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Buccaneers' Koetter open to appearing on 'Hard Knocks'

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of eight teams eligible to be selected to appear on HBO's training-camp series "Hard Knocks." That reality isn't lost on Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter, though it doesn't scare him either.

"I think it could be good," Koetter said at the NFC coaches' breakfast in Arizona on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Jenna Laine. "I think when a team has not been one of the main faces of the league for a while, I think it can contribute to that."

The Buccaneers own one of the youngest rosters in the league, led by charismatic quarterback Jameis Winston and All-Pro receiver Mike Evans. The team may have opened some eyes after its 9-7 finish nearly resulted in a playoff berth in 2016, and Tampa Bay also recently acquired dynamic wideout DeSean Jackson.

Koetter added that a number of other characters on the club could attract the camera lens.

"I have no fear of our guys - there's always gonna be guys who act different with the cameras on and some of that stuff can get a little corny, but our mission is still the same, to figure out how to win the division and try to get in the tournament," he said.

Teams can opt out of being featured on "Hard Knocks" if they have a new head coach, qualified for the playoffs in the last two seasons, or appeared on the show before. That leaves the Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tennessee Titans as candidates if a team doesn't volunteer for the gig.

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