ELIJAH ROBERTS

(On how his mom's support has affected his game)

"She's great. She's been supportive of my whole career. I think [in] my whole career, she's probably missed one game since I was in little league. She's always going to be like that, for sure."

(On what he was looking to improve on the most going into his second year)

"Yeah, main thing after the offseason was trying to change my body physically. Whatever I can do to just get stronger, a little bit bigger, add on more weight. Last year, I was kind of playing around 280, 285ish. It's not bad, but I'm a taller guy, so I'm not really a shorter, stouter guy. I feel like I just had to get stronger and then leading into OTAs and once we got here with [Defensive Line] Coach [Marcus] West and stuff, it was really just focusing on the run game for sure. I mean, I always felt like I could work on pass game a little later, but just work on run game first. That's kind of where it starts up front. So, focusing on that part of my game for sure."

(On how his height plays more of a role in his inside or outside game)

"I would say leverage. Whether you're inside or outside it's always important, but especially inside. It's kind of good this year having guys like A'Shawn Robinson, he's kind of like my frame. He plays almost the same positions I do, so seeing him in film, he's always helping me out. [He] just gives me pointers or [talks] about how he would play this, how would I play that? [It's] like almost looking identical in frames. Just having him in a room has been better. Then, just being able to understand that when you [have a] 6'3", 6'4" kind of body, you do have to play with your eyes lower to the ground. You have to have your feet; you don't want to take those big steps. You want to have shorter, more powerful steps, because I do have longer legs. If I take those bigger steps, they are kind of getting all over the place. So, that's kind of things that A'Shawn and 'Nacho' (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) have kind of been helping me with and they have been like really, really good vets for sure."

(On if he's seen a difference since spending more time in the weight room)

"Yeah, for sure. I would say it starts in the weight room. Obviously, once you build that confidence in the weight room, you kind of get more confident on the field. That's kind of what I was doing during the whole part of January up until we got back in April. Just, weight room, weight room, weight room. Then, after OTAs, it was just all field work, just all football, football, football. That was kind of my thing. Then, once I felt more confident in the weight room, I honestly felt more confident on the field."

(On the biggest thing DL A'Shawn Robinson and DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches have brought to the defense)

"Yeah, just like the energy they bring. Both of those guys have played so much football. It's hard during training camp, man. When you're on Day 10, Day 11, or whatever day we're on, you just keep going. It's hard to bring that same type of attention, the same juice every single day, but they bring it. Having those guys out here, even when you're coming out, you don't really feel the same as you did the day before. Having those guys, because I know that they're not feeling great every day, but they bring that juice. It kind of brings the whole group along. When the D-Line is playing [well], believe it or not, the linebackers follow, the DBs (defensive backs) follow. When we're out there making plays, being loud, talking a little trash, everybody kind of follows suit."

CORNERBACK AYDEN GARNES

(On his excitement over getting a pick-six in the Friday, Aug. 14 preseason game against the New York Jets)

"It wore off a little bit yesterday. It was still a roller coaster for me just because you always dream of that. That's something in your dreams, getting a pick-six in your first NFL game. Just having that opportunity to go out there and do that was a blessing."

(On what it's like seeing his hard work pay off)

"I mean, that's what practice is for. You practice how you play. That's literally how it happens. If you come out here and [don't] give it your all, that's how it's going to be in the game. I try to give my all in practice, even on hot days like this. I try to give my all because I know today I [have] the rest of the day to chill out and recover. Just giving my all, having the best technique I can, even when I get tired, is what I try to do."

(On how having to fight for a roster spot at the University of Arizona has helped him as he competes for a spot on the 53-man roster)

"Yeah, I mean, that's what I take it as. That's been my whole career. [It] started at Duquesne. My first year, a senior wasn't playing well, and I ended up getting the start like the second or third game of the season. My first game, [I] got a pick, [I] got a forced fumble. That's just been my whole career. With West Virginia, there [was] a lot of big recruiting, a lot of big five stars, four stars, and by the third week of camp, I was with the ones and I never left. Just having that mentality to just go out there…It [doesn't] matter who is in front of you, who is [behind] you, just continuing to put my [best] foot forward."

(On what he's learned from the cornerback room since being here)

"That technique is probably the most important thing at this level in this game. If you don't have good technique, you're going to get beat. It could be from the first receiver on a depth chart to the last receiver on a depth chart. Everybody is good. So, having good technique and tweaking your game. I try to have a bag, just like they say, the wide receivers have a bag, you [have] to have a bag of your own as a defensive player. Just knowing splits, knowing different dividers, knowing if I need to press this, knowing if I need to press the outside leverage, knowing I need to slow down because it's third down…Just like I did on Friday. Just different things that I continue to just take for my game from those guys. [There's] some of the stuff that I'm doing that they [are] taking that we've been watching in film. Just continuing to get closer with those guys, obviously, towards the season [getting] closer."

(On what it would mean to get a spot on the 53-man roster)

"It would be, obviously something I dream of, but something I wouldn't be shocked about. I came here to win a job. I [don't] care if I [am] the last person on a depth chart or the first person on a depth chart. I came here to win a job and nobody is going to get in my way for that. I told my family, '[You all] can talk to me in September when all of this is over.' I just want to have a clear mind and that's what I have. I have a clear mind and one goal. Two goals actually; continue to get closer with this organization and make this team."

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JACK PYBURN

(On what getting two sacks in the first preseason game does to his confidence)

"It was a great thing, but at the end of the day I'm not an outcome-oriented guy, I'm a process-oriented guy. A lot of times in my career, especially in college, you know, it's hard not to look at the outcome of things and get focused on those things, but, you know, kind of throughout my whole process, I just learned to be process-oriented. So, it's expected for me – I expect to go out there and dominate, play my best, and every time I step out on the field, I'm going to give it everything I have."

(On what he saw on his two sacks that allowed him to get to the quarterback)

"Again, just my process – the film studying, the amount of hours that I've put in, you know, in my free time, working on my footwork, and studying the art of pass rushing – it all kind of accumulates into putting on in gameday."

(On who he has leaned on for guidance during training camp)

"Yeah, just my room in general, you know, [Run Game Coordinator/Outside Linebackers] Coach [Larry] Foote has been a great mentor, you know, the way he understands the game of football is incredible. Being able to learn from him, it's been... I can't even say how grateful I am that he's been my coach and been able to mentor me. As well as any of the guys in my room – Yaya [Diaby], [Al-Quadin] Muhammad, just the stuff I've learned from him, and being able to work with [Rueben] Bain [Jr.] a lot, doing a lot of extra work with him – it's just a great room of guys, and a very talented room."

(On how he deals with the uncertainty of training camp)

"It just comes down to my process – I'm not really worried about what the outcome is – if anything, I'm just going to continue my daily process, and at the end of the day try to be the best player that I can be, and hopefully one day that's one of the best in the league"

(On his mindset and focus on the process instead of the outcome)

"I've always been a good football player and had a good college career, but didn't perform how I wanted to perform, and part of that is a mental side of the game that I didn't fully tap into –  in a confidence aspect. And when I sat on my couch on the day of [the] draft and I didn't get drafted, I had to look myself in the mirror and decide, 'Who do I want to be?' You know, do I want to say, 'Why me? Why me?' or do I want to say, 'Why not me?' In that moment, I chose 'Why not me?' And I have worked harder than I have ever worked in my life, and I'm going to continue to work even harder."

-BUCCANEERS-