Rookie Minicamp Notes & Nuggets
May 5th, 2017
Fun, sun and underwear football this afternoon at One Buc Palace. Hey, Joe will take it in May. Cool stuff. Here’s a little need-to-know from today’s practice filled with tryout players, rookies, draft picks and undrafted prospects.
*First, understand that there is no contact, no pads or hitting.
*Joe has to give it up for 25-year-old wide receiver Derel Walker, Mike Evans’ good friend from Texas A&M. The CFL star signed this spring by the Bucs looked damn good out here. The dude is long and athletic, and he was catching everything from all angles. Nice Day 1. He had a shot at a 40-yard bomb late in practice but couldn’t hold on.
*The heralded rookie weapons, tight end O.J. Howard and receiver Chris Godwin? They were spotty. Joe’s got some ugly drops on film that Joe will share later. Hey, it’s a first day.
*Riley Cooper has looked sure-handed and smooth, but shoudn’t he? The guy’s nearly 30 years old and has 169 NFL catches under his belt.
*Lots of drops everywhere. Perhaps it was the stiff wind, or balls coming from unknown quarterbacks. Whatever. Pittsburg State wide receiver Levi Copelin had an especially rough day. FSU wide receiver Bobo Wilson and UTEP receivers Cole Freytag also had drops.
*Safety Justin Evans sure moves well. Again, it’s drills. But he moves. He’s lively, and he has good hands. Even in underwear football running plays, Evans seemed to be dancing the line of contact more than what’s approved, which is none. Joe loves the aggression.
*Nice breakup Richie Brown, Mississippi State linebacker, an undrafted free agent.
*Joe hears an assistant receivers coach yell “horrible!”
*Some solid coverage from Christophe Mulumba Tshimanga, tryout linebacker out of Maine.
*Godwin getting screamed at — in a good way — getting coached up on hand work at the line of scrimmage.
*Bobo Wilson with very solid work catching punts in a stiff wind. Undrafted free agent cornerback Jonathan Moxey was an adventure.
Stick with Joe for more from rookie camp all weekend long.
May 5th, 2017 at 3:23 pm
Joe.
Rules!!!
May 5th, 2017 at 3:24 pm
And 2017 unofficially starts!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!
May 5th, 2017 at 3:39 pm
THANK GOD
May 5th, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Thanks Joe! You know we were waiting for even the smallest bits today!
May 5th, 2017 at 3:47 pm
And it finally starts. Thanks for getting us through the off-season Joe’s.
May 5th, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Hey did Joe have a story on the Vegas over/under win number? Not criticizing just wondering if I missed it. Anyways Vegas has the Bucs last in the NFC South with a over/under number of 8. Wow. Time to get some bets in, even my fairly conservative pre-draft win/loss htotal had them at 9.
May 5th, 2017 at 4:16 pm
Felt like forever since the last one of these! News and nuggets is my favorite JBF column.
May 5th, 2017 at 4:19 pm
Seems like the wind made this article difficult to write
May 5th, 2017 at 4:25 pm
A lot of them looks good running around in shorts in non-contact drills. Maybe we get lucky and find another Underwear All-Pro like Kenny Bell.
May 5th, 2017 at 4:26 pm
LOL @DEFF JEFF
May 5th, 2017 at 4:32 pm
Great picture of Dirk Koetter Joe. He sure does look like he’s as happy to be back on the football field as anyone. Obviously excited to get this season underway … just like the rest of us.
Really hoping that Derel Walker sticks. Know we’ve got several excellent WRs now, but can never have too many.
May 5th, 2017 at 4:32 pm
@Joe
There is a lot about this site that I like. But considering the mix of NFL news and video I can consume…cable..local..you guys…one place you really excel that I cannot duplicate anywhere is in reports from OBP when there are activities like today…or training camp.
Lots of places to get Buc news but I feel like you guys are the best at reporting more than just the obvious especially when it comes to this on site stuff.
May 5th, 2017 at 4:54 pm
The Football Junkie adrenaline is starting to kick in. Yeah Baby!!! Go Bucs!!!
May 5th, 2017 at 4:55 pm
Rod Munch the oddsmakers in Vegas is not sold on paper teams. Teams actually has to win meaningful games to win them over. I’m talking playoffs, they won’t take the Bucs serious until they make the playoffs. If we make the playoffs this season, then they will be high on us next season. Until then, we are no different from the Brown, Bears, Bills, Jaguars etc in their eyes.
May 5th, 2017 at 5:07 pm
Rod Munch thought vegas had a good number on the bucs, i tell you one im gonna bet over is jacksonville at 5.5, i think they are in playoffs this year
May 5th, 2017 at 5:23 pm
Does anyone have any insider info on Riley Cooper? Would he be a good pick up?
May 5th, 2017 at 5:24 pm
I don’t know about playoffs Dusty…certainly not impossible but man I have to believe like you that Jax is going to be at least .500 and probably better.
May 5th, 2017 at 5:30 pm
Ghost. Cooper didn’t play last year so I think his chances depend on what kind of shape he is in. He has good hands and can run routes and those qualities age well. He could be a decent fit if it works out.
He plays with a lot of guts too so I think Winston will like him
May 5th, 2017 at 5:37 pm
Ghost
He made a racist comment when he was with the eagles(I’m sure we all know by now) but idk if he would fit well in this locker room. Is he a racist? Or did he just make a racial comment? If it was the latter then I think he would make GREAT depth on this team as a 5 or 6
May 5th, 2017 at 5:42 pm
Joe or anyone
When does HBO Hard knocks start filming?
are they going to film anything before august training camp?
May 5th, 2017 at 5:57 pm
Joe of anyone
When will kobe liar live up to his word?
are they going to have a poll on whether not he should serve a lifetime ban?
the day kobe faker became kobe liar!!!!!!!!!!!
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2016/11/gameday-tampa-bay-156/
May 5th, 2017 at 6:10 pm
TBR aka Kobe Stalker
Im 1 of the core power posters of this site
pillar, foundation…
May 5th, 2017 at 6:22 pm
Do t sleep on Walker.
May 5th, 2017 at 6:25 pm
I have a distinct suspicion that Derel Walker is here to stay!
May 5th, 2017 at 6:26 pm
I have SOOOO been waiting for this day. Thanks Joes
May 5th, 2017 at 6:27 pm
Kobe Faker Says:
May 5th, 2017 at 6:10 pm
TBR aka Kobe Stalker
Im 1 of the core power posters of this site
pillar, foundation…
……………
I just spit my beer all over the screen
May 5th, 2017 at 6:48 pm
Great stuff Joe, thanks. Strange I do not recall you posting beforeCoach Smiths last season, maybe I just missed your posts, Faker.
May 5th, 2017 at 7:34 pm
Thanks for the Nuggets Joe. Glad to hear the Bucs are back on the practice field – well a few of them anyway…
May 5th, 2017 at 8:44 pm
SB ….I was laughing with tears in my eyes.
May 5th, 2017 at 8:45 pm
Faker also has been run off of Bucsn@tion. He was on there proclaiming that Kelvin Benjamin was WAY better than Mike Evans, and now Benjamin just showed up for workouts at 280#.
May 5th, 2017 at 8:53 pm
Kobe Faker needs to learn how to use the archives…
So he can see just how many times he was wrong!
May 5th, 2017 at 9:00 pm
Bad news coming soon for the Humpy Humpers.
If they kept walker and cooper, Humpy won’t see the field come game 6.
And By the was shouldn’t we be getting a Back up QB.
May 5th, 2017 at 9:13 pm
So u expect a cfl wr and a wr who got run out of football to take humps spot? Lol. Better chance of DJax playing slot and Godwin playing outside.
May 5th, 2017 at 10:36 pm
Goat my point exactly.
May 5th, 2017 at 11:24 pm
The camp nuggets section is just one of the reason why JBF is the best damn place for Bucs news
May 5th, 2017 at 11:25 pm
realist I’ve said before and will always say you are like a nagging old woman. Why don’t you let it go like you got that kinda pull up here. You got too many female qualities about you to be a man. The one thing that was nice when you were gone was the lack of pompousness self edification and vanity that litters your posts. You probably got a mirror in front of your computer when you type. Gonna miss the good days of your absence that’s for real.
May 5th, 2017 at 11:30 pm
Capt Blighe all reverse on that one buddy! There’s a reason they have kept Hump around. Now he knows the offense and in his 3rd year, the breakout year. Now here’s your chance to do the Hump come on sexy baby do Humpty Hump vome on do the Humpty Hump!
May 6th, 2017 at 1:26 am
Justin Evans is going to be the safety we’ve been missing all these years. His potential is huge and he will be a fan favorite in no time.
May 6th, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Hump is a great story but a 5 or 6 at best with a Low ceiling. sperbeck, walker, Godwin, and Bobo all higher ceilings. There never has been or never will be a defense coordinator anywhere losing sleep over hump beating his team. Does not mean he won’t make a clutch catch no and then but he’s no weapon.
May 6th, 2017 at 4:57 pm
Hump fanboys are hilarious. You do realize he was undrafted and there was a reason he was not drafted… He clearly did not relieve Evans of any double teams last year because defensive coordinators were scared. He’s a good role player but nothing more. I love the guy but am realistic
May 6th, 2017 at 10:11 pm
“Joe has to give it up for 25-year-old wide receiver Derel Walker, Mike Evans’ good friend from Texas A&M. The CFL star signed this spring by the Bucs looked damn good out here. The dude is long and athletic, and he was catching everything from all angles. Nice Day 1. He had a shot at a 40-yard bomb late in practice but couldn’t hold on.”
Ahem.
Every here should eat crow. I was the ONLY one who called him a great WR. No one believed me. I know…a bit early for some.
Trust me, I bookmarked every comment mocking my prediction on him 🙂
May 6th, 2017 at 10:15 pm
Tmax, you were one of the ones who mocked me on Walker, lol.