TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers open training camp on July 25 at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, Florida. Coming off a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, the Bucs will try to become the first team since the New England Patriots in 2004 and 2005 to win back-to-back Super Bowls, while quarterback Tom Brady will try to snag his eighth Super Bowl ring while helping the Bucs navigate the unfamiliar territory of being the ones to beat.
In order to do that, they'll have to improve their special teams coverage units, having given up the most yards per kickoff return in 2020 (33.64 yards per return), and seventh-most yards in punt returns (10.26 yards per return), which will be a key factor for those vying for roster spots. Because the Bucs returned nearly every player from their 2020 roster, several 2021 draft picks wind up missing the cut.
Here's a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert, Kyle Trask
Trask, the Bucs' second-round draft pick, whom coach Bruce Arians and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen have both likened to Andrew Luck in terms of mental acuity, beats out Ryan Griffin for the third quarterback spot.