When Joe sits down to talk all things Bucs with Tampa Bay sports radio icon Steve Duemig every Wednesday on WDAE-AM 620, you just never know where the conversation will go. It’s kind of like Joe’s writing on these pages — predictably unpredictable. You can listen to yesterday’s entire audio below.

Leslie Frazier put his foot down

Joe knows some paranoid types freaked out when Lovie Smith was named the 10th head coach in Bucs history because, they claimed, Lovie is a devout Tampa-2 zone guy and all-world cornerback Darrelle Revis is a press-man cover corner who would be misplaced in a zone defense.

(Remember how fans screamed when, trying to get Revis on the field despite Revis being far from 100 percent, Greg Schiano had Revis playing zone and fans were ready to billy club Schiano?)

Though Lovie tried to calm down these folks when he was introduced as Schiano’s successor, Lovie’s new defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, in no uncertain terms, said Wednesday he must mold a defense to take advantage of Revis’ skills and accomplishing that goal will be critical. [read more]

Dennis Hickey of the Bucs interviewed Jimmy Garoppolo Monday evening.

Earlier this week at the East-West Shrine practices, Joe had a chance to talk with quarterback wunderkind Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois. “This Joe” is more than a bit interested in Garoppolo because “this Joe” graduated from the same higher institute of learning. [read more]

It’s January, and Joe is no fan of BSPN draft guru Mel Kiper, but he did release his first mock draft of the year based, in part, on what he’s hearing from NFL insiders around the league.

No surprise. Kiper has Johnny Football going No. 1 overall to Houston. [read more]

The Bucs offensive coordinator shared some of his philosophy

Former Bucs commander Greg Schiano believed in a bellcow running back system. Ride that cow into the ground!

That always fascinated Joe, considering his offensive coordinator came from the Giants, where they won Super Bowl rings featuring two and three running backs of different abilities. [read more]

Leslie Frazier speaks

Bucs defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier fielded the inevitable leaky, sleepy Josh Freeman questions today at One Buc Palace, as he met with media for the first time in his new role.

Frazier could easily have said he was only going to talk about Buccaneers, but instead he offered plenty of typical coachspeak about Freeman and also went out of his way to praise Freeman’s professionalism. [read more]

“Mike, while you’re working it, make sure they bring me back for my $7 million.”

Mike Glennon is no fool. He knows he’s got important opportunities between now and when the free agency bell rings in March to impress Lovie Smith.

Lovie already shared that Glennon was knocking on his door within minutes of his hire to find out the rules surrounding Glennon being allowed to learn and work right now at One Buc Palace. [read more]

While this is news, Joe is not going to pound on a guy for this.

Bucs defensive tackle Akeem Spence was pinched for pot Tuesday after a traffic stop in Alabama. It was not a routine stop, as Spence was flying down the road at over 100 mph, reports NorthEscambia.com.

According to reports, Spence was stopped by an Alabama State Trooper who clocked him in excess of 100 mph. A search of his vehicle by a law enforcement K-9 located an unspecified amount of marijuana in his vehicle, according to authorities. [read more]

 

Local TV ratings for Bucs regular season games this season were the best among Florida NFL clubs and showed a 14 percent increase from the 2012 season.

But the Bucs’ numbers are among the lowest in the NFL, per Sports Business Daily. [read more]

In Joe’s eyes, there is simply no other NFL draft analyst. Mike Mayock has no peer. Oh, sure, Mel Kiper has some good insight. But if NFL fans want the most pure, unbiased, deeply researched information on an NFL draft prospect, one can start and stop their research with Mayock.

The NFL Network analyst, who also is a color commentator for Notre Dame games on NBC, was kind enough to give Joe a few minutes of his busy time at the East-West Shrine practices Tuesday to talk Bucs. [read more]

Kellen Clemens?

Kellen Clemens?

Michael Vick?

Sleepy, leaky Josh Freeman?

One local Bucs beat writer is absolutely certain Tampa Bay will sign a quarterback when the free agency bell rings in March. [read more]

Lovie looks forward to flashing Team Glazer’s cash at free agents

The Bucs are not known for spending up to the NFL salary cap limit. Through the past couple of regimes, somehow they found themselves with millions of dollars of unused cash. 

Joe wishes he had that problem. [read more]

New Bucs head coach Lovie Smith took a year off from football to recharge, relax and re-evaluate all things Lovieball.

He handpicked his offensive guru in Jeff Tedford, but don’t expect significant changes from the head coach. [read more]

Johnny’s mate speaks out in St. Pete

Joe hears the anti-Johnny Football crowd — you know who you are.

If these types are not in the Mike Glennon Mob, then they’re satisfied with a boring Bucs offense and hope the Bucs catch lightning in a bottle with a sixth-round-pick quarterback, which happens about once every time someone sees Halley’s Comet.

These anti-progressive, anti-Johnny Football fearmongers want you to believe Johnny Football is not a team player, that he is neither respected nor liked inside the walls of the Texas A&M locker room, thus, is not fit to wear the pewter and red of the Bucs. How the fearmongers know this, Joe has no clue. [read more]

Dixie Chicks GM Thomas Dimitroff brags about the talents of Lionel Vital, a candidate to succeed former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

Joe didn’t expect many NFL heavy hitters at yesterday’s afternoon practice of the East-West Shrine Game at St. Petersburg High School. Boy, Joe was wrong.

Oh, sure, Packers general manager Ted Thompson was there. That’s no surprise. The guy is a fixture at these practices. An old school scout, Thompson still likes to get his feet on the grass of a football field and eyeball players. Sometimes in years past, the only general managers Joe saw at the Shrine practices were Thompson and former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, and in part, Dominik was there because the practices were all but held in his back yard. [read more]

Jiminy Christmas! Bucs tight end Luke Stocker (remember him?) is such a puzzling figure that they don’t know what to make of him over at One Buc Palace.

Scott Smith of the Bucs’ official website calls Stocker an “enigma” in his latest piece on Bucs returning from injured reserve. [read more]

Greg Schiano and Lovie Smith do have something in common. Both were fired after seasons in which their defenses did an incredible job forcing turnovers.

Lovie’s Bears led the NFL in turnovers in 2012. Last season, Schiano’s Buccaneer Men were third in the league.

Humble Lovie did very little boasting when he was introduced to media and fans last week at One Buc Palace. [read more]

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