The Buccaneers returned to the practice squad on Saturday in full pads and were joined by the savior of the secondary, Darrelle Revis.
Still limited in both individual and team drills, Revis took part in 11-on-11 walk-throughs and fielded punts. The training staff continues to bring him back slowly from the ACL tear he suffered in the early weeks of he 2012 season.
Johnthan Banks who was hindered by a hamstring strain looked to be on the brink of his return, as he graduated from the stationary bike to performing lateral movement drills. Adrian Clayborn spent most of the practice pulling a weight on the far field. Neither injury appear to be a concern of the coaching staff.
Pro Bowl guards Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph participated in 11-on-11 walk-throughs but were held out of the majority of the morning session.
On the defensive side of the ball, Gerald McCoy continued his dominance on the line. He is a consistent, disruptive force and is poised to have the best season of his career.
While rumors swirl about the ineffectiveness of Da’Quan Bowers, he stepped up and had a big practice, recording a few tackles for losses and getting a consistent push off the edge. He was also used extensively inside at tackle.
The team was forced into performing punishment push-ups during live-action situations. After a sloppy practice on Friday, Schiano increased the amount of time spent in walk-throughs and on teaching opportunities. At one point, the notorious rush of the kneel down was reviewed. Both lines got down in position, but fired off at 10% speed. This session also featured a review of positioning for the defensive secondary and receiving corps during Hail Mary attempts.
Freeman had, what some are calling, his best performance at camp on Friday. He continued to look accurate, though he did overthrow a few passes on the sideline.
Growing camp legend Chris Owusu provided back-to-back highlights during the 11-on-11 session. He provided a first down by reeling in a 20-yard pass over the middle in traffic (which is fast becoming his signature move) and scored a 52-yard touchdown on a perfectly placed Freeman pass on the left sideline. Owusu also was able to secure a couple passes that were highly contested, pulling them I after several bobbles.
I was able to briefly discuss Owusu with WFAN’s own Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski. He seemed to agree with me that Owusu could be facing a bit of an uphill battle after suffering three concussions within 13 months, during the end of his college career. Originally thought to be a mid-round pick, Owusu went undrafted in 2012, making it up to the final cuts of the 49ers training camp and spending the rest of the season on the Charger’s practice squad.
That’s all I have for today. Check back regularly for updates from Buccaneers training camp.
