Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports ghostly Michael Johnson will be released this afternoon.

You want to know why Bucs general manager Jaosn Licht was gun-shy in free agency yesterday? Here is why: two of the three big-named free agents were wiped off the Bucs’ roster. Quarterback Josh McCown and left tackle Anthony Collins.

Now add another member to complete the terrible troika. [read more]

Eagles’ strongman Chip Kelly killed the popular belief he wants Marcus Mariota.

Joe just doesn’t get it. Never will. The Bucs, for years, have been in need of a quarterback in the absolute worst way.

And now, holding the No. 1 pick overall, have the rare once-in-30-years chance of solving this issue for maybe a decade, perhaps for 15 years, and there is still a sect of Bucs fans who demand to trade down. [read more]

Raheem Morris, the guy who led the Bucs to a 10-win, 2010 season on a shoestring payroll while 10 rookies made starts, is now the assistant head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

And Raheem, it seems, has put in a good word for his Boy-Dog. [read more]

Cerebral ex-quarterback Boomer Esiason issued a firm stance on University of Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.

Esiason isn’t sold on Mariota and says his NFL obstacles will be immense. [read more]

Before Lovie Smith was fired in Chicago and hung out in his basement with Jeff Tedford and others, Lovie finished coaching the Bears to a 10-6 record and the NFL’s fifth-ranked defense in 2012.

Two guys anchoring the back of that defense could be reunited in Tampa. [read more]

Crab-legs-stealing, BB-gun-shooting, obscenity-hollering, Heisman-Trophy-winning, former national champion Jameis Winston, the pride of Florida State University, continues to look like a much better quarterback prospect than Mike Glennon.

It’s Joe’s daily nugget on the Jameis Watch, celebrating the best quarterback ever to wear No. 5 in the state of Florida. [read more]

Chatter out of New Orleans claims Step 2 of the Saints dumping of superstars is a plan to send Drew Brees to the Buccaneers for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. [read more]

The sun came up yesterday and the sun set. Yet the Bucs’ roster was virtually unchanged.

Oh, on the very day the free agency dinner bell rang, virtually every team made a transaction, or so it seemed. Teams signed players. Teams traded players. [read more]

The Bucs have interviews and schmooze sessions lined up with a bunch of free agents, per various reports.

A couple of ex-Bears — Lovie Smith Bears — are in the mix. [read more]

Jimmy Graham won’t be haunting the Bucs’ secondary next season.

Joe’s former Eastern Illinois University brethren Sean Payton, without trying, made the Bucs’ day minutes before free agent dinner bell was heard from coast-to-coast and beyond yesterday [read more]

Joe had a hunch it would start, but wasn’t sure when. “It” began early in the evening last night.

It is Darrelle Revis revisionist history. And it needs to stop before folks make themselves look like sniffling dummies. [read more]

The Buccaneers officially are courting free agent center Stefen Wisniewski. So Joe thought he’d call a guy who knows Wisniewski — and the Bucs — quite well. [read more]

The mere thought of young, fresh, angry talent coming to the Bucs’ offensive line has Joe celebrating like he just won free beer for life.

And a new report says a live, quality body is coming to Tampa. [read more]

It looks like Lovie Smith has gotten a thumbs up from his old pal Rod Marinelli, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. [read more]

It was clear the Buccaneers waved the white flag on Anthony Collins in early December. And now it’s official. [read more]

Lovie Smith wants to retain guys who know his defense, and nickel cornerback Leonard Johnson is one of them. [read more]

(Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)

The Buccaneers made Bobby Rainey sweat it out, but the end result today was great for both sides. [read more]

The Bucs lost a fish on the hook today.

Via Joe’s friend Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, defensive end Trent Cole and his 85.5 career sacks, have signed with the Bucs after Tampa Bay “put a totally aggressive and professional fight right to the end.” [read more]

Joe will publish free-flowing rumors and nuggets of interest throughout the day right here.

Readers, of course, are encouraged to comment and bang their thoughts as the NFL free agency dinner bell approaches at 4 p.m. Will it be a Merry Christmas in March for Buccaneers fans? [read more]

The Bucs swung and missed in free agency last spring worse than windmill Karlos Pena.

Get burned once? Oh, well, shove that hand back in the fire again. Gotta grab that log.

That’s pretty much the philosophy of Bucs coach Lovie Smith.

A year removed from largely getting their clocks cleaned (and Team Glazer’s wallet lifted) in free agency last year, Lovie is ready to jump back in the deep end of the pool, types Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. [read more]

Joe is not big on spending high draft picks or big money on running backs.

History reveals running backs just get the hell beat out of them and teams can be just as fortunate finding decent running backs later in the draft, or even off the street, rather than breaking the bank in free agency or with a first-round pick. [read more]