*Updated*
It is being reported by Trevor Sikkema of Pewter Report that LT Donovan Smith is not in pads today. With the exception of walkthroughs, he is being held out of practice.
No first day of pads for #Bucs OT Donovan Smith. Just walking through certain OL drills today. No practice. pic.twitter.com/anmcUHbEiv
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) July 28, 2019
Today is the first day players are practicing in pads. This is important because it gives coaches a better gauge on how both the defensive and offensive lines are performing. This would be especially important for Smith who has been bull-rushed multiple times during the start of training camp. One bull-rush in particular from Noah Spence put Smith flat on his back; which if you haven’t watched it yet, it was a real nasty move.
Nothing has been confirmed as to why Smith is being held out, but in the ideal scenario, he would be out on the field in pads to knock off any offseason rust.
Update:
Head coach Bruce Arians updated Smith’s status after practice:
Arians says tackle Donovan Smith has a minor Achilles injury. Nothing serious, he says.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) July 28, 2019
With Smith out, the team has inserted Caleb Benenoch at left tackle.
Stay tuned to BucsReport.com for further details.
