For a moment, it almost felt like déjà vu when Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was sidelined during training camp. Kancey, the Bucs’ first-round pick last season, was sidelined for over 10 days with a knee injury, and it was uncertain whether we would see him back at practice until the start of the regular season.
After the Bucs return from Jacksonville, Calijah Kancey returned to training on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s practice was especially important for him, as he recorded a sack in 11-on-11 drills and also performed well in several one-on-one drills against Tampa Bay’s offensive linemen.
Calijah Kancey feels great
But by far the biggest challenge was facing the Dolphins in joint training camp on Wednesday, where he had to look at and analyze a new offense while also competing against players he had never faced before.
Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
“Working against Miami was great,” Kancey said. “It was finally fun to play against someone other than your own guys. I feel like we gave it our all today – both sides of the ball. You really see something different. These guys are actually moving laterally forward. They’re lining up in front of a different helmet than our guys and they don’t know what to expect.
“When I first played against them, I wanted to watch a little film from our practice game about two years ago, and from their last preseason game. Playing against them and getting the physical practice was great in my opinion.”
Any concerns about Kancey’s minor knee injury can officially be forgotten. Kancey looked pretty good pressuring the passer and stopping the run. One of his strongest traits as a defensive tackle is his speed, especially off the ball, so the fact that he’s moving as well as he has so far is a good sign for Tampa Bay.
“I feel great, I’m in great shape,” said Calijah Kancey. “My body is healthy. I feel good – I was out there moving and having fun with the guys.”
Calijah Kancey finishes his first training camp with the Real Bucs
However, this is his second year in the NFL and Calijah Kancey is expected to make another big jump after his first training camp. Last year, the former first-round pick injured his calf early on the third day of practice before the Bucs even showed up in full gear and he missed the entire preseason. Kancey returned for Week 1 but re-aggravated the injury, causing him to miss even more time until he returned in Week 6 against Detroit.
Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
This time, Kancey experienced mostly the ups and downs of what a The training camp is like in Tampa. This year’s injury was only minor, but he has held up well and is also performing at a high level.
“I feel great,” Kancey said. “Being able to shake off the rust and just compete against your guys … (They) know what you’re going to do and you know what they’re going to do, but how do you still win? I think that’s what makes it better for me and my teammates — being able to compete against somebody every day and get a win or learn from your loss. I think it’s great. When the season starts, you’re ready for whatever’s ahead of you and you’re ready to go.”
One reason the Bucs defense will be successful is Kancey and fellow nose tackle Vita Vea, who has slimmed down this season. Based on what we saw throughout the camp, Tampa Bay is ready to once again be an excellent stopper of the run, and Kancey’s improved pass rush skills should help him improve in that area as he gains more experience by participating in this year’s training camp.
