Live Drill Raises Intensity at Bucs’ Camp

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers practiced six times in seven days during the second week of their training camp, most of it in full pads and under a brutal sun. The last of those six sessions was on Sunday, and one might have expected the team to be running a little low on gas by the end of it, particularly with a welcome day off on Monday beckoning.

Instead, the players produced one of the most intense workouts of the summer so far, and certainly one of the most talkative. All of that culminated in the first fully “live” drill of camp, highlighted by six very physical plays at the goal line. In fact, the players foreknowledge that the live period was waiting at the end of the two-plus-hour workout may have raised the overall competitive spirit from the very beginning of the practice.

“Oh for sure, for sure,” said safety Mike Edwards. “It started out in the first period, actually, with the one-on-ones, the competition drill. People were getting rowdy and stuff like that, so I kind of think that set it off. But when we had a live period I think that’s what set it off, definitely.”

It wasn’t just the heightened crack of the pads that made this particular practice louder than the others. There was also a good amount of jawing, especially from players on the defensive side, which has been on a roll in recent practices. Assistant Head Coach Harold Goodwin/Run Game Coordinator Harold Goodwin – filling in at the post-practice podium to give Todd Bowles a break – had no issue with the jawing back and forth.

“I just think a lot of people are talking crap, which makes practice fun,” said Goodwin. “It will be good to get Miami in here in the next couple days. But that’s training camp. There’s always going to be a squabble here or there but that’s just part of it. As long as we don’t take it too far and make it personal, we’re fine.”

The half-dozen goal line plays all started from the 1.5-yard line and proved to be a good give-and-take between the offense and defense, with several…