The 2019 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will hit the practice field for the first time on Monday…at least, the players will.

As April begins, so does the Buccaneers' offseason training program, which will gradually progress through three phases and conclude with a mandatory mini-camp in the first week of June. When the team takes the field on Monday it will be the opening of Phase I of that program, which by rules negotiated into the collective bargaining agreement, gets things off to a very basic start. Most notably, only strength and conditioning coaches may join the players on the field during this two-week phase.

Because the Buccaneers have a new coaching staff, led by Head Coach Bruce Arians, the they are one of eight teams who may get an earlier start on their offseason program. They are taking advantage, getting Phase I taken care of during the first half of April. Phase II will start in the third week of April and will conclude midway through May. That phase will be interrupted by a three-day voluntary mini-camp, which is another bonus given to teams with new head coaches.