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The Bucs’ GM weighs in
A typical training camp day for a Tampa Bay Buccaneer starts at 7 a.m. and wraps up about 10 p.m.
There’s eating and meetings and more meetings, and lifting and eating and study and meetings and practice and meetings. This ritual continues for a few weeks until the team leaves its assigned Tampa hotel and gets into a more typical routine. [read more]
Bucs CB Alterraun Verner (21) watches practice from the sidelines. Again.
It was thankfully an overcast day at One Buc Palace Monday for Bucs training camp 2014 practice No. 9. The cloud cover on this sticky humid day helped keep the temperatures down.
Tempers flared a bit when a Bucs reserve linebacker decided to try to turn a Bucs running back into a projectile one too many times. Oh, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a freak of nature. [read more]
Right now, the question of how second-year cornerback Johnthan Banks will fit into Lovie Smith’s defense has a fantastic answer.
Speaking on WDAE-AM 620 this evening, Bucs general manager Jason Licht told host Steve Duemig that Banks has answered the bell. [read more]
Former Marine Josh Frey, who gave the Bucs one of his two Purple Heart medals, watches the Bucs night practice last week
Last week Joe was about speechless — quite a feat if any of you know Joe — when he learned how a hardcore Bucs fan and honorably discharged Marine gave one of his two Purple Hearts to Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht.
The marine, Clearwater High School graduate Josh Frey, wanted his favorite team to have one of his two Purple Hearts for all the Bucs have done for veterans, and for providing Frey countless hours of action to take his mind off both his experiences and injuries. [read more]
Joe’s friends at the great Ed Morse family of dealerships are proud to congratulate Derrick Brooks on his entrance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Their full-page ad in The Tampa Tribune over the weekend was very cool.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah had a sitdown with Joe.
Last week there were several visitors to One Buc Palace to watch Bucs training camp. Warren Sapp and Peter King were a couple of guests. Another was Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network. Before getting a sweet TV gig, Jeremiah logged time in the NFL as a scout with the Eagles, Browns and Crows, where he studied under one of the game’s best football minds, general manager Ozzie Newsome.
Jeremiah was kind enough to give Joe a sitdown to talk all things Bucs. Among the many subjects Jeremiah discussed, was his feeling that Bucs backup quarterback Mike Glennon was hung out to dry last year.
Monstrous second-year defensive end Will Gholston has few peers in the NFL at his position. Joe’s talking sheer size.
Gholston stands 6-foot-6 and he’s a chiseled 280 pounds, and looks more rocked up than last year. He told Joe his fierce workout regimen brought him to training camp at 280 pounds but only 10.1 percent body fat. [read more]
Lovie Smith loves to talk about how each position has a “starting rotation.” That means there’s an assigned starter, like Josh McCown, but allegedly every position is up for grabs (yeah, right).
But Lovie won’t go there when it comes to punt returner. [read more]
It was a fun day yesterday at Bucs training camp, despite the gooey humidity that smothered One Buc Palace. Joe is starting to buy in to the Austin Seferian-Jenkins hype (but Joe has to shake himself to remember he is a rookie, prone to rookie mistakes and highs and lows like any other first-year player).
There was a good goal line stand. Good catches by Mike Evans. Strong throws from Josh McCown. [read more]
Bowers admits Greg Schiano got in his head
Ok, now it’s a official. The leader of the New Schiano Order, Greg Schiano, scrambled Da’Quan Bowers’ brain to the point he didn’t recognize himself.
Bowers explained yesterday after practice.
[read more]
Vincent Jackson is expecting an explosive Bucs offense.
Yes, Joe got excited yesterday, but it wasn’t as if Rachel Watson came out of retirement. Not quite that big news.
No, Joe was fired up watching rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins going ham on veteran cornerbacks. It didn’t seem fair and didn’t seem right but Joe got hooked on the rookie from the University of Washington. [read more]
Joe detected a change and David explained
Like any Bucs-obsessed lunatic, Joe is hypersensitive to all things happening with the team and detected a subtle change to Lavonte David’s game through the first week of practice.
So Joe decided to have a private chat with David about his new look yesterday. [read more]
“Jiminy Christmas, Lovie knows sleep is overrated.”
Yes, Bucs fans all know about Chucky’s wacko sleep habits as Tampa Bay head coach. He got up each morning shortly after 3 a.m. and within minutes, found himself at One Buc Palace going through film to seek any morsel of information he could turn into a win.
Chucky, so he liked to brag, stayed until well after sunset, working non-stop because he just loved football so much. [read more]
It was a muggy one Sunday afternoon as the Bucs began their second full week of training camp. But it was not uneventful.
Vincent Jackson continues to be a beast. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is one scary-looking talent. Robert Herron continues to struggle with the football. And Tommy Streeter continues to catch everything thrown at him. [read more]
Bucs rookie Austin Seferian-Jenkins said this is the first year he’s been coached up like a tight end should be
Joe is starting to understand why Bucs fans are giddier than Joe when there is free beer when they hear the name of tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Joe’s getting it.
Today, Joe saw the rookie tight end just toy with defenders at training camp. Yeah, it’s preseason, but frankly, rookies should not be doing that to veteran players. A rookie who missed virtually all of spring workouts due to ankle surgery and school commitments should not be shaming first-team defenders in practice. [read more]
Bucs C Evan Dietrich-Smith no longer has a toenail on his injured big toe, but he claims he will be ready to rock and roll in Jacksonville.
Joe figures the Bucs have heard enough talk about toes to last the next eight years after the Carl Nicks toe saga (and “Toes On The Line.”) So Joe understands how Lovie Smith feels about toetalk.
This subject about toes came up when Lovie was asked about the status of Evan Dietrich-Smith. The Bucs’ starting center had his big toe stepped on Thursday and not only was he unable to participate in the night practice at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, EDS also walked around in shorts and requisite Bucs floppy hat today. [read more]
Doug Martin weighs in on what he saw from Lavonte David and friends
Real football was played at One Buc Palace today. During goal line work, Lovie Smith gave the tackle-to-the-ground order — the stuff that separates the men from the future bellhops.
And the Bucs defense was dominant.
Doug Martin was stuffed twice, and Joe talked to Martin about what he’s seeing on the other side of the ball. [read more]
No helmet and pads for Pro Bowl corner Alterraun Verner for the fifth consecutive practice
Bucs All-Pro cornerback Alterraun Verner has been on floppy-hat-and-sneakers patrol for five consecutive practice, nursing a hamstring that Lovie Smith says is improving.
But this is getting a little scary, even Lovie acknowledged this evening that Verner’s absence is nothing to shrug off. [read more]
