@jayRecher
I did this last year and every time I get a chance to get out to Training Camp, I'm going to try and do it again!!
Here are my 10 takeaways from Camp today :
1) I know Bruce Arians said Jameis was consistent today, but that might be a little bit of coach-speak. Jameis overthrew some receivers and then threw into double coverage at other times. Blaine Gabbert looked solid once again but make no mistake, this is Jameis' job to lose. Speaking of that, this COULD be the final Training Camp for Jameis in Tampa Bay. I hope it's not, and I hope that he really finds his stride this year under Arians' offense, but this being his last season under center for the Bucs is a real possibility if he doesn't play well this year.
2) You know it's not good when the coach says you need to be a little more grimy with the football. 2nd year man out of Penn, Justin Watson, is getting a lot of opportunities in Camp but is not making the most of them. A couple of drops today, and Arians even said that he fumbled one as well. With Humphries and D Jax gone, other guys need to step up and fill that void, and Watson has not had the strongest starts at Camp.
3) Donovan Smith wasn't in pads today as Coach Arians said he was dealing with a minor Achilles injury that wasn't too serious. Safety Orion Stewart went down with what looked like to be a leg injury and had to be carted off the field.
4) The Bucs have been solid, not spectacular, when it comes to returning punts with the departed Adam Humphries filling that role last year. It'll be interesting to see who Arians deploys there this season. He had Vernon Hargreaves, Scotty Miller, Bobo Wilson and Spencer Schnell back there today. Hargreaves did have a nice INT today too, picking off Jameis on a pass intended for Breshad Perriman.
5) Ronald Jones is still a work in progress catching the ball out of the backfield, but I really liked how he looked a lot more decisive in his runs today. No shuffling his feet at the line, it was just one cut and GO! A lot of pessimism when it comes to the 2nd year back out of USC, but today I saw a glimpse of what people in the organization are talking about when it comes to Jones' improvement.
6) Cool to see Titus O'Neil out there today, as well as USF AD Michael Kelly and new President David Currall. Team Tampa Bay is strong!!
7) Ndamukong Suh really is a beast in the middle. There are certain plays in practice that just can't be executed because he causes so much disruption at the line. Early signs are good for the new #93.
8) Another guy who stood out to me was rookie LB Devin White. You saw #45 all around the field making plays today and the bond between he and Lavonte David already looks strong. It's not going to be so easy to run up the gut against Tampa Bay this year, and these two and Suh are going to be a big reason why.
9) Mike Evans is a handful. Yes, Jameis missed him on some balls but there were others were Jameis made a good throw and there was some illegal contact from the DBs. That'll be called during game action so it won't be a negative on Winston's ledger even though it looks bad out here. The young DBs going against Evans is certainly a tough test for them, but it'll only prepare them for the multiple games against guys like Julio Jones and Michael Thomas this season.
10) Last, but certainly not least. It is absolutely refreshing to hear Bruce Arians speak after a day of Training Camp. He's candid, insightful and not afraid to place blame on players if they're not picking up the slack. That sort of accountability will go a long way in changing the culture of this team. Also, even though he's considered an offensive guru, the way he talks about the defensive side of the ball really gives you a detailed description of what he's looking for.
Can't wait to see what the rest of Camp holds! As always, make sure you follow us on Twitter @953WDAE and head on over to 953wdae.com for the Best Bucs Coverage. Len Martez, Jason Barringer and the fellas have done a phenomenal job so far, so make sure you follow them as well @LMart810 and @JasonABarringer