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Glory days Bucs assistant coach Herm Edwards, who after stints as Jets and Chiefs head coach now works for BSPN, is already on record calling a Super Bowl for Tampa Bay this season.
Some might find that to be roguish commentary, but not one top NFL Network analyst. [read more]
The Jeff Tedford offense is the mystery surrounding the Bucs.
Joe knows Bucs fans are giddy that Team Glazer hired Lovie Smith. If for no other reason, Bucs fans recognized Lovie’s name, so he had to be good.
You might be shocked how often a player with a recognizable name is turned loose by a team and then Joe is flooded with pleas for that player to be picked up by the Bucs. The fans’ desire comes with zero thought about whether the player would be a good fit. [read more]
A top NFL analyst admits he screwed up
Lavonte David snubs are becoming as commonplace as Michael Clayton drops.
David has become a Rodney Dangerfield of sorts in some NFL circles. [read more]
How could Joe get through this glorious day honoring the independence of the United States of America without also acknowledging that today is the 35th birthday of Tampa Bay’s leading man, starting quarterback Josh McCown. [read more]
In March, Joe doffed his cap in respect to Dashon “Hawk” Goldson. The Bucs safety made an effort to cut down on his flags and remove himself from NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell’s Most Wanted List by hiring his former youth football coach to re-teach him how to tackle.
Goldson, who was fined six figures and suspended last year for illegal hits, came to grips (finally) that something had to change. Joe respected that, but Lovie Smith apparently didn’t. [read more]
Happy Fourth of July! This is by far Joe’s favorite holiday. It’s Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s all rolled into one. What can Joe say about a holiday all about having fun, hitting the beaches, hitting the water, drinking like a fish, grilling meat and, at the end of the day, watch people blowing stuff up (which will drive dogs throughout [oh, no] Pasco County running for pillows to tear apart for months to come). [read more]
A local beat writer and a national analyst weigh in. Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The discussion of why Tampa Bay drafted rookie running back Charles Sims in the third round is one that might last a while. Simply outlined, the Bucs had strong running backs depth before the pick, and selecting a back that early — in a position that has been greatly devalued in the draft — was an eyebrow-raiser.
There’s even been heated debate of the motives at JoeBucsFan.com headquarters. [read more]
Today, beat writer Greg Auman, of the Tampa Bay Times, shared his recent chat with Evans about the rookie’s excess fat. [read more]
Andrew Astleford of Fox Sports Florida weighs in
Man, the offseason has been long for Joe. Long because there has been so much news over at One Buc Palace since the demise of Greg Schiano, it seems like two or three years ago.
New coaches and new players, coaches shown the door, players escorted out. A new general manager. It has been a whirlwind of activity. [read more]
When Lovie Smith was hired by Team Glazer to take over the Bucs, it meant one thing: Gerald McCoy was about to become a superstar.
If there was ever a coach to enable a defensive tackle to thrive, it was Lovie. Since getting hired, Lovie has made no bones about how the Bucs defensive line must put the quarterback on the ground. [read more]
A comprehensive ESPN survey of general managers, former GMs, scouts, working coordinators, head coaches and others employed by NFL teams sought to learn who Xs and Os types believes are the best — and worst — starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
Compilations of the results identified four tiers of gunslingers. [read more]
NFL players voted and named Gerald McCoy the best defensive tackle in the game and pegged him as the 28th best overall player, via the NFL Network Top 100 players list.
But a premier NFL analyst will have none of that. [read more]
Lovie Smith loves to talk about undrafted free agents who started games for him in Chicago.
The Tampa Bay head coach admits he has a soft spot for the underdog, and believes the drive within a select few of them reaches a special level born from their battle-from-the-bottom status.
But Joe doesn’t expect fans to get hot in the pants for blade-in-the-back defensive end Chaz Sutton and handpicked Euclid Cummings. [read more]
“Win now” is the philosophy of Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Joe remembers all to well what would happen when someone would tell Lovie Smith in the offsesaon that (name a Bucs player) did a good job, and Lovie would agree with whoever offered their two cents. Then Lovie would always add, “But we were 4-12 last year.”
Just the thought of winning but four games made Lovie cringe. No, Lovie isn’t just worried about being relevant or competing. It’s as if he won’t accept anything less than double-digit wins. [read more]
While fullback has become the NFL’s Tyrannosaurus, and one would think a cutting edge offense like Jeff Tedford’s wouldn’t use one, Joe saw differently during the Buccaneers’ OTA practices.
Monstrous fullback Jorvorskie Lane was busy catching passes with the first team. [read more]
You can bet Bucs coach Lovie Smith won’t have his defensive ends covering scatbacks in pass coverage
If there will be a lasting image of the 2013 Bucs defensive line, it won’t be poor Gerald McCoy getting double- and triple-teamed regularly.
It won’t be linemen running around in bizarre stunts play after play as if they were auditioning to be dancers in a Beyonce show.
No, the image will be of Adrian Clayborn. [read more]
The bean counters at OverTheCap.com hate safety Dashon Goldson’s pact, but totally whiff on the main reason why Goldson’s contract may hurt the Bucs.
Joe has never been a salary cap guy. The subject not only always bored Joe, but in Joe’s eyes, the salary cap was white noise. When someone can prove to Joe that spending X-amount produces Super Bowls, then Joe will listen and begin paying attention.
In fact, recent history showed spending to the max (Danny Snyder, Jerry Jones) often was a precursor for average to below average teams. [read more]
One SI.com NFL analyst has lofty goals for Bucs speedy WR Robert Herron.
Yes, most Bucs fans are fixated on wide receiver Mike Evans as a rookie who will or should make an impact. Then, of course, are the other guys drafted on the second day of the draft, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and running back Charles Sims.
A good, solid draft, however, is finding gems on the third day of the draft. [read more]
So what Buccaneer blew away Ronde Barber in the weight room?
Who turned the Bucs icon’s head? You might be surprised. [read more]
Too many Bucs fans believe Woody Hayes lives, and a team can win a championship without a quarterback to speak of. Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com believes Jeff Tedford will open eyes and right the pirate ship.
Joe gets a kick out of those who somehow embrace the corpse of Woody Hayes and have somehow convinced themselves that a team can win a Super Bowl with a lousy quarterback.
These people believe the Bucs could make the playoffs with the equivalent of Doug Martin starting at quarterback. How do people dream up this gibberish? [read more]
Lance Briggs? Derrick Brooks?
The 18 total Pro Bowls between those guys are nice, but neither is the athlete Lavonte David is, explained former Bears great Brian Urlacher. [read more]
When the Bucs drafted Charles Sims in the third round back in May, it sure did open up a lot of eyes. Joe is guessing Doug Martin’s agent’s antennae really stood up straight, when in the hours after picking Sims Lovie Smith noted the Bucs were really looking for a pass-catching running back, hence the selection of Sims.
Wait a minute? Couldn’t Martin catch the ball? This had Bucs fans scrambling for the hidden agenda (even though, there really wasn’t one). [read more]
