Bucs Best Quotes From Camp: 8/9

Here are some of the best Bucs quotes following their the team’s training camp practice on Wednesday, August 9.

Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles

On if Bucs QB Baker Mayfield will start this week:

“Yeah, he’ll start this week, Kyle [Trask] will start next week and we’ll kind of go from there.” 

On if he’s given much thought to the order of Mayfield and Trask playing:

“Not really. We’re just going and we’ll switch them out. It just happened to be that turn.”

 On if Bucs QB Kyle Trask will go in with starters at other positions or not:

“We haven’t discussed whether the starting line [are] all playing. All the other positions are up in the air. There will be some I hold out and some that play at every position.”

On which positions will have the biggest adjustment going from training camp to a game on Friday night:

“I think all of them. All of them are going to see something different. They’re going to see a different defense – Pittsburgh is always tough, whether it’s regular season or preseason. Just going against somebody else and understanding your assignment and executing is really the big thing they have to see. They can’t see color of jersey, they just have to execute like they’re in practice and that’s what we’re looking for.”

On if the roster decisions are tougher this year than last year:

“Yes, definitely. Primarily at outside linebacker. All of them can play. That’s going to be the toughest one. We have some competition at other spots, but from top to bottom, the outside linebacker room is probably the toughest one because all of these guys can play in this league.”

On his first preseason game as a player:

“My first preseason game actually was against Tampa Bay. I got a pick-six off of Steve DeBerg, so that helped me make the team pretty good [laughs]. I do remember it because it was storming and raining and we couldn’t get out of the airport that night. We had to stay overnight and then fly out the next day. I’m always fond of Tampa that way. You’re not really worried about the national anthem or the fans – you’re trying to make the team.

“You have a lot of butterflies and you know you’re going to play as a rookie – and you’re going to play all special teams. When I got the pick-six, I think I might have spiked the ball a yard after going over the end zone because I knew I had to go down on the kickoff team – I didn’t want to expend any energy. It’s exciting – as a rookie, it’ll be exciting. It’s a matter of who manages their emotions well and who can play under the lights.”

Bucs Cornerback Jamel Dean

On how training camp is going so far and how it’s different from last year:

Bucs CBs Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I feel like my camp is going pretty [well]. My technique is finally coming together. Compared to last year, I feel like I’m a lot smarter now and I’m seeing the game faster. Once you go a while without [playing] football, you kind of lose your technique. That’s mainly the big difference between the two.”

On stepping into more of a leadership role for the Bucs this season:

“The younger guys, they come up to me and ask me questions. I know, on the field, I’ve got to lead by example because they’re watching me. So, they figure, ‘If I do everything he does, it should help me get to the next point in my career.’ So, it’s more leading by example [and] being in meeting rooms and explaining things like how I see it and why they should do certain things. I’m still letting them play their own game, but if they ask for advice, I’ll tell them.”

On what’s been working for the secondary during training camp:

“It’s more just trusting what we see. When you start seeing the same things on film and how often you keep getting beat by it, eventually you go, ‘Alright, let me just trust the coaches and just take my gambles.’ It’s not really a gamble, it’s just anticipating. I guess, yesterday, we just let it loose.”

On how he feels about people doubting the team going into this season:

“It’s definitely motivation. I’ve always been a guy that feeds on doubt, because most of the time I’ve been doubted because of my knees. It’s always a good feeling when you prove people wrong. We know what’s going on out here, but other people – since Tom [Brady] left – feel like we’re [going] to just go down a slope. I’m looking forward to proving them wrong.”

Bucs Running Back Chase Edmonds

On his first couple of weeks of training camp with the Bucs:

“It’s been great for us. It’s a learning experience for everyone on offense, because we have a new offense coming in with [Offensive Coordinator] Dave Canales, and I think the most important thing for us right now is to get the fundamentals, details down, [and] really understand how the offense works, how it’s constructed, and then kind of as you go through weeks, just advance your understanding of it little by little.”

Bucs RB Chase Edmonds and OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On what excited him about playing with the Bucs:

For me, it was just the opportunity, you know, I know how they feel about Rachaad White, but just having the fair opportunity to go win a job and try to carve out a role for myself. [I] love the veterans they have on the offense. [I] love big [Tristan] Wirfs upfront, Ryan Jensen upfront, love ‘C.G.’ (Chris Godwin), and Mike [Evans] obviously, so to be able to come in and already have continuity and winning culture is really what excited me the most.”

On having the most years of experience in the NFL compared to the rest of the running back room:

“It’s a great running back room. We all kind of have our own unique personalities, but it definitely blends well, and we are all just trying to help each other be the best that we can [be]. I always tell the guys, it’s important to hone in on fellowship, we called it fellowship when I was in Arizona, always building relationships with each other on the field, [and] off the field.

It’s about learning about your brother, learning about your teammate, because when this thing is over, it’s over, and all you’re going to have are memories. I try to reiterate to the guys, it’s good to build strong memories, strong relationships with people that you can be connected with for the rest of your life.”