Jameis Winston and Buccaneers rookies paid a visit to Jameis A. Haley veterans hospital in Tampa. (Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers.)

This is the first time I realized how sports really keep them up, keep them happy. — Jameis Winston (more…)

Yes, Jon Gruden, the heralded Chucky, seems to “love” about 97 percent of players in the NFL. That’s his BSPN shtick. He luvvvvs that guy (insert name).

But if you can wade through all the gushing, sometimes you’ll find telling kernels. (more…)

Jameis Winston’s counterclaim against the woman accusing him of sexual assault is anything but typical. (more…)

Bucs center Evan Smith sure didn’t seem happy fielding questions about America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston.

Formerly Evan Dietrich-Smith (he just goes by “Smith” these days, saying “Dietrich” was a “pain in my [arse]”) sure doesn’t seem to like rookies. Or at least talk about rookies. (more…)

Jameis fires back

In what should surprise no one, Jameis Winston has filed a civil counter claim against the woman accusing him of sexual assault, offering precision detail on what he claims are a series of lies and fabrications. (more…)

One reason the Bucs were so enamored with Jameis Winston was his leadership strength.

Yeah, “leader” is almost as overused in sports as the recent fad of “mentor.”

But there are some that inspire their teammates and Winston is one of those. (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…)

Yes, Joe is having trouble sleeping. The Buccaneers traded up, back into the second round last night, for the rights to draft a Division III offensive guard/tackle named Ali Marpet — while South-Carolina guard A.J. Cann, a stud four-year starter, was available. (more…)

New Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith is a big, big, big man. He’s 6-5 and 336 pounds. That is not a small person.

Below, you can find highlights of Smith working over Michigan: (more…)

The Bucs and Jameis will be judged on two standards

Your calendar already is circled for Sept. 13 at 4:25 p.m.

That’s opening day of the Jameis Winston era at the steamy Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway — maybe. (more…)

His words were not heeded.

No person pushed Bucs coach Lovie Smith to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota more than Father Dungy.

With his track record of quarterbacks, Joe has no idea how Dungy all of a sudden became a modern day Bill Walsh when it came to the game’s most important position. (more…)

BSPN is embedded at One Buc Palace and is reporting that Bucs general manager Jason Licht says trade inquiries for the No. 1 overall pick are on the rise today.

Back at the NFL Owners Meetings in Arizona, Joe, Lovie Smith and two other local writers had a private pre-7 a.m. chat. (more…)

Joe got a hearty laugh when he heard half of what Bill Polian said recently on BSPN Radio (you could envision Polian wagging his finger), that Jameis Winston must be humble when he first comes to the Bucs, almost to the point of cowering, and ask veterans on offense about the proper protocol in the locker room.

To that Joe says, “bull-effing-s(p)it!” (more…)

Sure, Joe read the nonsense peddled by an unnamed NFL personnel executive to renowned Packers writer Bob McGinn, the stuff that claimed Jameis Winston is the next JaMarcus Russell, one of the greatest quarterback busts of all time.

A former general manager, a Marcus Mariota backer no less, is now on record ripping McGinn’s report. (more…)

Gerald McCoy is only too happy to show next week’s No. 1 pick the ropes in the NFL.

Joe isn’t sure where this word “mentor” got started, as it relates to football rookies and young quarterbacks. It’s like NFL teams are supposed to hire child care professionals and place them on the 53-man roster.

When did the NFL become KinderCare? (more…)

“As a general rule, you know there’s a reason why there is a salary cap. And we want to use all of our resources to get as many good football players in here. It’s kind of as simple as that. We want to be right up; we don’t want to have a lot of money in reserves. No one does. I mean you want to use money to get as many good football players. And it takes money to get good football players in here. So that’s our approach.” — Lovie Smith, January 2014 (more…)

How fitting it was that Joe asked Bucs general manager Jason Licht a question today about his pre-draft approach, and Licht’s reply included that he needs a beer. (more…)

Crab-legs-stealing, BB-gun-shooting, obscenity-hollering, Heisman-Trophy-winning, former national champion James Winston, the pride of Florida State University, continues to look like a much better quarterback prospect than Mike Glennon and Josh McCown.

It’s Joe’s daily nugget on the Jameis Watch, celebrating the best quarterback to wear No. 5 ever in the state of Florida. (more…)

Yesterday, the legal version of tax day came, the civil lawsuit against Jameis Winston by the same woman from the same alleged incident that Winston has been cleared of by four investigations and hearings.

Anyone who didn’t see this coming literally had his head in the sand or was living under a rock for the past two years. (more…)

You know Silly Season is in full swing when Wonderlic test scores take center stage. That’s the 50-question, ancient intelligence exam given to prospective draft picks at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Some people want you to believe these scores matter. (more…)