Training camp for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers began this week. Sunday, though, will mark the first time the team will practice in full pads under new head coach Greg Schiano. NFL teams are limited to just 14 full-pad workouts during the season under the collective bargaining agreement, but Schiano, who has emphasized toughness, hopes to instill that now. Schiano comes over from Rutgers, where he had served as coach since 2001 and was named Big East Coach of the Year in 2006, revitalizing the program.
And as the Bucs look evaluate certain position battles such as the defensive line and linebacker, full pads should, as Schian reiterated Saturday.
"We play the game with pads on," he told the Tampa Bay Times. "We'll have as many opportunities in pads in preseason as we will the entire season. So this is our time to lay the foundation of what we're going to be."
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