Donald Penn leads what very well could be the NFL’s best offensive line.

It still amazes Joe how productive the Bucs’ offensive line was last year after being shuffled more than a deck of cards in a Las Vegas casino. Down went Davin Joseph, down went Carl Nicks, out went Jeremy Trueblood, Jeremy Zuttah was bounced around, largely untested Demar Dotson played in 15 games.

Going over all the offensive lines in the league, NFL analyst Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com ranks them and believes the Bucs are No. 5.

Overview: While the Buccaneers’ 2012 offensive line ratings were not particularly strong, keep in mind they only got seven combined games from Nicks and Joseph, who form quite possibly the NFL’s premier guard duo east of San Francisco. Nicks earned consecutive Pro Bowl trips before arriving in Tampa Bay last offseason, including a 2011 All-Pro berth. Joseph is a brute power blocker. They’re healthy now. Despite injuries to arguably their best two linemen, the Bucs still allowed the third fewest sacks in football (26) and ranked 11th in yards-per-carry average (4.42). Depth is somewhat concerning, but there aren’t five better starting O-Lines in the league.

Joe confesses he didn’t remember the Bucs offense protecting so well last season. Imagine what it can be fully healthy?

Joe does know Josh Freeman and Doug Martin are salivating thinking of playing behind what very well could be the best front line in the NFL.

If healthy.

Chris Owusu

Bucs stud wide receiver Mike Williams has made no secret of how much of an influence Vincent Jackson has made on his career. The veteran star, signed as a free agent prior to last season, took Williams under his wing and showed him all the little things it takes during the week to be able to make big plays on Sundays.

It appears Williams is not the only disciple of Jackson. So too is Chris Owusu.

The Stanford product has been on Joe’s radar since OTAs. As Joe told his good friend, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, nearly every time he saw a wide receiver make a spring play, Joe looked at his roster to check who it was, and virtually every time it was Owusu.

Monday at Day Five of Bucs training camp 2013, Owusu, playing with the first team, put on a show, all but planting a spear at midfield stating he too is in the running for the No. 3 wide receiver position, as WDAE-AM 620 Bucs beat writer Tom Krasniqi documents.

The presence of Pro Bowl WR Vincent Jackson certainly helps. Owusu believes Jackson has been a tremendous influence on him. “Just attack the defender and be a professional at all times,” Owusu said of what Jackson has taught him. “Vince is the best professional I’ve seen….ever.”

Owusu played his college ball at Stanford and was signed by the 49ers after going undrafted in 2012. He was among San Francisco’s final cuts before last season. He signed with the Chargers and was placed on their practice squad before the Bucs scooped him up last September. The 6-0, 196-pound Owusu has terrific speed—4.36 in the 40—but concussions and various injuries marred his college career. He ran track in high school so he could also be an option as a returner for the Bucs.

As Joe stated yesterday, a strong training camp practice a starting wide receiver does not make. While Owusu impressed Joe for month, he needs to be consistent and show the same skills in preseason games. Let’s not forget Bucs fans, Tiquan Underwood had a strong preseason last year and was cut before being re-signed up later. Just because a receiver has a strong April, May, June and July doesn’t mean he will start, or even be on the final roster of 53.

What Owusu has done thus far has been impressive. He needs to keep it up, if not elevate his game, to lock up a roster spot and a trip to Gotham to play the Jets in September.

Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620 have all sorts of audio available from Day Five of Bucs training camp 2013 for you to enjoy. First there is Bucs coach Greg Schiano’s daily post-practice press conference.

In addition, there are interviews with players who had good practices. Among them are linebacker Lavonte David, who was a terror in the second practice in pads, cornerback Leonard Johnson, who appears to be in a battle with Johnthan Banks for a starting gig, running back Brian Leonard, who should have a spot on the 53-man final roster, and defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who had a beastly practice this morning.

Please give a listen to the clips. Some good stuff in there.

As much of a taskmaster tough guy that Greg Schiano might be, there’s only so much a coach can do to drive a team in practice under the new NFL labor agreement. Training camp just ain’t what it used to be when it comes to how much guys can hit each other and play, you know, real football.

Schiano lamented the loss of physical practice time a bit today with former Bucs guard Ian Beckles, co-host of the Ron and Ian show on WDAE-AM 620.

“Contact is a little bit of a lost art,” Schiano said today. 

Joe remembers attending Bucs training camp at the old University of Tampa, when two-a-days were the norm and guys on the field were beating the snot out of each other. Does Joe miss that? Sure. But Joe’s surely not seeing a lesser product across the NFL because of softer practices.

If anything, the change has put more importance on preseason games, which surely needed a shot in the arm.

After a 2 hour and 30 minute practice today, their fifth consecutive practice, the Bucs have Tuesday off.

It’s hard to imagine a Glory Days Bucs fan wouldn’t get a grin out of this NFL Films video.

Apparently caught up in the training camp spirit, NFL.com rolled out this video of a mike’d up Chucky at 2003 training camp.

Chris Simms seems to have had a much tougher road than Mike Glennon.

When your dad is a three-time All-Pro and an NFL coach, you really should be a smart football player.

Safety Cody Grimm is just that, so said Greg Schiano today. 

Schiano raved about Grimm’s brain and told media that he spends a lot of time alongside Grimm and is impressed. 

“Cody’s a very smart football player, whether it’s on special teams or on defense. I sit next to him a lot in the meetings, and you can hear him just saying the answers, you know, under his breath. He gets it,” Schiano said. “And that’s what allows him to really be a competitive player because there are guys that are faster and bigger and all those things. He really is a good football player.”

Grimm is firmly on the bubble (no, Joe’s not referring Grimm drinking too much champagne.). He’s got starting experience and has done some good things, but he’s hurt far too often.

Grimm’s a guy to watch in the preseason, though. He’s got the ability to outplay Ahmad Black, who, like Grimm,  also has had unpleasant times with police.

Each and every Bucs training camp practice seems to have a star. One day it is Johnthan Banks, the next day it is Doug Martin, another day it is Mike Williams. Today, on offense, one could argue the star was wide receiver Chris Owusu.

The speedster from Stanford should not be a stranger for regular readers of Joe. Owusu has been shining ever since OTAs this spring, and Joe has documented this, and talked up Owusu with his good friend, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, on WDAE-AM 620.

Playing behind Kevin Ogletree and Tiquan Underwood on the imaginary depth chart, Owusu didn’t often practice that much or play with the first string offense with Josh Freeman throw him passes. That all changed today.

Owusu got significant practice time with the first team and he did not disappoint. He caught ball after ball against the first team defense and made a large statement not only about making the final roster cut of 53, but perhaps being in the mix for the No. 3 receiver gig.

“It was fun to go out there and compete,” Owusu said. “You have to make the most of your opportunities or someone else will take it. There is incredible depth. But you can’t look at it that way. You have to go out there and do your best.”

While Bucs coach Greg Schiano was understandably guarded with his praise of Owusu, he admitted he’s a different player than in 2012.

“He is getting better,” Schiano said. “We will see. He hasn’t played in a game. Certainly, a better player than he was last year. He has improved.”

The way Owusu has played in OTAs, minicamp and continued to make plays in training camp, Joe’s of the belief unless he totally tanks in preseason games, Owusu is going to be a very hard player to let loose.

“The defensive backs are challenging me,” Owusu said. “There are some good cornerbacks out there.”

If nothing else, Owusu’s rise is adding intrigue to the race for the No. 3 receiver position. Audio courtesy of WDAE-AM 620.

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Regular readers of Joe remember he banged the drum loudly for the Bucs to draft linebacker Lavonte David well before the end of the 2011 college football season.

Joe would watch Nebraska games and see this guy, wearing No. 4, playing sideline-to-sideline football and knew he could help the Bucs out. Joe never dreamed David would be such a good rookie that people were beginning to whisper his name in the same sentence with Derrick Brooks, which previously would have been heresy.

David again was getting the job done today in practice, wreaking havoc in the backfield and, if sacks were allowed, would have bruised the ribs of Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman.

If Bucs fans think David was good last year, Bucs coach Greg Schiano hinted David is about to take yet another step forward.

“He’s stronger, faster,” Schiano said. “I think the world of him.”

As he should. Last year David racked up 112 solo tackles, which is just mind-blowing for a rookie in a passing division like the NFC South.

If David is indeed stronger and faster as Schiano suggests, we very well could be looking at the reincarnation of double-nickel, Mr. Derrick Brooks.

With the Bucs in pads for the second time in training camp, David took advantage by being physical against the Bucs’ offense.

The first couple of days in pads, you are trying to get the feel for [hitting],” David said. “I’m trying to get back in tune with it. You try to get it out of the way in training camp.”

Audio courtesy of WDAE-AM 620.

Here are some items of interest Joe jotted down while watching Day 5 of Bucs training camp 2013.

* Greg Schiano: “We’ve got pads on for a reason, LET’S GO!”

* Mike Williams drops a punt and Schiano moans. “Michael, Michael, Michael.” (Think: “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!”)

* Lavonte David impressive tackle for loss.

* Ahmad Black on blitz from left blew up a run play in backfield.

* Peyton Hillis big gain up left side.

* Mike James finds a seal off right tackle and is untouched for massive run.

* Keith Tandy breaks up bomb from Freeman.

* Te’o wraps up Mike James for loss.

* Tom Crabtree bobbles screen but recovers for short gain up middle.

* Freeman under lot of pressure. Gerald McCoy, Mason Foster and Mike Adams would have had sacks on separate plays if hitting QBs allowed.

* Joe has been on Chris Owusu train since OTAs. His practice tape will make him hard to turn loose.

* Johnthan Banks covering VJax and lucked out as VJax has ball bounce off shoulder pads.

* Mike Glennon with nice pass to left sideline for TE Tim Wright but better coverage by Anthony Gaitor to break up pass.

* Josh Freeman threads needle down middle for VJax.

* Freeman to a diving Chris Owusu down right sideline.

* RBs are dropping a lot of screens in backfield.

* Derek Hagan fights Branden Smith for a Glennon pass deep down left sideline.

* Johnthan Banks, through five practices, has shown no reason why he won’t start Week 1 vs. Jets, though Leonard Johnson is nipping at his ankles.

* Remember Freeman laser to VJax at Carolina? Just re-enacted.

* Mike Glennon scrambles right for a short touchdown just inside the pylon. Cody Grimm could have layed him out but, of course, Glennon was wearing the troublesome green quarterbacks jersey.

* Fake crowd noise!

* Freeman to Chris Owusu. Later Rashaan Melvin breaks up pass.

* Chris Owusu getting a lotta work w/first team today.

* Freeman bounces a pass to Owusu.

* Freeman comes right back with great zip on a completion to Owusu. Great throw.

* Danny Noble drops an easy dump-off pass from Glennon.

* Mark Barron looked a little gassed in the broiling sun late in practice.

* Derek Hagan, don’t stop your route in 7-on-7 drills.

* Near pick of Freeman by Dashon Goldson in 7-on-7.

* Rookie cornerback hopeful Rashaan Melvin with a nice pass breakup covering David Douglas.

* WR Bobby Sewall fumbles in catch-strip drill. Coaches doing the stripping.

* Melvin with excellent coverage on Mike Williams in 2-minute drill.

* Kevin Ogletree misses a catchable pass, albeit a touch grab.

* Another great Freeman throw to Owusu — in traffic from JF5.

* False start on the offense in 2-minute drill, right side of line.

* Holding: Demar Dotson on Lavonte David in 2-minute offense. Zebras missed it.

* Adrian Clayborn would have clobbered Josh Freeman if sacks allowed. Clayborn clapped his hands in frustration that he had to pull up.

* Chris Owuso looked to have a bomb from JF5 but ruled out. Lavonte David with major heat on JF5.

Joe is counting the moments … Visit OriginalHooters.com to learn about all kinds of great specials and events.

Fans at training camp practice today searching for the Bucs’ $1 million-per-game man were not going to find him.

Per Greg Schiano, Revis has a scheduled training day out of the broiling bright sunshine. 

It’s all part of the plan to have Revis ready for opening day at the Meadowlands. Joe hopes the Bucs really know how to get Revis in game shape, as Joe does not expect to see him in preseason games.

There is no question that Josh Freeman is the Bucs starting quarterback, barring an injury or him being kidnapped by aliens. The only people who harbor the misguided notion that Mike Glennon — who has said repeatedly he is not ready — will beat out Freeman in a position that has already been decided are the same types that travel to Roswell, N.M. each year to celebrate UFOs and in the wintertime, howl at the moon.

In a really accurate, well-detailed piece of research, good guy Mike Tanier — who Joe swilled craft beers with at the NFL Combine in February– goes deep under the hood of Josh Freeman writing for SportsOnEarth.com.

Tanier breaks down Freeman’s up and down, manic career as “Good Josh” and “Evil Josh.”

After watching several Good Josh and Evil Josh games, it was easy to reconcile and reconstitute the Real Josh. Good and evil are a matter of degree. In Freeman’s best games, he completes two or three more passes down the field off play-action, gets a few extra plays by buying time with his legs or gets an early boost from a Martin catch-and-run. In his worst games, an errant sideline bomb flutters into a cornerback’s hands instead of out-of-bounds. In the good games, the Buccaneers play much of the game with a lead or within a touchdown of their opponent, so the running game remains a significant factor. In the bad games, the opponent rolls out to an early lead (perhaps due to an early Freeman miscue or two), and the Buccaneers cannot rely on the running game to slow the pass rush or occupy the underneath coverage.

In good games and bad, the football field can be sliced up like a checkerboard for Freeman. The short sidelines and deep middle are his “green zones,” where he is a capable passer. The short middle and deep sidelines are danger zones. Opponents appeared to figure this out last year. Freeman threw five interceptions along the short sidelines in his final three games. Rams cornerbacks were clearly baiting him to throw in front of them. When a quarterback does only a handful of things well, defenses can easily adjust.

Much like professional baseball, the NFL is all about adjustments and how players and teams deal with adjustments. As Tanier pointed out, opposing defensive coordinators found a pattern on Freeman and exploited it, which appears to have directly led to Freeman’s late-season meltdown of epic proportions, costing the Bucs a chance at postseason play.

How the Bucs, and Freeman, have adjusted to that this offseason, and how the Bucs and Freeman handle adjustments by opponents during this season, largely will determine Freeman’s future salary, and the Bucs’ hopes of playoffs in 2014.

Team Glazer’s weekend endorsement of rockstar general manager Mark Dominik no doubt cements a little extra pressure on Greg Schiano, as did Bryan Glazer’s statement that he expects Schiano to deliver “improvement across the board” this season.

Schiano’ has got eight Pro Bowlers 30 or younger on the roster, and he’s in Year 2 of his regime, plus he’s got a massive, experienced staff and this is the win-now NFL. Of course Schiano is under huge pressure to win.

But another thing that adds to Schiano’s accountability is the fact the Bucs are running his defense. Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan made that clear when he took the job last year. And Joe found it interesting that new Bucs linebackers coach Robb Smith, who Schiano plucked from Rutgers this offseason, told Joe that he’s had a very easy transition in Tampa, in part because the Buccaneers’ defense is “virtually identical” to what Schiano ran at Rutgers, minor tweaks aside.

What could Schiano say if the defense doesn’t produce in 2013?

This is all part of what makes 2013 so exciting. It’s a no-excuses season for the coaching staff, the quarterback and more.

Bucs linebacker Mason Foster, who early last year had a chance to eat pineapple, talks how the Bucs defense has raised its competition level with the additions of Dashon Goldson and Johnthan Banks.

Foster spoke briefly after the Bucs practice Saturday night at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, the first practice in pads for the squad.

Joe expects big things from Foster this year as he should take that next step and be dining on pineapple in January. Audio courtesy of Joe’s good friends at WDAE-AM 620.

How well does WDAE-AM 620 Bucs beat reporter Tom Krasniqi, known in some circles as “TKras,” cover the Bucs? He is such a fixture at One Buc Palace, he still smells sweat when he is home at night.

Krasniqi, like Joe, has seen every minute of every Bucs practice so far in training camp 2013, and the player he believes is turning heads most is rookie cornerback Johnthan Banks.

If you had to name the biggest star so far at camp, the name Johnthan Banks keeps popping up. The rookie cornerback was the team’s second round pick and he’s been impressive. Banks has the size (6-2, 185lbs) the team craves and he’s been physical off the line of scrimmage.

Banks believes he’s more than just a big, physical cover man. He’s also a ballhawk too. “I think I have really good ball skills. I had 16 career interceptions in college but one thing about getting your hand on the ball is… you have to know the defense. It’s one thing I’ve been working hard at…learning the defense, being comfortable and confident. I’m going out there and playing with a lot of swagger.” There’s no question he’s done that since he’s been here.

As impressive as he’s been on the field, the Bucs like his maturity off the field as well. “Johnthan is a mature guy,” said Schiano after Sunday’s practice. “I get the sense he’s pretty into his family and taking care of them. Yet, he’s got a really good sense of humor. He’s a fun guy to coach and he loves the game of football.”

Now Joe would say the guy flashing the most in training camp is Mike Williams, but that is quibbling. Banks is playing strong.

The thing about Banks is he’s confident without being cocky. There’s a difference. He’s not so cocky that he doesn’t believe he cannot learn. He always talks about how much he is learning from Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson and yes, even Leonard Johnson, about performing as a pro.

Banks will need all the help he can get as there will be few rookies targeted by opposing quarterbacks like he will be. Any corner starting opposite of Revis will be targeted, naturally. But Banks is a rookie and on top of that, he will be facing Drew Brees, Matty Ice and Cam Newton twice this season.

In short, Banks will be baptized by fire. Quickly. Here’s what Banks had to say about becoming a Buccaneer Man after Sunday’s practice in this WDAE-AM 620 audio.

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Bucs backup quarterback Mike Glennon got his first taste of NFL live bullets Saturday night and was kind enough to talk about his first padded practice against professional football players in this WDAE-AM 620 audio.

Glennon spoke about how he is not ready to lead the offense crafted by Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan and about going up against the Bucs defense, including nearly leading a practice-winning drive in the final seconds of the scrimmage.

Joe brought you word last week that Mike Williams was in the mix to land the Bucs’ punt returner job.

So do you like it, Mike?

“Yeah, I get the ball in my hands. It’s almost like a 65 or 70 percent chance that I’m going to get the ball on that play. So I like that,” Williams told Joe yesterday. “[Coaches] have been telling me I’ve been catching the punts real good. I didn’t do it in college or high school. I guess they see something in me that they want to bring out.”

“I’m going to try and be the best punt returner in the league. They put me back at punts and I’m trying to work there as hard as I do at receiver.”

Joe gets the Bucs’ interest in Williams at punt returner. Aside from his very sure hands, he’s explosive. But Williams winning that job also would give the Bucs more flexibility with their gameday roster, to activate an extra defensive end or cornerback, for example.

Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer took time before the Saturday night practice at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway for a somewhat rare interview with the Bucs pen and mic club.

Among the things Glazer spoke about were the likelihood of fewer blacked out games, Mark Dominik’s job performance, ticket sales, and the enthusiasm the community has for the 2013 Bucs season and beyond, and other Bucs-related subjects.

Audio courtesy of Joe’s good friends at WDAE-AM 620.

Bucs coach Greg Schiano had a lot on his mind after practice Sunday. Among them were his feelings on how practice went just a handful of hours after the night practice at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.

Schiano went into a little bit of detail about how some players are bumped and bruised, and their injuries.

Of interest to Joe is how a tradition is being built among the members of the Bucs’ roster, and as Schiano said, traditions aren’t flags.

Audio courtesy of WDAE-AM 620.

Erik Lorig is among the sidelined Bucs

Every Bucs fan knows about the high-profile rehabilitations of Bucs stars like Davin Joseph, Carl Nicks and The Boy Wonder.

But what about other injuries in camp? The artist formerly known as Backwards Hat, aka Lakeland Ledger Bucs beat writer Rick Brown, has compiled the latest on the Bucs’ wounded in his notes from Sunday’s practice at One Buc Palace. Brown wrote a bit about Ahmad Black’s minor ankle tweak and listed the rest.

During practice, he was joined on the sidelines with defensive end William Gholston (hamstring), Gary Gibson (ankle), fullback Erik Lorig (calf), tight end Luke Stocker (calf), tight end Zach Miller (hamstring), defensive end Steven Means (Achilles strain), Danny Gorrer (groin) and Markus White (foot). Schiano said he expects some of these players to return this week.

Schiano was clear to media that none of these injuries are considered serious. However, Joe knows plenty of injuries linger and cost guys jobs. Just ask Black, who had an ankle issue in 2011 training camp. He was cut before being re-signed to the Bucs’ practice squad soon after.