TAMPA — Bucs coach Raheem Morris has prided himself on having a “violent” and “physical” team.
Morris sent that message by having players in pads for the first training camp practice in 2009, as he has been a big believer in utilizing padded practices throughout the entire season to improve tackling and build toughness. But due to the new rules in the collective bargaining agreement, coaches are limited in terms of how many practices they can have their team in full — or even partial — pads, which will be a significant adjustment for the third-year head coach.
Today will be Tampa Bay’s first practice in pads.
“You guys know I like pads, but at the same time, it’s an acclimation process for your team,” Morris said Sunday. “It doesn’t matter. The rule is the rule. It’s no different than how you feel about any rule that we collectively bargain. If you complain about them, that makes you a complainer. I’m just going to follow what I’m told to do and try to win football games.
At training camp last year, the team would sometimes go in full pads for the morning practice and partial (helmet, shoulder pads) in the afternoon session. Now, only one such practice is permitted each day, limited to three hours, with the second practice up to the four-hour limit a walkthrough.
That continues in the regular season, when there are 14 total padded practices, 11 held in the first 11 weeks, with the remaining three in the final six weeks.
“It’s the old Coach (Tony) Dungy (saying): ’No excuses, no explanations,’ ” Morris said. “You go out there and try to get better in training camp, and when it’s time for the bullets to come flying and we play Detroit, we go. You’ve got to be able to tackle. You have to have your fundamentals. … you’ve got to find different ways and different tools to teach those things.”
