Jason Licht said his dad’s influence was felt in the Bucs’ draft room for fifth-round pick Kenny Bell. So Joe just had to pick up the phone and call dad.

At heart, Joe’s an old school journalist, so how could Joe not pick up the phone and call Ron Licht, the now famous father of Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht. (more…)

The Buccaneers’ seventh-round draft pick, Joey Iosefa, will compete to be the Bucs fullback, general manager Jason Licht said on Saturday.

But did the Bucs get a potential steal because of Iosefa’s past? (more…)

When Jameis Winston throws out the first pitch at a Rays game soon, that might be the last time he throws a baseball for 20 years. (more…)

New Bucs guard Ali Marpet, a second-round pick out of Division III Hobart, is a tremendous underdog story. The guy’s the highest ever draft pick out of the lowest ranks of college football, where scholarships don’t exist.

Marpet also represents Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht putting a hefty set of balls on the table. (more…)

It seems Doug Martin may be entering his last Tampa Bay season. Martin has learned it is show me time.

Per Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, the Bucs have elected to not pick up his fifth-year option, essentially turning this season into Martin’s contract year. (more…)

Regular readers know how much Joe detests BSPN, the TV outfit. It’s not sports, it’s schlock.

Good people work there. This is not a shot at those folks, like Ed Werder, John Clayton, Dickie V, Mike Wilbon and others. This is about the mentality of the suits at the four-letter. (more…)

We must give thanks to Josh McCown for this gift.

Well, the Bucs finally have a quarterback. Finally.

Joe has harped on this for years. The Bucs simply were going nowhere without a quarterback. Since leaky, sleepy Josh Freeman went mental, this team was doomed and the record reflected that. (more…)

Browsing the Interwebs you will find all sorts of things, both good and bad, about new Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith out of Penn State.

The second round pick seems to generate a wide range of reviews. One label Smith has been stuck with is “lazy” — but both NFL Network’s Mike Mayock and Charles Davis are not in this group. (more…)

Bucs general manager Jason Licht was quite forthright after the NFL Draft. He wasn’t just talking in generalities about the new Tampa Bay picks.

Hopes are pinned on these guys coming in and playing major roles. (more…)

Yes, there was nail-biting in Buccaneers’ draft war room.

The second round ticked down and the Bucs were like the playground captain afraid to get stuck with the dude wearing a skirt. (more…)

New Bucs WR Kenny Bell talks more about a chance to play with Jameis Winston, Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.

Yes,when wide receiver and fourth round draft pick Kenny Bell spoke with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club via conference call yesterday, Joe lost count how many times Bell said “excited.”

At one point, Bell admitted he was a “broken record” for using the word over and over.

By the tone of his voice, he wasn’t acting. (more…)

Joe doesn’t get all hot in the pants for undrafted free agents, as many fans do. These guys have a slim shot to earn a roster spot.

But there’s always an intriguing prospect or two in the bunch. (more…)

Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

While it is fun as hell to grade an NFL draft just hours after it concludes, it’s also irresponsible.

There is no way of knowing how good a draft class truly is for at least three years. (more…)

Bucs OLB Danny Lansanah will have competition this summer.

A feel-good story of last season was the emergence of linebacker Danny Lansanah.

One of the last signees by former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik in 2013, Lansanah, a former UFL player, had a strong training camp and eventually unseated Jonathan Casillas at strongside linebacker. (more…)

Bucs fans had heard a little about Jameis Winston’s pre-draft meeting several weeks ago with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Well, after Winston was selected by the Bucs, Goodell talked about it. (more…)

Heeding dad’s advice.

After the Bucs drafted wide receiver Kenny Bell, Joe noted how Nebraskans hold their Cornhuskers dear to their hearts.

In fact, Bucs general manager Jason Licht was once a walk-on for Tom Osbourne.

(more…)

So the Bucs have their franchise quarterback, and two potential starting offensive linemen. What else?

There are a couple of O-linemen out there for the taking, but will any of them still be there when the Bucs select with the 29th pick in the fourth round?

Unless the Bucs make trades, they have five picks today including two fifth-round selections.

Bang your comments and thoughts here as the second half of the draft fires up today.

No NFL team called this weekend to try to swing a trade for QB Mike Glennon.

Last year, the Bucs fielded many calls from various NFL teams wanting the services of quarterback Mike Glennon.

At the time, the Bucs had high hopes for Glennon, even knighting him with the moniker “Quarterback of the Future.” This, despite throwing wads of Team Glazer cash at turnover-prone Josh McCown. (more…)

Marcus Mariota, who many Bucs fans wanted to draft, was a speedy Hawaiian. Instead, with their last pick in the 2015 draft, the Bucs drafted a slower than slow player in Hawaii.

Joey Iosefa, a running back from Hawaii, posted the slowest time of any running back in the combine at 5.02. Below are his highlights. (more…)

The defunct Marcus Mariota Gang will like this one. The Bucs drafted the wrong guy from Hawaii. (more…)