Dirk Koetter comments after the first day of training camp.

The first day of training camp has come to a conclusion, and today was the first time we have heard from head coach Dirk Koetter since Jameis Winston was officially suspended for three games by the NFL. As you can imagine, almost all of the questions asked by the media were centered around Winston and the suspension and you could tell that Koetter was not enjoying it one bit.

With that being said, there were a few questions that were centered around Ryan Fitzpatrick and actual football topics, instead of the nonsense going on off the field. Koetter, had very kind words when asked what Fitzpatrick brings to the team and how the team feels about him moving forward.

“Well, he’s played in over 100 NFL games. Yeah, he’s got experience,” Koetter said. “He’s extremely smart. He knows our system. The players believe in him.”

For Buccaneer fans, that’s exactly what you want to hear. One of the most important things that contribute to a winning football team is trust and believing in each other. Combine the trust amongst one another and the experience Fitzpatrick has and you can see this team get off to a hot start in 2018.

Every training camp brings different opportunities, whether it is for veterans like Fitzpatrick or free agent acquisitions like Vinny Curry. Obviously, each team has the incoming draft class to work with as well. Fitting all these new guys into your game plan is fun, but challenging for head coaches and Koetter mentioned how excited he is to see the new guys get going in Tampa Bay.

“I’m really excited about the new guys that we’ve added to this team. I’m excited about our defensive front,” Koetter said. “I’m excited about our draft picks, obviously the free agents [like] Ryan Jensen. I’m excited about Chandler Catanzaro getting his chance as a kicker.”

As Koetter said, there is a lot to be excited about with this football team, but we all know the daunting task that they face during the first three games of the regular season. People realize this roster has talent. In fact, Tampa has had talent for several years now, but it just hasn’t come together. Will this be the year they finally put it all together? Dirk Koetter does have a good feeling about this year’s roster.

“I think we’re going to have a good football team, but again, it’s going to be proven on the field here when we get to playing real games,” Koetter said.

Koetter is spot on with the end of that answer and until the team does prove that on the field, the national media disrespect will continue.

Only time will tell.