There was one draftee this weekend that got Lovie interested in offense.

Bucs coach Lovie Smith joked yesterday that after his team drafted nothing but offensive players in his first draft with the Bucs, that it proved to fans they had him pegged all wrong. That actions speak louder than words and showed he really does like offense.

Bucs general manager Jason Licht once joked that in meetings, whenever the discussion focused on offensive linemen, Lovie would lean back in his chair and become disinterested if not bored, twiddling his thumbs and looking at the ceiling and artwork on the walls trying to pass the time. (more…)

New Bucs guard Kadeem Edwards has heard it all before. He’s not good enough to play big boy football, even though he is big. He can’t play in the SEC, the ACC, hell, even the Big Ten.

So Edwards goes to Division I-AA (Joe has never gotten used to this FBC FCS FBS nonsense) Tennessee State. Even there, while dominating, he was all but told he may want to think of a life outside of football. (more…)

Are fortunes pointing up for the Bucs like they did last year for Andy Reid and the Chiefs?

Two years ago there were few franchises in a downward spiral worse than the Chiefs’. Their general manager, though he drafted well, had alienated just about everyone in the front office with his brazen Nixonian paranoid ways. That’s OK if you win, but once the losses start, you are doomed and Scott Pioli was. (more…)

The Bucs have been widely celebrated over the past handful of years for being “big winners” in the NFL Draft versus their counterparts.

That hasn’t translated into much beyond some feel-good spring moments. (more…)

What should be a sure thing about the Bucs’ offense is the nausea and vomiting it will induce in opposing defensive coordinators.

How would you try to match up against Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans split wide and a double tight end set of Tim Wright and gargantuan rookie speedster Austin Seferian-Jenkins, with Charles Sims? Doug Martin in the backfield? (more…)

Jason Licht has mentioned that Lovie Smith has a special place in his heart and great respect for undrafted free agents, the true longshots of the NFL.

Per NFL.com, the Bucs have signed the following over the past 12 hours in what’s known as the second draft. (more…)

How dare anyone around the NFL think the Bucs would trade Lovie Smith’s “quarterback of the future!”

But that’s what happened over the past 48 hours, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

“Who said I don’t like offense?”

So in the first draft of the Lovie Smith era for the shot-caller of the Bucs, the defensive-minded Bucs coach oversaw a draft that consisted of nothing but offensive players.

Now that might say something about the prowess of former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, or the inability of former Bucs commander Greg Schiano to coach up a defense. (more…)

Bucs GM Jason Licht talks offensive line after the Bucs finished their drafting Saturday.

One element why the Bucs traded up into the fifth-round to draft Purdue tackle Kevin Pampphile was that he possessed a desired trait of the “Dunkaneers,” in that he was a stud high school basketball player and a good football player.

Being an athlete (a basketball athlete?) apparently means the player is also versatile in the eyes of the current Bucs brass. (more…)

If you’re just waking up from an all-night, Friday-night bender, the Bucs’ 2014 NFL Draft is over.

They snatched six offensive players and not one defensive player.

Guys on the Bucs’ defensive bubble are breathing a whole lot easier today, guys like cornerbacks Leonard Johnson and Rashaan Melvin, as well as every Bucs defensive end not named Michael Johnson, given Lovie Smith’s history.

All these rookies will head to Tampa for rookie minicamp in less than a week. Joe will be there, of course, and stick with Joe through the rest of today for much more on the draft.

Here’s a look at new Bucs wide receiver Robert Herron, the pride of woeful Wyoming, torching the University of Texas, and more from the Bucs’ 2014 sixth-round pick.

Labeled “untouchable”

Hey, finally a draft pick Joe was eyeballing months ago has joined the Buccaneers: The Bucs have drafted Wyoming wide receiver and tailor-made slot guy Robert Herron in the sixth round.

And he’s not even tall! (more…)

Bucs offensive lineman Kadeem Edwards talks pants.

While on paper it seems the Bucs may have a steal in fifth-round-pick guard Kadeem Edwards, the native of Sanford won’t be blocking accountants or biologists in the NFL.

Edwards was named All-American at Division I-AA Tennessee State of the Ohio Valley Conference (same conference as Eastern Illinois and Jimmy Garoppolo). There, Edwards started four years. (more…)

Today’s trade up back into the fifth round to snatch Purdue offensive tackle Kevin Pamphile included coughing up the Bucs seventh round pick today and a fifth round next year with Buffalo.

So Tampa Bay has one more draft pick remaining (as of now), No. 185 overall, pick No. 9 of the sixth round.

Here are some clips of new Bucs OT Kevin Pamphile when he played a halfway decent team, The Ohio State, last fall.

New Bucs OT Kevin Pamphile of Purdue.

The Bucs dipped deep into the offensive line pool today and pulled up an offensive tackle from the football factory known as Purdue.

This young man’s name is Kevin Pamphile, another big dude at 6-5, 310. (more…)

New Bucs G Kadeem Edwards.

New Bucs guard Kadeem Edwards, a fifth-round pick out of Tennessee St., talks about how his toughness was questioned and how he believes he overcame that weakness. (more…)

Below is a video collection of highlights from new Bucs G Kadeem Edwards. Also, here’s a link to a feature on Historically Black College football players that featured Edwards.

New Bucs G Kadeem Edwards.

The Bucs finally picked a guard. And he happens to be from Florida.

Kadeem Edwards from Tennessee State is your new Bucs guard. Originally from Samford, Fla., Edwards is a monster at 6-4, 313, though he’s been knocked for carrying excess weight.

Below is the NFL.com breakdown on Edwards. (more…)

So the NFL Draft resumes at noon with the beginning of the fourth round, a round in which the Bucs (as Joe is typing this late Saturday morning) do not have a pick.

The first pick scheduled for the Bucs this afternoon is No. 143 in the fifth round, which should be some time after 1 p.m. (more…)

A lot of Bucs fans seemed to raise more than an eyebrow last night when the Bucs drafted Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. His selection gave the Bucs seven tight ends.

Lovie Smith and general manager Jason Licht both claimed that ASJ was so high on their boards when the Bucs were on the clock, they couldn’t pass him up. (more…)

Lovie talks third round pick Charles Sims.

Bucs coach and overall shot-caller Lovie Smith was unavailable for media last night after the Bucs selected running back Charles Sims… except to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.

Many Bucs fans scratched their heads (or scratched something else later last night, Joe doesn’t want to get specific) over the Bucs drafting a running back despite having one of the deepest stables of backs in the NFL. (more…)