The Bucs’ offense struggled to get much going through the air during Saturday night’s 20-7 loss to the Jaguars, but there were a couple of bright spots, with wide receiver Cody Thompson shining the most.
Thompson scored the team’s only touchdown in the second quarter on a throw from quarterback Kyle Trask and finished the game with five receptions for 66 receiving yards and even had a 12-yard end around. His performance continued what has been a solid training camp for him as he looks to make the Bucs’ roster.
The journeyman wide receiver spoke to Pewter Report after the game and mentioned that he is willing to do whatever is needed of him to make the cut.
Bucs Coach Todd Bowles On WR Cody Thompson: “He Made A Lot Of Plays”
Following the game on Saturday night, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned that Cody Thompson was one of the players the team wanted to see. Thompson got a lot of snaps, and he responded by showing up and showing out.
“He’s really one of the guys we wanted to see tonight,” Bowles said. “He got a lot of time. He got a lot of plays. He made a lot of plays. Got to look at the totality of it, but he showed up. The lights weren’t too big for him. He knows assignment football. He understands the game, and he catches in traffic.”
Thompson’s ability to catch in traffic is what got the Bucs on the board, as he followed Kyle Trask as he escaped the pocket and got open enough to haul in a tough catch in the end zone to at the time tie the game up at 7-7. He discussed that particular play and his overall contributions after the game.
“Yeah man, that particular play [referring to his touchdown catch] was kind of an option route for me a little bit over the middle, Thompson said. “Then he just kind of scrambled to his right, I followed along with him and he put the ball there. I had no choice but to catch it.
“Other than that, when it comes to the passing game, sometimes it’s on, sometimes it’s not. When those plays get called and they come your way you just got to make the most of every opportunity you get and that’s how I think, how I play, and just kind of how I go about it.”
Although the passing game was not able to muster much production, Thompson demonstrated the rapport and chemistry that he has with Trask, which he has built with each of the team’s quarterbacks.
“I think it just comes down to repetition and knowing what he’s seeing, what I’m seeing, and just kind of getting a feel for it,” Thompson said on building a connection with Trask. “I think just being on the same page and like I said repetition can even all that out. We’ve [had] a good rapport throughout camp and when he puts the ball up, or Baker [Mayfield] or John [Wolford] puts the ball up, it’s our job to go get it. It doesn’t matter who’s back there, you just got to go get it.”
Cody Thompson Is “Versatile” On Special Teams Too, Which Helps His Case For A Roster Spot
To make the Bucs’ 53-man roster, Cody Thompson has some stiff competition.
After Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, and Trey Palmer, Thompson is one of four wide receivers competing for presumably the two final spots. Alongside him are Rakim Jarrett, Sterling Shepard, Kameron Johnson and Ryan Miller.
When it comes down to bubble players, what separates and gives them the best shot of making the 53-man roster is having an aptitude for special teams.
Thompson realizes that and will do whatever it takes to stick in Tampa Bay.
“It’s kind of how my career even started out in college on special teams, so I know how important that is and that’s a huge contributing factor of the game,” Thompson said. “Wherever they need me, I’ll go out there and do whatever job it is. Whether it’s a gunner, punt return, kickoff, or kick return, I mean wherever they need help that’s kind of my job to go in and play to the best of my ability. Whatever position that is, I feel like be pretty versatile in the special teams game, too.”
Cody Thompson’s stock is rising after the game he had against the Jaguars, and soon he will find out if the Bucs invest a roster spot in him.
