Dirk Koetter names four standout Buccaneers

It’s not always telling when coaches say good things about their players: it’s not good form to be negative about the guys you’re going to rely on in the regular season. But when Dirk Koetter was asked to name a few Tampa Bay Buccaneers who stood out yesterday, the list he came up with was interesting.

Cameron Brate has had a really good offseason. He and Adam Humphries have probably been the two most consistent players on offense. I’ll probably say Vernon Hargreaves is probably at the top of the defense as far as splash plays. As far as steady plays, Gerald McCoy is out there doing his job every day.”

McCoy, of course, is not a surprising presence on the list—he’s always a solid presence, even if there’s barely been any contact in practice so far this offseason.

It’s good to hear Hargreaves is doing well, if only because he’ll be the team’s top cornerback if Brent Grimes is injured, or when he retires. Hargreaves was up-and-down last year and needs to take a few steps, though an inconsistent performance is always to be expected from rookie defensive backs.

Cameron Brate’s listing isn’t particularly surprising, either. Brate has gotten better each season and will have a place on this offense, though we’ll have to see exactly what that looks like.

Humphries’ impressive performance will lead to some interesting dilemma’s. The Bucs can only field so many skill players and with Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, there’s not much room left for Humphries—especially if Chris Godwin is doing as well as early reports suggest.

Curiously missing fro that list: any mention of rookies. Of course, some of those rookies have been out with injuries (Justin Evans and Kendell Beckwith), but O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin have done well so far, according to most reports. Is that an indication that they may need to wait a little longer to get playing time, or are we reading way too much into these remarks? Probably the latter.