HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On when he will name team captains)

"Monday."

(On whether next week will operate like a normal game week plus a bonus practice on Monday)

"Yes."

(On his early thoughts on the Cincinnati Bengals)

"[They are] talented, you know, extremely talented, obviously, [on] both sides of the ball. The additions of Jonathan Allen, obviously Dexter [Lawrence], and you've got the [wide] receivers they've got and the quarterback they have, the running back they have, huge offensive line…[They are] tough up front. It's going to be a challenge."

(On whether Bengals RB Chase Brown is underrated)

"He is. He is. He's a very good player [in the] run and pass game."

(On what he likes about new CB Kevin Knowles)

"[He's a] heck of a special teams player. With [Josh] Hayes down, we're probably short a gunner. He's a very good gunner, a very good kickoff guy."

(On the backup options at nickel cornerback)

"That would depend on game plan. It could be Zyon [McCollum], it could be [Jacob] Parrish back inside with [Benjamin] Morrison outside. It depends on the matchup and what we see. Right now, I would venture to say it would be Parrish going inside and Morrison going outside."

(On the versatility that CB Sean Murphy-Bunting provides in the secondary)

"Yeah, that's why we got him. He's so versatile. He can play corner, he can play nickel, and he played some safety last year as well. [He is] extremely intelligent and a ball hawk, so I feel a little better from a depth standpoint having him here."

(On how Murphy-Bunting looks physically)

"It's only been one day, but he looks good."

(On whether WR Emeka Egbuka and WR Jalen McMillan are progressing toward playing in Week 1)

"They're headed in the right direction – I don't know how fast. I'll have a better gauge next week. They're moving forward every day, so we'll see next week."

(On if only five or six defensive linemen would dress on game days despite the team rostering seven)

"Correct."

(On if rostering the extra defensive lineman provides him the ability to rotate players and keep them fresher throughout the duration of the season)

"Right."

(On whether changes made this offseason can help the team avoid a midseason slump)

"Well, it's a new season. You know, you go into every season thinking differently. We don't go back and say we did this or we did that…We try to forget yesterday, but we've tried some different things, training-wise, and getting up for game-wise and even some of the way we travel and some of the things we do. Only time will tell that."

(On whether the new leadership in the locker room can help avoid a midseason slump)

"The leadership has been great the last couple of years – that hasn't been the problem, but, you know, the leadership always helps. It's been the same the last couple of years as well."

(On the team's options at punt and kickoff returner)

"We haven't really named the punt returner right now. Then, kickoff, we'll see. We're still moving guys around. We've got to get guys healthy from that standpoint. But Kam [Johnson] was definitely returning punts for us last year and he can return kicks for us this year. We'll see as the week goes."

(On if RB Sean Tucker is suffering from any sort of injury after not practicing on Wednesday)

"No."

(On the importance of the additional week of practice before the start of the regular season)

"I mean, they're all important. You get a head start. It's really more of a mental thing to make sure you guys are in shape. The biggest thing is [going] from playing five or six plays in a row to a good 60-plus plays per game – that's going to be the biggest thing. [Then], seeing what the weather is and [making] sure those guys are in shape to carry that load."

(On whether the team added more win-at-all-cost players this offseason)

"I like to think every year we add players to win at all costs."

(On whether LB Josiah Trotter will start in Week 1)

"We'll see next week how 'Voss' (SirVocea Dennis) goes along, but he's making a hell of a case."

(On the decision to add TE CJ Dippre to the practice squad)

"We liked him, and the scouts liked him, and we feel like he has a chance to be something, so we just wanted to work with somebody new. We had [Devin] Culp here the past couple years, so we feel like we have a guy that [we] may be able to elevate when we want to elevate him. Culp practiced hard, and he was a good player…He kind of bulked up a little more this offseason, but for what we need and the type and style of offense we're running with the jet motion and everything, we feel like this guy is a better fit."

(On the decision to move on from some practice squad players who had been with the team for several years in an effort to get a few newer, fresh faces in the mix)

"Well, you want to try to keep it fresh, but at the same time, everybody is playing with the same guys. You're not going to grab 16 guys off the street and say these guys are our practice squad players. These guys that we have now have been in our system. They understand it. We feel like they can go in in a pinch and go play if people go down. But, adding a few more kind of helped us out because we were able to add them, and hopefully that got us better."

(On whether WR Chris Godwin Jr. looks like he is back to his true form)

"He looks good. He looked good all summer. He looked good in the spring. He's in tip-top shape, and he's ready to go. So, yeah, he looks very good to me. He looks like he's himself."

(On what he wants players to do over the next few days before returning for practice on Monday)

"The injured guys have got to get healthy, and the other guys, you know, we've got to get in shape. They understand that. They've got to go out and run a little bit and do some of those things while they take it easy because when we come back, it's time to go. Some of them will watch film and get a head start like they have this week, and those are pretty much leisure things. Other than that, they have their time off."

(On Special Teams Coordinator Danny Smith's impact on the coaching staff)

"I think Danny shares more stories with me than I do with him [laughs]. I might get an if, and or a but in there, but Danny kind of takes control of that conversation. [The conversations] have been outstanding. He has so much football knowledge, not just special teams, all the way around. He worked with Coach [Joe] Gibbs as well, and I played for Coach Gibbs, so we have a lot of stories to share that way. His knowledge of the game and how he sees players and how he can use players and just how he can help players has been outstanding. I think it's been an uplift in the special teams room and [I am] very happy we got him."

(On how many games a good special teams unit can win for a team in a season)

"Three to four."

(On CB Benjamin Morrison's availability entering the regular season)

"He's healthy, so that's a good thing. He's healthy right now. He's got to stay healthy, obviously, but that's a good thing. He played special teams, and he played defense last game for a half, so that was very encouraging. He looks fresh – knock on wood that he stays that way. If he gets time at the position and he gets the rust off of him, he can really help us."

(On whether his defensive philosophy could change if the team can consistently generate pressure with four pass rushers)

"It can definitely change, and hopefully it can and it will change. If we can get there with four, that allows us to do a lot of things coverage-wise. You have it in your back pocket if you need it, but hopefully if the four guys are humming, I don't need it."

(On whether that was his approach in Super Bowl LV against Kansas City, when the team was able to pressure the quarterback without needing to blitz often)

"If you looked at the first quarter, we showed about three or four [blitz looks], and they were kind of from a different angle where you couldn't tell we were blitzing, but we showed it…Once you show it, the threat of the blitz is more dangerous than the blitz itself. So, I mean, the Super Bowl game was a while ago, but those guys started humming up front, and I didn't have to."

DEFENSIVE BACK KEIONTE SCOTT

(On preparing for his first regular season game)

"Yeah, honestly, just focus on just preparing and being in the moment right now and just continuing to learn as much as I can, soak up all the game, and then ultimately getting ready to play in the first game."

(On how getting more reps in practice has been helpful for his game)

"Yeah, very appreciative of that, just to get the time in there to get the reps. Obviously, in this league, it's more so about what you see and how many times you've seen it. So, to get those reps has been super helpful for me to just slow things down and be able to have some more film time, extra film time and looking at things and seeing where I did right, where I did bad and ultimately helping me change and critique myself."

(On the difference he sees in himself as a player since May)

"Ultimately, just the small little details. You come in off of a decent year, thinking you're a hotshot [and] you know a lot. Then you get into a scheme, and it's small, small detail things. Just focusing on those smaller detail things is my biggest thing and what I'm focused on now."

(On his ability to play multiple positions and the challenges that come with that)

"Yeah, ultimately it just goes back to my mindset coming in, just being ready and being open to any opportunity I was given. I feel like in that mindset now is just talking about, 'Okay, if it's this position, what [are] the needs and wants out of that position?' Just breaking all those things down and kind of just trying to break things down and slow it down for myself is the biggest thing."

(On what he has learned from Head Coach Todd Bowles so far)

"Yeah, I would say ultimately, he's been a super great experience. I'm loving the scheme. Just ultimately, he's a super big football guy, so to get in and be at the professional level and just see how many different changes in the smaller-detail things are inside of the game is just ultimately like a big challenge for myself. Coach Bowles has been super calm. Just small little things, [he's] been able to correct and pull me to the side, being able to talk about it then. That's just the biggest thing - just building our relationship and then understanding what he wants out of the defense, what the looks he's trying to give off and different things like that. So just constantly communicating with him."

CORNERBACK SEAN MURPHY-BUNTING

(On what it's like to be back in Tampa Bay and be reunited with some of his former teammates)

"Yeah, there's a handful. I was able to see them, say what's up. It was cool. Obviously, they embraced me well - that goes for everybody in here, they embraced me well. Familiar faces with the coaches too. It feels comfortable. It feels [like] home. It feels right. [I'm] just going to stick to what I can do and be ready and available for whatever the team needs."

(On the process of coming back to Tampa Bay)

"Honestly, the process was pretty seamless. When I was speaking with my agent, as far as destinations and places to go, Tampa was really... I want to say first on my list - well, it was, so I'm saying it anyway. Just like you said, just being familiar, knowing the staff, knowing some of the players, knowing the culture and what it brings, and knowing the standard that wearing this logo and this uniform - the standard that it holds. It means a lot to me, a lot to my heart. I'm here, and like I said, I'm happy to be here. I'm blessed to be here in whatever situation that is. I'm looking forward to the season and [look] forward to what I can do to help however they may need it."

(On his conversations about coming back to Tampa Bay with Head Coach Todd Bowles)

"He started off saying, 'What's up, old man?' So, I said it back to him because we're both…I guess we're both pretty old in this league. But, it was really natural. It felt like we picked up conversation from the last time we spoke. Nothing was forced.  He talked about how good this team is and how good of a position they're in and the players that they have and how I can just be a part of the puzzle. So, I think the first conversation obviously went well. But again, it was very natural, very seamless. That's the same with (General Manager) Jason [Licht], and same with everybody. The relationships that I've built here, obviously, are still going strong, so that's obviously a [testament] to them bringing me in and that's a [testament] to just myself of just being the person that I am all the time. Nothing [has] changed. No matter the circumstance or the situation so, like I said, blessed for those people in my corner and blessed to be a part of this program."

(On his versatility as a player)

"I'm a 'DB' (defensive back), so [whatever] you take that as, that's what I am. I feel like I can play pretty much anywhere in the secondary. I'm obviously most comfortable being closer to the line of scrimmage so corner, nickel. I did play a bit of safety in the role where I was in Arizona. So, like I said, whatever they need, I feel like I can do."

(On the impact the veterans had on him during his first stint in Tampa Bay and if he can see himself in that role now)

"Yeah, absolutely. When I came in, there was Carlton Davis [III], M.J. Stewart, Vernon Hargreaves. [It's] different, obviously, learning from those guys in that position. Carlton, obviously, was a big reason and mentor for me too, just meshing. Same with Vernon and same with M.J. Everybody kind of gives you their two cents in many different ways. So, it was cool. Coming back, obviously being around Zyon [McCollum], my locker is right back next to Zyon. He was one of my young guys, so it's just been pretty cool to be around him again. They're a really young room, so however I can kind of give my two cents. I've played in different systems. I've been around different teams. I've been in this system. I've had success in this system. Everybody [has] had failures as well. I feel like I've dealt with a lot, given the situation that I've been in. I told them, earlier today, however I can help them in that mindset, as far as being mentally strong for it, physically strong for it, whatever it may be. I'm just a conversation away."

-BUCCANEERS-