Inside Bucs OTAs 5-31: Sapp Helps Hall, Bucs D-Line

On Tuesday the Bucs hit the practice field to begin their final week of voluntary OTA practices at the AdventHealth Training Center. The third open practice to the media took place under sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 80s.

This might have been the lightest attended OTA so far, as several prominent veterans were absent, including quarterback Tom Brady. Other notable absences include offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Donovan Smith, wide receivers Mike Evans and Russell Gage, Jr. and running back Leonard Fournette.

On defense, outside linebackers Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, defensive tackles Vita Vea and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, inside linebacker Devin White and safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. were absent. Outside linebacker Anthony Nelson, inside linebacker Grant Stuard and cornerback Don Gardner were present, but held out due to injuries. Cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Sean Murphy-Bunting showed up for the first OTA that was open to the media.

News broke after practice that the Bucs signed veteran defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. This likely means the end of Ndamukong Suh’s time in Tampa Bay.

QB Killa Helps Hall

One big name that was in attendance on Tuesday was Bucs legend Warren Sapp. The Hall of Fame defensive tackle was in town at Todd Bowles’ request to work with rookie defensive tackle Logan Hall and other defensive linemen.

“Me and him have a good relationship,” Bowles said. “I wanted to bring him in to teach the D-linemen a few things. Coach Rodgers and Coach Lo were all for it, so I thought it would be a good idea to learn from a guy who’s done it recently – or more recently than the coaches have. And it would be good for the guys to hear and see a different perspective.”

Sapp spent the individual period portion of practice working with the defensive linemen as they did hoop drills and bag drills. Hall, the team’s first draft pick this year, received extra attention from Sapp during practice. Bowles has had about a month to work with Hall and has been really impressed with what he’s seen from the rookie thus far.

“We like the athleticism,” Bowles said. “He’s learning how to play with his pads lower, taking on double teams and understanding when to drop his knee and not just bounce up rushing the passer. He’s a very good athlete. We haven’t had that kind of athlete in a while since we’ve been here. We just look forward to him getting better and better scheme-wise and then taking advantage of his athleticism.”

Bowles gave Hall some nice praise, but certainly not as high as the praise dished out by defensive lineman Will Gholston. On last Thursday’s Pewter Report Podcast, the 10-year veteran said Hall was “more athletic than J.J. Watt in his prime.”

It was interesting that Vea wasn’t on hand for Tuesday’s workout with Sapp present. Sapp has been a vocal critic of Vea’s play in the past.

Backup QB Battle Enters Week 3

There were two different types of play from quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask on Tuesday. Gabbert went with his typical routine of hitting the short and intermediate passes underneath, then throwing to veteran players like Cam Brate when he wanted to move the ball down the field.

Trask on the other hand tried to force too many plays. He was able to throw the ball into tight windows last week, but didn’t have the same kind of success this time around. Trask constantly threw the ball into traffic, allowing the defense to record at least three pass breakups. One came from rookie Zyon McCollum when defending Scotty Miller. Logan Ryan dropped a pass thrown by Trask that should have gone for an interception.

Although Gabbert was more consistent of the two, he did have the only interception of the day. His pass was tipped by a defender and then picked off by safety Troy Warner.

Trask did bounce back in the second half of practice, connecting on a deep ball during 7-on-7s to Scotty Miller for a touchdown. Bowles thought that Trask looked good again out there.

“His accuracy has been good, but again, we’re in shorts and t-shirts,” Bowles said. “They know they’re not going to get hit. The accuracy is going to be good from every quarterback. He’s picking up the scheme well. He’s making all the right reads right now. We’re getting to see him in some competitive periods that’s making him make some quick decisions. We like what we see.”

Huge Day For Bucs Tight Ends

Of all the players that were participating on Tuesday, it was the tight ends that balled out. Cam Brate probably led the Bucs in receptions during team drills. He and Gabbert were on the same page all morning as they teamed up for one of the longest completions over the middle on a catch and run.

In red zone drills, Brate showed why this part of the game is his bread and butter as he made a tough reception in the end zone for a touchdown. Codey McElroy also showed up at practice making some good catches down the field. He did a nice job of creating separation for himself and making just enough room to complete the play. McElroy has always been a solid receiver, he just needs to be more physical.

One tight end that didn’t particularly have a good day was rookie J.J. Howland. He dropped an easy ball to him on a short route and showed his frustration right after. He had another drop the week before.

Other pass catchers that impressed once again was Scotty Miller. Along with his deep ball touchdown, Miller nearly juked Carlton Davis III out of his shoes early on and made a diving catch on another play to stay in bounds. Miller received a high-five from Sapp, who was happy with his play. Jaelon Darden also took another catch to the house by getting past the defensive backs.

Bucs Edge Rusher Competition Continues 

The competition rages on for the fourth outside linebacker position. With neither Barrett or Tryon-Shoyinka there, it opened up opportunities for other players.

Cam Gill and Elijah Ponder each recorded a “would be” sack on the day. Gill used his trademark speed to get by offensive tackle Fred Warner on the left side. Ponder did his work on the right side and stunted towards the middle.

Besides the occasional big play from Brate or Miller, the defense was pretty sound in their coverage. A lot of that had to do with having most of the starers in the secondary available. Many veterans missed this practice, but the secondary was well represented with Davis, Jamel Dean, Murphy-Bunting, Logan Ryan, Keanu Neal and Mike Edwards all there.

 

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