A Charles Sims injury update.

Yesterday at the final Bucs practice of training camp, a jarring sight could be seen just before the lighting alarms went off to delay practice. It was highly-touted running back Charles Sims watching from the sidelines in a walking boot.

After practice, Bucs coach Lovie Smith was rather vague about what was wrong with Sims, saying only the following: [read more]

There seems to be a little fear factor happening at One Buc Palace.

And it adds to the mounting evidence that life under Lovie Smith may be tougher than it was under former Commander Greg Schiano. [read more]

The national freakout about the Tampa Bay offensive line has been heard loud and clear by Gerald McCoy. And No. 93 doesn’t agree with the message.

McCoy issued a firm retort to the mass fear surrounding the Bucs’ offensive line play. [read more]

Lovie Smith keeps praising safety Dashon “Hawk” Goldson for being an extremely intelligent football player.

But why does Lovie think Goldson is so smart, given that he’s never seen Goldson play as a Buccaneer outside of a little Tampa Bay practice time? [read more]

If Da’Quan Bowers can turn things around, the Bucs could turn a weakness into a strength.

Joe cannot begin to imagine the dozens of Bucs fans who were tossed from bars all throughout the Tampa Bay area for winging beer bottles at HDTV screens after watching opposing quarterbacks have enough time to write book reports, all while Bucs defensive linemen were dancing “Ring Around the Rosie” with the Bill Sheridan Stunts.

It was maddening to witness this nonsense week after week. No wonder guys like Warren Sapp and Steve White nearly lost their minds watching this display. [read more]

Bucs WR Robert Herron closed training camp on an upswing and could be in the mix as a slot receiver.

No one really knows what the Jeff Tedford offense will look like when the regular season starts. Of course, the pessimists say without decent guard play, the Tedford offense will look much like the first quarter last week at Jacksonville when Josh McCown was running for his life on each and every play.

A word that has been tossed around a lot is “versatile.” That may come into play with who could play at the slot receiver position. [read more]

Gerald McCoy explains one way Lovie Smith one-ups Greg Schiano

“The ball is the program.”

Damn, Joe heard Greg Schiano say that repeatedly. The man was obsessed with protecting the football and generating turnovers. Consider not a single Tampa Bay wide receiver caught a ball and fumbled it in 2012.

But Gerald McCoy says Lovie Smith is in another league when it comes to forcing turnovers. [read more]

Rookie RB Charles Sims has an ankle injury and Lovie Smith said he will not play for the “immediate future.”

In training camp, NFL team officials do not have to be specific about injuries, nor is there a weekly injury report like during the regular season. What Joe does know is running back Charles Sims will not play Saturday against the Dolphins.

Sims was seen in a boot at the beginning of practice his afternoon. [read more]

Earlier this week, Tampa Bay starting quarterback Josh McCown appeared on “Schein on Sports,” heard exclusively on “Mad Dog Radio,” part of the family of sports channels found on SiriusXM Radio, where he was asked by host Adam Schein who would start on the offensive line.

McCown rattled off the obvious names but when it came to the guards, McCown simply punted and said, in so many words, it is up to offensive line caoch George Warhop. [read more]

The dancemaster

Just call Gerald McCoy choreographer-in-chief.

Yes, your Buccaneers will be doing defensive line stunts this year — but only when No. 93 says so. [read more]

The final public training camp practice of the season was this afternoon at One Buc Palace. Lightning delayed things for a bit, but Joe stuck it out and sweating and soaking it all in for your reading pleasure.

Here are your highlights and lowlights: [read more]

Jorvorskie Lane tries to avoid a tackle last week at Jacksonville.

Man, the NFL has changed in just a few short years. Not that long ago Mike Alsott ran over defenders and was considered a top asset in the NFL.

Now? Good luck finding a fullback. The teams that do employ fullbacks usually select them on the third day of the draft or bargain-basement shop them in free agency. [read more]

Former Bucs QB Shaun King didn’t stamp out the idea of skanky guard Richie Incognito getting consideration by the Buccaneers

Don’t panic, Tampa Bay fans. It’s only been one quarter of one preseason game for the first-team offense. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Bucs’ new regime will need time to jell and smooth out the rough spots and fill holes. There’s plenty of time before opening day.

That’s the message from One Buc Palace, but that doesn’t seem to be the message from many ex-NFL players. [read more]

Yes, it’s back to work this afternoon on the steamy practice fields of One Buc Palace.

Of course, Joe will be out there sweating for your reading enjoyment. Follow Joe on Twitter (@JoeBucsFan) and even on Instagram (TheJoeBucsFan).

Joe’s practice reports and quotes from players and coaches are on the way. Stick with Joe into the evening, as always.

Is Josh McCown the answer?

Yesterday, when Joe was in the studio with his good friend “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, a caller from the Flat Earth Society bemoaned the loss of a Mike Alstott-like fullback and again parroted the nonsense that a team can with without a quarterback.

SMH, when will people learn?

If any fanbase should know better than this gibberish it should be Bucs fans. [read more]

NFL Network analyst and former NFL and Florida State offensive lineman Jamie Dukes can’t understand Lovie Smith

Referring to Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson as “Rolls Royces” and “Clydesdales,” NFL Network analyst Jamie Dukes, the former NFL offensive lineman and Florida State star, seems ready to bang his head against a wall.

Dukes simply can’t understand the approach of Tampa Bay head coach Lovie Smith. [read more]

The Bucs’ recent history is filled with stories of offensive linemen who have been plucked from obscurity or the scrap heap and then filled starting roles successfully.

The Tampa Bay running game was punishing and dominant for much of 2010 and 2012. [read more]

After watching Tampa Bay perform standard and hybrid versions of the Rumba, Cha Cha Slide and Tango along the Tampa Bay defensive line last year, Joe did a double take hearing one current Bucs defensive end recently say he feels he can be more creative this season. [read more]

Ornery Alan Dell of the Bradenton Herald believes the Bucs sorely need Austin Seferian-Jenkins to block.

One cool things about this past training camp — Joe let his baseball fandom get the best of him yesterday while appearing with his good friend, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, and slipped up calling training camp “spring training — is the impression tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has made on everyone watching.

With apologies for being repetitive, ASJ is a freaking monster. He is a complete and total mismatch over the middle. But it isn’t just his hulking physical size that has won Joe over. No, Joe is more than impressed with ASJ’s attitude. [read more]

How can any quarterback perform when this is the result on virtually every snap?

Bucs fans are still buzzing — not in a good way — about the offensive line that showed up for the first preseason game in Jacksonville. Yes, Joe believes the offensive line will get better. It simply can’t get worse than what we witnessed.

The numbers crunchers over at Pro Football Focus watched the game, too. Joe guesses on GameRewind. For the spreadsheeters like Steve Palazzolo, who typed the breakdown, he wasn’t exactly warmed over with the quarterback play from the pewter and red troops. [read more]

It was a spirited “JoeBucsFan Hour” on WDAE-AM 620 this evening. And what else did you expect after finally seeing the Bucs face a real opponent?

Joe’s weekly sit-down with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, is always a fun time. [read more]