TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean was one of the first players to return to the team facility for workouts in May. It's fair to say he's been counting the days until the season kicks off.
"It’s just always the start of football season, man," Dean said with a smile in the locker room. "We go half the year without football. Nothing to watch. Now, it’s here."
Dean, 26, said he's a little hungrier this season because he barely got to play in Tampa Bay's preseason games.
"The fact that we sat out most of the preseason games, it’s like 'Oh, my goodness.' It’s like... they’re having fun out there," Dean joked. "Then they teased us with the Baltimore game. We got like, two series, then it was like 'Alright, you guys.' We were just getting our grove."
Fourth-year safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. grew up watching his father play for the Vikings. He said the ticket requests from friends and family are still rolling in.
"Oh, I’m not sure, yet. I still have to figure that out. But it’s going to be a lot," Winfield said adding that there are definitely strings attached for anyone who sits in his family's section.
"Of course, of course. They have to root for me if they’re coming to the game."
Winfield said the Bucs defensive backfield wants to lead the league in turnovers forced, and that's been an emphasis this entire preseason.
"You know, 30 takeaways is our goal every year. It’s great that I’m still able to play with [Carlton Davis] and [Jamel Dean] because those are the guys that I came in with," Winfield added. "So we got years together. It’s going to be an awesome year for all of us."
The Bucs defense will face a tough test in week one. They're tasked with trying to slow down Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who is arguably the best receiver in the NFL.
"He does a lot of good things. Explosive. Good after the catch, for sure. I think he is a little more sturdy than people give him credit for," Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis III explained. "So yeah, he’s one of the top receivers in the league right now. So it’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be real fun, yeah."
Tampa Bay and Minnesota kickoff Sunday at 1 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis.
