HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On whether he has begun the process of trimming the roster yet)
"We've narrowed guys down, and we're going to start shortly after this. It'll start at about 10 o'clock."

(On what he likes about RB Josh Williams' game and what he saw from his return ability)
"It wasn't just special teams. He's a good running back as well. We think he can catch. We think he's a heck of a pass protector. We know he can run the ball as he showed us on special teams, but he also made some tackles. So, you know, a lot of that goes into the evaluation. He can do multiple things."

(On whether QB Teddy Bridgewater was agreeable to possibly starting the season on the practice squad when signed)
"We had a bunch of discussions about everything, but we signed him to see if he had a chance to make the squad."

(On how Safeties Coach Nick Rapone is doing after missing the game)
"He's doing a lot better. He should be in this week. He should be in today, actually, and should be in tomorrow, but he's doing a lot better."

(On whether Rapone will stay in his current role for the full season)
"I'm hoping so. I'm not a doctor, but as long as he's feeling well, yes. I expect him to be the same all year."

(On which coach handled the safeties in Rapone's absence)
"Tim Atkins. Tim Atkins handles the safeties. Rashad Johnson handles of the nickels."

(On LT Tristan Wirfs walking without crutches and whether he is in play for Week 1)
"That's a medical thing. The fact that we're not putting him on IR, you know, he's in play. I wouldn't say it will be week one, but he's definitely doing better."

(On who stood out after reviewing tape from Saturday night's game)
"Well, the same two guys I talked about last night – Tez Johnson and Josh Williams did a very good job that way, and that goes into the evaluation of it, but those two really stood out."

(On which position groups have been the hardest to evaluate going into final cuts)
"They're all hard on the last cut down, and honestly, they're all hard because you get to be around these guys all spring and all summer. So, they're all pretty difficult for us from a personal standpoint. From a player standpoint, I mean, a lot of the tape speaks for itself and you just have to make those decisions accordingly."

(On if there's an update on the status of LB Anthony Walker Jr.)
"No progress at this time. [It is the] same as status last week."

(On if there are other players whose injuries might linger into Week 1, specifically safeties Tykee Smith or Christian Izien)
"Tykee is fine. Izzy's (Christian Izien) is a pain tolerance thing. So, we'll see how he feels next week and the next two weeks coming up to week one."

(On if there were any new injuries from Saturday night's game)
"Not at this time. The report hasn't come out yet. So we'll see."

(On the play of undrafted free agent linebackers Nick Jackson and John Bullock)
"Both were free agents. They both came in, they worked well off each other, both very bright. Jackson is probably instinctive that way and understands where the ball is going and knows how to shoot the gaps when he has to. Bullock is a very tough, smart player. He had a heck of a night on special teams last night – I think he had three tackles on the kickoff. He plays very physical football, but both of them made compelling cases."

(On how he feels about the team's depth at safety)
"We're okay right now if nobody else gets banged up, but it's going to be tight. It all depends on where 'Izzy' (Christian Izien) is from a health standpoint. The numbers go one way or the other. So, we'll see how that goes going forward."

(On whether any coaching fellows or assistants from training camp will be kept during the season)
"We probably won't keep any during the season, but there are a lot of good candidates and good coaches that we really like in case anything opens up. It's good for us because when you're looking for people at the end of the year whether it's quality control or position coaches, you get to be around people and they get to be around your staff and you get to know them well and you can see who fits and who gels. There were quite a few of them that did a very good job. Nadine [Nurasyid] from Germany did a very good job. Obviously Randy Shannon is here, who's an outstanding coach. All of them were really great, and it just depends on the fit if something opens up and it fits that person's need and fits our need in order to work out."

(On whether there is a sense of how the league perceives players who may get picked up off waivers)
"You have to roll the dice, but you also get a feel of which coaches they were with before and who had them before and who might be in need of what positions. You get a feel for it that way, but that can't be a determining factor in if you're going to keep the guy or not."

(On what was accomplished in training camp and preseason that he wanted to see)
"Defensively, obviously, the turnovers, you know, they don't count, but it was good to see them transfer to games that way. Offensively, just running the offense. I felt all the quarterbacks did a very good job, especially 'Baze' (Connor Bazelak) in the second half of both games the past two weeks, he did a very good job. And, you know, our return game has shown up for the first time in quite a long time – that was good to see."

(On whether he has a better feeling for the team's strengths and weaknesses, and if anything surprised him during training camp)
"I don't think anything surprised me, but the best feeling I have is that we have a punter. He's done a very good job and he was outstanding this summer in camp and everything else. He was really a game changer that really wasn't talked about and I'm happy as hell about him."

-BUCCANEERS-