Without all the boring details of what it means to become an exclusive rights free agent, the Bucs avoided that situation with running back Bobby Rainey. They signed him today to a one-year deal, yes, a one-year deal for 2014.

Rainey enters his third NFL season. He started with the Ravens and sports a 2013 Super Bowl ring.

Rainey did a heck of a job off his coach late last season. There’s no question the Bucs have a deep stable of running backs, with Doug Martin, Mike James and Rainey, the only one of the bunch not coming off a major injury.

Team Glazer’s private jet awaits

Lovie Smith is on record saying he wants a double-digit sack guy on his edge and the Bucs don’t have one. (Sorry, 2011 draft picks.) That means Tampa Bay has to buy one, or gamble that they’ll find one in the draft that can produce immediately.

There are zero indications Lovie is willing to make that May gamble. (more…)

Poor Gerald McCoy gets virtually no help pass rushing. That will change, says WDAE-AM 620′s Tom Jones and Rick Stroud.

Joe just shakes his head about the Bucs’ defensive. Poor Gerald McCoy. The dude gets no help from his teammates. If the Bucs had any kind of pressure from the edge, imagine how fearsome GMC would actually be.

Bucs coach Lovie Smith is nearly as nauseous as Joe is about the lack of an edge rush. Lovie believes if he can’t get pressure on the quarterback, then the defense will never live up to its hype.

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In this NBC Sports video, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the great Mike Florio, gives his take on the new Bucs uniforms. One  comment Florio had was “Bucco Bruce gently weeps into the sword that dangles from his mouth.” The subject starts at the 3:05 mark.

Another respected draft analyst delivers a stunning report

Why is Joe feeling like he’s in the minority when it comes to the Bucs’ quarterback situation? (more…)

Lovie likes how Bucs rivals invest

Lovie Smith already has told the world he believes in how the Panthers, 49ers and Seahawks are “set up to win football games.”

And Lovie said that’s how he was doing in business in Chicago and would continue operating in Tampa. Presumably, he meant investing heavily in his defensive front-7 and establishing a punishing running game. But what will it mean for the Bucs’ secondary? (more…)

Clear rumblings from NFL Network

Too many people believe there will be a mass exodus out of Chicago, legions of Bears wanting to be reunited with their old boss and new Bucs boss Lovie Smith. Of course, Bucs fans always on the lookout for the shiny object in someone else’s yard began jumping up and down for Peanut Tillman.

Sounds nice until you take a cursory glance at the Bucs roster and, well, there’s no room for Tillman at the inn.

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As much as Joe would love to see the Bucs draft a quarterback or apparent can’t-miss wide receiver Sammy Watkins with the No. 7 overall pick, Joe realizes Lovie Smith likely wants to seize what’s hopefully his best chance to draft an elite defensive player.

After all, Lovie already told Bucs fans he can win 10 games every year with a turnover-machine defense and tough special teams. (more…)

Joe’s launched a new, somewhat mysterious feature. Somewhere around 11 p.m. each night, Joe’s is posting a very cool video from his partners at USA Today. So far, they’ve all related to the NFL Draft, but that will change.

What makes this unique is Joe is taking down the video in the early morning. So it will only be a treat for late-night readers. Joe hopes you enjoy it, and if you miss it, well, that’s OK, too.

Joe doesn’t understand why some NFL analysts believe the Bucs may target Detroit DE Willie Young.

It is not exactly breaking news that the Bucs need a pass rush. Former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik was saying it since he took over in 2009. Current Bucs GM Jason Licht has said it. Lovie Smith has said it. Hell, Bucs fans have been screaming for one since Simeon Rice was cut.

All the cash and all the draft picks spent never got the Bucs a pass rush and the one guy — the one guy! — the Bucs had who could breathe on a quarterback from the edge, the Bucs let friggin’ walk away for no good reason. (more…)

Start your day with the Morning Cup of Joe from HootersCalendar.com. And don’t forget to visit HootersCalendar.com for the 2014 calendar, amazing videos, pictures and cool gifts. It’s Joe’s second favorite website.

Bucs news forthcoming.

So, Mike McQueary gambled on Penn State games while playing at Penn State? This could get very, very ugly. [BSPN]

The Browns didn’t interview Johnny Football at the NFL Combine? Smokescreen! [Cleveland]

When did Brett Favre turn into Harrison Ford. [TheBigLead]

Underclassmen declaring for the NFL Draft is only going to get larger and larger each year. [WSJ]

Jose Molina scored from first base? Jose Molina scored from first base! [RaysIndex]

The growing assault on Donald Penn has reached the desk of Donald Penn, or at least the smartphone of the Bucs’ ironman.

Penn responded on Twitter yesterday with the following photo and words of thanks. (more…)

Bucs fans love throwing players overboard, whether they be Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson, Donald Penn, Davin Joseph or whoever happens to play tight end. Especially if they recognize a name of a player elsewhere who happens to play the same position.

Many Bucs fans want their entire offensive line short of Demar Dotson (who gets bullrushed too much for Joe’s liking) thrown into Tampa Bay no matter how rash or irresponsible that may be. Did the line play well as a whole last year? Heck no. Are there players there with hefty salaries? Sure. (more…)