Bucs Camp Insider 8/5: Godwin Debuts, Pass Rush Prevails

The Bucs returned to practice on Friday following a day off. They were back in full pads and received a nice surprise at the start of it – the return of Chris Godwin. We’ll get to that in a moment.

Still No Brady, But Veteran Bernard Returns

For the second practice in a row, Tom Brady wasn’t not present. It was reported that this was an excused practice, though. Other players out were running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, wide receiver Breshad Perriman, linebacker JoJo Ozougwu and safety Troy Warner.

Other than the huge news about Godwin, the Bucs did get another important return as running back Giovanni Bernard came back after missing the two previous camp practices.

Godwin Is Back And Moving Well

The typical stretching and warmups at the beginning were welcomed with an exciting addition with Godwin present. It was the first time since he tore his ACL against the Saints on December 19, 2021 that Godwin had been practicing with the team.

Godwin did calisthenics with the team and soon after was sprinting as practice began. Then he was jumping around in another warmup drill, looking like the knee was sturdy in the process. Following the warmups, Godwin, who wore a knee brace, caught passes from quarterback Blaine Gabbert in individual drills, mostly running 5-yard slants over the middle.

While that was most of what he did, it was a great sign that Godwin was even able to participate this early. After practice, Todd Bowles commented on how Godwin looked.

“I saw him during individual, he’s running around,” Bowles said. “That’s a whole lot different than playing football. You know, running around is a whole different thing so, we don’t have our hopes up, we’re just happy he’s making progress.”

The Bucs are going to take their time before they let Godwin participate in team drills and 11-on-11s.

“Not yet,” Bowles said on his readiness. “We’re not going to rush him. We’re just glad to see him out there working right now. As it goes on, we’ll see.”

Bucs Pass Rush Dominates The Day

Another storyline or running theme of the day was the success of the pass rush. We know how talented of a group the defensive line is, but the unit really got after it in this practice. It was mostly spearheaded by outside linebackers Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, though others got in the mix.

Early on it was JTS setting the tone with a sack on one of the first plays of 11-on-11. Barrett and Akiem Hicks then got to Gabbert on consecutive plays later on in the drill. All day the the defensive line did a fantastic job collapsing the pocket on Gabbert and Kyle Trask. The secondary deserves credit for making them hold onto the ball.

Two of the players fighting for job impressed as well. Rookie Andre Anthony showed off his speed on the left side and found himself in the face of the quarterback. Was it a sack? That one of those plays that are tough to tell in training camp. Cam Gill also had a couple of runs at the passer, causing a rushed throw.

One other great play came from another 11-on-11 session where it was good on good. Tryon-Shoyinka was involved everywhere, and one of his sacks included a great battle with Donovan Smith where he just edged him out to get to the quarterback and stop the play. That one stood out a little more than your usual sack.

O-Line vs. D-Line Pass Rush

The pass rush didn’t just stop in team drills. Going one-on-one against the offensive line may have been the most exciting part.

Vita Vea manhandled Jonathan Molchon to start things off. To Molchon’s credit, he battled back later and had a good rep against Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Nacho would not be silenced though, as went right by Luke Goedeke and was so loud that you could hear his celebration from across the street if you were standing inside Raymond James Stadium.

Donovan Smith got the better of JTS individually, but Anthony Nelson than had a great rush against Fred Johnson. Speaking of great rushes, Barrett probably had the best move of the day when he perfectly executed a spin move on Jonathan Hubbard. When Barrett went up against Smith, it was a stalemate between them.

Pat O’Connor had a successful outing. In two reps, he defeated both Luke Goedeke and Aaron Stinnie to get to the quarterback. Goedeke and Stinnie both struggled as Goedeke also fell to Deadrin Senat, while Stinnie lost a rep to Mike Greene.

Other reps included Nick Leverett getting the better of Will Gholston, and Josh Wells defeating Cam Gill on the outside.

Evans Leaves Early

Half way through practice, Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans exited back inside. It was later confirmed that he tweaked his hamstring and it’s not serious.

“I saw him walk in,” Bowles said.”He might have tweaked a hamstring, but I’ll see when I go inside.”

Gabbert Showcases Accuracy And Experience In Bucs’ System

Do Bucs fans want to see Gabbert play this year? Only in blowouts and kneel-downs. On days like Friday, however, we can appreciate the throws and the smart decisions with the football he makes. Gabbert displayed today that he is a veteran in the systems and concepts implemented by Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles. 

Two of the main instances were throws to Evans before he left practice early. On both passes, Gabbert threw deep, accurate balls to Evans, eliciting cheers from the small crowd in attendance. It’s clear that Gabbert is holding the edge over Kyle Trask, as he also has gotten the most first-team looks over the second-year quarterback from Florida.

– Adam Slivon contributed to this report

Secondary Adds More INTs

It was not just the D-line play that left a good impression. Cornerback Jamel Dean, vying to be on a starter on the outside opposite Carlton Davis III again this year, made a nice interception off a wobbly throw from Kyle Trask that bounced off of Jaelon Darden’s hands. 

Although Dean and defensive back Don Gardner both made interceptions in practice, Dean commented that they did not meet their “standards.”

“It was a great day for the defense,” Dean said. “But I mean we still did not meet our standards because we’re supposed to get five turnovers a practice. I think we got two so we didn’t meet the standards today, but it was still an overall good practice for us.”

Communication is definitely going to be a point of emphasis this year for the Bucs on that side of the ball if last year’s playoffs say anything.

“Communication is big for us because we know that many games that we lost are always because of communication,” Dean said. “It could be the one, two [plays], but that one or two makes a huge difference in the game.”

– Adam Slivon contributed to this report

Bucs Left Guard Spot Sees Some Continuity

For the second straight practice offensive lineman Nick Leverett has lined up at left guard next to Robert Hainsey. And he’s looked pretty good there. Pewter Report spoke with Leverett after Wednesday’s indoor practice, and he said playing next to Hainsey at left guard makes everything easier. Since they both know the line calls and protections, the communication across the line is seamless.

It was another good day for the two linemen trying to win a starting spot on the offensive line. Hainsey got the better of Vita Vea on a few plays, while Leverett had some great reps as well, including one in pass protection against Rakeem Nunez-Roches where he drove him out of the play.

Both interior linemen displayed the ability to disengage blockers to climb to the second level and take on linebackers. And on one play Leverett showed the speed and athleticism to get out in front of his running back on a pulling play.

– Contributed by JC Allen

Sterns Continues To Make Acrobatic Plays

Another practice, another show of athleticism for wide receiver Jerreth Sterns. With Trask throwing over the middle, Sterns soared through the air to make sure he caught it. He was fairly open on the play, this just put an exclamation point on it.

With all the talent and depth at wide receiver, it won’t be easy for Sterns, an undrafted free agent, to make the 53-man roster. But he’s a very exciting player to watch.

Another Solid Day For Borregales

Friday marked the second straight practice Jose Borregales handled all the kicking duties. He was 6-of-6 on his field goal attempts, including one from about 50 yards out. If the second-year kicker can continue to show consistency on his kicks while displaying his leg strength, the starting job may just end up being his. His next big test will be when the Dolphins come to town where he can prove he can handle the spotlight in an actual game.

– Contributed by JC Allen

The Bucs resume practice on Saturday over the weekend. PewterReport.com will continue to monitor whether Brady and Evans return for training camp by then.