3 takeaways from Day 11 of Buccaneers training camp: Veteran wideout shines

TAMPA — We’re up to Day 11 at training camp, and it was the calm before the storm. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren't in pads for this training camp day, as they're set for an aggressive matchup against the Tennessee Titans tomorrow for a joint practice. Today's action feature a lot of Sterling Shepard, a rare off-day from Emeka Egbuka and some great work from Jamel Dean on the defense.

BucsGameday was live on site for Day 11 as the Bucs are one sleep away from their joint practice with the Tennessee Titans — here are our three biggest takeaways from the day:

Sterling Shepard cooks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (17) participates in training camp. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Sterling Shepard has been a strong addition to Tampa Bay’s receiving corps — rookie Jacob Parrish said that Shepard was his favorite wideout to go against — but he really got some work in on Wednesday.

Mike Evans took a vet day and Tez Johnson remains out, so Shepard got a ton of targets. He made the most of them, being a reliable option for quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. It will be interesting to see where he ends up this season — will he make the practice squad, or the active roster?

A rare Emeka Egbuka off-day?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (9) participates in training camp. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Emeka Egbuka has been fantastic all camp, but he had what might be his first down day in 11 tries.

Egbuka had two drops today — in his first team period, he found a seam in the middle of the defense and cut to the sideline but couldn’t haul it in. His second one came in red zone work, when Baker Mayfield gave him a beautifully played ball out of the cornerback’s hands. He couldn’t hold on to it, negating what would have been a red zone score.

Egbuka has been phenomenal for a rookie, so no concern here — he’ll have a chance to really show his stuff tomorrow against the Tennessee Titans.

Jamel Dean nabs two interceptions

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) celebrates after a fumble recovery. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Todd Bowles wants ballhawks, and Jamel Dean has had some trouble bringing down the picks — but not today.

Dean had two picks on quarterback Baker Mayfield. The first came during 11v11 work in the middle of the field after he snagged an errant Mayfield pass, but the second was a great read by him to jump in front of the ball during two-point work. It was one of Dean’s best days of camp, and he’ll look to build on that turnover momentum as camp goes on.

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