Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp primer

Welcome to The Pewter Plank’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp primer. Get caught up on all the offseason moves, position battles and storylines surrounding the Bucs right here.

Finally, football is back. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers veterans will report to camp on July 25 and begin their work towards the ultimate prize, the Lombardi Trophy.

It has been a long offseason and Tampa Bay has certainly made their fair share of headlines. A strong Draft class, a multitude of free agent signings and a suspension which still looms large over the franchise.

The Buccaneers are coming off of a disappointing 2017. Most pundits believed the Bucs would be a breakout candidate and finally break their playoff drought. Tampa fell flat and went 5-11. Now, everyone is on the hot seat.

With pressure rising, the 2018 season could change the future of the Buccaneers franchise. With a franchise quarterback on his last strike and the coaching staff on thin ice, Tampa needs to turn the ship around.

In this primer, Buccaneers fans can catch up on all of the information regarding training camp and preview the team before the season begins

Training Camp Dates:

Rookies Report: July 23

Veterans Reports: July 25

For all open practice dates, check here:

New faces:

The Buccaneers were busy in the offseason. They built what many believe is one of the best draft classes in the league and signed impact veterans to improve a lackluster defense. They also selected Vita Vea in the first round of the NFL Draft. Throw in three second-round selections, there will be plenty of new faces making plays for Tampa Bay.

Key Additions: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DE Vinny Curry, DT Beau Allen, C Ryan Jensen, K Chandler Catanzaro, DT Vita Vea, RB Ronald Jones, CB M.J. Stewart, CB Carlton Davis

Key losses:

RB Dough Martin, DE Robert Ayers, DT Chris Baker

Breaking down the camp battles:

Our Brian DeFeo broke down all of the Buccaneers camp battles on each side of the ball. On offense, Bucs fans should watch closely how the wideout depth chart shakes out. Same goes for the cornerback position, with two more rookies entering the fold the secondary may be in for some wholesale changes.

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Some of the biggest battles will be in the trenches. The Buccaneers offensive line has one major question mark and it’s at right guard. Third-round pick Alex Cappa, Caleb Benenoch and Evan Smith will have a heated battle to fill the final spot on the O-line.

Along the defensive line, there is so much talent, some solid players won’t be getting many snaps. Vea may have been a first-round pick, but he has a ton of competition. Players like Beau Allen and Mitch Unrein are veterans and won’t go down easy.

Here are the full breakdowns of all the Tampa Bay training camp battles:

Offensive Camp Battles

Defensive Camp Battles

Position Previews

The Pewter Plank has almost wrapped up all of the position previews. The staff has taken a look at each unit on the Buccaneers, breaking down the key factors and their outlook in 2018.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Position Previews: Tight ends

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Position Previews: Defensive line

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Position Previews: Cornerbacks

Training Camp Storylines

The Pewter Plank’s Jerry Stalheim broke down the biggest storylines in Buccaneers camp.

One of the most watched players in camp will be USC product Ronald Jones II. The rookie can become a staple in the Tampa Bay backfield. Jones’ performance will be one extremely important for the Buccaneers offense. If they can find a consistent threat on the ground, it would make life much easier for Jamies Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Next: Jason Licht's best draft picks

The improvements along the offensive line is another area Bucs fans should pay close attention too. There appears to be a strong core up front, but a few questions marks could make the unit implode.

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