Shortly after Lovie Smith was hired, he delivered likely his most telling interview to date. Mike Florio, of Pro Football Talk Live, was peppering the Bucs’ head coach in January, and Lovie revealed the 2013 NFL teams that had his full attention and admiration.

Joe believes Lovie’s take provides a window into the Bucs’ pursuing Johnny Football and the rest of their 2014 draft philosophy. [read more]

(This is a repost of a previously published article Joe runs as an annual tradition for the morning of the first day of the NFL draft.)

Joe’s going to go slightly personal here, a rare, albeit tiny window into Joe’s background on this holiest of high football holidays. [read more]

The loudest Bucs-loving voice in the media, Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, used to be called the “QBKilla.”

As for Johnny Football, Sapp said tonight on NFL Network that the young quarterback is a great candidate to be a GMKilla. [read more]

Why would the NFL hold the draft in Orlando?

NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell has floated the idea of moving the NFL Draft around to different cities other than New York. Joe isn’t sure if it would be all three days or only one day – or perhaps a new four-day draft, as has been speculated. There are no specifics. [read more]

Very interesting pre-draft nuggets in this WDAE-AM 620 interview of longtime NFL Insider Chris Mortensen.

The ESPN talking head broke the story of Josh Freeman being drug tested, and now “Mort” explains he’s learned that potential Bucs target Johnny Football has scored extremely high marks in extensive psychological testing that NFL teams rely on heavily. [read more]

Might the Bucs want to trade down and grab LSU WR Odell Beckham?

The two positions where the Bucs are hurting worse than a herniated disk as the draft approaches are guard and wide receiver. The talent pool is deep and rich for a wide receiver, and shallow for guard, but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Bucs drafted a flashy receiver in the first round.

But drafting wide receivers is a perilous road to travel. Recently, the Charlotte Observer did a study of the top 40 wide receivers in the NFL and compiled a list of how they were acquired. The results were eye-opening. [read more]

Yesterday, while speaking with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club, Derrick Brooks talked about life and football, particularly his Buccaneers moments after the team announced no other Bucs player will ever wear No. 55 again.

As most know, Brooks is a successful local businessman. That’s why he will never coach, sans his son’s youth team. He’s making too much cash and is enjoying spending quality time with his family, as opposed to the 80-hour-work-week grind of the NFL or college ranks. [read more]

Mississippi State G Gabe Jackson might be a guy the Bucs could use up front.

Yes, Joe has beaten his readers’ collective heads into the wall discussing how the Bucs’ now thin offensive line is in desperate need of a guard (at least).

One could make an argument that offensive line is a greater need than wide receiver. That’s how bad it appears on paper. [read more]

Walking around the Bucs’ minicamp practice fields taking” mental reps” two weeks ago was Bucs safety Dashon Goldson, aka the ferocious “Hawk,” who has been neutered by NFL flag football rules.

The Bucs kept Goldson’s condition quiet, but now the story is out. [read more]

Plenty of love on the airwaves yesterday

Greg Schiano is still on the Bucs’ payroll to the tune of $3 million a year– and he acted like it yesterday.

The commander-in-chief of the Mike Glennon Mob, now a “tape room” analyst for NFL Network this week, was raving about his favorite subject. [read more]

“This guy’s going to work his tail off, Bill. You should really look at Te’o Nesheim, too.”

It seems another former Bucs standout could be landing in New England to help the Patriots make a playoff run.

Free agent guard onetime Tampa Bay captain Davin Joseph visited the Patriots this week, per BSPN. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the ass if Joseph landed in New England on a league-minimum deal and revives his once strong career while the Bucs search for his replacement? [read more]

Believe it or not, Joe invests extensive research into Bucs opponents. And given that Tampa Bay has played the Rams the past two seasons, will again this season, and Joe traveled to St. Louis for the 2013 game and has friends in Rams media, Joe feels qualified to offer a Rams opinion.

The alleged interest of St. Louis in Johnny Football with the No. 2 overall pick is as close to a nonsense rumor as you’ll find today. [read more]

Bratty Jay Cutler spoke fondly of Bucs starting QB Josh McCown yesterday in Chicago.

Bucs fans wondered aloud, and in some cases still mutter to themselves like mental patients on corner barstools, why Bucs coach Lovie Smith wanted journeyman quarterback Josh McCown so badly.

(The Mike Glennon Mob asks the same thing, only they don’t try to hide their feelings. They just holler at complete strangers walking down the sidewalk in broad daylight.)

Well, when Joe broke that the Bucs, led by McCown, had the entire offense working out on their own at a local park, it spoke volumes for McCown’s leadership. [read more]

If rumors the Bucs are trying to move up to No. 2 are true, then could that be a play for South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney?

OK, this is the season of smoke. There’s no telling what to believe and what not to believe. Joe does believe what Jay Glazer Twittered last night, that the Browns have no interest in Johnny Football at No. 4, but maybe they’re interested later in the draft.

And if the Rams are so hot for Johnny Football, as rumor has it, then why would they trade out of the No. 2 pick? [read more]

Yes, this is a Bucs blog. But Joe brings the following because it involves one of the greatest Bucs of all time, Mr. Derrick Brooks, and a guy more than a few Bucs fans drool over as a future quarterback, Florida State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.

Joe cannot remember a quarterback in recent memory (sans Andrew Luck) who was this good, this accurate. Surely not a freshman. Joe remembers getting hell from Shaun King, one of three Bucs quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to an NFC championship game, when Joe Twittered last September that Winston was the best quarterback in the state of Florida wearing No. 5. [read more]

Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!

This evening, well connected Mike Florio, of ProFootballTalk.com and NBC Sports, is sharing word he’s hearing around the league that the Bucs are looking to trade up to snatch the Rams’ No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft. [read more]

Derrick Brooks discussed a difference, albeit slight, between Father Dungy and Lovie Smith.

Joe knows a lot of people point to Father Dungy as the North Star of Lovie Smith. In some ways, Lovie is the ultimate disciple of Father Dungy.

In fact, it was Father Dungy who brought Lovie from the college ranks to be an NFL assistant and  Derrick Brooks’ and Hardy Nickerson’s position coach. [read more]

An NFL Network reporter weighs in

Joe learned anything truly is possible on the NFL trade front the day Lovie Smith and his Chicago friends handed over a second-round draft pick for disappointing Bucs defensive end Gaines Adams.

That’s still a mind-blower. [read more]

“Hey Brooks, you’re not the only guy on this practice field that knows a thing or two about football! I’m one of People Magazine’s most beautiful people, you know?”

In his speech after being told his No. 55 will never be worn by a Bucs player again, Mr. Derrick Brooks, of course, thanked many people for his career and success today.

When talking about how he was influenced by different coaches, Brooks made a particular reference to Chucky, the only coach in Bucs history to win a Super Bowl. Brooks lauded Chucky for driving him to play at a level higher than even Brooks thought he could reach. This came about even though Chucky was the de facto offensive coordinator. [read more]

Pat Kirwan details. Will Lovie Smith fight off his D-line fixation?

Joe’s written 1,456 times about the alleged incredible depth at wide receiver in the 2014 NFL Draft.

But where else is it deep, and in what rounds? [read more]

Former Bucs LB Hardy Nickerson remembers Derrick Brooks’ first days with the Bucs.

Today, when it was announced Mr. Derrick Brooks would be the latest inductee into the Buccaners Ring of Honor, and that his No. 55 will never be worn in a game again, Brooks, of course, took the podium for a few words.

Brooks used the opportunity to brush up on his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech later this summer. He thanked several people for his career, including former linebacker teammate Hardy Nickerson. [read more]

Super Bowl-winning quarterback Phil Simms knows a thing or two about quarterbacks. He guided the New York Giants to their first Super Bowl title against the Broncos, having as close to a perfect game as any Super Bowl quarterback has had.

Simms, a regular contributor to SiriusXM NFL Radio and CBS Sports Network discussing quarterbacks, is great in his detail. Joe’s favorite Simms’ story was when he saw Packers QB Aaron Rodgers as a rookie in camp. Simms thought he was horrible and declared he would be a massive bust. [read more]