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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are clearly aiming for another championship run in 2021. They brought back the majority of last year’s Super Bowl-winning squad, along with a few additions in free agency and the draft.
Yes, Tom Brady is another year older, but he also gets another training camp to soak in the Bruce Arians playbook, which adds up to scary hours for the rest of the league. While many NFL teams use training camps to develop chemistry, Tampa Bay will likely have some left over from their Super Bowl run, which means they can now work on improving other aspects of their gameplan.
The Bucs head into the upcoming season as the favorites to win the NFC and once again appear Super Bowl-bound. As training camp approaches, here's a look at five players to keep an eye on this pre-season.
#1 - Tom Brady
The man, the myth, the legend returns for his 22nd season in the NFL. After knee surgery this offseason, it will be interesting to see how Brady shapes up during training camp.
The soon-to-be 44-year-old admitted he didn’t fully learn head coach Bruce Arians' playbook last season, and they still won the Super Bowl. Imagine that run with a pre-season program for the Tampa Bay offense.
It would not be surprising to see Brady handled with cotton gloves during the pre-season to make sure he’s 100% for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys.
#2 - Antonio Brown
The controversial wide receiver is back for another year in Tampa Bay. Like Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, Brown underwent knee surgery in the offseason.
The veteran NFL star made headlines once again as news broke that he was being sued due to an incident in early 2020.
It’s worth keeping an eye on how many snaps, if any, Brown gets in training camp as he recovers from knee surgery.
#3 - Mike Evans
Tampa Bay’s star wide receiver had another 1,000-plus-yard season in 2020. While his total yards may have been slightly down on previous years, he did have a career-best 13 touchdowns.
In a crowded Buccaneers receiving room, Evans will aim to show the group that he is the leader of the pack. He will be determined to continue his streak of 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL.
#4 - O.J. Howard
The Bucs tight end missed out on their Super Bowl run last season after injuring his Achilles in Week 4. Howard will be determined to have a big season as he’s in a contract year.
Head coach Bruce Arians recently said that Howard was "really close" to being available to train with the team. The tight end’s involvement in training camp will be a sign of how far his recovery has come since his Achilles injury.
#5 - Giovani Bernard
The former Bengals running back is one of the fresh faces on the Tampa bay roster. He’s a direct replacement for Lesean McCoy, whom the Bucs chose not to bring back.
A new face on Tampa Bay's offense
The NFL veteran will be competing for snaps with Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones during training camp. He has the opportunity to be the Bucs' third-down running back, as he has great hands. The passing game is where we could see Giovani Bernard shine in a Bucs uniform.
