NFL Trade Rumors
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield said first-round WR Emeka Egbuka, who was widely considered a slot receiver only by many heading into the draft, said he can be deployed in a multitude of positions.
“You can put Emeka in anywhere,” Mayfield said, via Fox Sports. “It really is the truth, It is fun to be able to have a guy like that, who is that intelligent, does not act like a rookie. His head is not spinning. He’s able to do it and handle it the right way. It raises the standard for everybody else. When you have a rookie coming in, learning the offense for the first time, and pushes everybody else around. So it’s great to have somebody like that.”
Egbuka has been leaning on veteran WR Chris Godwin, who has a similar play style to him, to help him learn the offense.
“He’s been an absolute godsend to me,” Egbuka said of Godwin. “On the sideline, staying in my ear constantly — whether it’s route running, technique or blocking technique, savviness or learning the playbook, whatever the case may be. Even if it’s just about life, I can ask him any question, and I’m getting to know him personally as well. We’re becoming really close friends and I don’t think I could’ve been drafted to a better team, better situation.”
Bucs HC Todd Bowles said Egbuka has been as advertised, with not only his intelligence, but also his play speed.
“I don’t know if anything has surprised me, but just how calm he is with everything,” Bowles of Egbuka’s quick learning. “He’s so intelligent and he’s very competitive. He wants to do things right all the time. I tell him he doesn’t have to do everything right, but just play football. He’s been very good at that. He’s playing faster and he looks like the guy we drafted. I have no complaints.”
Egbuka said his relationship with Mayfield is coming along great, and he’s having a great start to his career in Tampa Bay.
“It’s coming along great,” Egbuka said. “Obviously, [Mayfield] is a seasoned veteran and knows what he is talking about so it’s just about being on the same page with him. I think a lot of that chemistry comes from me knowing what I’m doing. Learning the playbook, knowing every spot so he can know that I’m going to be where I’m expected to be at any given moment and over time, as he’s watching film and we’re watching film and we’re creating that chemistry, he will be able to trust me more and more.”
Falcons OLB Bralen Trice is recovering from a torn ACL after missing his entire rookie year. Trice has finally been able to bend and straighten his knee, which his been a big moment of encouragement for the second-year linebacker.
“Everybody’s jumping around the training room,” Trice said, via Terrin Waack of the team’s site. *“Because they treat it like a huge deal when you...
