HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On assessment of today's practice)

"It's [a training] camp day. Whatever it is, we're working. That's really all it is. It's another [training] camp day, getting better offensively and defensively. It's narrowing down. Guys have got to perform on Saturday."

(On WR Chris Godwin Jr.'s availability and being taken off the PUP [Physically Unable to Perform] list)

"He's taken off the PUP list, but he's got to get in football shape and everything else. I wouldn't expect him to play early on."

(On whether there is a target return date for Godwin Jr.)

"No, just when he's ready. Just when he's ready. He's been out a long time. He's got to get in football shape. Tristan [Wirfs] is the same way, but they'll be off and then we'll see how it goes going forward."

(On whether LT Tristan Wirfs will be on the initial 53-man roster like Godwin Jr.)

"Yes."

(On balancing overworking and underworking the team in practice)

"You can never underwork your team. We're going to work every day. Whether you call it over or under, if you're in shape, it's work. If you're not in shape, it's overwork. If you're lazy, it's underwork and you won't be here long. That's not a question for us."

(On whether there are plans to scrimmage with starters before the regular season)

"Absolutely not."

(On WR Sterling Shepard helping quarterbacks during practice)

"Well, he's performed well because he does that on the field, not because he hangs with the quarterbacks. But he's very smart and he has opinions and advice just like Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin Jr.] do. He's a veteran receiver, so quarterbacks understand him and they give him little nuances to work with. He's very good that way. We're getting everybody on the same page."

(On whether starters will play Saturday, including QB Baker Mayfield)

"There will be no starters playing on Saturday."

(On RB Rachaad White's week of practice and if he will play Saturday)

"He looked fresh. He probably won't play on Saturday."

(On NT Desmond Watson's status going forward)

"We're still discussing that, but we have some things in the works for him going forward."

(On who will start at quarterback Saturday)

"Probably [Kyle] Trask will start the game and then we'll go from there."

(On whether the team could carry only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster)

"There's a world, yes. [Those are] things we have to discuss after the last preseason game depending on injuries at other positions and positions of need and what we have and what we don't have. All that's going to be taken into consideration."

(On whether the team needs to consider adding a wide receiver)

"It's possible…Not right now. We'll see how it goes after this game right here. We may be able to add one, we may not, depending on who comes back or who might get injured Saturday."

(On which are the most difficult roster decisions by position)

"Honestly, they're all difficult. The hardest thing for a coach is to tell someone they can't play in the NFL. But position-wise, this has probably been a hard camp and there's some position battles going on everywhere. Injuries play a part in those things as well. So every position right now almost is going to come down to injured and playing on Saturday. That's going to be a big key."

(On LB Anthony Walker Jr.'s status)

"Those are things we have to discuss. We've got to discuss a lot of things and see where people are. That'll be a medical thing and a health thing as well."

(On when cutdown discussions begin)

"We start tomorrow and then we see how the game plans out. You've got to discuss it about four or five times and then you've got to have a final discussion. We haven't started talking about cutdowns as a group yet, individually whether it's me and Jason [Licht] and everybody else. But we'll sit down and talk about that tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday, and then some Monday."

(On balancing the final preseason game with overall evaluation from training camp)

"It depends on how well you do in preseason, how well you do in practice…If you're at the bottom of the roster, you're probably not a starter. It's how well you do on special teams and how versatile you are."

(On DB Christian Izien's status)

"Right now, he's week-to-week, I would say. It's a pain tolerance thing with him so I'm not sure."

(On T Charlie Heck's training camp performance)

"He learned a lot. He's gotten a lot of experience. He's going to go against a Pro Bowl edge rusher every week, including practice. He's a competitor and he's tough. He's got some technical things to work out, [like] he's got to stay low because of his height. He's done some very good things for us as well. Right now, going into week one, he'll be our starter. We believe in him and we'll work with him and we'll go from there."

(On NT Vita Vea's training camp)

"Vita doesn't need a day off. He hasn't reached the Mike [Evans] or Lavonte [David] status yet. Those are upper-tier guys that get that kind of action. Other than that, everybody else practices. He came in in great shape. He came in in very good shape. He worked on a lot of things. He worked on his feet, he's working on his hands. You like to see him where he's at right now. He's just got to keep pushing forward."

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER ROB MCCARTNEY

(On his responsibilities this time of year and if he's looking at film of preseason games)
"For sure. Our scouts are upstairs right now. Actually, all of our college scouts are in town, too. So, we got everybody up in the draft room watching all the bubble guys, certain positions that we may think we're weaker at than some other spots. And [we're] just going over other teams' rosters and trying to have everything lined up before we play Saturday and then come in Sunday morning and watch some more games."

(On how many wide receivers the team is looking at)
"It's probably a pretty standard answer, but we're looking at everybody across the league. We have reports on every guy. We'll try to focus on the younger guys that are maybe practice squad or maybe guys that flashed that we think could help us out, but it all goes back to knowing our roster and being able to make relative comparisons to other receivers across the league and any other position across the league."

(On which position groups are the most difficult to make the final decisions on)
"It's a good question. I think we're really proud of the roster we put together from top to bottom. Obviously there's a lot of injury situations going on right now, so that's kind of played into some of those guys that unfortunately we may have to keep at different positions where we think we may have depth and it's kind of been eroded a little bit. Big game for these guys on Saturday – the inside linebackers, safeties, offensive line. Those will be positions we'll be watching closely on Saturday."

(On whether injuries to wide receivers will lead to more 12 and 13 personnel groupings)
"I'm going to let Atlanta and Houston kind of figure that out those first few games and let 'Grizz' (Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard) talk to that if he wants to. I think we'll probably keep that under wraps. The good thing is we have the flexibility, we have the personnel to do that with three [or] four really good running backs and three or four really good tight ends, too. So, I think again it speaks to the depth we have on the offensive side of the ball. It'll be good for us to come out and throw a bunch of different stuff at people until we're back to full strength, which we went through last year a lot, too. So, we got some experience with that, unfortunately."

(On CB Jacob Parish's training camp and preseason performance)
"It's been great. He was kind of like that since day one of rookie minicamp. [He had] another great practice today. We just keep stacking days and that's all we can ask from him right now. He's had really good practices and really good in-stadium stuff, too. I think he's ready to go. We're obviously very excited about him."

(On evaluating character when discussing roster decisions)
"I think it's still really prevalent for this time of year, too. Our list that we're tracking up there, we're not going to revive the guys that we weren't going to look at during the draft. We're going to hold that standard and if we keep to our standard then our standard is going to keep getting better. It's always a conversation with us with every transaction we make, really, that goes into it."

(On the team's previous success with undrafted players and how this year's group looks)
"That's been a really big point of pride for us upstairs – how we focused on certain positions this year, how those guys have all kind of panned out at least to this point, whether they're going to make the 53[-man roster] or be on the practice squad. There's a few other teams out there that have really good classes, so I don't want to talk too much on those guys because I know people are watching our guys and listening to this stuff, too. But the scouts take a lot of pride in that and we kind of turn that over to those guys – the college scouts, the pro scouts chip in, too. Really great job by them and then working with the coaches to make sure that we're developing those guys."

(On whether the team needs to add a veteran wide receiver)
"I think it would have to be the right guy. It's always tricky this time of year because the scouts are always raving about these players and they've got to come in week one and be ready to go. They got to know the offense, learn the offense, be ready to contribute right now. I think we have enough players on our roster right now, but again, we'll always be looking."

(On whether the team needs to add a veteran offensive lineman)
"Probably pretty much the same answer. We have a lot of good players on our roster right now. Looking at interior linemen, is there someone else that has experience? Is there a tackle that we really love? But most teams probably aren't going to cut a tackle that's going to come in and be like, I thought this guy's the best. We're going to keep rolling with what we've got. [We have] guys that we're excited about going with and guys that have been here and put in a lot of good work for us so far."

(On roster battles being decided Saturday even without starters playing)
"For sure. It's nice to kind of – not this last practice – but pretty much scale back after this with the focus on the first few games coming up. But [there are] definitely spots are up for grabs and it's going to be great to see these guys compete one more time. I don't want to put a number on it, but there's definitely some guys that have a big chance on Saturday that we're excited to see."

WIDE RECEIVER TEZ JOHNSON

(On his 37-yard punt return versus the Pittsburgh Steelers)

"It felt awesome. I take punt return[ing] to the heart, so I critique myself really hard on games like that. I just want to showcase my ability -- it is always fun having a 37-yarder -- but I knew exactly when I went down, I could have scored. It was just one of those things, trying to feel out of the game, and just flashing some of what I have and what could possibly happen if you are not careful."

(On how the preseason games have helped build his confidence)

"It helped tremendously. I did not really think my moves in college were going to work in the NFL because it is a different level but always try it out just to see if it works. It is always a good thing to see it work. I was happy I made him miss; I did not think it was going to make him miss. It was just one of those instinct things. It was good -- really fun -- just getting my feet wet out there and just doing the things I could do in college, now in the NFL."

(On how he has improved through training camp)
"I think one thing I have gotten better at -- because in college we were the huddle a little bit, not too much, it was always hand signals -- listening to every single thing Baker [Mayfield] is saying in the huddle. Allowing myself to slow it down, think about it, and go out there and put it into action -- just make a play when they need me. When the ball comes my way, I just try and catch everything from Baker so he can be able to trust me out there on third downs. I always critique myself very hard, so third downs are where I try to specialize at for my game."

(On what position he feels most comfortable in in the offense)

"I am outside [receiver] right now. I have not played slot since I got here. I am an outside guy right now. My road changed from college to the NFL, so wherever they want me to play, I am going to do the best of my ability to go out there and help them in that aspect of the game. My thing is: go out there and whenever they tell me to do it, do it."

(On what he has learned from WR Mike Evans)

"His consistency. [I have] never seen a guy so consistent in my life -- other than my pops. He is so consistent. He comes in every day and does the exact same thing. He plays his little card game, he goes to the training room and gets his treatment, walks out on the field and does the exact same routine, goes out and catches a one-hander and takes it 30-yards for a touchdown. You do not see [anything] better than that. You see a guy like that, and you get to walk into the locker room with him every day -- he is coaching you up -- and you do not take it for granted. He is one of those guys that you need to be around if you are a rookie. He has done it since [being] a rookie. You do not see anything like that, it is rare. Only one other person did it, and it was Jerry Rice. He is by far a Hall of Famer, one hundred percent. It is his birthday today, so I asked him if he is 50-years old. He is still young; he still acts like a kid in the locker room -- he is a brother. We love him to death -- him and Sterling Shepard are the same age, 32, and both are just like kids. Like I said, happy birthday to Mike [Evans]."

TACKLE BENJAMIN CHUKWUMA

(On how playing in the first two preseason games has helped his confidence in playing football in the NFL)

"It has been so crazy, but every game is a learning process. I feel like I [have gotten] better from the first one and I got better in the second one and the next one I'm [going to] get [even] better. It's reassuring me [that] yes I can do it, yes I belong, yes I can go up against these top guys and perform the way I can perform. Yes, it's just improving my confidence level."

(On which players and coaches have helped him the most during training camp)

"I would say just the whole offensive line, [Run Game Coordinator/Offensive line Coach] 'Carbs' (Kevin Carberry), [Offensive Line Coach] 'B.P.' (Brian Picucci), Tristan [Wirfs], Luke [Goedeke], [Charlie] Heck. Every day they [give me advice], they give me little things to work on, sometimes when I'm troubled where I am trying to figure out something, I go up to them ask them a question, they answer me [and] try to make sure that I'm good. I'm coming in in the mornings to work on my sets, after practice working on my sets because [Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach] 'Carbs' (Kevin Carberry) is making it a priority for me to keep working on my set, keep getting better. I feel like the entire o-line room, they are keen on seeing me develop."

(On where he has improved the most since rookie minicamp in May)

"I would say my – I feel like my pass sets [have] gotten smoother… In college I was trying to be more physical when now you have to be technically sound, so I feel like my technical ability has improved the most."

(On if he feels ready to play in the NFL)

"With the development, with everything that I'm doing every day keeping me prepared, keeping me ready, I feel like yes. Once I'm thrown in the fire, I can handle myself."

(On if he learns better during live action reps)

"Yes, live action is pretty much needed because you have to see how you are against other people. Once you do that you get comfortable and [can] say, 'Oh, I held myself against other people.' You can increase your confidence and reassure yourself, 'Oh, I'm working on the right parts.' So, yes live action is [the] most needed to improve."

(On what it is like battling it out in the trenches)
"It's amazing being in the trenches. Putting your face in someone and trying to drive them down the field is amazing. Doing things like that just fires me up because I love competition, I just want to show you that I'm stronger than you, that I can move you."

-BUCCANEERS-