### **Returns to Practice**
Tight end Cade Otton (hamstring) and receiver Tez Johnson (leg) returned to practice on Monday before the team travels to Pittsburgh for a joint practice with the Steelers. Both Otton and Johnson have missed several practices of camp but were back on the grass during the two-hour tune-up. Otton, who is proficient at both route running and blocking, ranked third in the NFL in receptions among tight ends (36), sixth in receiving yards (344), and tied for fourth in touchdown catches (3) through Week Eight last season. He exploits soft spots in zone and is as consistent as they come. Otton helped the Bucs' offense thrive in 2024 when it was at its most vulnerable due to injuries to both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. His return will bolster the offense and open up the playbook. Johnson, Tampa Bay's seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has made an impact throughout training camp with his shifty footwork, explosive speed and ability to stick his foot in the ground and accelerate on the fly. The YAC-threat adds another dimension to the Bucs' offense.
### **Breath of Fresh Air**
After shifting through a cycle of three punters in 2024, the Buccaneers brought in a reliable veteran presence in March, signing Riley Dixon. Throughout his nine-year NFL tenure, Dixon has been the model of consistency.Last season, Dixon posted a 46.7-yard gross punting average and a 42.0 net punting average on 77 kicks. It was the seventh time in nine seasons that Dixon finished with a net average above 40 yards. Tampa Bay's net punting average last season was 37.4, which ranked second-to-last in the league. Overall, Dixon has appeared in 148 regular season games and has punted 668 times for 30,687 yards, producing a career gross average of 45.9 yards and a career net of 40.9. Additionally, he has placed 231 of his punts (34.6%) inside the 20, as compared to just 42 touchbacks. When asked about having a punter of Dixon's caliber opposite kicker Chase McLaughlin, Head Coach Todd Bowles called the dynamic duo a "breath of fresh air."
"It is a very good comfort knowing that you have a punter that can flip the field and change field positions for you and that you are not starting at midfield or anything like that," noted Bowles. "We still have to cover but he has been a welcome addition. He places it right, he hangs it and he puts it deep so that is a big plus for us moving forward."