Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports Thoughts and analysis from inside the organization With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wrapping their mandatory minicamp we have now entered the dreaded ‘dead season’ for NFL news. Basically, outside of the occasional social media post which draws buzz or the unfortunate arresting of a player, there isn’t going to be much to discuss in terms of things happening now. This may also be called rankings season, or even the unofficial prediction period. However, there is fun in recapping the offseason events which have actually taken place with people who not only attend the events, but work within the organizations conducting those activities. Enter Scott Smith, senior writer and editor of Buccaneers.com (you may have heard of him). A regular guest on my Locked On Bucs Podcast with James Yarcho, Smith joined us again to talk shop following the team’s final activity before training camp. Kicking off the conversation, I asked Smith for his thoughts on rookies Joe Tryon and Kyle Trask, after seeing them participate in early offseason events. “It was definitely a better venue to judge these guys with, with all the veterans out there on the field as well,” Smith said. He went on to describe Tryon as quick and ‘slippery’ among other things. Of course, he also pointed out how hard it is to truly gauge the future success of a player in unpadded practices, especially when discussing trench players who are on strict orders to leave the quarterbacks alone. Trask may be the most talked-about backup quarterback in recent memory, so we had to get his thoughts on the former Florida Gator as well. “This is a guy they’re trying to develop for a couple of years down the road. They’ve talked about how he‘s taking everything very slow and steady and so, I think that’s what we should expect from Kyle Trask. Just a slow and steady progress, and we’ll see in the end if it was a worthwhile pick.” Of course, rookies aren’t the only new faces around the Buccaneers franchise these days. Tampa Bay didn’t go after many veterans, but they did add running back Giovanni Bernard who Smith says is fitting in really well with the team thus far. Bernard piqued some interest earlier in the offseason by not only attending workouts with Tom Brady and other veteran players but also joining the younger crew for voluntary workouts as well. All of this is paying off early it would seem as Smith said Bernard is fitting in well and looks ‘quick and fast’ in his role for the offense thus far. Of course, this was just the first three minutes or so of our conversation with Smith, so make sure you check out the rest of what we discussed on the latest episode of the Locked On Bucs Podcast.

Jun 13, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) skates against the New York Islanders during the third period in game one of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals at Amalie Arena. | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Spoiler alert: the Lightning aren’t doomed. The Tampa Bay Lightning have lost the first game of the series, and while many are quick to assume “the Islanders have figured out the Lightning since their last meeting,” the Bolts are far from cornered. Here is the recap from Game 1, written by yours truly. [Raw Charge] “The Tampa Bay Lightning dropped Game 1 at home to the New York Islanders by a score of 2-1. Brayden Point scored in the final minute of the game to make it close, but for much of the third period the Lightning weren’t very threatening. Mat Barzal scored the opening goal off a turnover, and Ryan Pulock beat Andrei Vasilevskiy with a point shot he’ll want back. Vasilevskiy stopped 29 of 31 in the loss, while the Islanders goalie stopped 30 of 31.” Do the Lightning have enough “grit” and “heart”? I’m far from concerned considering the team’s recent history. Are they fast enough? Yes. Are they diligent enough to not make mistakes? Well, not last night, but they have shown they can once given a kick in the butt. This was that kick in the butt, and it sounds like the Lightning coaches and players have felt it. Here are some quotes from yesterday’s game, speaking to the abundance of poor decision making and lack of focus. Cooper said no when asked if the Islanders style of play had the Lightning thinking too much in Game 1, especially coming off a different style of team in Carolina. "We need to make better decisions. That's it. And when we do that, I think our play will improve." #Bolts #NYIvsTBL— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) June 13, 2021 #TBLightning Jon Cooper: “Our work ethic was there. Our compete was there. Our minds weren't there. Some of our decisions were off."— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) June 13, 2021 Stamkos also put up his hand for the turnover he caused while trying to force a pass through the middle of the ice for the second goal. Andrei Vasilevskiy also let in a stinker, which could be considered the difference in a one-goal game, but there’s no good in blaming individuals for a team loss. Steven Stamkos said “I need to be better” in situation where he turned puck over on #Isles first goal. Just get it deep. “It can be the difference in the game.”— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) June 13, 2021 Bryan Burns has the interviews and the story from the game, with Coach Cooper and the players all reiterating the same mistakes. [NHL dot com] “We dropped a few last year in the playoffs as well, including in the final,” Stamkos said. “We’re fine in this position. It’s not ideal. They did what we’ve done to teams so far and get one on the road for them, so we’ve got to respond with another game at home in front of our fans and then we’ll take it from there.” Joe Smith at The Athletic had a bit more of a concerned take about the Islanders. Lightning say there's 'no panic' after Game 1 loss, but Islanders should have their attention. Our story after a sloppy performance by Cup champs https://t.co/PNsJXl0VuL— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) June 14, 2021 Depending on which model you look at, the Lightning either played poorly or it was close. Obviously the true answer is a combination. They made it close near the end and the chances were there, but they played from behind and didn’t get the goals, so they lost. NYI 2 at T.B 1Isles win another squeaker.All game charts: https://t.co/jE7k47mrKH pic.twitter.com/rvYgGqyimU— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) June 13, 2021 And to Wysh: Lightning fans chanting "ref you suck!" with the unified voice of a team that lives and dies by its power play.— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 13, 2021 Every fanbase does this, stop it. If you actually watched this power play every night you’ll be screaming for it, too. It’s amazing! Also, the league chooses to allow even-up calls, and swaying the refs is the reality. Having a terrible power play (like the Islanders) and still winning is not the “true test of merit.”

Landmark Drive is closed between Meadow Hill Drive and the entrance to Eagles Landing as the investigation continues.

The state has been hit particularly hard due to its heavy travel and tourism industry.