Ah, it was the second day the Bucs had a full training camp practice, and Day 3 of training camp overall. It was also the first day in pads.

Wide receiver Tommy Streeter seems as though he came to play with a second strong day of making plays. Jeff Demps again left a linebacker eating his cinders for another touchdown. And Mason Foster had a pick that was, well, too easy. [read more]

MLB Mason Foster talks about offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford

When Bucs middle linebacker Mason Foster heard Tampa Bay brought in former Cal head coach Jeff Tedford in as offensive coordinator, he figured it would be fun for coaches and bad news for guys like him.

Thus far in training camp, Tedford’s offense is everything Foster thought it would be and maybe more. [read more]

Joe confirmed today that “Muscle Hamster” Doug Martin is among the leaner Buccaneers.

Martin was always a workout warrior, a chiseled hamster of steel, but Lovie wanted every running back between 5 and 9 percent body fat when training camp begin. Martin explained that he just made it. [read more]

The Bucs’ two-time Pro Bowler is firing on all cylinders already.

Gerald McCoy gets plenty of love from fans and media. Deservedly so.

But Joe was really wowed by McCoy today. He looks to be in midseason form. But Joe wanted confirmation from an NFL veteran in the Tampa Bay trenches.

And Joe got it in a big way. [read more]

Jeff Demps was among those showing visible signs of heat-related struggles.

The pads came on!

What a fun day of practice at the swelter at One Buc Palace. Joe’s got all kinds of notes, including one Buccaneer (guess who?) falling on his face during a drill, losing the battle to a tackling dummy. [read more]

Charles Sims talks about stiff competition at running back.

Joe has never seen the Bucs backfield this stacked and loaded. Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey, Charles Sims, Mike James, Jeff Demps. And that’s just the tailbacks. Joe hasn’t even looked at the fullbacks. (Ok. Of course, Joe has.)

There are several teams out there that would love to just have one of those guys. It really is a stocked stable. [read more]

Just a reminder for Bucs fans, Joe is out sweating on this broiling Sunday afternoon watching the Bucs break out the pads for the first time.

No underwear football! [read more]

Lovie Smith seems to like CB Johnthan Banks.

There is little doubt Bucs coach Lovie Smith is a defensive guy. Some would suggest he’s particularly fond of — and tough on — defensive backs, since he was once a secondary coach.

So it was interesting to Joe how Lovie threw some love at second-year man Johnthan Banks, who seems to have the inside track at winning a starting cornerback gig opposite of Alterraun Verner. [read more]

High praise comes to rookie Austin Seferian-Jenkins

Perhaps the stupidest damn rule in the NFL prohibits drafted players from reporting to their new teams until the semester or quarter at their college is completed.

WTF? This is America! The Bucs were burned by that rule this year, as Austin Seferian-Jenkins, the second-round tight end out of Washington, couldn’t engage at One Buc Palace through 90 percent of the spring. [read more]

Yesterday was fun at One Buc Palace. No, it wasn’t just because there was no lightning. The Bucs got their first full practice in. (The day before, practice was abbreviated due to lightning.) [read more]

There is no cursing at One Buc Palace. Well, it’s at least not sanctioned by the Lovieball regime.

Chucky, Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano embraced old-school, foul-mouthed football. Lovie Smith is not interested. His former players will attest. [read more]

It’s the time of year to overanalyze anything that comes out of the mouth of the Bucs general manager and head coach. (Yeah, Joe does that all the time, but there’s more urgency now.)

And yesterday, while speaking on WDAE-AM 620, Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht made a couple of interesting revelations via what he said — and didn’t say. [read more]

WR Tommy Streeter made a big-time splash in practice Saturday.

Aside from the crazy play made by running back Jeff Demps Saturday, the biggest play of the day came from wide receiver Tommy Streeter. The former Miami Hurricanes stud was drafted by the Baltimore Crows in 2012 and after struggling with a bum food, released not quite a year ago.

Streeter was signed by the Bucs in January and fits the part of the “Dunkaneers,” at 6-5 with wheels. He displayed those moves yesterday that, at least for a day, has put him in the running for a roster spot. [read more]

This salivating, hungry man will be wearing pads (finally!) and looking to blast people repeatedly this afternoon.

Who could forget the famous quote by Raheem Morris when asked about the difference between spring practices and training camp: “You take off your underwear, you put on your big boy pads and you put your face on people.”

Well, after two days of underwear football mandated by NFL labor laws, today’s the freakin’ day at Tampa Bay training camp. Hallelujah! [read more]

Lovie speaks out

Before yesterday, there weren’t many clues offered on how Lovie Smith, Leslie Frazier and friends would use the Buccaneers’ safeties.

Many believed Dashon “Hawk” Goldson and Mark Barron to be similar players. [read more]

Bucs WR Mike Evans got a taste of squaring off against an All-Pro yesterday.

Joe saw kind of a cool thing after training camp practice yesterday. There was Mike Evans, the stud wide receiver, selected at No. 7 overall, carrying a pair of helmets back to the locker room.

It’s not hazing, but tradition. Rookies carry helmets (and when pads are worn, shoulder pads) back to the locker room. Evans could have copped an attitude, being one of the top picks in the draft, but he didn’t. [read more]

Mike Glennon looks for WR Mike Evans.

Fans got a treat today at Bucs training camp. There was no lightning. This time of the year in west-central Florida, no lightning is always a good thing.

That wasn’t the case yesterday when twice the Bucs were pulled off the field. One break lasted two hours. The second alarm? Bucs coach Lovie Smith decided to just bag practice for the day. [read more]

Lovie Smith has high standards for MLB Mason Foster.

For years Joe had joked with Bucs middle linebacker Mason Foster by calling him “pineapple.” Because Joe believes Foster is one step away from eating pineapple.

In the vernacular of the NFL, that means Pro Bowl. [read more]

Former Bucs great and Hall of Famer Warren Sapp is bouncing around One Buc Palace. He will work NFL Network’s broadcast of Bucs practice Sunday.

Former Tampa Bay great and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp is bouncing around One Buc Palace this weekend and has full run of the place.

From talking to players to sitting in on meetings to chatting it up with coaches and bonding with old friends like Bucs linebacker coach Hardy Nickerson and Lovie Smith, let’s just say things are not boring. [read more]