Because of a messed up passport, rookie free agent running back Matt Brown finds himself back with the Bucs.

As longtime readers of Joe know, Joe is about topics, not transactions.

Every once in a while, a reader here will leave a comment, “Where is the story about [scrub the Bucs just signed]?” To which Joe usually responds, “What story?”

This is also why you will not read stories about a draft pick signing. Why? It’s not news. In the current CBA, salaries for rookies are structured. If a draft pick is silly enough not to sign, well, that’s news.

And only if there is a local guy signed by the Bucs after Memorial Day as a rookie free agent will you see that here. Maybe. At best, a rookie free agent signed this late may be a practice squad guy. There is a reason a rookie is still walking the streets looking for work in the final days of May, well after the draft and well after the rookie free agent pool has been picked over by 32 NFL teams.

But this signing by the Bucs of rookie running back Matt Brown is interesting to Joe because if not for a screw-up, Brown would be playing in the CFL, so reports hardcore NFL analyst Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports.

Sometimes, when you don’t get the things you want, something better comes along. That’s what former Temple running back Matt Brown found out when he recently prepared to travel to Saskatchewan and sign with the Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. Brown, the 2012 Big East special teams player of the year, was most likely undrafted because of his size — it’s hard to know what to do with a 5-foot-5, 169-pound running back in the NFL — but the CFL came calling. Problem was, Brown couldn’t make his flight from Baltimore because his passport had expired.

Brown then went about the process of updating his passport in Philadelphia, but that’s when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers called his agent, and asked him to come down to sign a contract. That’s what he did on Wednesday, and now, the return specialist is in the NFL.

Now if the name Matt Brown rings a bell, Joe wrote about him yesterday, and the Bucs gave him a tryout during rookie minicamp and he didn’t cut the mustard at the time.

While Joe wishes all rookies well in their pursuit of their NFL dreams, the odds of a guy who is only in the NFL because he had a screwed up passport and didn’t want to run afoul of ICE (the way the Department of Justice and the IRS are targeting innocent Americans, would you?) are, well, long.

It was a virtual certainty that former Bucs great Ronde Barber would land someplace where he would be paid (handsomely) to talk about football for a living.

And that has happened. The mastermind and founder of TheBigLead.com, Jason McIntyre, learned of Barber’s move this morning.

Barber’s agent, Mark Lepselter, confirmed the Fox deal to me. “Ronde is excited to be joining the network,” he said. Lepselter wouldn’t elaborate on Barber’s role at Fox.

Later, Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune learned from Lepselter about Barber’s duties.

@RCummingsTBO: Ronde Barber joining FOX Sports in hybrid role per agent Mark Lepselter. Will likely do both game and studio analysis

This really is a no-brainer and we are likely to see a lot of Barber on the tube.

Fox this summer is launching Fox Sports 1, a 24-hour network to finally give fans beleaguered by the four-letter an option, sans NFL Network, MLB Network, NHL Network and the Big Ten Network and the soon-to-debut SEC Network — all worthy outlets but each pigeonholed.

Joe wouldn’t be surprised if Barber is a regular co-host of a weekday football roundtable show on Fox Sports 10.

What does a true young superstar like Doug Martin work on in his second offseason?

Joe asked the Muscle Hamster just that this week, and speed, health and playbook were his three answers — in order.

Remember, Raheem Morris and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik talked a lot during the asinine NFL lockout about how a great percentage of players improve most from Year 1 to Year 2 in the NFL (something second-year guys that year lost out on.) So it’s reasonable to think Martin, who got off to a somewhat slow start last season, might be in line to completely blow up in 2013.

Joe found it interesting that Martin referenced speed. His legs are young enough to get faster, and he hasn’t racked up a big enough pounding yet to be worn down.

Joe wonders what the Bucs strength staff came up with to improve Martin’s burst.

Joe was a guest last week on Joe’s good friend Derek “Old School” Fournier’s Internet radio show, you know, of WhatTheBuc.net fame.

Without trying, Joe rankled the host during this show.

“Old School” asked Joe about the linebackers and Joe stated, as he has written before on this very corner of the interwebs, that the only thing Joe can remember linebacker Adam Hayward contributing to the Bucs is going all-MMA on his position coach Bryan Cox on the sidelines.

“Old School” got angry with Joe and started to chew him out, to which Joe responded, “Name a play that Adam Hayward has made as a linebacker?”

So Joe asks his readers the same: Name a play Adam Hayward has made as a linebacker? At least Quincy Black, even when he was struggling terribly at strongside linebacker before he got coached up by Cox, would have an interception now and then.

When weakside linebacker Geno Hayes stunk (when not playing with scissors or playing tough guy with security guards at a nightclub); when Black was terrible, when middle linebacker Mason Foster was overwhelmed as a rookie, Hayward still couldn’t break the starting lineup. What does that tell you?

A weak link on the Bucs defense is strongside linebacker, a position where many fans assume Hayward is listed atop the depth chart.

This is not lost on the co-hosts of “Movin’ the Chains,” Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio. In breaking down the Bucs Thursday, per the request of a former Bucs season ticker holder, Kirwan and Ryan suggested the Bucs’ defense would be better off if someone beat out Hayward for the starting job at strongside linebacker.

Pat Kirwan: Who is the starter who I would like to see lose a job to make the team belter? On the defense… this is not being down on a guy. This is about your team gets better when there is competition and when there is a guy penciled in as a starter loses his job because someone emerges as better.

Let me ask you one more while we are on [the defense]. Is there anyone that can handle Adam Hayward? Or is Adam Hayward just good enough to stay there? I love Lavonte David, and Mason Foster has weathered the storms. After the first year they were wanting to get him out of the middle.

Tim Ryan: I think Adam Hayward is a special teams player. I think Jonathan Casillas, the guy they got from New Orleans can certainly get in there and battle with him and certainly Dekoda Watson is a wild card. I think both of those guys have as good of an opportunity as does Adam Hayward to man that third linebacker spot.

Kirwan: I agree with you.

Look, this is not a knock on Hayward. He’s been with the Bucs since 2007. But honestly, if a Bucs fan has to struggle to remember Hayward making any impact plays at linebacker in six seasons, five games starting at strongside linebacker last year, Joe believes it is fair to suggest the position is ripe to be upgraded

And, hey, if Casillas and Watson — part of Bucs coach Greg Schiano’s coveted competition at strongside linebacker — push and motivate Hayward to play better and earn the starting spot, it’s a win-win.

After Fatgate exploded over the holiday weekend, when a report surfaced suggesting Bucs Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn may not be around One Buc Palace after 2013 because he’s too fat, none other than Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik weighed in (pun intended) on Fatgate after the Bucs OTA practice Wednesday.

In short, Dominik is happy with Penn and believes a playoff berth may just get Penn to eat pineapple again (and maybe loads of pork at a Hawaiian luau.)

Remember Dominik haters, it was Dominik, as the Bucs pro player personnel director, who targeted Penn off waivers when the Vikings cleaned their plate of him.

“I have been with Donald since he has been here as a member of the organization and I am very excited about what he has done in the offseason and what he has done in terms of his conditioning,” Dominik said. “Looking forward to a great season from him.

“I am sure [the inaccurate report about his weight] is disappointing to Donald. All I can tell you is what he had done and what he is doing is right on par with what [we] had hoped. I think everything else has been exaggerated.

“I thought [Penn had] a pretty good season. We were 7-9 as a team so it wasn’t enough, right? I am sure we are all looking to get this team back in the playoffs.”

This should put to rest all the chewing of the fat about Fatgate and the possibility that Donald Penn will eat himself out of a job.

As Joe has stated before, if Penn is not on the Bucs roster in 2014, it will be because of the size of his contract, not the size of his belly.

Former Bucs QB Shaun King weighed in on the Bucs’ quarterbacks situation. He says Josh Freeman shouldn’t be in a contract year, and he says if Greg Schiano and Mark Dominik are concerned about their job security, then Mike Glennon might play early in the season if Freeman struggles.

Shaun King is a big fan of his beloved hometown Buccaneers, but he’s no fan of the way the Bucs have been constructed under rockstar general manager Mark Dominik. So it’s no surprise that King isn’t sold that Josh Freeman will make it to midseason as the Bucs starting quarterback.

King, an NFL analyst for NBC Sports Network and one of three Bucs QBs to lead Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship game, was asked on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday whether he thinks Mike Glennon can unseat Josh Freeman before opening day.

King said he simply can’t rule it out but seemed disgusted that the New Schiano Order has even made the question possible.

“I’ll say this. I’m a Josh Freeman fan. If I was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Mark Dominik, I would have already extended Josh Freeman,” King said. “I think when you look around the league there aren’t a lot of guys that are better than Josh that aren’t elite guys. There are only so many Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys out there. Josh is in that next group. And he’s young enough where if you stick with him, more than likely he’s going to be a lot better than a lot worse. So I wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with.

“You have to think about how Josh finished last season and does Schiano and Mark Dominik that their job is on the line. If Josh doesn’t play well in the preseason and he gets off to a rough start, your looking at a schedule early and they have some tough games early, I would not be surprised if they went to Mike Glennon.”

As for Glennon, Joe (or anyone else) really can’t say with certainty how quick of a hook Schiano could have with Freeman. So much of that is related to Glennon’s readiness and the standard Schiano sets for Freeman.

Joe, too, lobbied right after last season for the Bucs to re-sign Freeman. Not at a ridiculous price, but something fair that would give the Bucs some security in 2014 and beyond. Freeman’s current contract ends after this season.

Regardless, it’s not a fun topic for Joe to entertain. If the Bucs turn to Glennon this season, then the streak of no playoff wins will continue. (You can catch the entire King interview below..)

Joe sort of sides with popular sports radio personality Adam Schein when he says there may be no quarterback in the NFL who has more pressure on his shoulders than Josh Freeman.

Entering the final year of his contract with a rookie third-round pick standing behind him eager to take snaps, it’s almost like the Bucs drafted Mike Glennon as a safety net. If Freeman has a 2011-like season, he could be playing elsewhere.

This is nonsense to Pete O’Brien of USA Today. He’s of the belief that Freeman’s job is safe and he will get another contract from the Bucs. What Freeman is playing for, O’Brien believes, is not a job, but a payday.

The real pressure on Freeman is not to fend off rookie Mike Glennon, who was drafted in the third round, but to prove to Schiano and the Bucs he is worthy of a new, very expensive contract after the season.

Freeman isn’t shying away from the pressure or competition.

“That’s the way it works on any team. You want to have the best, most talented team you can possibly have,” Freeman said. “They feel like, and it’s obviously true, that Mike is a very talented player. You want the best possible option behind you.”

Joe has written before that the notion of Glennon somehow leading the Bucs to the playoffs this season is patently absurd. The Bucs’ best chance for playing meaningful games in January clearly rests with Freeman.

Joe knows that Schiano, contrary to rumors, likes Freeman and Freeman seems to like Schiano. Of course, everyone on a football team is in love with each other so long as the team wins, just ask Chucky and Meshawn.

And the best way for the Bucs to win is with Freeman. In 2013.

The Bucs’ decision to not buy potentially higher quality depth and competition on the free agent market is one that baffles Joe somewhat.

At defensive end, for example, essentially the Bucs decided they are content to roll out defensive ends Adrian Clayborn, Da’Quan Bowers, Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, Aaron Morgan, fourth-round rookie William Gholston and fifth-rounder Steven Means (among other camp meat) to compete for limited roster spots in training camp.

At cornerback, well, the Bucs could have invested in another quality free agent, too. No, Danny Gorrer practically having a roster spot locked up doesn’t soothe Joe, neither does relying on a rookie, an injured superstar and the most unreliable Buccaneer of 2012 to lead the way.

Joe brings this up because ESPN recently reported that the Bucs have just under $19 million in available salary cap money for 2013. After they sign quarterback Mike Glennon, the only rookie unsigned, the Bucs will have more than $18 million to spare.

Why?

This is something Joe can’t answer. If Joe were the Bucs’ GM, Joe would have been eager to buy another cornerback with Team Glazer’s cash. But Joe does respect that rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano may abs0loutely believe in their current roster and be completely satisfied with their depth. In fact, Joe hopes and prays that’s the case, since there’d be no reason for the regime to have regrets at the end of May — with a pile of money at their disposable.

The Bucs can roll some of this cash into next year’s cap — no, Joe doesn’t care about the accounting details. But a pretty balance sheet doesn’t excite Joe as much as a talented bench.

Now that the Steve Smith revival tour is over, it’s all but a lock that offseason pick-up Kevin Ogletree and Tiquan Underwood will be your Nos. 3 & 4 Buccaneer wide receivers (not necessarily in that order).

Both are versatile. Both are overachieving fifth-year veterans. Neither is a standout. So they should stage one of the more fun position battles of the preseason, especially if yesterday’s practice was any indication. Both guys looked sharp.

Ogletree told Joe how he left Dallas and followed his “favorite coach” to Tampa. That would be John Garrett, the Bucs new wide receivers coach, who was working with tight ends coach and passing game coordinator in Dallas and was Ogletree’s position coach at the University of Virginia.

“He’s very lively and never embarrassed to admit he loves football and coaching football. He’s one of my favorite coaches, if not my favorite coach I’ve ever been around,” Ogletree said of Garrett. “That amount of passion he has for coaching really helps out our whole group and the whole team.”

Garrett, a former NFL receiver, loves to mix it up on the practice field. It’s common to see him grab guys and direct them physically.

“He doesn’t hit us (laughs), but he’s definitely physical and hands-on, for sure,” Ogletree said. “He does a really phenomenal job getting guys familiar with details inside the film room, and especially out when we get out there. Attention to detail. That’s where he’s exceptional.”

Ogletree also said Josh Freeman’s big arm and desire to “rip it” was another attraction to the Bucs.

Joe’s really not quite sure what the Bucs have in Underwood and Ogletree. Here’s a quote about Ogletree from Tony Romo in late October, regarding Ogletree somewhat disappearing in the Cowboys offense after Week 1.

“A lot of it’s been dictated by the coverage and by what teams are doing [defensively against the Cowboys],” Tony Romo said yesterday. “Kevin’s playing well. He just needs to go get the ball every once in a blue moon. He’s worked on that very hard this year.”

The “blue moon” comment is hardly inspiring.

Regardless, the Bucs didn’t lose games last year because of their No. 3 receiver, and Joe doesn’t expect any issues from Underwood and Ogletree this season. Whether one or both can have a standout year — ala Preston Parker in the slot in 2011 — is a bigger question mark.

Roscoe Parrish, Sammie Stroughter, Michael Smith, Preston Parker, Jordan Shipley, Arrelious Benn and LeQuan Lewis all were in the mix trying to become a beloved punt and/or kick returner for the Bucs last season.

(Did Joe miss anyone?)

The return game for the Bucs was subpar, and the names above got the boot, except for Smith, whose roster spot is on thin ice. The Bucs didn’t seek a new returner in the draft, and the search continues.

Last night, a new name got a shot, undrafted rookie Temple running back and Big East special teams player of the year Matt Brown.

He stands at 5-5.

The guy has had plenty of success as a returner. But for Joe, this signing mostly illustrates how little confidence the organization has in Smith, the unofficial captain of the inactive list.

Last week, Joe was impressed hearing rookie defensive end Steven Means talk about all the leaders on the Bucs defense.

In particular, Means praised Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy for being a hands-on leader, pulling Means aside and giving him pointers, explaining why the moves will benefit him, and teaching him to perform tasks.

So yesterday at One Buc Palace after OTA practice, Joe took a brief moment to chat with GMC and ask him about his work with Means and other rookies. GMC sort of shrugged his shoulders, as if to say his taking rookies under his wing is the way veterans should act.

“That is just me,” said GMC, who is getting married in a few weeks. “I wasn’t raised to really, step back and watch. If you see something that needs to be done, go deal with it.

“Honestly, I believe it is a gift from God just to lead. You see a lot of vets and when they see rookies come around they say, ‘Ah, he’s just a rookie.’ I don’t believe that. If they are on the team, then we need them. We need them to win so I want them to be good so we can all win.”

Man, you talk about the ultimate teammate. If anyone on the Bucs could big league rookies, it would be GMC, coming off his first Pro Bowl and now an established stud in the middle.

But GMC puts team goals ahead of some perceived seniority ca-ca. That’s a Buccaneer Man.

Just prior to the draft, Deadspin.com ran an article from a telephone conversation between Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik and then-Buffalo general manager Buddy Nix.

The information was obtained from an illegal wiretap. Illegal, that is, unless you work for Eric Holder’s Justice Department, which has turned into a KGB-like outfit and is a stain upon this free nation.

Well, today, the culprits of the Dominik-Nix wiretap met the long arm of the federal government and were charged, reports WKBW-TV.

Plymouth, Mass. men were charged Wednesday with intentionally intercepting a wire communication and with making a telephone call without disclosing their identity with the intent to annoy or harass the person at the called number.

Attorneys say 20-year-old Joshua Barber and 20-year-old Nicholas Kaiser called the office of former Buffalo Bills General Manager Buddy Nix claiming to be Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik.

Nix answered the telephone but there was no one on the line. Barber then called the office of Dominik claiming to be Nix.

The dirtbags (no, not THAT Dirtbag) then sold the illegally-obtained recordings to Deadspin.com.

If convicted, the two dopes face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $500,000, fine or both.

Joe hopes it is both. A-holes.

Quick, name your favorite Steve Smith moment. You know, Bucs wide receiver, former Pro Bowl player. What’s that you say? You don’t remember Steve Smith making a play? Joe doesn’t either.

One of Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik’s free agent pick ups this year, Smith, has decided to retire, the Bucs announced this afternoon.

Even in watching two OTA practices, Joe doesn’t remember Smith sticking out outside of a dropped pass. Apparently, per the Bucs, the decision was his and his alone.

@TBBuccaneers: WR Steve Smith, who signed with the Bucs in April, has announced that he will retire from the NFL after 6 seasons. … Steve Smith’s 6 NFL years included a Super Bowl championship w/NY & a 107-catch season that set a Giants record.

Smith didn’t seem to figure into the Bucs’ plans and was looked upon more as a potential reserve who already knew Mike Sullivan’s offense, a derivative of the Giants’ offense.

Kevin Olgetree, also a free agent pickup at wide receiver, who logged a good practice this morning, just got handed a little more job security. Unexpectedly of course.

There’s been loads of local and national buzz today surrounding the possibility that the Bucs broke NFL-mandated, no-contact rules at a recent OTA practice.

ProFootballTalk.com got the ball rolling this morning jumping on Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings’ comments during an interview last week on 98.7 FM. Cummings explained that he saw hitting that may have crossed a line that could get the Bucs in hot water with the NFL.

“It’s football practice, without pads,” Cummings said.  “I’ll tell you what, Greg Schiano is right on the border of getting investigated and possibly — I don’t know if they would fine him, I don’t know what the penalty is — but these guys are out there, they’re hitting. . . .  There’s no pads on, but I’m telling you, the linemen, these guys are hitting.  People are going down on the ground.  And it’s interesting.  I mean, most of this was second- and third-team guys, it wasn’t the front-line guys.  So there’s a little bit of what Jon Gruden used to call ‘practice etiquette’ that I think has to be learned here, but they’re going at it pretty good.”

Cummings pointed to the Zuttah-Spence fight, and said it was a 22-man “melee” that “went on for a while” — all due to the fact that there was contact between the linemen.

“I can’t imagine it’s being ordered, I think it’s just guys being a little overzealous, trying to earn a spot,” Cummings added.  “And that’s part of what this part of the season is about.”

Were Cummings’ comments out of line in any way?

Did they break an unwritten code between the Bucs and the reporters that cover them?

The dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, believes they did.

This afternoon, Duemig called out Cummings for sharing negative speculation on whether the Bucs are rule-breakers. Duemig said he’s no fan of media “squealers” when they’re “ratting out” the home team for no good reason.

“There are things that you report, and there are things that you don’t report. Am I wrong here?” Duemig asked his audience.

Duemig says he believes reporters need to exercise judgment with their reporting and speculation because comments like Cummings’ can cause the Bucs to limit access for all media. “When given the opportunity, why ruin it?” Duemig asked. “For crying out loud, there are some things you keep to yourself if you know it’s borderline. I believe in reporting, but in some cases when you’re allowed to watch practice  … why ruin it?”

Now Joe’s a friend of Cummings and Duemig. Joe’s not taking a side here. It’s just a great debate that intrigues Joe.

Two years ago, Joe came under fire from Duemig and some fans for being a “rat” after reporting that Raheem Morris communicated with Buccaneers during the lockout. The NFL eventually punished the Bucs. Joe understood and respected Duemig’s point of view. There are observations about teams and comments from team members that all reporters leave unsaid/unwritten.

Joe also gets that Cummings simply suggested the Bucs are pushing the limits of NFL practice rules and was relaying his observations of practice — a practice the Bucs invited him to report on. Yes, the Bucs could get punished and lose valuable practice time. However, Cummings shedding light on the situation could prevent injuries and subsequently help the Bucs.

Reporters are constantly deciding what to report and what not to, and sometimes there is a greater good that is considered.

Can reporters be “squealers?” It’s an interesting question.

Eric Wright had what some would call a nightmarish season in 2012, despite perhaps making the Bucs’ play of the year with a thrilling pick-six of Eli Manning win Week 2 at the Meadowlands.

Wright signed a lucrative contract in 2012 to join the Bucs but agreed to a clause that would void his contract if he were suspended by the NFL. That came back to bite Wright in the rear end in a terrible way, as he was busted for popping Adderall and had to cower to Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik for his job back, but at a much-reduced cost.

Wright discussed past, present and future after today’s OTA practice at One Buc Palace.

The interception return for a touchdown against Manning “should have been the play of the year,” Wright said. But the 2012 season, there was “nothing sweet about it, we lost. That’s what we are out here for today and the rest of the offseason and training camp to get ready for the season, to get ready for big things.”

When his contract was renegotiated with the Bucs, “I had no idea about (Revis trade talks),” Wright said. “I’m not sure. Darrelle is a friend of mine; I talk to him but as far as the timing, not too sure. Obviously, [acquiring Revis is] a great move, a great thing for everybody.

“Losing a guy like Ronde [Barber to retirement], that hurts. He was one of my favorite cornerbacks ever. Not having him around will hurt. But bringing in Revis and Dashon [Goldson] and some young guys will help and modes well for us.

“As long as I am healthy and out here, there’s no way I won’t contribute for this team, that’s how I am in general. I have been playing this [NFL] game for six years and starting for six years. That should say something about who I am and the player I am and where my mindset is.

“Of course there was concern [about not being back after suspension]. I am just happy to be out here as a player. I take it as I can contribute to the team. Definitely a place I am happy to be and dealing with coach and the Glazers and Mark Dominik, it is a vote of confidence to be here and to continue my playing career here. I’m grateful for that.”

Bucs reserve safety Cody Grimm has had a busy offseason and unfortunately for Bucs brass, it has nothing to do with football and everything to do with not being a Buccaneer Man.

Grimm was pinched over the weekend at a Virginia hotel for public intoxication at 5:30 a.m. following a wedding. As it turned out, he was also cited for the same charge in March, also in Virginia, his home state.

Meeting with reporters after the Bucs OTA practice Wednesday morning, Grimm confessed he has not been behaving like a Buccaneer Man and admitted his Buccaneer fate lies in the hands of Greg Schiano, who stated in his press conference he has talked with Grimm several times since his arrests and is “disappointed.”

Grimm seems to have studied the Mark McGwire School of Testimony, saying he can only become educated by his missteps.

“I have to learn from my mistakes,” Grimm said. “I can’t change anything in the past. I have to learn and move forward. [Future with Bucs] is up to [Schiano]. All I can control is what I can do from here on out. I am not going into details about it. I’m moving forward. That’s in the past. It was an error in judgment, clearly.”

Grimm, however, practiced like a man possessed this morning. Joe’s quite confident he had never seen Grimm perform so well at a practice.

Grimm has somewhat of an uphill battle making the roster, as his only chance seems to be as the No. 4 safety. Tangling with the law in Virginia — twice — certainly hasn’t helped raise his stock in the eyes of both Schiano and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

Here are some sights and sounds Joe witnessed and heard at this morning’s OTA practice at One Buc Palace:

*Mike Williams is singled out on the first play of practice for hustling down the field. On this particular drill, the entire first team offense had to race from the 20-yard line to the end zone to finish a play as a unit.

*Schiano is heard more today than last week. Shortly into practice, Schiano called a team huddle on the far end of the field for what Joe assumes was some tongue lashing. After the huddle broke up, Schiano walked away and could clearly be heard hollering, “Details, details!”

*Later during a punt drill, Schiano could be heard yelling, “Critical play here, critical play!”

*Bucs were doing what Joe refers to as “stations,” where the team is in small position groups and when a whistle blows after a few minutes, the players change stations but the same technique is drilled upon in the each station. In the station closest to Joe, defensive players focused solely on wrapping up on tackles.

*During defensive line drills, assistant defensive coordinator Bob Fraser could be heard asking the players, “Do me a favor and keep your head up!”

*Cornerback Leonard Johnson had a pick of an errant Josh Freeman throw. On the next play, Freeman made up for his previous error hitting Tiquan Underwood on a long bomb down the right sideline for six points. Freeman later showed some outstanding accuracy by throwing low passes to Vincent Jackson and Underwood, passes that were very catchable but difficult for a cornerback to pick, though Freeman did one-hop one badly to Jackson.

*Hoping no player is injured by hitting the ground, Schiano pleads, “HOLD EACH OTHER UP!”

*With Darrelle Revis still unable to participate, the first-team corners were Eric Wright and Johnthan Banks.

*Perhaps motivated to try to keep his roster spot despite a couple of embarrassing brushes with the law in the past three months, Cody Grimm may have had the best practice Joe of the 2013 offseason. He intercepted a tipped pass from Mike Glennon, had a breakup of a Dan Orlovsky offering and generally was all over the field making plays.

*Anthony Gaitor also had a nice tip of a Glennon pass.

*Wide receiver Kevin Ogletree had to come back to catch a poorly thrown pass that was behind Ogletree for a fantastic catch.

*In a defensive backs drill, the defensive backs practice batting down balls and scooping up loose balls.

*On a pass play, Aaron Morgan tried to bull rush Donald Penn, but it was a wrong move. Penn gave Morgan an open-hand punch to the shoulder, knocking Morgan backwards and nearly off his feet.

*Mike Glennon largely looked like a backup quarterback today, though he did show some good pocket footwork under pressure.

*Wide receiver hopeful David Douglas, who was with the Cardinals last season, made a few good catches and really seems to run sharp routes and has a quick burst after the catch.

*Keith Tandy had a near-pick of Josh Freeman. It was unclear whether it was a fourth-down play or not, so Joe can’t hang Freeman for what seemed to be an ill-advised throw.

*Mike Williams flashed his athleticism quite a bit. He made a great catch on a short ball behind him with Leonard Johnson in tight coverage. Williams also made a trademark back-of-the-endzone grab of a Freeman pass that drew a lot of celebration and Raheem Morris–era body bumps from teammates. Freeman was running to his right and let go of a pass only Williams could snag.

See the sights and hear the sounds of Bucs OTA practice Wednesday in this Tampa Bay Times video.

Penn said he felt “stabbed” in the stomach

Donald Penn looks fit to Joe, and he is fit, so claimed the Bucs brass today after today’s OTA session at One Buc Palace.

Penn unloaded on the hurt and confusion he felt by the PewterReport.com report Monday that claimed his weight was a serious issue with the Buccaneers.

Penn ripped the publication for lying via profane tirades on Twitter on Monday, but today Penn was calm and offered more details to Joe and other media.

“I just hope it’s not going to be a trend,” Penn said of inaccurate media claims about his weight. “Last offseason, [Tampa Bay Times Bucs beat writer] Rick Stroud came out with something, some true, a lot of it was false. It seems like this year, you know, it came out again, some more false stuff. You know, I don’t do anything to anybody. I’m a happy-go-lucky guy and it seems like people are trying to attack me. But you know, I’m going to be bigger and better than that. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. I wish I could take it back.

“You know, me and [Greg] Schiano, we had a lot of talks last year about where he wanted my weight. Because we had a disagreement on where he wanted and where I thought I should be. And you know at the end of the day, that’s a battle that I’m not going to win. And I bought in and I’ve done everything he’s asked me to do. I’ve done everything Mark [Dominik’s] asked me to do since [the start of] last year. And for that to come out, after I’ve been doing everything that I’ve done, it really like kind of stabbed me in the stomach.

“Where’d that come from? I know it didn’t come from the Bucs because all I’ve been getting from them is praise and they’re happy with what I’ve been doing and how I came back in April 15 in my football weight. Usually I get down to it when I come back, but I came back already at the weight he wants me to play at. And for that little stupid report to come out, I don’t know, I guess [PewterReport.com] has nothing else to talk about.

As Joe wrote yesterday, Penn is being unfairly targeted.

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik said today that Penn “is right on par with what we would have hoped and expected from Donald Penn. I think anything else has kind of been exaggerated.” Greg Schiano concurred during his post-practice news conference.

Weighing the losses of Roy Miller, Ronde Barber, Quincy Black and Michael Bennett versus the additions of Dashon Goldson rehabilitating Darrelle Revis, Derek Landri, Jonathan Casillaas and Akeem Spence, are the Bucs better on defense?

That question was on the mind of former Bucs quarterback Shaun King today. King, one of only three QBs to lead the Bucs to the NFC Championship game, doesn’t think the Bucs have improved.

“On the surface you look at that and you have to say, ‘No,'” King said on WDAE-AM 620 this morning.

King clarified a bit explaining that he has to see Revis play before he makes a full assessment. But interestingly, King was skeptical that Goldson will be a significant upgrade from Barber, especially without all the superstars in front of him that he had in San Francicsco.

Also, as Joe touched on yesterday, King wants to see what kind of tactician Greg Schiano is in Year 2.

“How does Schiano adjust his schemes and playcalling?” King asked, referring to how Bucs opponents will adjust after studying the first full season of the New Schiano Order Xs and Os.

Joe is on board with King’s takes here, except for the one on Goldson. It’s hard to believe Goldson won’t be better than Barber overall, though he might not be the same level of opportunistic playmaker Barber was.

And, as usual, King fired a shot at rockstar general manager Mark Dominik. King reminded listeners he considers Dominik a  “terrible talent evaluator.” King said he doesn’t give Dominik credit for trading for Darrelle Revis and paying him $16 million. Any GM could do that, King said.

Joe will deliver interesting QB takes from King later today.

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Last week at the “Sneaker Soiree,” a black tie affair where a collection of local sports celebrities mingled, an event that is only for the upper crust of society; “TKras,” Tom Krasniqi of WDAE-AM 620, got a chance to chat with Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

During the interview, GMC noted this is the first offseason since he was a pro that he got a brief moment to decompress and spend quality time with his kinfolks in Oklahoma.

“I got a chance to relax for an offseason — not long, but to enjoy my family and not have to go to rehab all the way up to” training camp,” GMC said.

As for as hearing the news of the Bucs trading for star cornerback Darrelle Revis, GMC was giddy.

“I was excited,” GMC said. “There’s not more to it than to have one of the best defenders in the game. For me, that is very exciting because that missed split second [the time a quarterback gets off a pass to an open receiver before GMC could sack him] was all it took for me to get double digit sacks last year. … [Revis is] the last piece we needed, but it will take all of us [to win]. I’m very excited.”

What interested Joe the most GMC confirming what Joe wrote last week, that the OTA practice he witnessed was much more crisp and players were less hesitant and seemingly had a strong purpose in the second season with Greg Schiano. GMC said the team is well down the track of success versus where the Bucs were this time last year.

“The mindset and focus is much higher than last year,” GMC said. “Last year it was kind of shaky because everyone was kind of worried and kind of complaining and now it is like, ‘Full steam ahead!'”

Of course, Joe will have much more from today’s OTA session when practice wraps up this afternoon. To listen to GMC’s full interview with Krasniqi, please press the black arrow below.

Audio courtesy of Clear Channel and WDAE-AM. Hat tip: Tom Krasniqi, Pat Donovan and Dory LeBlanc.

Bucs reserve safety/special teams player Cody Grimm was popped for public intoxication over the holiday weekend, per a report by “Reliable Source” of the Washington Post.

(How the hell can one of the most respected papers in America pull a stunt like this with a fake byline on a serious news story? What the hell???)

We’re told that the 26-year-old Fairfax native, once a gridiron standout at Oakton High, was back in the area for a wedding. Town police said the arrest happened at a Hampton Inn at 5:30 a.m. Court records show that Grimm has a hearing scheduled for July 9.

The charge is a misdemeanor — but for Grimm, the matter could be complicated by a previous public intoxication arrest, on March 10 in Christiansburg, Va. That case, records show, was given a “deferred disposition,” which allows prosecutors to drop a charge if assuming the accused fulfills certain promises and stays out of trouble.

Grimm, the son of 1980s Redskins star Russ Grimm, did not reply to voice messages or e-mails. In a statement, Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano said the team was “disappointed” to learn of the arrest: “Our players know our expectations on and off the field and we take these matters very seriously. When we feel we have obtained all the necessary information, we will act accordingly.”

Wow, 5:30 a.m.? Must have been a helluva wedding party.

Joe’s not sure how someone can get a “public intoxication” citation twice in a matter of weeks. That’s not a good pattern.

UPDATE: Via the Bucs’ media relations department, Bucs coach Greg Schiano has issued a statement on Grimm’s arrests.

“We are disappointed to learn of this situation. Our players know our expectations on and off the field and we take these matters very seriously. When we feel we have obtained all the necessary information, we will act accordingly.”