After the first of two joint practices in Tampa Bay leading up to tonight's preseason tilt with the Buccaneers, Tom Brady was presented with something of a softball as he chatted up the media.

He was asked how he felt about his offensive line, an easy question for a teammate so consummate, and a pro so polished. Smart and supportive in almost every quote he offers, his reply was expected to come from the repository of ready responses, brimming with confidence that the line will be fine, that it's long done a great job, and that he trusts its ability to protect him.

Except it wasn't.

“They're doing their job and I have to worry about my job,” Brady said. “I think part of what our team has always been built on is guys having trust in each other to do what they need to do to be competitive and that's what we're trying to do out here in practice.

“It's not like you come out here and the second you're practicing, you have every problem solved. That's why we're out here practicing every single day: to try to make improvements, to try to get better. That's what we're trying to accomplish.”

That's not a criticism or a complaint. It wasn't meant with malice or to motivate through the media.

It's merely an honest assessment of where things stand at this point with that unit in flux — and a realistic reminder that the line will be a primary focus for the Patriots in tonight's tune-up at Raymond James Stadium.

“This is a tough game and it's for the mentally tough,” Brady said. “I think you have to build on your good plays and try to eliminate the bad plays, and that's what we try to do.”

The bad plays have been too frequent over New England's first two exhibitions, with both Brady and backup Brian Hoyer having already been strip-sacked, Ryan Mallett repeatedly forced to move off his spot in the pocket, and the running game producing just 2.1 yards per carry on Monday against the Eagles. In his transition from right tackle to left, Nate Solder has looked particularly vulnerable. And in replacing him on the right, Marcus Cannon may have so far looked even worse.

But tonight signifies a real chance to move forward, and to begin building the trust that Brady said — and has consistently said — is such a key to the process. There's a chance that for the first time this year he'll have a legitimate first-team line in front of him, with left guard Logan Mankins and regular right tackle Sebastian Vollmer having been activated from the physically unable to perform list, and as those Pro Bowlers return to the lineup the entire line should benefit.

They'll have to work their way back in, of course, but there may be no better team to do it against than the Bucs, who registered fewer sacks than any team in football last season, when they also allowed more rushing yards than any other defense. The coaching staff has changed, but Tampa didn't make a major veteran upgrade to help their play up front, so this shouldn't be an immensely challenging night for the Patriots' line.

Of course, if it becomes one, it's a sign there are bigger problems. But that's not something positional coach Dante Scarnecchia is expecting to be the case.

“There is no cliff I'm throwing myself off right now. I'm telling you the truth,” he told reporters Wednesday, responding to questions about his line's suspect play to this point. “That glass is half full and filling up. That's just how I see it.”

He also sees Solder as “a better player today than he was all of last year,” sees Solder and Cannon continuing to develop, and — given his track record — it's hard to dispute those eyes.

Throughout his time in Foxborough, Scarnecchia's linemen have been consistently excellent — so there's reason to believe his troops will be up to the task, especially if Mankins and Vollmer are healthy, Brian Waters returns in time for the regular season, Solder improves with experience and either Dan Connolly or Dan Koppen emerges at center.

As Brady said, improvement is important. And tonight might be the line's last chance to gain his confidence before the bullets flying across the line are real.

“Is it the finished product? No,” Scarnecchia said. “We have a couple more weeks to get it as good as it can be, and then we're going to play games.”

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WITH BRADY returning after he sat against Philadelphia, and presumably playing for an extended period, the competition for roster spots at receiver also figures to pick up tonight. At this point, the fight seems to be between Deion Branch, Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney for two spots — but Branch isn't buying the idea that there's any more pressure on him now than in previous years.

“It's the same as all of them,” the 33-year-old said. “Trust me, I'm dead honest when I say this, I've gone into each training camp since my rookie season the same as I did this one: ready to compete and I came in prepared.”

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HOW COMFORTABLE is Brandon Lloyd with the Patriots' playbook? Publicly, it's still a work in progress, but a better clue might've come when he sat with the other projected starters against the Eagles instead of using the exhibition game to get more familiar.

“His athletic raw ability, that's the thing that we've all been seeing throughout the years in the highlights,” Branch said, “but as far as you see why he is the receiver that he is, it's because he's a student of the game in the classroom.”

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Dave D’Onofrio covers Boston sports for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. His e-mail address is ddonof13@gmail.com. Twitter: @davedonofrio