You can hear the new Buccaneers coach from clear across the field.  Greg Schiano is bouncing around the positional drills during the first day of the mandatory three-day Bucs minicamp which began Tuesday.  He would stop by and observe the defensive backs going through a drill.  Schiano yells “Good job men!” then walks away. 

Is there a different vibe surrounding this year’s team?  Absolutely.  Last year, there was a country club atmosphere surrounding the team.  Players were not working hard in practice.  Schiano has completely changed the attitude.  Now, players are seen sprinting from one drill to the next.  It can best be described as a spirited type of atmosphere, almost college-like.  Schiano is known as a disciplinarian, which is exactly what the Bucs need.  Rookie safety Mark Barron compares him favorably to his college coach, Nick Saban.  “Pretty much”, Barron says.  “In some aspects, they have some similarities in terms of discipline and what they expect of you when you come to work”.

Even the seasoned veterans are taking notice.  Tight end Dallas Clark was impressed by Schiano’s ability to motivate players with speeches before practice.  “He must have a lot of pep talks up his sleeve….I swear he’s using some really good ones for practice and I’m just like, man, that would be a great pregame one”.  Defensive end Michael Bennett says his respect level for Schiano has grown considerably over the last couple of months.  “He just pushes me everyday to be better and better and every time I think I’m doing something right, he tells me I’m doing something wrong just to keep me going harder…and I appreciate that….Being a coach is being able to take a man and make them great and that’s what Coach is doing right now”. 

After practice, Schiano seemed to hint that “almost” everybody was on board with the program.  “We have a big chunk of this team that’s really doing everything that we’re asking them to and then there’s some that we can ask for a little more….People who remain here will do it that way and the people who don’t won’t be here”.  He did not specify which players weren’t on the same page.  Only time will tell.  The most important thing is this: Greg Schiano is in charge.  Those who buy in will be fine.  Those who don’t will be elsewhere.  Whether you agree with it or not, Schiano is doing it his way.

News & Notes:
• The team announced that DT Amobi Okoye recently had his knee scoped and will not practice during this minicamp.  The team hopes Okoye will be ready for the start of training camp.
•  DT Brian Price has an excused absence this week after the tragic death of his sister from a car accident last month. 
• DE Da’Quan Bowers is recovering from surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon and was not present for the start of minicamp.  Schiano hopes to have him back by the end of the regular season although that might be a stretch
• The WRs stood out in Day 1.  Vincent Jackson looks strong and fast.  Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams separated well from defensive backs and Josh Freeman has been praising Preston Parker throughout the offseason.  The WR corps was a position of weakness last season but is now turning into one of the strongest and deepest positions on the team in 2012.
• Defensive backs struggled a bit in trying to keep up with the wideouts.  CB Anthony Gaitor was beaten badly by Mike Williams on a deep ball that was overthrown by Josh Freeman during a 7-on-7 drill.