Lovie Smith wants to retain guys who know his defense, and nickel cornerback Leonard Johnson is one of them. [read more]

(Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)

The Buccaneers made Bobby Rainey sweat it out, but the end result today was great for both sides. [read more]

The Bucs lost a fish on the hook today.

Via Joe’s friend Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, defensive end Trent Cole and his 85.5 career sacks, have signed with the Bucs after Tampa Bay “put a totally aggressive and professional fight right to the end.” [read more]

Joe will publish free-flowing rumors and nuggets of interest throughout the day right here.

Readers, of course, are encouraged to comment and bang their thoughts as the NFL free agency dinner bell approaches at 4 p.m. Will it be a Merry Christmas in March for Buccaneers fans? [read more]

The Bucs swung and missed in free agency last spring worse than windmill Karlos Pena.

Get burned once? Oh, well, shove that hand back in the fire again. Gotta grab that log.

That’s pretty much the philosophy of Bucs coach Lovie Smith.

A year removed from largely getting their clocks cleaned (and Team Glazer’s wallet lifted) in free agency last year, Lovie is ready to jump back in the deep end of the pool, types Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. [read more]

Joe is not big on spending high draft picks or big money on running backs.

History reveals running backs just get the hell beat out of them and teams can be just as fortunate finding decent running backs later in the draft, or even off the street, rather than breaking the bank in free agency or with a first-round pick. [read more]

Crab-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]

Lovie Smith is one of the all-time great optimists. The man could see light in a black hole. [read more]

What will Bucs GM Jason Licht do in the coming hours?

Joe has written it before and will write it again: There are nine potential spots where the Bucs could use an upgrade. And compared to some, Joe is being conservative.

We all know the positions; the most important are quarterback, offensive line and defensive end. [read more]

Former Bucs great Ronde Barber sounds off

Yesterday was a beautiful day to hang at the beach. Others thought it better to waste time at a golf course.

(Joe’s not a golf guy. Never grew up around it; never understood the appeal. Always thought it was ungodly boring. Joe tried golfing. Too many Arnold Palmer-wannabes trying to turn Joe into some PGA guy. Joe just wanted to chop up dirt and drink a cooler of Bud Light. Hell, Joe never even kept score. What’s the point? Golf just isn’t Joe’s scene. Way too snotty. Folks are just too uptight.) [read more]

Left tackle Jake Long, a former first round pick of the Dolphins, was cut last night by the Rams.

Yes, the Bucs need a left tackle, especially with the expected release of Anthony Collins.

The Bucs have been rumored to be linked to the courting of Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga, a monster who is injury prone. [read more]

Clarity emerges

Joe’s really getting a kick out of news tonight that the Cincinnati Bengals would want ghostly and ghastly Michael Johnson back, if the Buccaneers cut him and spare their fans another haunted season. [read more]

The Custodian of Canton, eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, hit the national radio airwaves this afternoon with Mike Florio and highlighted the frustration of many Bucs fans. [read more]

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]

Giants free agent linebacker Jacquian Williams, a Tampa native, is on the Bucs’ radar.

A Bucs area needing help outside of offensive line is linebacker (sans Lavonte David).

Incumbent MLB Mason Foster is a free agent, and all signs point to the Bucs letting him walk. Danny Lansanah, an outside linebacker, could play in the middle, but lukewarm reviews from both Bucs coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier last season mean that is probably a last resort. [read more]

Titans free-agent-to-be starting defensive end Derrick Morgan just turned 26 and has 19 sacks over the last three years — three years in which he missed a total of just one game. [read more]

The spreadsheeters are really down on Bucs CB Johnthan Banks.

This is Joe’s take on analytics: It’s a piece of the puzzle. It’s information. But by no means should analytics dictate decisions by an NFL team.

Joe learned way back in high school one can twist numbers to reinforce any given premise. [read more]

Target for NFC South rival?

Updated 2:29 p.m.: As Joe has written for months, the days of Mason Foster playing linebacker for the Bucs are numbered. Joe does not write this with any glee.

Joe likes Foster. One of the best guys in the locker room. And who doesn’t like his devotion to Ric Flair? [read more]

Joe reads the buzz this morning, courtesy of Yahoo! Sports, that Tampa Bay is bidding with the Seahawks, Bengals, Seahawks and Patriots for the services of defensive end Jabaal Sheard. [read more]

Who will return kicks and punts for Bucs special teams guru Kevin O’Dea?

Joe would have a had a warm feeling if Ted Ginn, Jr. signed to play for the Bucs this year.

Tampa Bay needs a legitimate returner and could use receiver depth. [read more]