Ready?

OK, Joe’s going to try to bring some sunshine into Bucs fans’ world on this gloomy, rainy Saturday morning. [read more]

“Pete, I like the way you think.”

Prickly Pete Prisco of CBS has a knack for getting a reaction out of people. Shoot, he can even get under Ira Kaufman’s skin barking about the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [read more]

Flash poll posted at 6:40 a.m. Poll closed at 9:48 a.m.

No fun?

When Joe read this excerpt, Joe immediately had a comeback for the slightly faulty premise. [read more]

Dial up a loaded JoeBucsFan Show at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday on WDAE radio, 95.3 FM and AM 620. Listen online, too, or via the iHeart Radio app or below. The local Saturday fun on WDAE starts this week with Nick Wize’s college football show Blown Coverage at 7 a.m.

Joe’s been back on the WDAE airwaves every Saturday since February. Varying times.

Preseason Game 3

Bills at Bucs

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

TV: WFLA-TV Channel 8 with Chris Myers, Rondé Barber and Aileen Hnatiuk.

Rebroadcast: Both WTTA-TV Channel 38 and NFL Network will rebroadcast the game Sunday at 10 a.m. (NFL Network is scheduled to rebroadcast Colts-Bengals Backup Bowl game 18 times Friday through Monday. So 54 hours of programming Labor Day weekend is for one game between two mediocre teams in small Midwestern markets. LOL! No wonder NFL Network was losing money. Joe never knew there were that many Anthony Richardson fans? Or, Jake Browning really is that popular.)

[read more]

Increased responsibility.

Until Jalen McMillan got hurt, veteran receiver Sterling Shepard logged most of his training camp time catching passes with the second-team offense. [read more]

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Click above to shop the tremendous August pricing and inventory at Tampa’s first family of Ford, BillCurrieFord.com. Don’t Worry. Drive Currie! Reach out to Ira’s friend and Bill Currie Ford GM Sean Sullivan for a hearty JoeBucsFan discount, and remember their extreme commitment to customer satisfaction at Bill Currie Ford.

We’re two weeks from the season opener and Ira returns from illness to a very full Bucs buffet. Enjoy!

The wisdom and fun of Ira and Joe is presented by Bill Currie Ford. Click play above or listen at Apple Podcasts or Podbean.com. Many other platforms, too.

A family business since 1960, Bill Currie Ford is one mile north of Raymond James Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, and Bill Currie Ford GM Sean Sullivan is Ira’s great friend. He’s ready to help you personally — and to give you the Ira Kaufman discount on top of all their amazing deals. E-mail, call or visit Sean at the Bill Currie showroom.

Two of Joe’s all-time favorite football players got together for a chat that published last week. [read more]

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Todd confirms why the Colts are going with Daniel Jones to start the season and discusses a near 15-year run of failed first-round draft picks from the University of Florida as the real problem. The Todd Wright TODDcast is presented by Brandon Legal Group and Plantation Palms. Click above to listen or to download. Or listen via Podcast Addict, TuneIn and other platforms.

PRESENTED BY

So on Monday night, former Eagles great Jason Kelce was on ESPN TV talking about his most “intriguing” NFL team. [read more]

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Todd previews the fifth round of fantasy football drafts. The Todd Wright Fantasy Football Podcast is presented by Hooters!

Click above to listen or download, or at Apple Podcasts, Podbean and many more platforms!

Click on through to shop at BillCurrieFord.com. Family-owned in Tampa since 1960, Bill Currie Ford has got to be your go-to choice! Bill Currie Ford GM Sean Sullivan is ready to help you PERSONALLY and give you the famous Ira Kaufman discount on top of their great everyday prices. Don’t Worry, Drive Currie!

BY IRA KAUFMAN

We’re down to the Final Five.

In celebration of the 50th season of Buccaneer football, I’ve been counting down the 50 most notable players in franchise history. As expected, the Final Five is dominated by defense.

No. 50 – Mark Cotney
No. 49 – Mike Washington
No. 48 – Richard “Batman” Wood
No. 47 – Aqib Talib
No. 46 – Ricky Reynolds
No. 45 – Keyshawn Johnson
No. 44 – Ricky Bell
No. 43 – Vincent Jackson
No. 42 – Mark Carrier
No. 41 – Donnie Abraham
No. 40 – Cadillac Williams
No. 39 – Joey Galloway
No. 38 – Kevin House
No. 37 – Davin Joseph
No. 36 – Shelton Quarles
No. 35 – Michael Pittman
No. 34 – Leonard Fournette
No. 33 – Donovan Smith
No. 32 – Rob Gronkowski
No. 31 – Doug Martin
No. 30 – Baker Mayfield
No. 29 – Ndamukong Suh
No. 28 – Hugh Green
No. 27 – Jason Pierre-Paul
No. 26 – Shaq Barrett

Six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy checked in at No. 23.

No. 25 – Donald Penn
No. 24 – Brad Johnson
No. 23 – Gerald McCoy
No. 22 – Ali Marpet
No. 21 – Vita Vea
No. 20 – Tony Mayberry
No. 19 – Antoine Winfield Jr.
No. 18 – Warrick Dunn
No. 17 – Chris Godwin
No. 16 – James Wilder
No. 15 – Jimmie Giles
No. 14 – Hardy Nickerson
No. 13 – Mike Alstott
No. 12 – Paul Gruber
No. 11 – Doug Williams
No. 10 – Simeon Rice
No. 9 – Tristan Wirfs
No. 8 – Tom Brady
No. 7 –  John Lynch
No. 6 – Lavonte David

No. 5 – Mike Evans
The only offensive player in the Top 7 is the first player Jason Licht drafted since becoming GM in 2014. Evans, who turns 31 later this month, is the franchise career leader in catches, receiving yards and TD receptions. He has earned six Pro Bowl berths, two All-Pro honors and ranks No. 9 all-time in league annals with 105 TD catches.

“I think Mike loves contested catches more than open catches because it sets a tone and sends a message — no matter if you’re on my hip, I’m gonna catch this anyway and there’s nothing you can do about it,” says Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett.
Evans can set an NFL record with his 12th consecutive 1,000-yard season, solidifying a powerful Hall of Fame resume. [read more]

Tez Johnson, left, has mad respect for Mike Evans, center.

Tez Johnson was raised right. He respects his elders. [read more]

Bucs assistant GM Rob McCartney.

Joe understands a lot of Bucs fans aren’t sold on Charlie Heck playing left tackle until All-Pro Tristan Wirfs is able to take the field again. [read more]

Confidence in Baker Mayfield.

A former Bucs running back has no doubt who the Bucs will turn to in these depressing days navigating through significant injuries to offensive starters. [read more]

Rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish knocks the ball away from Titans receiver Elic Ayomanor.

Joe is glad and a little bit scared that Bucs’ shotcallers in the personnel department are seeing the same thing in players that Joe has. [read more]

Week 1 starting left tackle Charlie Heck.

So the guy handed the keys to the Buccaneers’ left tackle job for at least a couple of games has very little NFL experience at the position. [read more]

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Final preseason edition as the Bucs backups will take on Buffalo on Saturday night! Bobby Fenton has all the Bucs latest and always is an intriguging listen. Follow Bobby on X, @bobbygameday. Bobby’s podcast is an extension of his national and local radio shows. It’s been at JoeBucsFan.com for nine years. Always a quality listen from a true Tampa native.

Click above to listen or to download The Free Stretch, or catch it on Apple Podcasts and many other platforms.

The Free Stretch is presented by Bill Currie Ford. Don’t Worry, Drive Currie!

In addition to the Bucs, Bobby loves the Gators, Lightning, and Rays. He is an avid Ultimate Frisbee player, as well as a special teams ace for the Dunedin Pirates semi-pro football team of the Florida Football Alliance. He lives in South Tampa and his current deadlift PR is 455 pounds.

GM respect flows.

So Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht has this thing that has become the highest praise he can offer a player. [read more]

“Lavonte, what do I have to do to be you? I want a day off.”

We all know the two elder statesmen of the Bucs, two guys that hopefully will have their busts in Canton someday, get vets days off. [read more]

Joe’s glad to hear that Bucs receiver Tez Johnson is putting on man weight, even if the rookie is more like a junior varsity high school player when he gets on a scale. [read more]