Head coach Todd Bowles.

It’s rare for a team to be able to boast(?) that it pays its No. 2 safety as much as its most expensive pass rusher. [read more]

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum.

As an athlete, there is no doubt Bucs corner Zyon McCollum is a stud.

As an NFL cornerback, well, we’re going to find out. [read more]

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.

Could the Bucs be knotted in another close division race? It’s possible. And it seems NFL.com is all but bracing for such an ending to the 2024 regular season. [read more]

It’s been that long.

This really shocked Joe. [read more]

Former Bucs head coach and current Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.

Joe loves getting nuggets of truth from past Buccaneers regimes or eras.

Team executives are tight lipped about nearly everything, so getting a bite of truth is to be savored as it represents a puzzle piece of history. [read more]

Talkin’ Baker Mayfield’s swag.

No, you very likely won’t see this in national #NFLMedia platforms because it goes against a narrative. [read more]

Joe needs to clarify the stance of the man who delivered Lavonte David and Will Gholston to the Buccaneers.

Former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik (2009-2013) shared an eyebrow-raising explanation for giving Tampa Bay’s 2020 NFL Draft haul a B+ grade on radio yesterday. But Joe later learned that Dominik changed his stance. [read more]

Factoring in rest.

One reason Joe fully enjoys Warren Sharp’s work is Sharp’s patience to dig for minutia that actually turns out to have a big impact. [read more]

Sharing TV time Week 7.

Hey, at least the Bucs are the main event when they host the Crows on Monday Night Football. [read more]

Baker Mayfield (and Kyle Trask) go under the microscope.

So a former Super Bowl quarterback did an in-depth comparison of Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield. [read more]

“Mark, you’re killin’ me over here.”

What does Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht have to do to earn top marks for a draft?

His predecessor (of all people!) has the answer. [read more]

Podcast (ira-kaufman-podcast): Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Click above to shop now at Tampa’s first family of Ford, BillCurrieFord.com. Reach out to Ira’s friend and GM Sean Sullivan for a hearty JoeBucsFan discount, and remember their nationwide lifetime warranty on new vehicles at Bill Currie Ford.

Episode 2 of this week has Ira firing away on the 2024 schedule and key data that comes with it. All that and plenty more Bucs chatter with Joe. Enjoy!

The wisdom and fun of Ira and Joe is presented by Bill Currie Ford. Click play above or listen at Apple Podcasts or Podbean.com, Other platforms, too.

Bill Currie Ford is one mile north of Raymond James Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, and Bill Currie Ford GM Sean Sullivan is Ira’s great friend. He’s ready to help you personally — and to give you the Ira Kaufman discount on top of all their amazing deals. E-mail, call or visit Sean at the Bill Currie showroom.

BY IRA KAUFMAN

There’s a lot to like about the Buc schedule.

Those who like to play the disrespect card have to admit that slating four night games is a clear indication the league considers Tampa Bay a worthy prime-time franchise, two years after Tom Brady skipped town.

We already knew the Bucs would be playing the NFL’s final four teams from 2023 — the Chiefs, the 49ers, the Ravens and the Lions. No surprises there. You win the division, you pay a price. But a deeper dive into the schedule reveals a soft underbelly that can be taken advantage of if the Bucs play up to their capabilities. [read more]

Man of his word.

If you think about it, the Bucs’ personnel department, since AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht took over in 2014, has done a helluva job drafting good dudes. [read more]

Disaster looming?

Joe firmly, confidently believes the Bucs have a path to 10 wins, which, per NFL history, is what it may take to pull off a four-peat as division champs. [read more]

Path visible in the “Race to 10.”

If the Bucs take care of business against teams they should beat, then the following should not be an issue. [read more]

Stats outfit has Week 1 preview.

The NFL schedule was just released but that doesn’t mean we can’t preview Week 1 with the Commandos coming to town to face the Bucs! [read more]

So the Bucs got four prime time games for the 2024 season. The Falcons did, too. The Slimy Saints got three and the Panthers got shut out. Zero. [read more]

It’s now only 86 days until the Bucs put on their game uniforms and play a little real football. [read more]