5 Key Takeaways From Day 3 of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp 2024

Here's what we saw from the action at Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp on Day 3:

River Wells | Jul 26, 2024

Jul 25, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws the ball during training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The first set of training camp days is complete, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed their third day on Friday. Now, the players will get some rest, but the team will be right back at it after a day off when camp resumes on Sunday.

As always, BucsGameday was there in person to report on the action, and we've got five takeaways for you down below:

Baker Mayfield's deep ball woes

Baker Mayfield's deep ball has been a point of contention among Buccaneers fans and NFL pundits alike, and while it's been decent these first two days of camp, it was a little rougher in Day 3.

Mayfield missed quite a few deep balls, with two intended for Trey Palmer — the first one Palmer may have lost in the air, but the second was overthrown in double coverage. Mayfield also had Jalen McMillan open on a deep ball during the middle of the first 11v11 period and wasn't quite able to get him on it.

Mayfield improved a bit in this aspect later in the year last year, but this is something to watch as he enters Year 2 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Turnovers galore

There were a lot of turnovers in camp Friday.

John Wolford threw three interceptions, the first over the middle to linebacker Antonio Grier Jr., the second to cornerback Keenan Isaac over the middle and the third to nickel corner Tavierre Thomas on the left side of the field (more on that later). Additionally, Grier Jr. had a fumble recovery in the middle of 11v11s, which solidified a solid day from him.

That's something Todd Bowles will hope to clean up, obviously, but it's somewhat encouraging that these things didn't happen with the first-team lineup.

Sterling Shepard's strong camp continues

Sterling Shepard impresses once more. He had two more touchdowns this time around, and while the two yesterday came in 7v7s, these two came during 11v11s — and one of them was a nice catch under pressure in the back-center of the end zone.

Whether or not Shepard makes the initial 53-man roster remains to be seen, but he's certainly making a case for himself going forward.

Tavierre Thomas remains a standout

We mentioned Tavierre Thomas earlier, and it's because he keeps making plays.

Thomas has had two picks so far this training camp and is the only player with multiple. He's mostly been playing with second and third teams, getting his interceptions on John Wolford, but in a nickel corner competition with a lot of impressive names in the mix, he appears to be standing out. It's early, but we'll see if he can get some more reps with the first team going forward.

Too many penalties

Todd Bowles mentioned that the Tampa Bay heat can lead to a temporary loss of discipline, and it seemed like that was on display on Friday.

There were a few penatlies on Friday, with two notable ones including either an offsides jump from Yaya Diaby or a false start from Luke Goedeke (depending on whose yells you believe) and a pretty rough false start from Trey Palmer late into 11v11 work. These things happen, and the team will likely begin bringing referees when the pads come on to help mitigate this problem.

Stick with BucsGameday for more FREE coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout training camp.

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Published Jul 26, 2024

RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.