Yesterday the Bucs were heavy present on Pro Football Talk, which Joe is sure all of you enjoy daily on NBC Sports Network, co-hosted by Erik Kuselias and the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the great Mike Florio.

Joe will bring you excerpts of the roundtable discussion, which also included former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker, and former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, one of but three QBs in franchise history to lead the Bucs to an NFC title game. [read more]

Lovie Smith sure seems to be a man of his word. One of the first things Lovie told the NFL world as Bucs head coach was that he saw no good reason to leave any cash in the coffers when it comes to building his roster.

With veteran safety Major Wright now in/headed to Tampa, it seems the Bucs are about to buy even more talent. [read more]

Former Bucs QB Shaun King released his latest mock draft

It’s the Season of Smoke right now. It’s hard to gauge just what an NFL team will do leading up to the NFL Draft. Who will a team take? Will a team trade up? Will a team trade down?

With the Bucs, one could answer all questions, “yes.” The Bucs could draft a quarterback, could draft a tackle, could draft a wide receiver, could draft a tight end, maybe even draft a defensive end at No. 7. The Bucs could easily trade up with the Rams for Johnny Football, for example, and they could easily trade down to stock up on draft picks in a deep draft. [read more]

Expect Mason Foster to blitz more.

The more Joe hears from Bucs head coach Lovie Smith, the more Joe grows comfortable that the days of opposing quarterbacks being able to sit in the pocket and get a haircut without concern or fear of being breathed on are over.

It was simply galling how the Bucs, under defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, would prance around with crazy stunts and quarterbacks would simply pick the defense apart, knowing they had all the time in the world for receivers to get open.

First, of course, is Lovie’s resume. The way the Bucs have signed pass rushing defensive linemen is another sign. Now, it appears, Lovie will be bringing the house at times (sans stunts). [read more]

The newest Buccaneer, Jorvorskie Lane.

Meet the living NFL dinosaur position: fullback.

Bucs fans got used to seeing Erik Lorig and Earnest Graham blocking in two-back sets over the past handful of years, but that didn’t mesh with what was happening on most NFL teams. [read more]

Is Bucs icon Derrick Brooks taking a shot at Gary Gibson and Stylez White in the latest Pewter Panel video on Buccaneers.com?

Joe won’t go that far today, but Brooks was clear that Gerald McCoy is finally getting a veteran presence that can impact him in a big way. [read more]

Yes, the Bucs offense is a big mystery, highlighted by the mystery of what Josh McCown can actually offer as a full-time, season-long starter. McCown hasn’t been handed the keys to an opening-day offense since the Raiders’ in 2007. [read more]

Is Marlon Moore the next Bucs’ free agent signing?

In a potential move that screams “special teams,” it seems the Bucs are not quite done fishing for free agent wide receivers.

Per NFL insider Howard Balzer, the Bucs yesterday worked out former 49ers wide receiver Marlon Moore. [read more]

Bucs fans still aren’t laughing

Looking back, the 2009 offseason was, well, strange for the Bucs, and that’s being polite.

It began some two weeks after the Bucs ended their regular season when Team Glazer decided to jettison the only coach in franchise history able to reach the Holy Grail and win the Super Bowl. And this happened after two consecutive winning seasons, and winning seasons in three of Chucky’s final four years — years that saw the Bucs win the NFC South twice. [read more]

Bucs OLB Jonathan Casillas describes Lovie Smith’s defense.

The Jeff Tedford Mystery is one thing that keeps Bucs fans awake at night. Will the Bucs run the ball? Pass the ball? Keep it about 50/50? Will they pass the ball downfield or go Chucky dink-and-dunk?

Fans won’t know until the regular season starts. But Joe and other Bucs fans do know what the defense will look like. Per Alterraun Verner, the Bucs under coach Lovie Smith will run a Tampa-2 defense only a fraction of the time. [read more]

Joe’s been doing his homework on the Bucs’ new free agents, and Joe finds it noteworthy that newcomer linebacker/special teamer Dane Fletcher earned the confidence of the Patriots’ coaching staff last season to the point he was awarded the infamous “green dot” for a brief stretch.

That’s the lone helmet — marked with a green dot — that is delivered the defensive signal calls of the defensive coordinator/head coach. [read more]

It was a big splash recently when Yahoo! Sports NFL writer Anwar Richardson detailed how Bucs safety Dashon Goldson, seemingly atop NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell’s enemies list for physical tackling, hired his old youth football coach in an effort to re-learn tackling this offseason.

Why was Goldson’s going to this extreme? Well, it seems a combination of rule changes and not being coached up properly was making Goldson cough up his children’s college education fund to NFL elders. [read more]

Olivia Stacey was on hand at Friday’s fanfest/uniform debut at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway and spoke with a few Buccaneers in the process.

Her work was documented in a TBO.com video. [read more]

Joe continues to see recognized draft gurus pointing to Johnny Football getting past the Bucs and landing with the Vikings and grouchy Mike Zimmer with the No. 8 overall pick.

Has the world gone mad? Would Lovie Smith and his handpicked QB guru Jeff Tedford really pass on a chance to upgrade the most important position on the field with the most talented QB in the draft? [read more]

Joe’s been spending time learning about the newest Buccaneers, and Joe’s been having a had time finding positives on guard Oniel Cousins.

As of now the Bucs plan on having Cousins slug it out with Jamon Meredith to replace Davin Joseph at right guard, per Lovie Smith’s comments at the NFL Owners meetings. [read more]

Bucs QBs are a strength, including Josh McCown, Lovie says.

It’s March and nearly April. In the NFL calendar, there are four seasons: preseason, regular season and postseason. The fourth? That’s this time of the year. The season of smoke.

Teams, readying for the draft, are as willing to blow smoke or erect smokescreens as much as anything. It’s both understandable, and frustrating. Joe hopes Lovie Smith was involved in major smoke-blowing and public support for his players when he went on record to Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune saying, well, Bucs quarterbacks are a team strength. [read more]

When Joe wants an intelligent opinion on Wisconsin sports, Joe doesn’t hesitate to turn to all-things-Wisconsin writer Bob Fox.

Fox is a Tampa Bay local who is all over Wisconsin sports for various publications, almost like Sidney Moncrief swallowing up ball handlers, or George Scott inhaling balls in the dirt. Joe wouldn’t even be shocked if Fox has Harlan Huckleby on speed dial. [read more]

Jeff Fisher’s in win-now mode and talks about trading the Rams’ No. 2 overall draft pick

Joe’s drained by speculation of what the Bucs might have to cough up in order to trade up in the 2014 NFL Draft.

What Tampa Bay actually would have to give up is pure guesswork. There are no rules. If Jeff Fisher and the Rams, at No. 2 overall, simply want to swap first round picks and get the Bucs’ second round pick, then there’s no reason that can’t happen. The market will set the price. [read more]