Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford isn’t working at the office yet, and the artist might not be available for the home opener on Sunday.

That would be a significant problem explains one former Buccaneer. [read more]

That’s right. Your Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave journeyman Josh McCown the fattest contract he’s ever seen to rifle balls downfield and go toe-to-toe with Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.

Well, that might be a stretch, but a stat pumped out this week BSPN seems to back up the premise. [read more]

One of the many impressive new Buccaneers is rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Yes, Joe is impressed with he can do on a football field, but more so, Joe is overly impressed by ASJ the person.

Joe will never forget when after a practice in training camp, Joe remarked that ASJ sure seemed like he had a good practice, ASJ looked Joe straight in the eye as if Joe spit on him and said, bluntly, “I didn’t come here just to be good.” [read more]

Is Oneil Cousins the winner?

If you came here to learn who will start at right guard for the Bucs on Sunday, you’re out of luck.

The actual starting right guard likely knows his status, but he will live incognito, if you will. [read more]

Joe realizes many Bucs fans hear the name Luke Kuechly and bang their head against the nearest wall because in 2011 the Bucs drafted Mark Barron but could have had Kuechly, who landed in the middle of Carolina’s dominant defense.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is everything he was hyped up to be. [read more]

The votes are in — and nobody is claiming the outcome is rigged.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced their 2014 team captains are JoshMcCown, Vincent Jackson, Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David and Michael Koenen. Each player voted, and Lovie Smith got one vote.

No surprises here.

The Bucs’ new fullback says he’s the team “pit bull.” (Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Lovie Smith is one of the prominent coaches who has talked about the dying position of fullback in the NFL. However, the Bucs put a fullback on their roster, one who has worked quite a bit with the first-team offense.

All that fullback “dinosaur” talk made its way to Jorvorskie Lane, so he explained to Joe today. [read more]

Someone must help out stud Gerald McCoy.

Joe doesn’t know what to think of the Bucs pass rush, aside from stud Gerald McCoy. One would think having a guy like GMC double- and triple-teamed would open up someone.

Simple math: an offense can only have so many players on the field. If most of the blockers are focused on GMC, then that should allow other pass rushers single coverage, or simply unblocked, right? [read more]

Updated: 3:31 p.m. – Tampa Bay’s new-to-the-NFL offensive coordinator wasn’t on the practice field today, at least not during the 30-minute window open to media at One Buc Palace. [read more]

Bucs cornerback Alterraun Verner talks about his healing hammy

Pro Bowl cornerback Alterraun Verner said today he’s eager to see how his recovered/recovering hamstring feels after a complete football game, “full live action” on opening day.

That sounded ominous, but Verner balanced that with good news. [read more]

Gerald McCoy walked into the locker room this afternoon as loose as Joe is after a few beers during the first quarter of a football game.

McCoy was balancing a 16 ounce water bottle on his head and joked that he needs good balance to chase down Cam Newton. [read more]

The fun folks at BSPN are at it again with their spread sheets and brilliant analysis in ESPN The Magazine.

Joe actually gets and reads this publication sometimes (for some reason it arrives at Joe’s house free). It’s amazing the data these people pump out. Joe was amazed months ago by a detailed look at why Blake Bortles would be a successful NFL quarterback because of his hometown zip code. [read more]

Joe lives in the 21st Century. This may come as a shock to some but, in fact, there is a sect of Bucs fans who seem to struggle with calendars.

Joe calls this sect the “Flat Earth Society.” You know the ones: those who believe quarterbacks are meaningless and that defense rules all. [read more]

There’s no fear in Lovie Smith, and that’s evident by his numerous dice rolls on special teams.

Where should Joe start? [read more]

Josh McCown has big shoes to fill for Logan Mankins

The newest Buccaneers guard, All-Pro Logan Mankins, was still desired by Patriots management before his trade to Tampa. The Pats just wanted to pay him less.

That nugget and more comes from pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball box score-reading, NPR-listening, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training Peter King, of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports fame, who talked to Mankins for his Monday column. [read more]

It’s the NFL version of finals week for Bucs guard Logan Mankins

A week or so ago, Joe had a really interesting, cool chat with Bucs center Evan Dietrich-Smith about how an offensive line develops. Joe always hears about “gelling” with an offensive line and why innate knowledge of each other may be more important than in any unit on a football team.

EDS noted that when he was with the Packers, he and his linemates eventually knew each other’s tendencies so well that they didn’t need to make line calls. They developed a body language that took its place. [read more]

A Bucs great weighs in

Opening day is less than a week away, and the Bucs don’t have a new contract for Gerald McCoy.

Barring an unlikely 11th-hour deal, McCoy will enter the final season of his rookie contract without a promise for more. [read more]

Names are rolling in

Updated 8:05 p.m. – There’s nothing quite like the magical practice squad (kidding), guys who are allowed to practice a limited amount of time each week with a team’s 53-man roster in exchange for earning roughly $6,000 to $12,000 per week, depending on terms they work out.

These players can be signed away by another team at any time. But if they are, the thieving club must put their new man on the active roster and pay him at least the NFL minimum for three weeks. [read more]

Feel free to elaborate in the comments section, a great place for regular readers to get their predictions on the record.

Back on Aug. 12, when Lovie Smith was in anyone-but-Eric-Page mode, the head coach joked at a news conference that he had a chat with Bobby Rainey, who was imploring him that he could be a successful NFL punt returner.

So, Lovie said, Rainey would get a shot against Miami in preseason. [read more]

Former Bucs DT Booger McFarland is no fan of sleazy Richie Incognito.

Yes, Bucs fans were some kind of outraged last week when Joe asserted what a pathetic, panic move it would be to bring sleazy Richie Incognito into the Bucs locker room. The ire of Bucs fans towards Joe abated, somewhat, when Bucs general manager Jason Licht lifted All-Pro guard Logan Mankins from the clutches of Patriots strongman Bill Belicheat.

Still, even with Mankins, most Bucs fans want Incognito for reasons Joe just can’t fathom. Neither can Booger McFarland. [read more]