Buccaneers' Jacquies Smith: Full participant in opening camp practice

Smith was a full participant in Thursday's opening training camp session after recovering from shoulder surgery throughout the offseason, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Analysis:

The third-year defensive end was excited about his return to on-field work and the opportunity to start building on a productive 2015 campaign that saw him tally 37 tackles (including two for loss), seven sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a pass defensed in 12 games. "It feels good," Smith said of his first day back on the field. "Obviously I missed OTAs and stuff, and I've been missing being out their with the guys and doing my part. It's a great time to be back. The energy level, the vibe, I'm happy to be back." The 26-year-old slots into a defensive end rotation that packs plenty of pass-rushing potential, given that it will also include free-agent acquisition Robert Ayers and 2016 second-round pick Noah Spence.