Keith Armstrong Excited By Special Teams Ability Of Bucs’ Rookies

SirVocea Dennis has been a player who has stood out time and again throughout the early days of training camp, thanks in large part to his nose for the football and high football I.Q. He knows where he’s supposed to be positionally and reads the quarterback well, which has led to some big plays throughout rookie mini camp, OTAs, mini camp and now training camp. And, true to his word, Dennis has taken the special teams side of the game seriously.

Keith Armstrong is plenty pleased with the former Pitt star, as he’s proven to be coachable in addition to putting his smarts, toughness and athleticism on display.

“The first thing about SirVocea is he’s what I call a ‘one-timer.’ You tell him one time, it’s done,” Armstrong said. “He lines up, you tell him one time, ‘Hey, watch the twist.’ Bam, picks up the twist. Very good physically. He’s a physical football player, smart football player and he can run. That’s what you’re looking for. Tough, smart, athletic. He checks all boxes. I’m very happy with him.”

Dennis is playing on all four special teams units just like he did at Pitt, and he’s clearing a path for himself to shine in that phase of the game just as much as he’s flashed on defense so far this summer.

Keith Armstrong Thinks Trey Palmer’s Speed Can Help In Different Ways

Trey Palmer ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, and he has a case to be one of the fastest players in the NFL. Naturally, he could be a fit as a return man for Keith Armstrong’s special teams units. He’d have to wrestle the job away from second-year returner/wide receiver Deven Thompkins, which could prove difficult. However, Armstrong thinks that as Palmer continues to adapt and learn the NFL, he could help in different ways on every unit.

“You look at a guy like Trey as a punt returner obviously,” Armstrong said. “He has to learn to manage the game in this league, in terms of fair catches, peter calls, and all that type of stuff. He does have the talent. He does have speed. He can catch the ball, all those types of things. Where he could help us is possibly as a gunner, playing a five on kickoff coverage, we want some speed inside. On punt return, he could be in the vice although he is a receiver. He could possibly line up inside on a slot, coming off the edge as a rush guy. He could be a big four player.”

Kick and punt coverage have proven to be problem areas for the Bucs in recent seasons, so having Palmer bring his speed to those units could be a huge help. Cornerback Zyon McCollum – a fifth-round pick last year – used his speed to become a special teams ace for Tampa Bay as a rookie. Palmer doing the same would be a welcome sight for Armstrong, to say the least.

Which Other Bucs Rookies Can Make An Impact On Special Teams?

Dennis and Palmer aren’t the only rookies who drew compliments from Keith Armstrong on Tuesday. Sixth-round cornerback Josh Hayes – who is a hard hitter – is another one who could feature heavily on coverage units.

“Josh Hayes is a guy who brings some physical toughness to your unit,” Armstrong said. “He will show up even more in games when you are really going after each other. I think he is one of those guys that’ll make you say, ‘Wow, I did not know that.’ He may not be the four-two guy, but he is going to hit somebody, and you will know it. I am looking forward to seeing him.”

Athleticism and speed are two defining characteristics of Tampa Bay’s rookie class, and third-round edge rusher Yaya Diaby embodies both. He’s 6-foot-3, 262 pounds, but he moves extremely well. He ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, and he can obviously tackle. That’s why it wasn’t a surprise when Armstrong mentioned him by name when asked about other guys he would like to see get a chance on special teams.

“Yeah, Yaya. I would say he would be a guy who will make you say, ‘OK, I’d like to see that,’ Armstrong said. “I would like to see Yaya on punt. I’d like to see Yaya on kickoff. He is very athletic and physical. It is on tape. It would not be a surprise if I saw him escape a block, make a tackle on kickoff, and run somebody down.”

There’s a lot for Armstrong to work with throughout the rest of camp and the preseason, and it’ll be intriguing to see how everything shakes out. If the Bucs improve on special teams in 2023, their offseason additions – and their rookie class specifically – could prove to be a big reason why.