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Bucs trying to secure two teams for joint practices during camp

BOCA RATON, Fla. – If it works out, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter would see two different teams during training camp.

Koetter said Wednesday that he’d like to have two sessions of joint practices, probably during Week 2 and Week 3 of the preseason. He said the Bucs already have gentlemen’s agreements in place with teams, and according to reports one of them is the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I’ve done it multiple times and I’m a big proponent of it and we’re going to do everything in our power to do it in Tampa Bay,” Koetter said during the NFC coaches breakfast at the NFL’s annual meetings at the Boca Raton Resort. “We’ve got a couple feelers out there right now. We’re just waiting to see when the schedule comes out.

“We’d like to do it twice if we can but for sure once. [It’s] something we’ll try to do every single year.”

Under head coach Greg Schiano, the Bucs held joint training camp practices with New England in 2012 and 2013. They didn’t have any joint practices the past two seasons.

Koetter said he likes to do it because it helps avoid the monotony of training came and gives the players a chance to work against different schemes.

“You get used to going against your own defense all the time,” Koetter said. “If your team is a 4-3 team you’d love to go against a 3-4 team because you’re going to go against a bunch of 3-4 teams during the season. Your players like to hit different people. There’s definitely an elevated air of excitement for those practices.”