Julius Thomas?

March 6th, 2015

The fantasy crowd loves Julius Thomas. The guy caught 12 touchdowns in each of the past two season from Peyton Manning in Denver.

A former Buccaneer also loves Thomas, and wants to see him signed by Tampa Bay immediately. [read more]

Top 30 Buccaneers Mysteries Of 2014 — No. 11

March 6th, 2015

McCowncryIn many ways, Tampa Bay’s 2014 season was more bizarre than the MRSA-infected, quarterback-gone-mental, Fire-Schiano-billboards campaign of 2013.

There were plenty of real Bucs mysteries last year, and Joe’s revisiting the most interesting of the bunch. [read more]

Three Thumbs Down On Winston

March 6th, 2015

MariotaWinstonCombine

Joel Klatt, the former University of Colorado quarterback who now is a top NFL analyst for FOX, has been consistently a pro-Marcus-Mariota guy.

And now Klatt has cemented himself as anti-Winston. [read more]

Stop With “Face Of Franchise”

March 6th, 2015

jameis 1215

Joe’s about fed up with all this righteous moralism being directed at prospective Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston.

Why, yesterday, a former Bucs guard who makes a living behind a microphone got all Sunday tent preacher and basically lectured Winston, telling the young gunslinger he had to be a monk if he was going to lead Tampa Bay. [read more]

Jason Licht Talks Jameis Winston

March 6th, 2015
Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Bucs GM Jason Licht discusses hosting quarterback Jameis Winston at One Buc Palace earlier this week. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Man, if Jameis Winston isn’t the front runner for the Bucs’ No. 1 overall pick, then the narrative the Bucs website is pushing on Winston is not just unprecedented, but way over the top. [read more]

Bailing On Bobby Rainey

March 6th, 2015

bobby rainey 1106After a strong start last season, Bobby Rainey had just two carries in Tampa Bay’s final six games.

Doug Martin got healthy. Charles Sims was force fed, and Rainey was buried. [read more]

Eyeing Akeem Ayers

March 6th, 2015

Akeem Ayers

Newsflash: The Bucs’ pass rush was to football what Rosie O’Donnell is to beauty.

Watching opposing quarterbacks clip their fingernails before throwing a pass made Joe want to toss his lunch just as much as when that thing O’Donnell accidentally happens upon Joe’s TV screen (until Joe rapidly grabs the remote). [read more]

The Blowback Has Begun

March 6th, 2015
The blowback from mostly positive national Jameis Winston coverage recently has begun.

The blowback from positive national Jameis Winston coverage has begun.

Eight more weeks to go until the NFL draft. Free agency the next six days or so will be a blissful respite in the draft chatter.

There is not much more to write now about the draft. Teams have scouted players for months if not years. [read more]

Winston Advised Of Stripper & “Questionable Girl” Rules

March 5th, 2015

JameisThere are unwritten rules when you’re the face of the franchise, which Jameis Winston is telling everyone he wants to be.

These rules, well, they go beyond the playbook. [read more]

Cosell Frowning On Winston

March 5th, 2015
greg cosell 0305

NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell, left, with Jameis Winston’s personal quarterback coach, dapper George Whitefield, at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine. Cosell is beginning to sour on Winston.

Maybe the NFL Films analyst and senior producer, the well-respected Greg Cosell, is studying too much film.

Maybe he is overthinking? He admits he is beginning to frown on prospective Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston. [read more]

Top 30 Buccaneers Mysteries Of 2014 — No. 12

March 5th, 2015

In many ways, Tampa Bay’s 2014 season was more bizarre than the MRSA-infected, quarterback-gone-mental, Fire-Schiano-billboards campaign of 2013.

There were plenty of real Bucs mysteries last year, and Joe’s revisiting the most interesting of the bunch. [read more]

Sign Him!

March 5th, 2015
Tom Krasniqi of WDAE-AM 620 believes Trent Cole should not leave One Buc Palace today without his signature on a contract.

Tom Krasniqi of WDAE-AM 620 believes Trent Cole should not leave One Buc Palace today without his signature on a contract.

Does Joe need to recount just how vomit-inducing the Bucs’ pass rush was (UH-gen) last year? It’s getting to be a laughingstock how this franchise simply cannot find a double-digit sack guy.

That leads Joe to Trent Cole, the recently released outside linebacker/defensive end formerly with the Eagles. [read more]

“I Think That Really Applies To Them”

March 5th, 2015

jason and lovieOften heard this time of year is the draft-the-best-player-available cliché. [read more]

Anthony Becht: Schedule Guards & Centers Visits

March 5th, 2015

Evan Dietrich-Smith might not like what was on radio today

As an NFL tight end for 12+ years, Anthony Becht knows offensive line play.

Becht was brought in for a free agency chat on WDAE-AM 620 this morning and had strong feelings about the Bucs’ needed upgrades. [read more]

ESPN: Mike Jenkins Will Return

March 5th, 2015

mike jenkins 0729Oh, boy.

Joe sure hopes Lovie Smith doesn’t repeat the stunt he pulled with veteran cornerback Mike Jenkins last year. [read more]

Jameis Watch: Staunch Defense

March 5th, 2015

jameis 0213Crab-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 and Josh McCown.

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]

Jameis Winston = Brad Johnson?

March 5th, 2015
brad johnson

Chucky weighs in

Joe wonders if you can remember the Bucs once had a defense that was boastful, proud, brash and, oh yeah, could — in the immortal words of Mike Ditka — knock the snot out of you.

Yet the team floundered in the playoffs. Could rarely score. That’s when a young, offensive hotshot by the name of Chucky came in. [read more]

Report: Trent Cole Heads To Tampa

March 5th, 2015

One of Jason Licht’s great finds is now on the free market. And he’s headed to Tampa to visit, says BSPN.

Joe wrote earlier about yet another potential angle the Bucs could pursue to cut the snaps of ghostly and ghastly defensive end Michael Johnson.

But what about Trent Cole, who fell victim to the Philly wackiness since Chip Kelly got control of the Eagles’ personnel? [read more]

Jaws Bites Down On Jameis Winston

March 5th, 2015

JameisFormer Pro Bowl quarterback and noted QB film junkie Ron “Jaws” Jaworski is sour on Jameis Winston.

But in typical BSPN style, Jaworski isn’t saying exactly why yet. [read more]

Looking For A Defensive End

March 5th, 2015
After a shadowy 2014 season, it is dangerous to bank any hopes on ghostly DE Michael Johnson.

After a shadowy 2014 season, it is dangerous to bank any hopes on ghostly DE Michael Johnson.

It really is so, so sad that an NFL team cannot find a consistent defensive end since potential Hall of Fame candidate Simeon Rice left its squad. That’s nine years, folks.

And when it looked like they finally found a strong defensive end, they let him walk away for no good reason (Michael Bennett). [read more]