Which Buccaneers Storylines Are Worth Paying Attention to at OTAs (And Which Aren't)

Here's what to watch when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field for OTAs — and what not to bother with.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum (27) participates in organized team activities | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had what most consider to be a strong offseason so far in 2026, bringing in plenty of talent in free agency and the NFL Draft and changing around many parts of the coaching staff. Whether or not all those things work remains to be seen when the season starts, but for now, the team will do its best to prepare for that in the early stages of the offseason.

The next part of that preparation comes on May 26, when the Bucs are set to begin their first stint of Organized Team Activities. OTAs, which are optional for players, are a further way to help the team install new concepts and gear up for the grind of training camp, and most Buccaneers players should be in attendance for it.

Here are some storylines to follow when the Bucs take the field in OTAs — and a few you shouldn't pay too much attention to.

Storylines to Follow

Miami Hurricanes defensive back Keionte Scott (0) reacts in the first half during the College Football Playoff National Championship | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Will Keionte Scott or DeMonte Capehart Make Their Debut?

Fourth-round defensive back Keionte Scott and fifth-round defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart both revealed wrist injuries when rookie minicamp began. Scott showed up in a cast and did not participate, and while Capehart did not have a cast on, he also did not participate in rookie minicamp.

Capehart seemed further along in his surgery recovery than Scott did, so there's a small chance he could do some work. It seems very slim that Scott would be able to get on the field for OTAs, given where he currently is in his recovery, but both are still players to watch — the sooner they get on the field, the easier it will be to acclimate to the team and system during training camp.

Free Agents' First Action

It all depends on who shows up, but OTAs will be the first opportunity for some of Tampa Bay's free agents to hit the field and do work with the rest of the team with a helmet on.

Linebacker Alex Anzalone, running back Kenny Gainwell, edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad and defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, among others, will have their first chance at an offseason workout if they decide to attend (more on that later). They'll also be playing with the rookies on the field, so they can serve as a benchmark for how some of those rookies look early on against actual NFL competition.

It will be a while until players put the pads on for Tampa Bay, but OTAs should be an interesting first look at the newest Buccaneers.

New Look Special Teams

The Buccaneers brought on Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith this offseason to change the unit entirely after a very poor showing last year. The first wave of that change was already felt at rookie minicamp, as Smith immediately established himself as a vocal leader on the field.

Now, though, there are a lot more players to work with in OTAs. It's early, but seeing which players Smith uses where could be an interesting part of the offseason. Smith has established that he wants the Bucs to cover kicks aggressively this year, and this could be the first opportunity to see how Smith plans to make that happen in Tampa Bay.

Storylines to Ignore

Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. | River Wells/BucsGameday

How Rueben Bain is Doing

The Buccaneers are really excited about Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain, and for good reason — his motor and physical pass rushing prowess could transform Tampa Bay's defense. That being said, you can only really evaluate players in the trenches when they have pads on, and it's going to be a while until that happens.

Bain frequently bested rookie tackles in rookie minicamp, but offensive linemen aren't able to provide much resistance without pads on. As a result, Buccaneers fans shouldn't read too much into how he's doing until he can go up against Tristan Wirfs with pads on.

Zac Robinson's Offense

Many fans have been interested in what new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's offense can bring to Tampa Bay, but don't expect to get an in-depth look at in during OTAs.

OTAs will be a good chance to get some offensive install done early before training camp, which will be the most important time to prepare for the regular season. As a result, OTAs should have simpler concepts offensively, especially since not every Bucs player will be there at an optional part of the offseason.

We'll get a better idea of what Robinson's offense can do later in the offseason.

Whoever Doesn't Show Up

Some people get up in arms every year about who does and doesn't show up to OTAs. They are entirely optional, and players who do not show up do not incur any fines from the team or the league itself. If a player doesn't show, there's no reason to be concerned, so don't be.

While missing players can occasionally foreshadow a situation like the Bucs had with Randy Gregory a few years ago, veteran players choosing to work out on their own during this point of the offseason is standard NFL fare. The minicamp after this is mandatory, so if a player doesn't show up there, you can start asking questions.

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