For the first time since 2013, when Greg Schiano was head coach, the Bucs will be holding joint training camp practices. New Head Coach Dirk Koetter announced last Thursday that his team will be squaring off against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns on the practice field in the week leading up to their respective preseason games.

Here’s what Koetter had to say, per PewterReport.com.

“We’re going to have joint practices with both Jacksonville and Cleveland leading up to those two games, yeah, we’ll go up early, work with them for two days, have the day before the game off. It’ll be the same when Cleveland comes down here.” “Well, training camp is a long grind, so it’s great to go against other people and other looks and it’s a good way to test where you’re at, at the same time it’s almost like you’re having two practices at once. Your offense is practicing on one field, your defense on the other. Instead of going against each other, when you’re going against the other team you’re only working really half your guys instead of working against each other, so it’s just a great way – I’m just a big believer in seeing the different looks. It’s like practicing against three teams instead of just our own.”

There is a lot of positives when it comes to holding joint practices, as Koetter stated above. The intensity is cranked up a notch when you’re going against another team, and I think the players will be happy with the opportunity to hit some fresh faces.

You also get more looks, the Bucs defense will have a chance to go against the talented offense that the Jaguars boast behind Blake Bortles and Allen Robinson, and they will also get a shot at the new system that Hubie Brown has been trying to implement in Cleveland. The offense will be able to see different defensive alignments and formations, and overall it will help better the team when the regular season begins.

This is just another opportunity for this team to improve, and they are going to keep trying to put themselves in the right position for a great 2016 season.