The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took to the field for their first practice of voluntary minicamp on Tuesday.
Bruce Arians, the team’s new head coach, sat behind the wheel of a golf cart. He may have been hiding from the sun but he was certainly not hiding from his players.
He traveled from position group to position group to observe and to interject.
“I was excited,” Arians told us. “I sat in the cart but I could not take it anymore. I had to start talking to the guys.”
Arians responded to a question about the absence of Gerald McCoy. He said he never told him he could not come to camp.
“Gerald is not here but it is up to him,” said Arians. “If he wants to be here, we would welcome him with open arms.”
Jameis Winston led the group of four quarterbacks through numerous drills. It appeared that Blaine Gabbert, who started three games for the Tennessee Titans last season, took the second-team snaps.
“I love the atmosphere,” said Winston. “But, more importantly, I love being out here with my guys.”
