Archive for the ‘Recent Posts’ Category

Blaming The Players; Lauding Mike Sullivan

Monday, July 9th, 2012

Former New York Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer raved about the Bucs hiring Mike Sullivan as an offensive coordinator.

There have been many stories in recent weeks coming from a variety of sources — Jeff Faine and Aqib Talib being a couple — referencing what a country club-like atmosphere there was around One Buc Palace under the Raheem Morris administration.

But two former NFL players, Tim Ryan and Amani Toomer, while co-hosting Movin’ the Chains Friday, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, pointed a finger at Bucs players for the grotesque 10-game losing streak to end the season, not on Morris.

A caller mentioned to Ryan and Toomer he found it odd all of the stories that have been typed in recent weeks condemning Morris.

Caller: Kellen Winslow leaves and all of a sudden, things come out about a lack of leadership. Talib comes out and talking about how loose things were…

Tim Ryan: He’s got no room to talk! Talib should just put a cork in it.

Caller:… Right right, but is that an indictment on Raheem?

Ryan: It is.

Amani Toomer: Yes.

Ryan: I think the biggest indictment Amani is the 10 consecutive losses last year and the play they were putting on the field. It was putrid.

Toomer: No question. If you are a head coach, the one thing that people up top, the executives, are most scared of is they are scared the team is going to quit on your head coach and obviously with 10 straight losses in a row, that team quit on their head coach, there was no way they could bring Raheem Morris back. There is no coming back from losing 10 games in a row, especially when you have the talent which they showed the year before that they can be a contender. To go from that to being a laughing stock — Tampa Bay has come way too far from where they were at in the 70s and 80s and then to win their Super Bowl, they did so much to get that fanbase to be on board and to go backwards was just not acceptable.

Ryan: Alright, Vincent Jackson comes in, Carl Nicks comes in. They draft Doug Martin, Dallas Clark comes in for K2, your thoughts on what the Bucs did on offense and does it parlay into more points scored and more W’s for the Bucs.

Toomer: Oh, I think it really does, especially when they got their new offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan. He is going to put this thing together. He was my position coach at the Giants for a while. I really respect him a lot. I know he understands how to deal with personalities and to deal with people. I think he will get Josh Freeman — he is the guy credited with changing Eli Manning’s fortunes around, to cut down on Eli Manning’s 25 interceptions he had the year before (Sullivan was the Giants quarterback coach). So I am really looking at Josh Freeman being a much better quarterback than he was last year; more of the quarterback he was in 2010. With Carl Nicks on the inside and Vincent Jackson on the outside, this team, they show signs of being reckoned with in the near future.

Joe’s of the mind both Ryan and Toomer have a point. One can debate whether Morris was cut out for the job or not (his overall record after three seasons suggest he was not) but it wasn’t Morris that was dogging it on the defensive side of the ball, a pattern that sickened new Bucs coach Greg Schiano as he studied tape of last season, flatly saying in his first full-length interview after getting the Bucs job that such cowardly play against the run “will not be tolerated.”

Joe also was intrigued by how strongly Toomer spoke about Sullivan. In Joe’s eyes, that’s high praise coming from a guy that practiced with him for years.

McCoy And Price Are “Very, Very, Very Special”

Sunday, July 8th, 2012

Ex-Bucs captain Jeff Faine talked about some former teammates and Bucs offseason moves.

Former Bucs captain Jeff Faine had no problem praising the Bucs front office and serving up a backhanded slap to Raheem Morris during an interview with J.P. Peterson of 1010 AM Friday evening.

Typically, Faine was one of the more candid Buccaneers during his time in Tampa, except when he was dishing out “Saltines and anchovies” labor union spin. So it’s also worth noting his gushing praise Friday of Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, two guys Faine lined up against in practice.

Peterson asked Faine directly about McCoy and Faine seemed to struggle to find words to express how very highly he rates McCoy, emphasizing that McCoy is an extraordinary talent and “he’s a very, very, very special player.”

Faine went on to say Adrian Clayborn is a top talent “with a mean streak” and a guy with great versatility against the run and pass in a division where that’s critical. And Faine had similar McCoy love for Brian Price.

“I’m telling you, J.P., if he can stay healthy, Brian Price is a very, very, very special player. He was out of shape the entire season. And it wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t run because of his [previous medical issues,]” Faine said.

As for Faine’s future, he explained that he passed on offers to join team in free agency, and Faine expressed confidence that he’ll find a new and competitive team soon.

“Some teams have to make some decisions internally that we’ve been talking to. There’s definitely interest,” Faine said. “I could have jumped at some teams that don’t have the pieces in place to win. … I want to go where they have some pieces in play and what’s a winning situation.”

Faine identified the Bucs’ top move of the offseason as the re-signing of Ronde Barber because of his veteran leadership. He also said Vincent Jackson brings a “legit threat and legit leadership,” and he painted a picture of Mike Williams yearning for the kind of hands-on guidance and teaching Jackson will deliver.

Bucs Had A Bad And A Good Offseason

Saturday, July 7th, 2012

Just the fact former Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson left town means to Joe that the offseason was a success.

It seems as though just yesterday the Bucs just got pistol-whipped by the Dixie Chicks, nearly coughing up “half-a-hundred” points… in the first half!

It was the most brutal of brutal NFL performances Joe had ever witnessed. The coaching staff should have got on their knees and thanked Team Glazer for letting them board the plane back to Tampa it was such a slap in the face to Bucs fans.

The reason why if feels like that alley-beating happened just yesterday is because the Bucs offseason was anything but quiet. They hired a head coach, then some sort of czar of the football staff, then the trickle of assistant hirings, then big and small free agents, and then came the draft and then minicamps and OTAs.

It was a busy offseason.

Mike Tanier of FootballOutsiders.com took note of this and believes the Bucs had both a bad half, and a good half during the offseason.

The first half of this essay was written just before the Combine, when Greg Schiano cobbled together his band of unlikely coaching misfits. There’s Butch Davis, whose job title is carefully crafted so he can double dip on his North Carolina University severance. There’s Jimmy Raye, last seen mumbling into a headset and losing a power struggle to Alex Smith in San Francisco. There’s Bill Sheridan, who was so terrible with the Giants that he was fired before season’s end in 2010 by the most patient organization in the NFL. This is one garbled mess of a coaching staff, with guys like Davis and Raye holding vague titles that all but guarantee chain-of-command questions.

The second half is more optimistic, because the Bucs had a solid draft, made wise free agent acquisitions, and appear to have a decent young nucleus in place. The coaching staff may have some hiccups, but the Bucs will be better than they were in December of 2011. To get any worse, they would have to have all the bones from their bodies removed and live on as jellyfish people.

If the New Schiano Order is such a “garbled mess,” then what exactly would you call that schlock last season running the Bucs? Joe still cannot believe he didn’t rifle his remote through his (then) new HDTV for the notorious Benn’d-around play week after week, game after game.

Then, there was the weekly irresponsible if not dastardly mishandling of LeGarrette Blount.

Watching the Bucs last year was like watching a decent football team on ‘shrooms.

Experience Brandon Auto Mall Fiat

Saturday, July 7th, 2012

Definitely click on through to learn more and/or shop online at Ed Morse Brandon Auto Mall. Joe bought his pre-owned Ford at Ed Morse and had a fantastic experience. Not a peep of trouble with the vehicle in 17 months. You’ll be amazed by the selection, price and service at Ed Morse.

Rotten Tackling

Saturday, July 7th, 2012

Joe has gone on record several times calling the Bucs’ 2011 linebacking corps the worst linebacker unit in all the NFL.

And it wasn’t close.

When teams ran the ball at the Bucs, once the ballcarrier got past the first level, it was quite simply a jailbreak, snap after snap, the way opposing running backs ran wild on the Bucs.

Since it is early July, the unofficial dead season in the NFL calendar until training camps begin later this month, the football eggheads at ProFootballFocus.com decided to study tape of the last three years and they camp up with the worst group of tacklers playing linebacker in the NFL.

Not surprisingly, two Bucs were in the top (bottom?) five, Geno Hayes and Quincy Black.

In 2,563 snaps, Hayes had more missed tackles than assists. So did Black, logging 1,833 plays.

Following hot on his heels in the list are Hayes and Levy, both of whom have racked up misses and whose ratios are only marginally behind that of Weatherspoon’s.

Hayes’ teammate in Tampa, Quincy Black also notched his fair share of missed tackles, as the entire Buccaneers defense seemed to be engaged in a competition last season to see who could miss the most.

Unless Sam Monson, who did the research, was totally off in his study, Joe has no earthly idea how any defensive player can have more missed tackles than assists. Hell, you just fall on a guy who is lying on the ground and you get an assist.

Yes, Joe knows Hayes is gone, but Black is still among us. Still, this is a disturbing thought that such a sloppy tackler remains in the Bucs’ starting lineup as training camp approaches.

No wonder new Bucs coach Greg Schiano said his No. 1 goal is to somehow fix the defense and to stop the run.

Joe will give Black some slack this season as this is a new regime and from all the whispers coming out of One Buc Palace, Black wasn’t coached up (along with many others, apparently).

Team Glazer, Kickball And $100 Million

Saturday, July 7th, 2012

Yes, Joe’s read all your emails about Team Glazer preparing to sell shares of Manchester United in the United States.

Joe’s simple response is that Joe really isn’t too interested, and Joe’s confident all this talk about a $100 million IPO isn’t going to get the Bucs defense to get after the quarterback, it won’t make Mike Sullivan an experienced playcaller, and it won’t drive the Bucs to buy more expensive free agents.

More importantly, no matter how much cash Team Glazer raises in this venture, it won’t force NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell to raise the salary cap ceiling.

For those still interested in Team Glazer’s kickball cash, Joe recommends this video from the folks at Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal. Click below.

Faine Says Schiano’s Style “Desperately Needed”

Friday, July 6th, 2012

Former Bucs center and captain Jeff Faine, a man who Joe crossed swords with over the years, opened up on all things Bucs this evening to electronic media czar J.P. Peterson on 1010 AM.

In a stunning show of professionalism, Faine said the Bucs made the “right decision” to cut him (and the mega-millions left on his contract) and re-sign Jeremy Zuttah and sign Carl Nicks.

“I can understand the decision. They made an investment in Carl Nicks. Looking into the future and trying to build through youth, and I think it was the right decision,” Faine said. “I’m going to be playing for two, three more years, and they’re looking to build something to last.”

Faine went on to praise rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and how he communicated with Faine through the process that led to his release.

“I had a fantastic time. I have nothing but good things to say about this organization and how they do business,” Faine said. “I can’t be bitter. I still have years to play, and hopefully win games wherever I go.”

In rather telling commentary about the unraveling of the Bucs last season, Faine said Greg Schiano’s leadership style was “desperately needed.”

“Coach Morris will be a head coach again, but he’s gotta be a head coach of a very veteran team that can handle the style that he brings,” Faine said.

That’s not much of an endorsement for Raheem, considering he led the youngest team in the NFL to a 10-6 record in 2010.

Joe will have more goodies from Faine’s interview this weekend.

Wide Receiver Jobs Not So Wide Open

Friday, July 6th, 2012

Yeah, the Bucs have legitimate talent wide receiver. And with the addition of Vincent Jackson, it seems his presence as a top-flight No. 1 receiver puts everyone else where they belong within a hopefully great offense.

Tampa Bay Times beat writer Stephen Holder penned a piece today talking about how wide open competition is in the Bucs’ receiving corps. But Joe doesn’t buy into that premise.

Jackson and Mike Williams are the clear Nos. 1 & 2. Joe realizes some fans are down on Williams, but he has elite skills and he’s caught 65 balls in each of his first two seasons.

Arrelious Benn was the 39th overall pick in what widely was considered the deepest NFL Draft in history (2010). Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik was calling for Benn to get the ball more last season — a very telling statement, on the Buccaneers Radio Network of all places — but Greg Olson and Raheem Morris wouldn’t listen. Benn is fully recovered from his knee issues and Joe has no doubt Benn will be maximized under the New Schiano Order.

Preston Parker got a new contract and was an offseason standout, per Greg Schiano. He’ll fill his role nicely.

And if Sammie Stroughter can remain completely healthy through the preseason, he’s a lock for the No. 5 receiver slot, in Joe’s opinion. Stroughter plays special teams, is an above average returner, and he’s got the work ethic and runs solid routes. The Bucs would be nuts to dump him, assuming he’s healthy, and considering Parker’s past ball-security issues on returns.

Joe thinks it’s a big “if” whether the Bucs will carry six receivers. Given that the New Schiano Order wants to pound the ball like the 1972 Dolphins and will need more than typical depth on the defensive line and in the secondary, Joe would be somewhat surprised to see the Bucs with six receivers on opening day.

Joe’s got nothing against Dezmon Briscoe, but one would think he’s lost his “Buccaneer Man” card with his offseason absences, and he’s not as valuable with Jackson on the roster. Tiquan Underwood and Ed Gant, Joe considers them huge longshots. Briscoe, Underwood and Gant all likely need banged up teammates in the receiving corps to make it to opening day.

Don’t Blow It! Check Out Topper Town!

Friday, July 6th, 2012

Wake up truck, van and SUV owners!

Check out the good guys (and great Bucs fans) at Topper Town on U.S. Hwy. 19 in Clearwater. They’ve got all kinds of accessories to improve appearance and functionality of your vehicle — toolboxes, ladder racks, utility covers and toppers — for work or fun. Topper Town does it all.

So stop by Topper Town, check them out online, or give the guys at Topper Town a call today to get a quote to freshen up your car, truck, van or SUV.

Topper Town has been a family owned business for 35+ years. These guys will take care of you big time and already have impressed many JoeBucsFan.com readers. Check out the Topper Town website today.

Eric Wright’s Actions Could Put Bucs In Mess

Friday, July 6th, 2012

Look, Joe’s not going to even attempt to make an excuse for Eric Wright’s mistake the other morning in Los Angeles, getting into an accident and being charged with a felony DUI.

Joe could sort of understand this happening in the sticks someplace where there is no such thing as a cab. But Wright was in the second-largest city in the United States. Throw in the fact he could afford to buy a limo service much less afford a cab, this was stupidity at it’s worst.

But the dumb move could be worse for the Bucs, so writes Bradenton Herald columnist Alan Dell, who believes Wright’s dumb-headed stunt could really screw the Bucs.

He was brought in to play corner opposite Aqib Talib, who just got a get-out-of-jail-free card, but still hasn’t escaped the long arm of NFL top sheriff Roger Goodell.

The Bucs could begin next season without these two cornerbacks if Goodell seeks to suspend them a few games for conduct unbecoming to everything pure and wholesome in the NFL.

Wright could become another Dominik mishap and an embarrassment to himself and the organization.

This is a subject Joe didn’t exactly think about when he heard of Wright’s arrest. There is no guarantee NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell won’t suspend Talib, despite the fact Talib’s charges in Texas were dropped.

Throw in Wright’s wreck, and Goodell could see to it that the Bucs are down two cornerbacks to open the season. This leaves open the door for Ronde Barber to return to a starting cornerback gig.

Blackout Rule Shouldn’t Fluster Bucs

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

Reports in their respective cities reveal that the Bengals and Chargers, two teams that struggle to fill their stadiums, are wrestling to decide the best “magic percentage” to choose for their new TV blackout cutoff.

So what the hell does that mean, Joe?

Well, the NFL’s decision to let teams only sell as little as 85 percent of tickets for home games and still have them televised comes with a catch. Per Mike Florio, of ProFootballTalk.com, a team must pick an exact percentage that covers every game for the entire season, and if a team sells more than whatever percentage it chooses for a game — 85 percent, 88 percent, 92 percent, etc. — then the team must give 50 percent of the ticket revenue over the percentage to the visiting team, versus the 34 percent previously required.

That could discourage every team from picking 85 percent as its new blackout threshold. The San Diego Union-Tribune says the Chargers are unlikely to take advantage of any rule change, despite two blackouts last season.

If a team lowers the bar for blackouts, the number is fixed for the season. Whenever the team clears the mark, it will be required to share more ticket revenue than usual with other teams in the league. It’s that part of the new rules that the Chargers believe would be too high a price to pay, said A.G. Spanos, the team’s executive vice president and chief executive officer.

“And even if you went to 15 percent lower, hypothetically an 85 percent manifest, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a lift of the blackout for every game,” Spanos said Monday. “It’s also important to understand that the manifest is set for the year for every game, whether it’s a big game for us or a game with a less attractive opponent.”

Joe gets teams like the Bengals and Chargers wrestling with the new rule; the Bengals have a night game against the Steelers and their home-opener against state-rival Cleveland, two guaranteed sellouts. The Chargers also have two night home games.

But the Bucs on the other hand have no home night games and no opponent guaranteed to put butts in the seats other than Philadelphia in December. Joe would think it would be an easy decision for the Bucs to choose the 85-percent mark or something darn close to it.

Regardless, barring an intervention or a huge rush of ticket sales, Joe’s not seeing how the Bucs’ preseason games are going to find their way to live television next month.

Official Rays Watch Party Tonight At Hooters!!

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

It’s a blast to go to one of the official Rays watch parties at Hooters, and there’s one tonight at the Original Hooters on Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater, aka State Road 60, just east of US Hwy. 19.

Why watch the Rays at home when you can take advantage of the great beer and food specials at Hooters? Plus there are amazing Rays giveaways all night long — gear, tickets, all kinds of stuff. Nobody can top the great viewing at Hooters. (Yes, Joe’s talking about the multitude of cutting edge TV sets).

Visit OriginalHooters.com now to find the location near you.

Eric Wright Can “Take His Medicine”

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

National NFL insider and all-around wiseguy Mike Florio, creator and curator of ProFootballTalk.com and a NBC Sports personality, reminds Bucs fans in this video that Eric Wright can be punished by the Buccaneers for his recent actions. The Bucs don’t have to defer to Roger Goodell, Florio says, and while Wright has rights, he also has the right to “take his medicine” for his alleged misdeeds if the New Schiano Orders wants to send a message.

Florio’s got some intriguing takes here, including one that says the Bucs might not care as much about public perception of how Wright is handled because the change in blackout rules will alleviate much of the pressure to sell tickets.

Sullivan’s Potential 2012 Impact On Freeman

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

When Mike Sullivan was hired as the Bucs’ new playcaller and offensive coordinator, much was made of his twirl drills with Eli Manning and other unconventional quarterback training techniques.

Bucs fans’ hopes/expectations were that Sullivan would be able to help Josh Freeman recapture his 2010 form and develop into the poised, two-time Super Bowl champ Manning is.

“I don’t know if he’s gotten any credit but … he’s certainly been a catalyst in the good year Eli’s had,” offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said last month.

Manning also threw much better while moving in the pocket and on the run, which backup quarterback David Carr attributed to Sullivan’s unconventional drills.

“He has some different drills where it’s uncomfortable movements,” Carr said of Sullivan last month. “You’re not just dropping back, moving to the left and right, stepping up and throwing the ball, which never happens in the game.

“You move up, you sprint out, run away from someone and then try to throw off balance. We do that drill every Wednesday and something every Thursday and Friday that’s similar to that, where we move around and twirl.

So it was interesting to Joe to read NFL Films guru Greg Cosell’s new breakdown of Manning. It’s a long enjoyable read for football junkies, and one that seems to back up that Sullivan’s tactics with Manning brought direct results.

In 2011, I saw significant improvement in two other elements of Manning’s game: progression reading and pocket movement, with the corollary ability to extend plays outside the pocket. We all remember the 38-yard completion to Mario Manningham late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI; it was the single biggest play in the game. It also reflected many of the attributes that I have often written about, beginning with pre-snap recognition of the coverage. … …

The other part of Manning’s game that dramatically improved in 2011, and I believe it was a defining reason as to why he had his best season yet, was his efficiency moving both within the pocket and outside the pocket. As I’ve discussed numerous times, pocket mobility is an essential trait to perform consistently at a high level. Manning, once a little frenzied and out of control when he was forced to react in response to the pass rush, is now more poised and composed. His movement is more deliberate and calculated. His downfield focus is sharper, with better clarity. In addition, his ability to extend plays on the perimeter was particularly evident last season. In years past, there were times Manning would be somewhat scattershot with his throws off movement. That deficiency has been lessened, and it’s led to better overall play. It’s a huge reason why Manning elevated his game in 2011.

Now Freeman is not Eli Manning, and surely Sullivan is busy crafting his playbook and Joe is concerned that Sullivan has never called plays on any level. However, there’s no question that Sullivan is here, in part, because of his work with Manning and for what he can do for Freeman.

The optimist in Joe believes Sullivan, while busy with other duties, will at least be successful in improving Freeman in the areas noted above: progression reading and pocket movement. Joe suspects the former will be most critical, given that the Bucs’ pocket should be more stable than usual given all the accomplished beef on the offensive line.

New Settlement Proposed In Grandma Vs. Talib

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

The strange tale of the Aqib Talib local fender bender in 2010, after which Talib allegedly told the other driver that he was going to put “a cap in” her, has not gone away.

Four months ago, grandma Betty Atwood, 54, sued Talib in Hillsborough County civil court (not criminal) for damages related to the car accident and alleged resulting pain and suffering.

Joe’s recent review of the civil court hearings and events of the case reveals that motions to dismiss two of the three counts against Talib were denied, and after various subpoenas of Atwood’s medical records, the court recorded two “notice of service of proposal settlement” entries last week, covering all three counts against Talib. So one can assume a check likely is forthcoming to put this matter to rest.

Another weight off Talib’s shoulders should only help him as he works to stay out of trouble and on the positive path he’s been on the last eight or nine months.

Joe will keep you posted on the case, and Joe promises to look deeper into the case file.

Happy Fourth Of July!

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

Good morning. Joe wants to wish all his loyal readers (and even his haters), a very happy Fourth of July.

This is always Joe’s favorite holiday. For Joe, it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day all rolled into one.

Joe wallows in beer on this day, usually participates in some water activity on the Gulf, stuffs his grill with all sorts of grilled up goodies and, often after watching a little baseball, heads out to watch the fireworks.

Joe hopes all of his readers have fun today. Don’t forget, Joe is here 24/7/365, and the fact that July 4 is here, that means training camp is just a few weeks away.

Derrick Ward Retires

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

It’s over for Derrick Ward, so the former Bucs running back has Twittered, via ProFootballTalk.com.

Ward is hanging it up after nine seasons in the NFL.

Now many Bucs fans might say Ward retired the moment he finished signing his fat free-agent contract with the Buccaneers in 2009, when Ward was supposed to be part a ridiculous 2-2-1 rotation, a three-headed monster at running back (Ward-Cadillac Williams-Earnest Graham) engaged in a bizarre Raheem-Olson shuffling per offensive series.

That plan failed and Ward was used sparingly and was inconsistent. After getting cut late in the 2010 preseason, Ward went on to have a couple of solid seasons for Houston as a backup.

When history looks back on Ward, yeah, he had a 1,000-yard season and earned a ring with the Giants, but his South Tampa pool parties might be more memorable as well as his Kardashian-dabbling. Joe wishes Ward well.

All-You-Can-Eat Feast At Hooters In St. Pete

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Joe’s drooling at the thought of enjoying this amazing deal tonight at Hooters on 4th St. in St. Pete and at the Tyrone Square Hooters in St. Pete. What a great way to feast and watch baseball. Don’t miss it! Click here to get the exact locations.

Radical Culture Change Doesn’t Mean Fast Success

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Veteran Bucs fans know all about culture change.

Father Dungy walked into Tampa in 1996, and brought new rules, order and overhauled the defense, replacing wacky Sam Wyche, whose ’95 team started “5-dash-2” but finished 7-dash-9.

The Bucs struggled mightily out of the gate for Dungy, but finished 6-10 in 1996, before making the playoffs in ’97.

Former NFL safety Matt Bowen, now a scribe for NationalFootballPost.com, relayed a similar story of successful culture change when he was with the Redskins. The loose ship of Steve Spurrier gave way to the return of legendary Joe Gibbs.

Gibbs did alter the “culture” in our locker room and on the field. We were prepared, dealt with adversity in a professional fashion and displayed a much more physical attitude in our play on the field.

Accountability. That’s the word I’m looking for under Gibbs.

But that first year was still a transition period for our team. No playoffs, some rough losses and plenty of film to work with. However, in our second season under the new coach, we ran off five straight wins to get into the playoffs, won the Wild Card round and eventually lost to the eventual NFC Champion Seahawks up in Seattle.

In Tampa, Schiano has some young talent, a QB in Josh Freeman and has already made some roster moves. And I expect to see a very physical football team this season on the field. Does that mean we will see the Bucs compete for a playoff spot this season? I can’t say that without seeing them play under the new coach. But this will fall on the shoulders of the players.

As a locker room, we bought into Gibbs, his style of coaching and a training camp environment that was pure hell on a humid August day.

Is Greg Schiano a Tony Dungy or Joe Gibbs? Surely nobody knows.

But even if he is in that caliber, the Bucs are still looking at an uphill battle for 2012. They’ve got an offense with win-now weapons everywhere, but the defense has so far to go and so many question marks, it pains Joe to think about likely growing pains on that side of the ball.

Bucs React To Eric Wright Situation

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Naturally, the Bucs have received word of the troubling situation early this morning when cornerback Eric Wright was charged with a felony count of driving under the influence, and thus have released a statement.

“We are aware of the arrest and are in the process of gathering information. We take such matters very seriously and will handle it appropriately.”

Joe has touched upon the first tough decision of the New Schiano Order. Rest assured, Joe feels it is safe to assume, that if the Bucs do not penalize Wright in some manner, NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell certainly will.

What’s Schiano’s Next Move?

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

The arrest of Eric Wright is a pivotal situation for the leader of the New Schiano Order

Today’s felony impaired-driving arrest of Eric Wright is new ground for the leader of the New Schiano Order.

This isn’t Rutgers. Wright just signed a contract reported to deliver $15.5 million guaranteed, and $37.5 million total, over five years (not too shabby for a guy without a Pro Bowl.)

Joe gets that some fans will want the Bucs to cut Wright and send a message. But given his contract, that’s about as likely as Joe getting a call from Rachel Watson requesting shaving assistance.

One can be sure that every Buccaneers player is watching closely. Joe believes how this is handled is a pivotal moment for the team. Yes, the legal system has to play out and the situation must be investigated. Yes, Roger Goodell is lurking. But Schiano’s next move will speak volumes.

Wright will need to be disciplined. Joe’s eager to see how the new “Buccaneer Men” are handled in such a situation, but it’s likely Schiano will keep any discipline of Wright under a cone of silence.

Eric Wright Allegedly In DUI Injury Accident

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

UPDATE: Wright posted $100,000 bond and was released from L.A. County jail at 1:34 p.m. EST.

Bucs cornerback Eric Wright was charged with a felony count of driving under the influence by Los Angeles police early this morning after he was involved in a wreck in which an injury occurred, per the Los Angeles Times.

Police responded to a report of an injury accident about 12:20 a.m. involving a Chevy Silverado pickup and a Mercedes SLS luxury sports coup at James M. Wood Boulevard and Georgia Street, said Norma Eisenman, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Wright, who was not hurt, allegedly told officers he had been drinking earlier at a friend’s home in the Hollywood area and refused to submit to a Breathalyzer or field sobriety test, Eisenman said. The driver of the truck complained of pain but refused medical treatment.

Officers booked Wright on a felony because the accident involved injury. He was booked into the LAPD’s downtown Metropolitan Detention Center in lieu of $100,000 bail.

The report gets more disturbing, not just because of this accident. The Los Angeles Times writes in the same article that Wright, who initially played football at Southern Cal, left the school under a cloud of suspicion of rape as Wright was also busted for having 136 Ecstasy pills in his apartment.

The rape charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence.

The Bucs are thin enough at cornerback as it is. Suddenly in a few weeks, the title of “troubled Bucs cornerback” has quickly shifted from Aqib Talib to now Wright.