Buccaneers Left Tackle is 'Rolling' After Practicing Day One Of Training Camp

To much surprise, Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs was a full participant during the team's first training camp practice of the season.

Aug 20, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Will he? Won't he? There were questions surrounding Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs on whether he would continue his "hold in" from OTA's and mandatory minicamp into the start of training camp. Sources close to the team insinuated that Wirfs would likely take part in warm-ups and individual drills but that Wirfs would be sitting out to prevent possible injury when it came to team drills like 11-on-11s and 7-on-7s.

Well, Wirfs surprised many when it came to team periods and he was still out there at left tackle. He put the questions to bed early on whether he would practice with his teammates without a long-term deal in place. And while it remains to be seen if that carries over to padded practices, he'll be out there initially, hopefully with a contract resolution soon in sight.

One person who was not surprised was Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, who took a wait-and-see approach when speaking to our own JC Allen last week on the Pirate Paraly podcast but noted Wirfs' love of the game as to why he was out there as a full participant today.

“I’m not surprised to see it", Bowles said. "He loves the game, he loves to play, he loves his teammates. He did a good job today.”

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Bowles was asked as a follow-up if there are any adjustments to Wirfs' schedule when pads come on and if a contract isn't done and he replied “No, he’s rolling.” That indicates that Wirfs may choose to practice when pads come on even without a deal being made.

Wirfs draft classmate Antoine Winfield Jr. had contract negotiations of his own this offseason before signing a record-setting deal to make him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. He said Wednesday that he admires Wirfs and it says a lot about his character that he is out there with his teammates without a deal in place.

“It says a lot about his character," Winfield Jr said. "Tristan loves playing football. That’s one thing I admire about him. He tries not to let that get to him. You understand that it’s a business at the end of the day and I think they’re going to work things out. I hope Tristan gets everything that he deserves.”

What Wirfs deserves is likely what he'll get, which is becoming the highest-paid left tackle in league history, resetting the market and securing long-term guarantees to keep him in a Bucs uniform for the foreseeable future. Star wide receiver Mike Evans went through contract negotiations of his own last season with one year left on his deal, and while he hasn't spoken to Wirfs about a contract, he stated just how badly the Bucs need to get something done.

"He's one of our best players, if not the best player we have," Evans said. " We need him... bad. Hopefully we get that right."

The Bucs have let players routinely finish out their final year of deal and did so with Evans and Winfield Jr. last season, as well as Carlton Davis, Chris Godwin and Jamel Dean. However, Wirfs may be different, as the level of success he has achieved in four short years may want the Bucs to lock him up now instead of having him play out his rookie deal. It will likely cost an investment of around $30 million per year, but as Evans said, the Bucs need him badly, if they want to compete for a fifth consecutive division title and a Super Bowl in 2024.

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