Copyright The Boston Globe
After running through multiple offensive line combinations over the course of the last year, quarterback Drake Maye is happy for the consistency and stability that has come with working with someone like the 30-year-old Bradbury. “Credit Garrett for what he’s done here,” Maye said of Bradbury. “He plays really hard. He’s kind of the coordinator as every center is up there, but he does a great job communicating with me. Keeps it light in the O-line room; they stay light and laughing.” The Buccaneers are a blitz-heavy team, and the presence of Bradbury would go a long way toward slowing their pass rush. He has yet to be flagged for a single penalty this year, and has done more than his share when it comes to pass protection. “I’m glad we’re able to pick him up,” Maye added. “Obviously, he’s been a great addition. And I look forward every Sunday to getting out there and playing with him.” Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (ankle) — who also returned to action Thursday after a day on the sidelines — and Bradbury (hip) were listed as limited participants on the injury report. In addition, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who left Sunday’s game against the Falcons in the fourth quarter because of a head injury, was a full participant at Thursday’s session for the second consecutive day. If Boutte is unable to go Sunday against Tampa Bay, it could provide an opportunity for rookie receiver Kyle Williams. The third-round pick out of Washington State was utilized sparingly over the first eight games, but did see some significant snaps after Boutte went down late in the win over the Falcons. He had no catches on one target. “Kyle’s doing a lot of really good things. He’s a young player who has come in, and some of the guys who’ve been in front of him have done a really nice job,” said offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. “I think that’s part of the role of a young player who’s trying to progress — you wait your turn, you get your opportunities, and then hopefully you make some players and continue to earn more. “He practices hard every day. He’s out there every day. He knows what to do. He’s played in multiple spots. He knows how to function in multiple spots. We’ll see if there’s more opportunities out here as we go forward.” Coming off a bye week, Tampa Bay has a surprisingly lengthy injury list of its own. Four players missed Thursday’s practice for the Buccaneers: wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula), running back Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder), outside linebacker Haason Reddick (ankle/knee), and outside linebacker Markees Watts (hand). Rookie safety Craig Woodson continues to work as one of the most underrated pieces of the defensive puzzle this season. The fourth-round pick out of Cal leads all defensive players in percentage of snaps played (97.55 percent) through nine games. If he continues on his current pace, Woodson would be the first Patriots’ rookie since Devin McCourty to have played 90 percent or more of the defensive snaps in his first season with New England. Safety coach Scott Booker said there’s a variety of reasons why Woodson has enjoyed success early in his NFL career, crediting his upbringing and the education he received at Cal. But there’s also the fact that he had an extended college career before he reached Foxborough. “He stayed five years, so he played a lot of college football, which I think is helpful nowadays,” Booker said of the 6-foot, 200-pound Woodson, who has 39 combined tackles. “Sometimes you get guys that only played a year, and they just may not be ready for the NFL. He played a lot of college football and was productive. He comes here and he hits the ground running. “We put a lot on these safeties, with the techniques we want them to do, but also mentally,” he added. “Just like anybody, he’s going to make some mistakes, and he’s made mistakes. What he does well is that he learns from him and doesn’t really repeat mistakes multiple times. We’re definitely excited about his growth so far, and we look forward to him continuing to grow.”
