The next time Joe will see the Bucs will be in about six weeks. That’s roughly when Bucs training camp kicks off and before you know it, the Bucs will be playing the Dixie Chicks to open the season.
So yesterday, the final minicamp practice was very light. It consisted of maybe 20-30 minutes of offense vs. defense. Very little. Joe already offered up some notes of that practice.
Below are some more. But only a little bit.
Lot of regulars and expected regulars were watching practice. Baker Mayfield, Vita Vea, Lavonte David and Haason Reddick all had the day off. On floppy hat patrol due to being dinged up were, among others, Tristan Wirfs, Benjamin Morrison and David Walker.
* Fourth-string quarterback Connor Bazelak hit Emeka Egbuka on a short pass to the right for a touchdown. This is slightly significant because Bazelak is the “Wild Thing” of Bucs quarterbacks. You know, the starting pitcher in “Major League” played by Charlie Sheen who, um, struggled with control? Joe is going to just be polite and say that Bazelak is challenged with accuracy. For example, in trying to throw a short pass to the right for Sterling Shepard, he one-hopped the throw like you’d see a shortstop might do, throwing to first while fielding the ball in shallow left.
* Trask flushed (saw this way too much this week) to the left and he tries to hit Payne Durham along the right sideline. Incomplete.
* Trask throws a line drive (yay!) for Dennis Houston to the left and the ball is just over the Western Illinois product’s hands.
* Trask hits Shepard over the middle on an old-school button hook route for a nice gain.
* Bazelak throws high for Shepard who skies and comes down with the ball on the left sideline.
* Trask dodges traffic (smh) and completes a pass to Devin Culp on the right side. Joe likes how Trask is avoiding defenders but man, either Trask is tipping pitches in some way or the defensive front of the Bucs practiced lights out this past week. Joe isn’t sure what it is because in underwear football, it’s a waste of time trying to analyze linemen.
* The pride of Illinois State, Tanner Taula, pulls in a Trask pass down the right seam.
* Ah, we have an appearance from long-time Bobby Knight antagonist and former Ohio State star hoopster Lawrence Funderburke. The two-sport star who had, for reasons not quite clear, some Bucs fans hot in the pants last August, picked off Bazelak much to the delight of the Bucs defense.
(No, Joe was being sarcastic. That was Tyrek Funderburk.)