Ex-Bucs and Patriots guard Logan Mankins

How bout that 24-year-old starting defensive end on the Patriots!

Do you know how New England acquired Trey Flowers? [read more]

Could he survive?

To folks who monitor the NFL from the outside, the Bucs have “clear” needs. For those who work inside the walls of One Buc Palace the view seems to be cloudy. [read more]

Painful pass.

Joe was torn watching the final play of the Dixie Chicks last night in their divisional playoff match-up with the Philadelphia Eagles. [read more]

“Coach, Kwon and I promise we’ll get at least one sack for you next season. We won’t go sackless again.”

It appears one thread of hope has been lost for a faction of Buccaneers fans. [read more]

Yeah, it’s easy to say Dirk Koetter’s offense is a vertical offense. But a peek inside the numbers sure bears that out. [read more]

Abe’s amazing wings! Visit AbesPlace.com for the full menu. Great place to watch the games.

Oh, man. Joe is so pumped for another day of football, ice cold beers and amazing food at Abe’s Place in Clearwater! Joe will feast like a king.

Fun! Delicious! Check out the menu at AbesPlace.com.

Birthday boy Josh Freeman has a new team today.

Ah, the good ol’ days of 2010, when 22-year-old Josh Freeman was was a total-package quarterback leading the Buccaneers to a 10-6 record behind 25 touchdown passes and just six interceptions.

But by 2013, Freeman was another dashed Bucs dream. And now he has a new team. [read more]

Chris Godwin talks hype, mentality and offseason plans. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)

Pretty neat insight from Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin. [read more]

Interesting name to watch.

Julius Peppers must be on the Miko Grimes Diet. [read more]

Says he’ll be in training camp this year

Yes, yes, yes, your Bucs, as of today, appear to be embracing the status quo when it comes to their 5-11 coaching staff, home of the NFL’s 32nd-ranked defense. [read more]

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Eight teams are left as NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend is upon us. Who you play is often relative to who you think will win the game itself this time of year.

If you like the Pats big, you love Gronk. If you don’t, you love Derrick Henry. If you like the Steelers big, you are paying top dollar for Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. If not, you may be investing in the Jags D/ST. If you still believe in the Eagles, this is a great spot for Zack Ertz and Jay Ajayi. If not, then you’re investing in Julio Jones. If you are on board that Saints bandwagon, you have Drew Brees and one of those two running backs. If you believe the Vikings are headed for a home field Super Bowl, then Latavius Murray and Kyle Rudolph are in play. Todd’s got every position covered like Xavier Rhodes or Jalen Ramsey in this edition of the podcast. Remember, you can also sign up for Todd’s first golf tournament of 2018 at www.joebucsfan.com/golf as limited tee times remain.

Click above to listen or download, or at iTunes or Google Play. And now at Podbean!

Friend of Chucky explains.

The folks tired of Chucky stiff-arming the Bucs (allegedly) and taking the Raiders job are the same ones who cheered for Team Glazer to hire Chucky, thus, they don’t want to be reminded of their dashed dreams. [read more]

Potential storm brewing.

Joe’s media brethren already are screaming “hot seat” for Dirk Koetter in 2018. They smell blood in the water.

They’re bellowing playoffs or a pink slip for the pride of Pocatello. [read more]

Ira heads to the locker room for today’s column.

Ira Kaufman is the most revered sports personality and writer in town. He has hung his hat at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters since July 2016. Tampa Bay’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, Ira busts out columns here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and his award winning podcasts fire Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also hear Ira every Wednesday on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio at 5 p.m., and see him Mondays and Fridays at 10:30 p.m. on Spectrum Sports 360.

BY IRA KAUFMAN

NFL locker rooms are delicate creatures.

It doesn’t take much to tinker with a winning formula and mess with chemistry.

Every player in this league is talented, so I’m convinced more than ever that character is an indispensable ingredient for success.

Talking to Buc players after the final game, they swore to a man that this team stuck together through the tough times. They talked about playing for each other and the mutual respect that was evident within the walls of One Buc Place. [read more]

Time to eat

Jason Licht remains commander in chief of Buccaneers football operations because of his work through four NFL Drafts. [read more]

Pay time?

Many general managers across the NFL will tell you they like to maintain a bit of salary harmony in the their locker rooms. [read more]

Tossed for unit’s poor performance.

It’s beginning to make Joe wonder. [read more]

Sets team mark.

Prior to Team Glazer (?) letting word out on the last Friday of the season that Bucs coach Dirk Koetter would be retained, Joe stated on several episodes of the “Ira Kaufman Podcast” that a compelling argument could be made to keep Koetter, as fan rage over the upside-down season swirled around Tampa. [read more]

Make up your mind!

Talk about talking out of both sides of your mouth. [read more]