Bauer Sharp Score
During the red zone period, seventh-round pick Baur Sharp snagged a touchdown from Baker Mayfield. On the play, Sharp was lined up in the slot and ran a square out route. The tight end was left in a vacant zone and right when he cut at a 90-degree angle towards the sideline and turned the upper part of his body, Mayfield delivered the ball right on the tight end's chest. Sharp entered the portal and transferred to LSU in 2025 and amassed 24 receptions for 252 yards, with a 10.5 average per catch. He is a rancorous blocker with a solid pad level and is a threat on underneath routes. He hits the gas in-and-out of breaks and pairs agility with alignment flexibility to create another viable target for Mayfield.
"The thing he is showing is his athleticism and that is what we are most excited about right now," said Head Coach Todd Bowles on Sharp. "I want to see him in pads and I want to see what the blocking and everything else looks like."
Tez Johnson Theatrics
On Thursday at the AdventHealth Training Center, receiver Tez Johnson put on a show. He had several notable catches during the team's second training camp practice, including a touchdown during 11-on-11. Aligned on the far right side of the formation, Johnson immediately turned on the jets and accelerated off his release. He burned past the defender, leaving him in recovery trail mode on the post route. Jake Browning heaved a bomb down the field and as Johnson angled towards the goal post, he plucked the ball for a score and celebrated with a flip in the back of the end zone. The second-year player is electric with the ball in his hands and is a weapon for Zac Robinson to maximize. Johnson has the shiftiness for a complex route tree and excels on jet sweeps, end arounds and off motions. He is challenging to bring down after the catch and uses leverage/fakes to force defensive backs to open their hips. Johnson adds juice to the offense and made an impact on Thursday.
Alex Anzalone Coverage Ability
Alex Anzalone became a defensive force in coverage on Thursday, notably during the red zone periods. Whether against running backs or tight ends, Anzalone blanketed, forcing the signal-caller to look elsewhere in the progression. He has the athletic ability to cover backs or tight ends down the seam and has outstanding fluidity in space on drops. Anzalone has taken on the role of field general for the Bucs' retooled defense and even made a timeout call during one of the final periods of Thursday's practice. He has exceptional range and has the speed to thrive as a blitzer, along with the ability to squeeze routes from zone. In 2025, the Bucs struggled to defend running backs out of the flat or tight ends over the middle of the field, and throughout camp, Anzalone has bolstered the middle of the defense with his multi-faceted skillset and leadership.
"Alex is a hell of a man cover guy and he [Bucky Irving] is a heck of a receiver and [Anzalone] does not panic out there like most guys do at the 'backer spot," described Bowles. "He kind of covers like a safety and he has very good awareness and headiness about that and you are looking at two good athletes play, and Alex just won that one."
