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

Tristan Wirfs remains in the building for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... kind of.

Sep 2, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) and guard John Molchon (75) work out at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

It was the first day in pads for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and with the pop of contact comes some new observations from Day 5 of camp.

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

Tristan Wirfs takes team drills off... but don't fret

Pads were on today, and Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs did in fact participate fully in team drills — but he opted to not participate when it came to 11v11 work. That shouldn't be incredibly surprising, as he's holding out for a new contract at the moment and likely remembers what happened to Ryan Jensen in 2022.

That being said, it seems the two sides are close to getting a deal done. Wirfs told media on Monday that the two sides have come quite a long way these past few days and that only "little things" remain. That stuff, like guaranteed money and contract length, should get taken care of soon.

The dimes continue for Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield, for the second day in a row, baked.

He was throwing some great footballs, with his ball placement perhaps better today than it has been all camp. He hit Chris Godwin on the run in the corner of the end zone and also had two beautiful throws to Cade Otton and Rachaad White, though both were dropped under pressure in tight coverage. He was also having fun out there, loudly taunting the defense when he drew them offside. And speaking of which...

READ MORE: Mike Evans Reveals Chiefs, Texans Were Potential Teams Outside of Buccaneers

Referees had their work to do

It's time for pads, and with that comes referees. And the referees had plenty to do today.

There were quite a few penalties thrown, though Todd Bowles instructed the team before practice to be as anal about the calls they were making. Nonetheless, Yaya Diaby got in offside trouble and Ko Kieft was also nabbed on a holding call on a big Sean Tucker run, among other penalties. It's good that the referees are being stringent, as it will allow the Bucs to be more disciplined going forward.

Chase McLaughlin contiinues perfect streak

Special teams make special teams, as the saying goes. And Buccaneers kicker Jake McLaughlin is doing his best to earn the phrase.

McLaughlin went perfect on field goals on Day 5, continuing a streak from Day 4 where he did the same thing. There's a lot to worry about for any NFL team, and the Buccaneers have had to worry about special teams for quite a bit — that doesn't seem to be the case at kicker, at least, as McLaughlin has been money so far in camp.

And finally, on the other side of the special teams coin...

Bucs try strategies for new kickoff format

The new NFL kickoff format, taken from the XFL, has a lot of variation that teams can throw in. The Buccaneers seem to at least be trying out one such format over the last two days.

The Bucs are set to have two returners in the backfield, and they're attempting a strategy when it comes to how the return team blocks. The two lines will start next to each other and can only move when the ball is caught, and it seems as if the Bucs are attempting to backpedal when the ball is caught instead of rushing forward to meet the kick team. For visual learners, it looks like this:

Good first look in pads of how the Bucs are approaching the new kickoffs! Looks like the return team is backpedaling on the catch before making contact with the kick team: pic.twitter.com/DAqnof4xhg

— River Wells (@riverhwells) July 29, 2024

It will be interesting to see if the Bucs keep doing this or if they try out anything else in camp — especially when the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town.

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

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