Bucs rookie left tackle Donovan Smith

Based on the offensive line performance last season, especially the efforts of newcomers Anthony Collins and Evan Dietrich Smith, as well as Browns rejects Oniel Cousins and Garrett Gilkey, many Bucs fans used O-line coach George Warhop as a verbal punching bag. [read more]

Update: 6:08 p.m.: It seems the Bucs are playing April Fools’ Day jokes on Joe. After Joe arrives in St. Pete, the Bucs decide improving weather will keep practice in Tampa.

Afternoon downpours and thunderstorms rolled into One Buc Palace just in time to screw up training camp practice today.

After a brief delay, Tampa Bay got in its stretching and some very light work before the skies opened and the lightning alarm sounded. [read more]

Convincing non-believers.

Joe thinks, at least in training camp practices, that “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, has turned the corner.

Jameis had uneven practices early on. But the last three practices, even with two picks yesterday, have been stellar. That’s what happens with rookies. They learn and grow. [read more]

Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is a lucky man. That’s why Shaun King believes Licht bedded a 10.

King, the pride of St. Petersburg and one of three quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to an NFC Championship game, used the analogy of hitting the lottery with a hot chick to Licht being able to draft “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston. [read more]

Cue the ACC bashers.

Jameis Winston, America’s Quarterback, wasn’t too impressed by college linebackers. [read more]

It’s under-center time for Marcus Mariota

Joe’s already called opening day against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 13 in Tampa a “must-win.”

It’s not a must-win for the standings. Duh. But it is necessary for the psyche of a fanbase that’s hasn’t seen a home victory since 2013, and compares Jameis Winston to Marcus Mariota. [read more]

Rookie returner Kaelin Clay. Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Once upon a time, legendary Redskins return man Brian Mitchell took the opening kickoff of his rookie career — yes, preseason — and finished the play celebrating a touchdown.

And Mitchell’s impact is still being felt — at Buccaneers training camp. [read more]

“America’s Quarterback” will not see his career implode if he does not have Louis Murphy as a slot man.

It pays to talk to folks and actually watch training camp practices, even though, like players, scribes like Joe are starting to get worn out.

Now through at least the next three weeks, you will see many prognostications about who will be where on depth charts, even though a depth chart before the first preseason game is about as useful as a snowblower in the Florida Keys. [read more]

It appears the Buccaneers have quashed promotion of players’ new t-shirts.

As a Buccaneers fan, sometimes it’s healing to embrace the comedy and misfortune surrounding the past 100 games, in which the team has lost 70.

It’s been a bizarre, maddening and hair-losing ride. [read more]

Healthiest since his rookie season.

Yes, Joe gets the dreaded question a lot this year. “Who is looking good?”

It’s the kind of question Joe avoids because unless a player is flat out balling, the answer is unsure. [read more]

Gerald McCoy wants Jameis to just be Jameis.

Joe thinks the term “leaders” may be the most misused and perhaps the most overblown word in sports, particularly football and specifically when talking about a 2-14 team. So you led your team to the worst record in the league? Cute. [read more]

Bucs offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter speaks

It’s often tough to judge training camp running plays.

Buccaneers defensive players don’t tackle running backs to the ground, and there’s not always real hitting on every play. [read more]

Bucs WR Robert Herron has been catching the ball for a change this summer.

Last year, why Robert Herron was at the bottom of the wide receiver depth chart wasn’t exactly a tough puzzle to solve. And it sure looked like he was on the wrong side of the bubble entering training camp this August. [read more]

Yes, the feet were down. It was a touchdown for Mike Evans, from Jameis Winston.

The steamy grind continues at Buccaneers training camp, as the Bucs keep wearing pads in practice and pounding each other in advance of the preseason opener on Saturday night in Minnesota.

Joe’s got all kinds of notes & nuggets. Enjoy. [read more]

George “Flash” Johnson

There’s plenty of speed on this young Buccaneers defense, and it’s evidenced in this video from today’s training camp practice at One Buc Palace.

Man, Jameis Winston, America’s Quarterback, would have been creamed here. [read more]

Backup… for now.

Not quite a full day after NFL Network’s Mike Mayock crowed that rookie Bucs guard Ali Marpet has “Pro Bowl potential,” you could have fooled Marpet with that statement. [read more]

Pro Bowl in his future?

It isn’t often that Joe sees Mike Mayock go all wobbly at the knees over an NFL player — like Joe does when he remembers his now trashed poster of Rachel Watson.

But that is exactly what Mayock did when for Bucs rookie guard Ali Marpet. [read more]

Joe may not be a fan of Evan (Dietrich) Smith, but that doesn’t mean Joe won’t share love for the Bucs’ starting center. [read more]

Endangered species?

Seems like the Bucs are running a lot of punters in and out of One Buc Palace of late.

Joe knows NFL teams love competition, but the revolving door of trying punters out sure smells like this punter roulette is more than just pushing Michael Koenen. [read more]

How good is Gerald McCoy?

However you choose to answer that — and it is debatable — it doesn’t take away from the extreme expectations on McCoy’s back. [read more]

New Bucs manbeast DT Tony McDaniel is talking big

There’s nothing like having a good player with supreme expectations and confidence, combined with a winning resumé.

It doesn’t always work out (see Evan Smith’s Super Bowl ring), but that attitude can be infectious. [read more]