Rueben Bain Jr. may have already made his case. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-round pick could see little to no action in Friday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets, with head coach Todd Bowles indicating he has “seen enough” from the rookie during training camp.
For Bain, that’s about as strong of an endorsement as he could receive before ever taking an NFL preseason snap.
Since the pads came on, Bain has consistently been one of the Buccaneers’ most disruptive defenders. The rookie recorded a would-be sack on the opening day of camp and has continued finding ways to create pressure, showing the power and explosiveness Tampa Bay envisioned when it selected him 15th overall. Bain hasn’t simply flashed once or twice. He’s repeatedly found ways to get into the backfield, disrupt plays and make his presence felt against Tampa Bay’s offensive line.
During joint practices with the Jets, he has continued to show why the Buccaneers believe he can be an immediate difference-maker along the edge.
Bowles apparently doesn’t need to see much more. That doesn’t mean Bain has nothing left to prove. The rookie still has to experience the speed and physicality of an actual NFL game before the regular season begins. But Tampa Bay has spent weeks watching him compete against his teammates, giving the coaching staff plenty of opportunities to evaluate his technique, conditioning, assignments and ability to play within the defensive scheme. If Bowles believes he has seen enough, there’s little reason to risk exposing a player expected to have a significant role this season.
Instead, Friday could be about evaluating the players behind Bain. David Walker has been one of the biggest surprises of camp after returning from a torn ACL that cost him his entire rookie season. Chris Braswell, Anthony Nelson and the other edge rushers will also have opportunities to show they deserve rotational snaps.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs HC has ‘seen enough’ from Rueben Bain Jr. ahead of preseason
Reporting by Ashlie Abrahams, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ashlie Abrahams, Buccaneers Wire | USA TODAY Network
