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Back in the spring of 2010, former Bucs media relations chief Jonathan Grella arrived on the Tampa scene and Joe found it to be no coincidence that soon after, Raheem Morris and former rockstar general manager Mark Dominik started talking about how the team was trying to build a “lasting contender.”
It was a great catch phrase that helped Raheem clean up his often rambling messages, but it was one dripping with irony. [read more]
Has the world gone mad?
Last night it was Earnest Graham detailing his confidence in Mike Glennon.
NFL Network gurus concurred yesterday (video here).
Greg Cosell, the noted NFL Films guru, is surprised that people don’t like Glennon.
Joe Theismann is jacked up about the kid. [read more]
Mike James speaks out
The downfall of Greg Schiano was about wins and losses, though “guys didn’t see eye-to-eye,” said Mike James yesterday on WDAE-AM 620. The Bucs’ beastly rookie running back made the cloudy claim when talking about the New Schiano Order’s demise.
But James was very clear that Tampa Bay’s locker room has a great “culture” and is filled with strong leadership. [read more]
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo is no fan of Lovie Smith.
Joe is a little bit stunned. Since the moment word leaked that Lovie Smith was going to be the next Bucs coach, the 10th in franchise history, it was nearly unanimous; people thought the Bucs hit a home run, as if the Bucs landed Chuck Noll to lead the team.
Well, Joe has found a dissenting voice. And it is a powerful voice. An influential voice. A loud voice. And that is the voice of the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.
In his opening monologue Thursday on the show that bears his name, “Mad Dog Unleashed,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio, Russo let it be known he thought Team Glazer reached big time for a head coach. [read more]
His offenses weren’t NFL compatible
Joe remembers watching some of new Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford’s offenses years ago, specifically when Cal was relevant and one of the better (then) PAC-10 programs. Joe recalls he ran sort of an early version of a spread offense.
In later years, Cal fell off the map and Tedford lost his head coaching gig a year ago. Joe’s research leads him to believe Tedford was delegating too much authority to assistants (play-calling, recruiting) and that is why Cal dropped — and why Cal dropped Tedford. [read more]
Joe hangs out with the popular Ron and Ian show. All things Bucs are on the table.
“Mort” says Jeff Tedford deal is done
It seems the rumors of new Bucs coach Lovie Smith wanting former college quarterback guru Jeff Tedford as his offensive coordinator are true. Joe will have more about Tedford, who Chris Mortensen of BSPN says is a done deal with the Bucs — signed sealed and delivered — tomorrow on this here site.
@mortreport: As expected, Bucs reach deal w Jeff Tedford as OC. Source: Chiefs director of personnel Chris Ballard is leading candidate as next Bucs GM [read more]
Greg Schiano isn’t the only serious football man who stands firmly in Mike Glennon’s corner.
There is another man, a well-respected former Buccaneer, who believes the Tampa Bay can be serious winners with No. 8 calling signals as their starting quarterback.
Joe was somewhat stunned. [read more]
If Craig’s List was a hell of a lot better, then it might be almost as cool as PostShareSell.com.
What do you mean you haven’t been to PostShareSell.com? Get there!
The numbers look good
Yes, Gerald McCoy is a stud. After that, well, that’s about it on the Bucs defensive line.
Yes, the Bucs actually improved their sack total last year. No joke. The Bucs actually had seven more sacks in 2013, 35. Still, that ranks them 23rd in the NFL, just slightly better than pathetic. [read more]
The ink is dry on Lovie Smith’s contract with the Buccaneers! The team made its big news 100 percent official today and shared comments from many former and current Bucs.
Joe’s got them all — all the feel-good takes you could imagine, from Mike Glennon to Derrick Brooks to Charles Tillman and Ronde Barber and beyond. [read more]
Roster control likely is part of his deal
Gabe Gabriel was a football operations staffer and scout with the Chicago Bears when new Bucs coach Lovie Smith ran the team. He offered insight this morning on the “Ron and Ian Show,” heard on WDAE-AM 620, as to what made Lovie click in Chicago and what his weakness were.
Gabriel also explained what the hiring of Lovie before a general manager may mean for the power structure at One Buc Palace. [read more]
Shaun King says teaching and professionalism from Lovie Smith’s regime will shock Bucs players
What impact will the Lovie Smith regime have on the young defensive talents on the Buccaneers?
That’s unknown. But former Bucs quarterback Shaun King believes it will be remarkable because Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano were not ready for their head coaching jobs. Lovie will deliver a stunning change, King says. [read more]
Neat little video linked here of Adrian Clayborn talking to an Iowa TV station yesterday before the firing of Greg Schiano. They caught up to the beloved former Iowa Hawkeye during Outback Bowl festivities in Tampa.
Clayborn was upbeat about his six-sacks season in 2012, and it may have been telling that Clayborn felt compelled to reference his 2012 knee surgery before declaring “it was a good season.”
It surely will be a make-or-break year for Clayborn in 2014, his fourth in the NFL. First, he’ll likely have to battle for snaps with whatever edge-rusher talents Lovie Smith procures, and he’s got to produce more consistently.
Tony Dungy likes Lovie Smith’s philosophy. Lovie is no Greg Schiano.
There was quite a contrast across the Tampa Bay sports market over the past couple of years.
In St. Pete sat Rays skipper Joe Maddon, a leader who believes in clubhouse disc jockeys, lucky talking birds on his shoulder on game days and wacky dress-up themes during road trips, among other freedoms. And he’s just fine with his players sounding off on Twitter about bad attendance or whatever else is on their minds.
There there was Greg Schiano. [read more]
Bratty Jay Cutler won’t be coming to Tampa.
Now that a coaching staff seems to be shaping up (so the NFL rumor mill says), and once the coaches are in place and a general manager is hired, then it is time to focus on a quarterback.
In a sense, Joe believes Bucs fans were saved this morning in one way and the angst over a signal-caller looms, as the Bears re-signed bratty Jay Cutler to a seven-year year, per Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. [read more]
A former Bears All-Pro weighs in on how Lovie Smith is “amazing” and not so amazing
Seven-time Bears All-Pro center Jay Hilgenberg shared his deep angst — and deep love — for new Bucs head coach Lovie Smith today.
Hilgenberg has been part of the Bears Radio Network for years and spoke on WDAE-AM 620 this morning about how Lovie never could fix the Bears offense and forge a good offensive line.
But Hilgenberg wasn’t bashing in any way. [read more]
Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly signed NFL head coaching contracts out of the college ranks for about $7 million per season.
Jeff Fisher also signed for $7 million a year back in 2010.
So why are reports claiming Lovie Smith is finalizing a head-coaching deal worth about $5 million per season with the Buccaneers? [read more]
Respect returns to the Bucs locker room
It’s culture-change time again at One Buc Palace.
The “ultimate respect” new head coach Lovie Smith will command in the Bucs locker room will change the culture immediately at One Buc Palace. Former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht explained while talking all things Smith and regime change this morning on WDAE-AM 620.
