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USA Today
01-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Buccaneers training camp Day 8 medical updates: Mayfield misses practice
The Bucs roster has reported to Tampa Bay, and as a result, they have started their journey into the 2025 season. It starts at home in Tampa Bay, but they hope it ends on the road in Santa Clara, where they have a chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in five years. The worst part of football, especially during training camp, is waiting for injury updates as they occur or as players attempt to return from injuries sustained the previous season. In the case of the Bucs, they had to battle the injury bug more than they did any divisional opponent. It will make monitoring injuries throughout camp a big part of our coverage here on Bucs Wire over the next couple of weeks. After day eight, several Bucs missed practice, most notably Baker Mayfield, but other big names as well.
USA Today
01-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bucs training camp notebook, Day 8: Offensive and defensive line battle
The Bucs roster has reported to Tampa Bay, and as a result, they have started their journey into the 2025 season. It starts at home in Tampa Bay, but they hope it ends on the road in Santa Clara, where they have a chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in five years. The worst part of football, especially during training camp, is waiting for injury updates as they occur or as players attempt to return from injuries sustained the previous season. In the case of the Bucs, they had to battle the injury bug more than they did any divisional opponent. It will make monitoring injuries throughout camp a big part of our coverage here on Bucs Wire over the next couple of weeks. After day seven, the veterans stole the show in a variety of ways at Bucs training camp. Defensive and offensive lines go at it Early on in Friday's practice, the Bucs' defensive front was getting all sorts of penetration and pressure on the Bucs' backfield. The offensive line struggled some with what Todd Bowles was throwing at them, and despite it, Josh Grizzard's unit found a way to get some of their own. While Haason Reddick, Vita Vea, and others were generating pressure, it was Cody Mauch and Graham Barton who were adapting and adjusting to their game. The offensive line is going to be tested time and again in 2025, especially while Tristan Wirfs is recovering from his knee injury. Seeing them give each other licks early on is suitable for both of them, but especially the offense. Remove the bad reps now so that when the regular season starts, they are ready for their demanding schedule from the beginning. Kyle Trask shines without Baker Mayfield Baker Mayfield missed practice on Friday with a hand injury that isn't expected to be significant. In his place, Kyle Trask got some much-needed first-team reps as only he and rookie Connor Bazelak were healthy passers on Friday. Trask made several good throws according to reports from those who watched practice, including one out of the gate to Mike Evans. From there, Trask made some mistakes, but he played with a confidence down the stretch that folks have not seen from him since his final year with the Florida Gators. Mayfield is expected back soon, so the reps will be gone for Trask, but this could be something where if he starts in a pinch, it helps him down the road. Benjamin Morrison's hip looks healed and then some Benjamin Morrison fell to the second round of the NFL Draft after a hip injury ended his final year at Notre Dame early. Whenever a cornerback has a hip injury, it raises questions, and as a result, he went from being a top ten pick to a value for the Bucs. Through nearly ten days of training camp, Morrison is looking like the steal of the draft. He has been giving fits to veterans like Mike Evans and keeping rookies like Emeka Egbuka in check in coverage as well. While the team struggles to figure out their identity, Morrison is doing his best to show he is worthy of being a starting outside corner for years to come within this defense.
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Buccaneers training camp notebook, Day 7: Veterans dominate news day
The Bucs roster has reported to Tampa Bay, and as a result, they have started their journey into the 2025 season. It starts at home in Tampa Bay, but they hope it ends on the road in Santa Clara, where they have a chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in five years. The worst part of football, especially during training camp, is waiting for injury updates as they occur or as players attempt to return from injuries sustained the previous season. In the case of the Bucs, they had to battle the injury bug more than they did any divisional opponent. It will make monitoring injuries throughout camp a big part of our coverage here on Bucs Wire over the next couple of weeks. After day seven, the veterans stole the show in a variety of ways at Bucs training camp. Former Bucs are all over Bucs training camp Former Bucs defender Robert Ayers is with the Bucs in 2025 as a coaching assistant through the NFL's coaching program. Ayers played with the Bucs for two seasons and has some connections to current players, including Lavonte David. Joining Ayers with the Bucs at training camp is another former player turned front office member in Cameron Brate. The Harvard graduate is back in Tampa Bay and has been seen at practices, but with no designation for his presence. On Thursday, it was announced he is a part of the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship program in the NFL. The fan favorite tight end will now be working with Jason Licht in the front office, with the rest of his staff in 2025. Jamel Dean makes a bold comparison for the Bucs in 2025 Jamel Dean has been rumored all offseason to be a target for the Bucs to shed salary cap spending in one way or another. Whether it be through a release or trade, not many people are counting on Dean to be on the Bucs in Week 1 in 2025. Despite that, Dean is preparing for the best season of his career by changing his diet and altering his recovery. Apart from his diet and recovery, Dean is also focusing on the build of the team, and it is reminding him of the Bucs Super Bowl LV team. We have heard this from others but now Dean is throwing his hat into the ring ib believing in what he is seeing from this team. Mike Evans feeling 'grateful' has us on alert Okay Bucs fans, this may be tough to hear, but could we be seeing the last year of Mike Evans in the NFL and in a Tampa Bay uniform? Speaking to the media, Evans made a statement that sounded a lot like someone who knows something that no one else does. Evans said, 'I just feel like I'm just more grateful, I've always been grateful, but I have a different type of gratitude now as I'm getting up there in experience. And, you know, watching the young guys, and that motivates me, and winning motivates me.' Perhaps Jason Licht was let in on this, and that is why the team pulled the trigger on drafting Emeka Egbuka in round one back in April.
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Buccaneers training camp Day 7 medical updates: Lavonte David sits out
The Bucs roster has reported to Tampa Bay, and as a result, they have started their journey into the 2025 season. It starts at home in Tampa Bay, but they hope it ends on the road in Santa Clara, where they have a chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in five years. The worst part of football, especially during training camp, is waiting for injury updates as they occur or as players attempt to return from injuries sustained the previous season. In the case of the Bucs, they had to battle the injury bug more than they did any divisional opponent. It will make monitoring injuries throughout camp a big part of our coverage here on Bucs Wire over the next couple of weeks. After day seven, several Bucs missed practice, but it is one leader on defense that has everyone's attention.
USA Today
29-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Buccaneers training camp notebook, Day 5: Emeka Egbuka continues to impress
The Bucs roster has reported to Tampa Bay, and as a result, they have started their journey into the 2025 season. It starts at home in Tampa Bay, but they hope it ends on the road in Santa Clara, where they have a chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in five years. The worst part of football, especially during training camp, is waiting for injury updates as they occur or as players attempt to return from injuries sustained the previous season. In the case of the Bucs, they had to battle the injury bug more than they did any divisional opponent. It will make monitoring injuries throughout camp a big part of our coverage here on Bucs Wire over the next couple of weeks. After day five, plays continued to be made on both sides of the ball, but one new addition to the team continues to turn heads as we head into the second calendar week of training camp. Emeka Egbuka continues to make plays The Bucs were already considered to have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and then they drafted Emeka Egbuka. The first-round pick out of Ohio State was considered by many to be the most pro-ready wide receiver in the class and early on in camp he has proved that. He has made acrobatic catches, shown good awareness on the sideline and back of the endzone, and also become a favorite target of Baker Mayfield. Every day, it seems there is a new play being made that is being talked about by the media, but now the team is sharing clips on social media. While everyone waits for Chris Godwin Jr. to return and Jalen McMillan to emerge as the WR3 after having that role in 2024, Egbuka is making that decision hard on Todd Bowles. If there is a continued connection with Mayfield and the former Buckeye as camp roles on, someone is going to be left in the cold. Bucs watching Calijah Kancey in the best way possible The Bucs want to see what a 17-game version of Calijah Kancey looks like, both to their benefit and the detriment of opposing offenses. He broke out in 2024 with a dominant second half but a slow first half of the season coming off a calf injury hampered things. Now, in 2025, the Bucs are hoping to see what a 17-game version of him looks like, which includes Vita Vea. Kancey's linemate spoke about the work that the former Pittsburgh Panther has done this offseason and heading into the new year. Vea says, "I expect big things from him, he has shown a lot," said Vea. "Especially from OTAs to minicamp to now, he has shown a lot of upsides in how he is playing, and how much he has learned in the past couple of years. I am excited to see what he does this year, and I expect nothing but big things from him." Baker Mayfield's contract a sign of things to come? Baker Mayfield received a bonus of sorts on Monday when his contract with the Bucs was revised to include more guaranteed money. Now, $30 of his $40 million in 2025 will be guaranteed and it sets him up to make a good payday in the coming months, or after the season. The Bucs have seen their franchise take everything to the next level as a whole, is locking it up the next step? Like most contracts, the sooner a team can lock someone up the better which makes it interesting this isn't a full scale extension. Jason Licht and his front office will lock up Mayfield eventually, but for how much? The quarterback market in 2027 is not the strongest so Mayfield would get more money thrown his way. That being said though, look for Mayfield to be paid like a top ten quarterback sooner rather than later.
