Development has been fine.

Man, sometimes folks have to reach for an excuse. [read more]

Were Bucs doomed in August?

A couple of scenes from “Hard Knocks” will live in Bucs lore. [read more]

Axed by top-shelf NFC squad.

Moves and non-moves in the NFL get more curious by the day. [read more]

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.

BY IRA KAUFMAN

Just how close are they?

According to the scoreboard, the Bucs are close. Real close.

According to the eyeball test and the depth chart, they have a huge challenge ahead to compete with the big boys in the NFL’s premier division. [read more]

Interesting slice of Buccaneers history here from none other than mercurial NFL superwife Miko Grimes. [read more]

Making it rain.

The backbone of a good football team is to draft well. And that hasn’t changed. [read more]

“Sell all those damn Google shares when it hits $1,109.”

One would think that an NFL Network reporter who peddles fake news to the masses would get fired or suspended by the league, which owns the network. [read more]

Jaw-dropping data.

The haters might choke on these numbers. [read more]

Absurd evaluation.

And folks wonder why Joe puts no value into the grading system manufactured by the well-trained orangutans. [read more]

“I know nothing, love everyone, love football, and I never wanted to leave the Raiders.”

Yes, Joe watched every minute of the grand and large Raiders news conference yesterday announcing Jon Gruden, Chucky, as the new head coach of Oakland/Vegas.

Chucky took all kinds of questions. Great entertainment. [read more]

Breakdown.

So, what did you think of America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, this season? [read more]

Ahh, the evolution of Jameis Winston. It’s been a wild, wild ride.

America’s Quarterback has grown in so many ways and regressed in others. [read more]

NFC South OC launched.

It is starting to smell as if two different NFC South franchises have completely different standards and goals. [read more]

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The gloves are off, Brooklyn-style, and Ira is swinging and putting Joe on the ropes. The Ira Kaufman Podcast continues to dazzle year-round at iTunes, Google Play or Podbean.com, or right here! The Ira Kaufman Podcast keeps you informed and entertained every Tuesday & Thursday — and there is NO offseason. Click or download above. It’s free and easy. Enjoy!

Hidden value.

For many Bucs fans, their offensive line is to blame for everything from the wife not paying the DirecTV bill to the dog throwing up on the living room rug (after the mutt watched the new DVD from NFL Films, “Bucs Sacks: How the NFL’s Gulf Coast team produces an edge rush.” [read more]

More national jabs at Jameis

The sad thing is that America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, is best known around the country these days for shoving fingers in his mouth and pretending to eat Ws formed by those digits. [read more]

Later today, the greatest coach in Buccaneers history, Jon Gruden, will be named head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

And, joyfully, some great stories of Chucky have been coming out over the past couple of weeks. [read more]