Bucs OTA Insider 5-30: Slimmer Kyle Trask Enters QB Battle
• Charles Snowden continues to stand out a bit in OTAs. Snowden was a midseason practice squad addition who really stands out at 6-foot-7, 245 pounds. Out of the outside linebackers dropping into coverage and catching the ball, Snowden was one of the better more fluid defenders in that drill. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, YaYa Diaby and Anthony Nelson all had at least one drop with George Edwards throwing catchable passes.
• Cam Gill has returned from his foot injury and looks noticeably thicker. Gill is still listed at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds on the roster, but could be closer to 250 pounds. After two years of being the smallest outside linebacker, that distinction now goes to Markees Watts (6-1, 240), Brandon Bouyer-Randle (6-2, 240) and Ramilcar Rashed Jr. (6-2, 251).
Inside Linebackers
• The Bucs were without Lavonte David, Devin White and K.J. Britt on Tuesday, so that meant a ton of reps for young linebackers like SirVocea Dennis, Jeremy Banks, Ulysses Gilbert and J.J. Russell. Dennis and Gilbert were the starters with Banks and Russell running second team on Tuesday.
Secondary
• New starting safety Ryan Neal is the biggest safety the Bucs have at 6-foot-3, and he looks thicker than his listed weight of 200 pounds. Undrafted free agent rookie Kaevon Merriweather isn’t far behind at 6-foot, 207 pounds. Neal is a very explosive athlete and is quickly learning the defense. He has one of the best teachers in safeties coach Nick Rapone.
• Nickelbacks Dee Delaney and Chris Izien each recorded would-be sacks on blitzes from the slot. So far, Izien, an undrafted free agent, has flashed a bit more than Josh Hayes, a sixth-round pick. Izien isn’t tall at 5-foot-10, but he weighs 200 pounds and physically resembles Antoine Winfield Jr.
• With Jamel Dean manning one starting cornerback spot, Zyon McCollum started in place of Carlton Davis III on Tuesday. McCollum is doing a better job of shadowing receivers, but needs to start making more plays on the ball in practice.
