Bucs Coach Todd Bowles Wants More 'Communication' from Starters

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers preseason finale is tonight as the team will host the Miami Dolphins before gearing up for the regular season in just about two weeks. Throughout the first two preseason games, there have been plenty of things to work on.

Head coach Todd Bowles has already said that the starters will be out there tonight, but who will be playing for how long is unknown. He spoke about what he wants to see when the starters are on the field:

“It’s not a matter of having success, it’s a matter of playing in a game before we play a real game," Bowles said. "The continuity on both sides of the ball, the communication needs to be there, the substitution patterns everything like that, I’m really looking for – lack of penalties, hopefully, and those things we’re kind of looking for going into the season.”

The emphasis seems to be on communicating clearly while on the field and for some new starters like center Graham Barton it is important to be on the same page with the starting quarterback and other members of the offensive line.

As for the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Lavonte David also chimed in about how valuable game reps are:

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“Being game ready. I feel like I’m well-conditioned already, you know, being in this Florida heat, but just being able to move side to side, get my hips turning and stuff like that. Doing actual football stuff tackling and things like that," David said. "It’s always a good feeling to get that in and get your shoulders a little sore sometimes."

For defensive players like linebacker Chris Braswell, another potential starter, it's important to be out there when David is communicating signals.

The preseason finale kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday night at Raymond James Stadium.