Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles Gives Team Message Before Summer Break

Bowles was impressed with the team during minicamp and wants them to stay conditioned before training camp.

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles speaks during a press conference during the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed mandatory minicamp on Thursday, and now that that's done, the long break before training camp begins.

The Bucs (and every other NFL team, for that matter) are set to take a summer break before getting to training camp in what will likely be late July. By then, things will be pretty much underway in the NFL, as preseason occurs during camp and then the Bucs will be playing the Washington Commanders in Week 1 before we know it.

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Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles spoke to media after Thursday's practice, and he had a positive outlook for the team as they head into the break.

"I thought we made good progress with the learning, especially on the offensive side of the ball.," Bowles said. "The communication picked up on defense. We’ve got a lot of young guys – they need a lot of reps. A lot of them took reps today and we’re going to get a lot of reps. We’re going to get a lot more once training camp starts, but I thought it ended on a good note.”

The team had a lot of young players last year, and that's no different this year. Quite a few players from the Buccaneers' draft class, including center Graham Barton, edge rusher Chris Braswell, wideout Jalen McMillan and nickel corner Tykee Smith could end up starting or getting quite a few in-game reps, so the experience from rookie minicamp to mandatory minicamp has been invaluable.

Bowles also had a message for the players before they headed out for the break, stressing that they needed to stay conditioned and stay out of trouble before training camp.

“Just the understanding of what we have ahead of us. We play both Super Bowl teams, we play everybody that was in the championship game, plus the division itself and some other teams," Bowles said. "We’re going to have a hell of a schedule. We know how hot it’s going to be in summer, [so] it’s really just coming back in shape, ready to compete. There’s a lot of things that can happen between here and next month — don’t be that guy getting in trouble.”

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Training camp dates haven't been officially announced yet, but it will likely begin during the last week of July, if previous years have been an indication. The team will hold joint training camp with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins during its preseason slate.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

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