Andrew Buller-Russ
Some teams, like the Los Angeles Rams, feel like they can cancel minicamp. When you have the MVP in Matthew Stafford, a Super Bowl head coach in Sean McVay, and just traded for the NFL’s best defender in Myles Garrett, there’s room for a few off days. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t have that luxury after missing the postseason for the first time in six years.
Todd Bowles knows jobs are at stake as he enters a pivotal fifth season as head coach. Every day and every rep matters.
Yet, unfortunately, the Bucs were forced to miss out on an entire day of their mandatory minicamp after being punished by the NFL.
According to Bowles, the NFL stripped the Buccaneers of the ability to practice on Wednesday after they had “too many guys on the ground.” Bowles added that the discipline came from roughly “three or four plays” in which the team erred.
Too much offseason contact has been a point of emphasis from the NFL in recent years. Though the most discipline we typically see is just a team losing out on a day or multiple days of practice.
Losing out on valuable reps can’t make evaluators, coaches, or the players fighting for a roster spot very happy. Yet, sometimes in the heat of the moment, when tensions are high, players tend to go the extra mile. But the NFL wants to remind everyone that we’re still in June, and there will be plenty of time for full contact later as the season approaches.
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