The quarterback parade continued today at One Buc Palace. And no, Joe’s not referring to fightin’ Mike Glennon.

The Bucs announced that former Eastern Illinois QB and soon-to-be NFL player Jimmy Garoppolo was in the building for an official visit with the team. This is the third time the Bucs have met with him. (more…)

Lavelle Hawkins and the current receiving corps doesn’t have many jumping with joy

Former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht, who now works on the Buccaneers Radio Network, ESPN and for other media, seems to be missing the “true complement” a receiver like Mike Williams offered Vincent Jackson and the Bucs offense.

Replacing Williams has got to be a priority in next month’s draft, Becht explained on the Ron and Ian show today. (more…)

Ronde Barber had no problem verbally passing the torch to Gerald McCoy when he faded into the sunset. And last year at this time McCoy stood tall and said, ‘This is my defense.'”

Now the Buccaneers’ defense wasn’t special last year, but McCoy was. One of his teammates today also acknowledged that McCoy is the team’s driving locker room force. (more…)

Yes, the Bucs traded away gifted No. 2 wide receiver Mike Williams last week for petty crimes against humanity, such as a mattress in the front yard, having the gall to have a grease fire in his kitchen, and the nerve to be knifed by his brother.

As Joe stated this morning, the trade did not make the Bucs better (in April). Joe flashes back to last year after Williams got hurt, ending his season prematurely. With only Vincent Jackson to worry about, opposing defenses mobbed Jackson like a drunk, scantily clad hot chick at a fraternity beer bash. (more…)

The blessed son of the Mike Glennon Mob stood before reporters today at One Buc Palace and was peppered with questions about being a backup quarterback, dethroned by Josh McCown when Lovie Smith signed him.

Glennon vowed to fight for his job and fight for his team. (more…)

Lavonte David was loose and relaxed talking to media today, more than Joe’s ever seen him.

David said he couldn’t believe how “cool” Lovie Smith is and how the “cool vibe” around the organization is a refreshing change. (more…)

Much was made last year when leaky, sleepy Rip Van Freeman was not retained as a captain of the Bucs. It is highly rare when an established starting quarterback is not a captain of an NFL team. (more…)

Doug Martin also spoke about Mike Williams

Joe just finished a media chat with Doug Martin, and Martin was dripping with sweat, fresh from the weight room. He’s healthy and fired up to win a Super Bowl.

Martin said Lovie Smith dropped the “S” word to the team, as in “Super Bowl.” And Martin had other things to say, as well. (more…)

It appears to be an uphill climb for Mike Williams in Buffalo.

Much has been made of the Bucs shipping out loud-music-playing, stabbing-victim wide receiver Mike Williams to the Buffalo Bills.

As Joe pointed out yesterday, it’s a dangerous precedent to trade players before they have even been suspended much less charged with serious crimes, especially when Williams had a Bucs teammate who has been charged with a much more serious offense this year, once that could have actually put people’s lives in danger. (more…)

When Mike Williams was shipped off to Buffalo Friday, it sure didn’t make the Bucs better (in April). A position that could have used fresh blood all of a sudden became a glaring need.

Two things disturbed Joe in recent weeks: maybe Mike Williams isn’t the best of neighbors (the one thing that wasn’t alleged against Williams was that he didn’t have a mongrel barking 24/7 and crapping all over people’s yards; he had that going for him) and how quickly fans turned on him for his petty crimes against humanity. (more…)

Lovie Smith got to deliver the inaugural Lovieball address in Tampa yesterday. The Bucs reported back for duty, which starts with conditioning and classroom work, per league rules.

So what did Lovie tell his troops? (more…)

Apparently, ex-Bucs WR Mike Williams’ days in Tampa Bay were done in by his family.

So ex-communicated Bucs wide receiver Mike Williams has landed in Buffalo. For the first time Joe can recall since going on the injured reserve list last season, Williams met with the fourth estate; only this time it was the Buffalo pen and mic club rather than the locals in Tampa.

Williams was asked about his grievous sins in Tampa Bay, such as loud music, a mattress in the front yard, and an alleged stripper pole in his house (Joe had never heard of anyone looking down their noses at a stripper pole until Williams’ former neighbor popped off). (more…)

Sleepy, leaky Josh Freeman appears poised to battle with Jordan Palmer and Jerrod Johnson for the Bears’ backup quarterback job. Will No. 5 beat out those stellar quarterbacks?

Oh, the drama.

Today, per the Chicago Tribune, the Bears put Freeman through a workout at famed Halas Hall. (more…)

His last stops were in New England and San Diego

It’s not easy for an NFL receiver to last seven years in the league with only 71 career catches, but that’s the situation for the newest Buccaneer. (more…)

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater is working out for the Bucs today.

Well, it seems like Garrett Gilbert will have company on the practice fields at One Buc Palace. That’s because Gilbert isn’t the only quarterback working out for the Bucs today.

The man many regard as the best pro-style quarterback in the draft, Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville, will be tossing passes to Bucs receivers not named Mike Williams this afternoon, so says Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. (more…)

Former NFL player Bucky Brooks, one of NFL Network’s three full-time draft gurus, has penned a piece for NFL.com naming five potential draft picks that could alter the course of next month’s NFL draft.

Why? Brooks believes these five players — non-quarterbacks — represent the final shot at a blue-chip player at their respective positions. That means some teams will go into desperation mode just before a player from this group is likely to be drafted. (more…)

Adam Schein believes Bills coach Doug Marrone got one over on the Bucs.

Until or unless the Bucs address the wide receiver position in the draft — and you just know they will — the trade of Mike Williams just because he was a nuisance will continue to gnaw at Joe.

It also confused Joe. Bucs coach Lovie Smith, when he was with the Bears, embraced Brandon Marshall, who makes Williams look like an altar boy by comparison. So all of a sudden having a mattress in the front yard and hanging out with rappers gets you run from a football team? (more…)

“Stay true to your greatness, my son.”

Mike Glennon started more games last season than Josh McCown has in the last six NFL campaigns.

Glennon was treated by his former head coach as a franchise quarterback on the rise, and Glennon earned the respect of his teammates. And many of those Buccaneers remain in the mix at One Buc Palace, from Vincent Jackson to Tim Wright, Demar Dotson, Doug Martin, Mike James and others. (more…)

SMU QB Garrett Gilbert is working out for the Bucs in Tampa.

Now Joe is sure the Bucs will draft a quarterback come the weekend of May 8 when the three-day NFL Draft party begins. Now whether that is Johnny Football in the first round, Derek Carr in the second round, Jimmy Garappolo in the third round or Aaron Murray in the fifth round, Joe isn’t so sure.

But apparently the Bucs also have targeted a quarterback who is way off the grid: Garrett Gilbert of SMU, from the world famous quarterback factory that is the American Athletic Conference. (more…)

If Mike Williams was traded for nickel and dime nonsense, should Akeem Spence be worried after putting lives in danger?

Joe is still trying to piece together the puzzle the Bucs created for themselves by trading No. 2 receiver Mike Williams to Buffalo for a sixth-round pick.

Yes, Joe knows Bucs coach Lovie Smith had put his foot ,saying he was “not going to put up” with all repeated distractions– let’s be honest here, trivial distractions — caused by Williams and family. (more…)

The new regime wants more

Your beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers report back to One Buc Palace tomorrow to embark on yet another new era.

Players will hit the scales, meet the new training staff, and get the long-awaited rules of Buccaneer life from new head coach Lovie Smith. (more…)

It’s been an age old question: Can a great player be a great coach, one who can get his students to play like he did?

Bucs icon Hardy Nickerson, now Tampa Bay’s linebackers coach, didn’t hesitate to say he can do just that. (more…)

Dan Graziano and Antonietta Collins — who Joe just now discovered and needs to see more of (ahem) — discuss the Mike Williams trade to Buffalo in this BSPN video.