GENERAL MANAGER JASON LICHT

(On the conviction to keep the players they've been investing in since the spring, rather than looking to add from other rosters)

"Well, I think if you take a look, most teams will err on keeping their guys that they've invested the time in throughout the offseason. In our particular case, yeah, we are really excited about our roster. Our young guys, even some of the second- and third-year guys, too – I think it's probably more excitement at this point than we've had in the past. Not to say that we haven't had some great rookie classes, but I think just overall with the number [of rookies who made the team]. They're not all going to make it throughout the year, probably, if you play the odds, but overall, it's collectively just a great group of players and talent. We didn't intentionally go out to get younger, but it just kind of worked out that way." 

(On the depth of the rookie class and the number of undrafted free agents who made the roster)

"Well, we kept six, for now. We knew that there would be a lot of opportunity for new faces, but if you would've told me back in April that we'd keep six undrafted rookies, I probably would've thought you were crazy. But it worked out. All of these guys, they really exceeded our expectations or played very well throughout the offseason, and we're excited about every single one of them. I think a lot of them are going to play big roles for us. Obviously, you know right now where most of them stand on the roster. It's an exciting time. Whenever you have a young team and are thinking you can compete with that young team, it's great. It worked out well for us. We're paying the bills right now."

(On how having a single roster cutdown changes his evaluation process)

"It makes it a lot easier. I'll tell you – I love it because in the past, that first roster reduction to [85] was harder than the last one because you had to get rid of some players that you still wanted to see in the last game. I think it's going to have an effect on the entire league because you've got a lot of young players that played a full half, or in some cases a full game. We use those games throughout the whole year when we're evaluating potential workouts, practice squad guys, players to claim or whatever. There's a lot of evidence on there – not just for us, but for everybody." 

(On if the single roster cutdown changes the approach for the players)

"For sure. I know a lot of the young players love getting out on the field and getting a chance to play. I think it's a win-win for everybody."

(On keeping six outside linebackers on the 53-man roster)

"Another thing [where] we didn't go into the offseason thinking we're going to keep a certain number of pass rushers, but we have seven if you count Jose [Ramirez]. You just can't have too many of those guys. Injuries occur, and even without thinking of injuries, you just can't have enough pass rushers. I think it's going to pay off for us."

(On undrafted rookie OLB Markees Watts)

"He really jumped off the tape, even that very first time we had him here on a tryout because he is gummy. He plays about this low to the ground [holds hand near the floor]. He is very explosive off the edge. He is smart, plays hard, [has] natural power. He's got a big upside, so we're very excited about him."

(On the talent in the wide receiver room behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and how the young receivers stepped up when given the opportunity)

"[Rakim] Jarrett and [Trey] Palmer, and D.T. (Deven Thompkins) has made big strides from last year, even. And we've got some guys on the practice squad that we're very excited about. I think we have depth there – it's just young, but we have depth. When you have young players at that position there are some peaks and valleys with them, but I think at the end, it's going to pay off for us."

(On constructing a roster in the post-Tom Brady era)

"I think I've said this before – it was challenging for us, but it was fun. It was exciting. Any time you challenge your staff to go find gems at the dollar store, there is kind of an excitement to it. That's what we get paid to do. That's how we earned our bones early, trying to kick the weeds and find guys, so it was a lot of fun for all of us."

(On the quarterback competition during training camp)

"I probably didn't see it too much different than you guys did, but it was close. It was awesome to see Kyle [Trask] take the steps that he did to make it as close as it was. Because of that, it made Baker [Mayfield] better. And Baker – we talk a lot about Kyle and how great he was, but Baker was obviously better, or we wouldn't have chosen him to be the starter, collectively. I think it's something that is going to continue throughout the season to push Baker and push Kyle, as well. It was everything I hoped it would be, really, to be honest with you, the competition. It was fun to go out there every day and just see, 'OK, what's going to happen today?' It made us better in the end. I think Baker is in a great headspace right now, so I'm excited to see how this turns out."

(On going from the oldest team in the NFL to the eighth youngest, and how that changes things from a coaching and developmental aspect)

"Like I've been saying, I'm very excited about it and I know all the coaches are too. This was a collective effort putting this roster together. It wasn't any demands like, 'Hey, we need to get younger.' We needed some new faces [and] we had some constraints money-wise. I think everybody in the building is very excited to work with the young players, especially if they're playing well like they have so far, so I don't think you'll get any complaints."

(On if there was relief in K Chase McLaughlin's performance in the preseason during which he made all of his kicks)

"Yeah, it's always good. It's better than the alternative. Now we've got the regular season where they count. I know he is up for it, and I know we have a lot of confidence in him. You see the way he carries himself. It was great, but now it comes time to cross your fingers during the regular season a little bit [with] whoever you have as kicker. We've had a lot of good kickers leave here and go on to do great things."

(On his impressions so far of Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales)

"He is a very humble person in terms of he knows the things he has to work on. He doesn't come into the office saying, 'I have all of the answers.' We haven't had anybody like that, but it's just nice to see that he works on his weaknesses just like he asks the players to work on their weaknesses. His positivity and just his overall demeanor kind of bleeds into the entire team and the entire staff. I know the players are very, very excited to come to work every day with him."

(On needing to make a move to allow enough room under the salary cap for operational expenses this season and how realistic it is that the move will be an extension for WR Mike Evans)

"There [are] a few things that we can do. We have some ideas of what we can do for that, and obviously, we want to keep that between us. There are a few things we can do."

(On how fair it would be to say that his roster construction had an emphasis on getting faster and more athletic)

"It's very fair to say that. It's like you were sitting in our meeting before the draft. That's what we wanted to do, and I feel like we did that – definitely."

(On DL Calijah Kancey's progress and how excited he is to see what Kancey can do during the regular season)

"Extremely excited. He is trending in the right direction still. We still want to make sure we don't put a player out there, especially with that kind of skill set and with that type of injury, too early. He is trending the right way. [I'm] very, very excited." 

(On his top selection in each of the last three draft classes being a front seven player and how much OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, DL Logan Hall and Kancey can help elevate the success of the team)

"A lot, and we're counting on that. Joe has had a great camp and he has played very well. Now, we need Logan to step up, like we mentioned Joe [did] in the past. And Logan has been doing a good job, but we need him to step up too. The team will go as they go, that's the front – same as the offensive line."

(On why he believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can compete in the NFC South)

"Well, I wouldn't count any of the teams out. They're all very talented. Everybody got better this offseason. I can just speak on our team. I just know I like the vibe that our team has right now, I like the energy and I like how far we've gotten in the offseason as a team. I can't make any predictions – I just feel like our team has the DNA to want to compete against anybody."

(On if there are any spots on the roster that could use more depth, or veteran depth, specifically)

"I think we are always going to have our eye out there for depth. We are very young in some spots. We've got a lot of confidence in the players that we have, but I think we are always on the lookout. Right now, it's too early to tell where the biggest weaknesses are, but there will be weaknesses. We'll always be looking." 

HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On Vikings WR Justin Jefferson)

"Oh yeah, just watch the film. You can watch him on Sundays. He's unbelievable. He does everything. He runs every route, outstanding hands, outstanding route runner, great run after catch, great speed – tremendous player."

(On Vikings QB Kirk Cousins and the challenge he brings for the defense)

"I think Kirk Cousins has been doing a great job with those guys. He can throw it short; he can throw it deep. He knows where to go with the football. He knows the offense inside and out, extremely intelligent player, great competitor. [He] gets the ball to Justin [Jefferson and], if he's not open, he gets it to somebody else. It's going to be a chore for us to be disciplined everywhere we go."

(On the potential of injured players playing Week 1)

"We'll see how they're feeling next week. It's still too early. We'll give them another week to try and get better. I'll get a better gauge somewhere mid to late next week."

(On S Christian Izien earning the starting nickel position)

"Other than making plays, he's a very intelligent player. You only have to tell him one thing, one time. He's very quick, very explosive. He has all the traits for the position – we knew that when he was coming in. [He's] an extremely cerebral player, very tough, he can blitz, he can cover, he can play the half, play the third. He had all the qualities that a nickel that we were looking for has, so he was a perfect fit for us."

(On the rookie class and how much they have surprised him)

"I don't know if they surprise you physically. They're very gifted mentally. Some of them are very surprising because they grasped the system so well. [Rakim] Jarrett and [Trey] Palmer on offense [and] obviously with Sean [Tucker] as well. Cody [Mauch] was plugged in as a starter, so they grasped the system pretty well. The defensive guys got a good grasp of it and let their abilities show. We don't distinguish between age – if you can play, you play, and we can teach you some football. We're going to teach you some football and those guys earned it."

(On keeping six outside linebackers on the 53-man roster)

"Yeah, I think we got very good football players at that position, and they were too good to let go because I think one of them would have been picked up either way, and you can never have enough edge rushers. They'll make us create packages for them and do certain things so everybody can get on the field."

(On Minnesota winning closing games last year and what attributes to it)

"I do believe there is a knack to doing it. I think Kevin [O'Connell] is an outstanding head coach and offensive coordinator. For what he does with that team is unbelievable. The thing is they score points in bunches. He's very good at seeing weaknesses. They spread you out and keep you honest, and when you win close games like that it has a lot to do with coaching. It has a lot to do with players, as well, but I think he's guided that team very well."

(On their fourth quarter comebacks)

"That's big. That's part of it. It doesn't matter when you win it, it's about how you win it and I think they came back and won a lot of them."

(On if the youth of the team changes the coaching)

"No, it doesn't. It's more or less as a staff understanding what we have, and understanding what we can do and play to their strengths, and that's all we're going to try and do."

(On CB Derrek Pitts making the 53-man roster)

"Pitts was one our better special teams players. He did a heck of job on kickoff and as a gunner. When you come down to the end fighting for that last roster spot, you're going to need a guy who can do that."

(On his comfortability with the secondary and if it's possible to bring in a veteran)

"If it was the right guy at the right time, and guys didn't come on and a bunch of guys got hurt, yeah we would look at it."

(On if the veteran coaching experience can help get younger players up to speed)

"That's why we kept them in the first place. Our coaching staff does a great job teaching. We have a bunch of teachers over there – from [Kevin] Ross to [Nick] Rapone to [Larry] Foote to everybody on offense. We have a ton of guys that teach, and we teach football. [I] tell the rookies every year, there's a rookie class that wins the Super Bowl every year, so there's no excuse being young. Once you're here, you're here, and it's up to us to get them ready to play."

(On when the team will vote on captains)

"Probably no time soon. It's a little early right now. It may go by committee for a couple weeks and see how it goes, and then I may name some or I may let them vote on it. We haven't discussed it yet."

(On what he likes from S Kaevon Merriweather)

"His toughness. He's an extremely tough guy [and] he can play the run. He's a very good blitzer. He has better range than we thought he had when we got him. He moves well back there, and I think eventually he's going to be a very good safety in this league."

(On the loss of Gil Brandt)

"I just heard that. Gil helped me a great deal when I came into the league as a scout for Green Bay. He was very knowledgeable – always saw him on the road, always spreading knowledge, very smart. One of the best in the business when he was around."

(On what about the roster give him the impression the team can win another NFC South Division title)

"We feel comfortable with the guys we've got. We have guys on the team that can play ball. Just because their names are not known doesn't mean they can't play. They're just unknown at the time, but they'll be known pretty soon. It's up to us to get them ready and it's up to them to play, and we feel confident in that."

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER MARKEES WATTS

(On hearing the news that he made the 53-man roster)
"My first thought was the pressure, that [had] multiplied. I was just sitting in the hotel room waiting, and as soon as it happened, I got excited, but a chip on my shoulder just got larger."

(On seeing his hard work pay off by making the roster)

"It means the world to me. I came here as a tryout, everybody knows that. I had one opportunity, and when I had the chance to get off that transit on my way here, it was breath-taking to be honest to see the facility. I was like, 'Man, this is the place to be, [and] I want to be here. Then, to go out and make that work, [and] have another opportunity to be on the team, to make the 53-man roster was unreal. I owe it to them. I feel like I owe the general manager, I feel like I owe the head coach, my position coach, [and] my teammates because they believed in me not once, but twice."

(On why the chip on his shoulders is bigger after making the 53-man roster)

"When I was trying out for the team, it was me, it was me trying to take advantage of an opportunity, but now that they believed in me twice, it's not just me anymore, it's a team, it's a fan base, it's the culture, it's the managers, [and] it's everybody, so it's not just me anymore. That chip has to multiply in size, not just for me, but big enough for everybody."

(On the mentality of the rookie class)

"[We] have some big shoes to fill. I'm sure every rookie feels that way. We have some very large shoes to fill. You know, I feel pressure just from having Shaq [Barrett's] number, so it's a lot of pressure but it's an honor to have such a huge pressure. I wouldn't call it a burden, but just to have an enormous amount of pressure on you like that to go win games and go win a Super Bowl, that's the dream."

(On when he found out he was given OLB Shaquil Barrett's old number)

"Honestly, I found out on Twitter. I was on Twitter and people were saying, '[I] was representing Shaq's old number.' I was like, 'Oh my God, he did have that number.' I hope I make him proud, and I hope I make everybody who believes in me proud."

-BUCCANEERS-