The Buccaneers’ cornerbacks coach really was getting after it today on the sunny practice fields of One Buc Palace.

Gil Byrd, a former Pro Bowl player with the Chargers, was all over his troops during man coverage drills against real receivers. (more…)

A scary sight occurred at Bucs practice this morning about five yards in front of Joe.

It was a roughly 15 yard out route during a 1-on-1 drill with Mike Jenkins covering. (more…)

The Bucs are back on the practice field this morning, and Joe is here at One Buc Palace to bring you the sights, sounds and assorted fun.

It’s the full team today, rookies mingling with veterans, and then talking about it afterwards.

Stick with Joe through the day and night for all the need-to-know.

Buffalo WR Sammy Watkins claims the Bucs were one of two teams that told him they would trade up to select him in the draft two weeks ago.

Hordes of Bucs fans are still cracking open bottles of beer to celebrate the drafting of Mike Evans at No. 7 overall. While there was little if anything to judge Evans during rookie camp, his making the two plays of the day, spectacular plays, each time the Tampa Bay pen and mic club was allowed to watch, certainly didn’t damper any hopes.

But, if Joe is to believe the words from wide receiver Sammy Watkins own mouth, the No. 4 overall draft pick, the Bucs wanted him more than Evans.

(more…)

Mike Evans has the same graphic habit of two Hall of Fame athletes.

In his first week as a Buccaneer, first round draft pick Mike Evans confessed he lost his lunch at practice. Evans waved it off as not being in peak condition.

That may not exactly be the case.

Andrew Astleford of FoxSportsFlorida.com did some digging in a cool feature about how Evans went from budding young high school basketball star to the No. 7 pick in the draft. (more…)

If coaches can get the most out of players, then the Bucs may have hit on something with offensive tackle Kadeem Edwards from Tennessee State. And, yes, Joe thinks coaches do get the most out of players.

And bad coaches get the worst out of players, too. (more…)

One good thing about rookie minicamp for draft picks is coaches can try them out at different tasks without taking practice snaps away from veterans.

That seems to be the case already with running back Charles Sims.

Joe already brought word that Sims was involved in punt returns this weekend, the first time he has ever done that. (more…)

“Follow Josh McCown, my son.”

The Josh McCown Deniers, aka veteran members of the Mike Glennon Mob who spend their nights knitting “19 and 9” banners, may have a new leader, former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht.

Nowadays seen and heard on the Buccaneers Radio Network, BSPN and NBC Sports Network, Becht says Glennon could become the opening day starter. (more…)

Robert Klemko believes Bucs QB Josh McCown is the next Rich Gannon.

Anytime the name of Josh McCown, erstwhile franchise quarterback for the Bucs at 35 years old (before training camp), is evoked around Lovie Smith, the usually-reserved head coach gets giddy. Well, as giddy as one could picture Lovie being.

As recently as when the Bucs finished their 2014 draft selections, Lovie said when discussing McCown, “and I love Josh.” (more…)

Hester named the Bucs among his final choices

The big news of the weekend was Bucs head coach Lovie Smith identifying an “area of concern.”

That was relatively harsh Lovie language in what has been a honeymoon-like overhaul period for the Bucs roster. (more…)

Poor high school kid with a rough life tried to reach his dreams training on a football field, but he didn’t have a pair of cleats for proper training.

Bucs safety Dashon “Hawk” Goldson ran into that kid years ago and, with a little help from Hawk, now they’re teammates. (more…)

Bucs rookie RB Brendan Bigelow, who played for offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford at Cal, talked about the strong connection the two have.

Later today, we likely will learn which undrafted rookie free agents and tryout players will stick around for OTAs beginning this week, and likely return for training camp in July. Sadly, the odds are against a lot of the tryouts.

The Bucs have 90 on their roster now, the training camp maximum. So maybe a few tryout guys return to replace undrafted free agents and become camp meat. Yeah, it sounds crude, but that’s about the extent of it. (more…)

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin had words for Bucs fans

Joe watched the Sunday night sports shows and the buzz is still humming for Bucs first round draft pick Mike Evans after his crazy Grant Hill-like tomahawk slam of a catch Friday. Honestly, Joe can’t remember such a circus catch in practice.

Well, Evans’ college coach, Kevin Sumlin, leader of the Texas A&M Aggies, has a message for Bucs fans: (more…)

Joe’s not all hot in the pants at the prospect of Jamon Meredith or Oniel Cousins starting for the Bucs at right guard, though Joe won’t consider turning off the TV like one former Buccaneer.

The thought of a a fifth-round rookie option also is a buzz-kill about now, too, until one proves his worth. (more…)

Bucs WR Robert Herron surveys the field during rookie minicamp this weekend.

The first day of the Bucs’ rookie minicamp was highlighted by the crazy catch wide receiver Mike Evans that evoked memories of Jason Licht and “The Dunkaneers” label he issued during the NFL Draft. It was very, very impressive.

The next day was highlighted by — guess who? — Evans again when a cornerback made a beautiful interception defending Evans only to see him tear the ball away and regain possession. Impressive. (more…)

A former Buccaneer weighs in on rookie Charles Sims

So what do defensive coordinators facing the Bucs do when Jeff Tedford lines up two big, pass-catching tight ends, two dynamic gargantuan receivers, and Doug Martin and rookie Charles Sims in the backfield?

Now close your eyes and think about smooth-hands Sims breaking off in motion and lining up in the slot. (more…)

Though it would be nice to be 22 years old entering his third NFL season, Joe would not want to be Bucs return man Eric Page this morning. (more…)

Bucs coach Lovie Smith explained the long odds most  rookie camp participants have of making a final 53-man roster.

The vast majority of players competing in the Bucs’ rookie minicamp this weekend (no media availability today, folks) will never see the final 53-man roster this fall. At best, there may be three or four who become Buccaneers — guys who weren’t draft picks. The odds and sheer numbers are against them.

So there was a reason why Bucs coach Lovie Smith wasn’t getting too worked up over what he saw in minicamp Saturday. (more…)

Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings isn’t sold that the radical overhaul by the Lovie Smith regime represents a talent upgrade from 2013.

It’s a somewhat scary concept, depending on how you evaluated the talent level last season. (more…)

Joe was going to include this in his practice roundup but decided since it was the play of the day, again from first round pick wide receiver Mike Evans, Joe felt it best to devote a full post.

We all have heard by now of the Grant Hill-like tomahawk dunk catch Evans made yesterday. That move displayed his sick athletic skill set. Today, he displayed his brute strength. (more…)

It’s Joe’s always popular practice notes and observations, this time from Day 2 of Bucs rookie minicamp/tryout camp at One Buc Palace.

Fifty young hopefuls, from stud draft picks to second-year players like former Florida State defensive tackle Everett Dawkins, a seventh-round pick of the Cowboys last year, took to the sunny, breezy fields. (more…)

As of this morning, former Bucs TE Tom Crabtree.

Yes, the Bucs have a crowded house at tight end. So much so that they waved goodbye to heavily tattooed tight end Tom Crabtree this morning.

In short, Crabtree wasn’t going to cut it for the new era Bucs, said Bucs coach Lovie Smith after practice today. (more…)