It was a big splash recently when Yahoo! Sports NFL writer Anwar Richardson detailed how Bucs safety Dashon Goldson, seemingly atop NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell’s enemies list for physical tackling, hired his old youth football coach in an effort to re-learn tackling this offseason.

Why was Goldson’s going to this extreme? Well, it seems a combination of rule changes and not being coached up properly was making Goldson cough up his children’s college education fund to NFL elders. (more…)

Olivia Stacey was on hand at Friday’s fanfest/uniform debut at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway and spoke with a few Buccaneers in the process.

Her work was documented in a TBO.com video. (more…)

Joe continues to see recognized draft gurus pointing to Johnny Football getting past the Bucs and landing with the Vikings and grouchy Mike Zimmer with the No. 8 overall pick.

Has the world gone mad? Would Lovie Smith and his handpicked QB guru Jeff Tedford really pass on a chance to upgrade the most important position on the field with the most talented QB in the draft? (more…)

Joe’s been spending time learning about the newest Buccaneers, and Joe’s been having a had time finding positives on guard Oniel Cousins.

As of now the Bucs plan on having Cousins slug it out with Jamon Meredith to replace Davin Joseph at right guard, per Lovie Smith’s comments at the NFL Owners meetings. (more…)

Bucs QBs are a strength, including Josh McCown, Lovie says.

It’s March and nearly April. In the NFL calendar, there are four seasons: preseason, regular season and postseason. The fourth? That’s this time of the year. The season of smoke.

Teams, readying for the draft, are as willing to blow smoke or erect smokescreens as much as anything. It’s both understandable, and frustrating. Joe hopes Lovie Smith was involved in major smoke-blowing and public support for his players when he went on record to Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune saying, well, Bucs quarterbacks are a team strength. (more…)

When Joe wants an intelligent opinion on Wisconsin sports, Joe doesn’t hesitate to turn to all-things-Wisconsin writer Bob Fox.

Fox is a Tampa Bay local who is all over Wisconsin sports for various publications, almost like Sidney Moncrief swallowing up ball handlers, or George Scott inhaling balls in the dirt. Joe wouldn’t even be shocked if Fox has Harlan Huckleby on speed dial. (more…)

Jeff Fisher’s in win-now mode and talks about trading the Rams’ No. 2 overall draft pick

Joe’s drained by speculation of what the Bucs might have to cough up in order to trade up in the 2014 NFL Draft.

What Tampa Bay actually would have to give up is pure guesswork. There are no rules. If Jeff Fisher and the Rams, at No. 2 overall, simply want to swap first round picks and get the Bucs’ second round pick, then there’s no reason that can’t happen. The market will set the price. (more…)

If Jeff Tedford’s history is a barometer, Doug Martin won’t catch many passes this fall.

The great mystery of the 2014 Bucs offseason is the offense. Yes, the Bucs have a new offensive coordinator, Jeff Tedford. But how or if he will replicate his college offense in the NFL is anyone’s guess.

Tedford, who has zero NFL experience prior to this season, was a college quarterbacks guru who, while head coach at Cal, had some decent running backs as well. (more…)

New Bucs WR Louis Murphy’s yards per catch stats are better than Mike Williams’

The theme continues with Bucs free agents. Last week, when the Bucs signed wide receiver Louis Murphy, the St. Petersburg native echoed what other free agents have said: they were wooed and wowed by head coach Lovie Smith.

Sure, the check is nice. But Smith is a major reason they put ink to paper. In a video interview by multimedia guru Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, Murphy made no secrets he will be playing for his childhood favorite NFL team because of Lovie. (more…)

The new anchor of the Bucs’ offensive line, Anthony Collins.

The Bucs’ offensive line is sure going to be different, and that doesn’t even factor in what may happen with left guard Carl Nicks.

Both Bucs general manager Jason Licht and coach Lovie Smith all but promised changes to the offensive line prior to the free agency dinner bell rang. And changes, they sure made. (more…)

Photo via Buccaneers.com

Joe must confess he was blown away by last night’s turnout for the Buccaneers’ uniform unveiling party. Lovieball has fans jacked up to Glory Days levels.

The team reported more than 6,000 in attendance at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. And various pictures of the season-pass-member event surely back up that number. (more…)

Donning the Bucs’ new gear for a uniform unveiling party last night at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, Bucs running back Doug Martin was happy to report his shoulder surgery ordeal is almost over. (more…)

Bucs fans should become familiar with this sight this season.

Bucs fans have been so p!ssed off by the team’s pass rushing incompetence, they have been banned from untold numbers of watering holes for throwing so many beer bottles at TVs. It really was disgusting to watch opposing quarterbacks have so much time they could order pizza delivery.

A rare time the Bucs swarmed the quarterback was in the first win of 2013, after defenders (Lavonte David most notably) all but demanded their coaches unchain them and, in the words of Warren Sapp, let the dogs hunt. (more…)

Yes, the rumors became fact today. The Eagles cut loose talented wide receiver DeSean Jackson. It’s a stunning move given that Jackson is coming off the best year of his career with over 1,300 receiving yards and is but 27, in his prime.

It seems, however, Jackson’s off-field issues became too much for the Eagles to stomach. The Los Angeles police, via Eliot Shorr-Parks and A.J. Perez of NJ.com, believe Jackson has deep gang ties to the Crips, and may have a hand in criminal activity. (more…)

Recent NFL history has taught us that possessing a freakish, athletic, pass-catching tight end creates nightmares for defenses. And a former scout and Lovie Smith colleague believes the Bucs might have their sights on this year’s edition in the NFL Draft, Eric Ebron out of North Carolina. (more…)

Part-time football player Jeff Demps.

Yes, Joe loves his fellow Bucs fans but one thing perplexing Joe is people’s constant fixation on running back/wide receiver Jeff Demps. Joe doesn’t get it.

Perhaps it is Gators fans pushing the narrative? Or, do fans believe Demps is some secret weapon who will ride in on a white horse and save the franchise?

It’s understandable how one would like to have Demps’ speed on the roster, and if he is a Buccaneer, head coach Lovie Smith is excited to tinker with him. (more…)

Joe saw other media make a big deal about Lovie Smith saying Wednesday that extending Gerald McCoy’s contract is a priority.

For Joe, that was like saying, “we want to score touchdowns” or “we want to get after the quarterback.” It was an extreme no-brainer of a statement. (more…)

Back when unprovoked Aqib Talib sat in the backseat of a taxi cruising on a Pinellas County highway and decided to start punching his cabbie in the head, Talib, following his arrest, jumped at the chance to enter Florida’s misdemeanor, pre-trial intervention program.

It’s a pretty simple deal for a first-time offender. Don’t get arrested for up to a year, attend some court-approved counseling/classes, pay for your damages and court costs, and the State will drop your charges. (more…)

Lovie Smith said Wednesday to Joe and other media that he’ll exhaust all connections and learning opportunities to make a decision about potential Bucs draft pick.

For Johnny Football, Lovie won’t have to go far to find a little insight. (more…)

No, Joe didn’t get worked up over Johnny Football’s Pro Day yesterday. Joe was more impressed that former President Bush 41 and Texas Gov. Rick Perry attended and that Johnny Football wore pads and a helmet than anything else.

No, Joe didn’t get warm and fuzzy over his throws. Joe’s seen him do that in games. Why would Joe get giddy watching Johnny Football do the same with brooms as defenders?

But one very excited person was Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski of WHFS-FM 98.7. Just like another of Joe’s fine friends in the local media, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, Justin has been loudly banging the drum for the Bucs to draft Johnny Football. (more…)

On multiple occasions, new Bucs general manager Jason Licht publicly has said he’s been struck by the intensity and passion of the Buccaneers fan base since he was hired.

Considering Licht’s career has taken him to New England and Philly, that’s rather noteworthy. (more…)

Joe’s got plenty of readers who sit around and drink beer and talk about or think about how their wife or girlfriend or kids are holding them back from professional success.

Sometimes it’s real; sometimes it’s imagined.

It seems Bucs starting quarterback Josh McCown has plenty in common with these average Joes. (more…)

Demar Dotson is one of the few offensive linemen Bucs GM Jason Licht referred to as a starter.

So far, the new regime of Bucs general manager Jason Licht and coach Lovie Smith have done some kind of job in reworking the roster. With the addition of wide receiver Louis Murphy, that makes 13 new Bucs into the fold.

Prior to the free agency dinner bell ringing, L&L all but promised a shakeup. Whenever they spoke about a player from the 2013 season, if his name wasn’t Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David or Darrelle Revis, they qualified their comments with “but we were 4-12.”

Nowhere has the shakeup been more visible than on the offensive line. Only one full-time starter from last year remains, right tackle Demar Dotson. (more…)