Linebacker is one of several positions where the Bucs are painfully thin

The new in-house super expert at NFL.com, Michael Lombardi, is not expecting much from the Bucs in 2010.

Why Lombardi boldly predicted the Bucs could have a breakout season and win only six games.

Lombardi, the former Raiders, Eagles and Browns personnel executive, revealed little hope for Tampa Bay and his fellow Hofstra alumni Raheem The Dream in his NFC season preview.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The bad news for the Bucs is they only won three games last year. The good news is they won two of the last three games. Is that a signal that they are improving? Is this the momentum needed to launch a successful campaign in 2010? I am not buying it. The Bucs are a young team on and off the field. Young quarterback, young wide receivers, young defensive lineman, young head coach, and young general manager, which means they make mistakes. And last year they made them all over, from players signed, to play-calling, to game management, to turning the ball over. They are, however, starting to collect talent, which leads you to believe on paper they could be a team capable of breaking out and doubling their win total. However, winning in the NFL with youth is a challenge and the Bucs will use the 2010 season to grow up (all over) and possibly be ready to challenge in 2011.

Joe thinks Lombardi is pushing it to say the Bucs would be “breaking out” to win six games. As Joe has written before, the Bucs played 3-6 football to close the season and somewhat righted a sinking ship, with stability at quarterback and Raheem The Dream taking over the defense after the heinous Jim Bates Experiment.

Barring injury, Joe expects the Bucs to keep playing 3-6 football, which would leave them with five or six wins.

Logic aside, the reality of a six-win season and the Bucs’ painfully young roster void of veteran experience puts a hefty knot in Joe’s stomach. With a couple of typically inevitable key injuries, the Bucs’ season could get ugly very quickly.

Buried in an NFL.com story about the strained NFL labor situation is some tantalizing fodder for the growing legions of Bucs fans obsessed with the team’s finances.

Jason LaCanfora, of NFL.com, studied the new annual report of the publicly held Green Bay Packers organization and analyzed some of his findings. He revealed the Packers’ total revenue of $258 million included $157 million from the NFL’s revenue sharing pot last year.

Of that $258 million, more than half ($157 million) came from national revenues which are shared by all franchises via the television contracts, road-game revenues, national media rights and sponsorship deals. Local revenues — money derived from sales at the Pro Shop, for instance — were actually down $500,000 from a year ago, and have been flat for about three years. Murphy identified the struggling economy as a leading contributor to that.

So it stands to reason that the Bucs, like all other teams, also got $157 million from the mother ship. That’s a sweet piece of change, especially when your player payroll is $84.5 million, like the Bucs’ was in 2009, per the USA Today salary database.

Joe is pleased to know the Bucs are making piles of money.

"Joe, is that you?"

Bucs junkies should be getting excited today. No, there’s been no big free agent signing.

But per the latest Buccaneers Insider video on the team website, registration for tickets to training camp’s opening day (July 31) kicks off Friday at 10 a.m. Fans must register for the One Buc Club, and then they can throw their names in the hat for camp tickets.

Joe’s not seeing additional information on the team website.

In what appears to be good news for camp-goers, Bucs videomaster Scott Smith reported that bleachers are being erected “all around field 3.” That may just be a figure of speech, but perhaps the Bucs are adding seating, as there was no stadium kind of setup last year.

More seats would be a good thing. It was awfully hot out there at times last year, as Joe often found himself wedged between two sweaty, stinky dudes on the metal bleachers. Although watching Roxanne Wilder work the sidelines took the sting out of all that bonding with strangers.

Don't expect Greg Olson to have his feet held to the fire if Josh Freeman struggles in 2010, says Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings. JoeBucsFan.com photo by Kyra Hallett.

While Joe hammers away to deliver his readers all things Bucs every day, Joe loves this somewhat quiet time of year. It gives Joe a chance to enjoy plenty of relaxed conversation with his media colleagues.

Joe caught up to esteemed Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings recently, and the veteran beat scribe at The Tampa Tribune & TBO.com graciously agreed to a Q&A session for JoeBucsFan.com readers.

Joe hit up Cummings with questions about expectations inside One Buc Place, the rookie class and more. …Thanks, Woody!

Joe: This new Bucs regime already has gone through two offensive coordinators. Whispers are that if Josh Freeman struggles this year a lot of the blame will fall on Greg Olson. How concerned are the Bucs that Freeman could end up like Alex smith or Jason Campbell and have a flavor of the year for an offensive coordinator? What’s their mindset on that?

Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings: One thing you have to remember about Josh Freeman is that he has spent all his time as the Bucs starting quarterback working in Olson’s offense. He wasn’t getting very many reps during the time Jeff Jagodzinski was in charge, so I would think he had a pretty easy time making the adjustment to the new scheme. And that’s a scheme that, for the most part, is very familiar to the people who will be playing around him. If Josh Freeman struggles this year, I don’t think it will be because of Greg Olson’s offense or a change a year ago in coordinators. It will be because he’s a first-year starter who is still learning not only the league, but his own strengths and weaknesses.

Joe: How much rope will the Bucs give Raheem The Dream? How will he earn a passing grade from the organization in 2010?

Cummings: I think Raheem’s rope is a pretty long one and extends well beyond this season. The key for him is to A) stick with the rebuilding plan that the Glazers have implemented and B) get the players to buy into his approach and his system. The first part of that equation is pretty simple, because it only calls for Raheem to grow as the team grows. The second part is a little trickier because it requires Raheem to continue to get the most out of his players at a time when they are going to produce only modest win totals – at best. As long as the players believe in Raheem and play hard for him, he’ll be fine. If you see any sign of quit in the players, though, particularly the key players such as Josh Freeman, Kellen Winslow, Gerald Mcoy, etc., then Raheem’s in trouble.

Joe: The Bucs have a profound lack of experienced, proven depth at most positions. How much does this concern Mark Dominik? And do you expect to see the Bucs make more Keydrick Vincent–like signings as the season draws closer?

Cummings: The Bucs are not as concerned about the lack of veteran depth as you might think. It is a concern up front on offense because those guys are charged with protecting Josh Freeman, but in other places the Bucs are more than willing to go with the kids, even in reserve roles. Remember, the Bucs’ goal right now is to build a team that can be a Super Bowl contender for eight to 10 years or more. It will probably be another year or two before they complete the process, so the lack of veteran depth is simply a byproduct of the rebuilding program. As this team grows and gets closer to becoming the team the Bucs want it to be, they will add more veterans. For now, though, they want the kids to play.

Joe: There’s been a lot of buzz around rookie Mike Williams. What’s your take so far on this big crew of rookies? And who else seems to have that something special to be a standout contributor in his first season?

Cummings: I think the buzz created by Mike Williams is well warranted. With all due respect to Arrelious Benn, Williams is the best receiver prospect on the Bucs roster. He has stud ability. So do Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. Those two guys are special and should eventually give the Bucs one of the best interior defensive fronts in football. Of all the other rookies the one I like the most is Myron Lewis. I think he can make an immediate impact on defense as a right corner in the nickel package. The other guy to watch is Dekoda Watson. I’ve talked to a couple of scouts who compared him to a young Derrick Brooks. I’d say give Watson a year or two and then watch out. He could creep up on this team and become the best linebacker they have in the bunch.

Joe : “Joe” is not convinced the troika of running backs is that good, and now Earnest Graham will take a pounding from Day 1 at fullback. This, more than a lack of receivers, will hurt the Bucs. Is Dominik convinced he has the right guys in the backfield or will this, along with defensive end, be an area of primary need next year?

Cummings: To me the running back situation is a glass-half-full, glass-half-empty sort of thing. Some believe the Bucs are very deep, some, like you, don’t. I can see both sides. The good news is that if Williams goes down, the Bucs have a proven and capable backup in Ward and another proven and capable option in Graham. That makes them pretty deep at RB. The problem is that they don’t have a legitimate fullback. Graham can fill that role in Greg Olson’s offense because he’s an excellent pass catcher, but the Bucs have to be hoping that Chris Pressley or some other fullback emerges for them. If that happens, they become even deeper because they can then move Graham back to running back. Bottom line: the depth problem is not at RB, it’s at FB. Correct that and the Bucs should have no trouble putting together a capable rushing attack.

Joe: Over decades, you’ve been a beat writer for various major sports teams. With training camp just two weeks away, do reporters get excited, too? Do you get fired up for football season?

Cummings: Absolutely. The hours are long and the workload is heavy, but it’s the start of a new season and I’m very excited to see where this team is headed. The Bucs right now are like a new book or a new movie that you’ve just started reading or watching. At this point we’re still being introduced to the major characters and we have no idea where it’s all headed or what the outcome will be. That’s exciting and adventurous.

Watching the final BSPN video feature on Chucky coaching local high school football in Tampa reminded Joe that Raheem The Dream has taken an awful lot from his coaching mentor.

Raheem The Dream doesn’t talk much about “Coach Gru,” but he always speaks of him in the highest regard publicly. And, heck, he brought back Chucky’s playbook in a big way after flushing Jeff Jagodzinski.

After losing their recent spring game, Chucky told his downtrodden high school charges that they needed savor their misery. “When you’re hot. When you’re sore. When you’re exhausted. Those are the times that you gotta love. That’s what I miss most about football. It’s time like this.  You gotta love misery,” Chucky said.

Last year at training camp, Raheem The Dream said players need to “learn to love to be miserable.” 

On who’s standing out [for their toughness] at practice, The Dream was quick to answer.

“Our O-line … John Gilmore, when he steps in there he’s angry. He’s violent. … Tanard Phillips, Jermaine Phillips. … You see Geno Hayes stepping up his demeanor. …Antonio Bryant not avoiding tackles in practice. …Roy Miller is tough, physical. Done everthing we’ve asked.”

And The Dream fired a shot at fourth round pick Kyle Moore out of the University of Southern California. He said Moore has not been consistent with his effort in the heat on a daily basis. “I tell him. ‘You have to learn to love to be miserable,’” The Dream said.

First, Joe finds it interesting in this 2009 quote that Raheem The Dream cited Antonio Bryant as a tenacious player in practice.

That aside, let’s not forget that Raheem The Dream is a true Chucky disciple.

Enjoy the Chucky video. His misery speech to the kids is at the end.

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe also wants you to get to know THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the team goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t. 

With only 2 1/2 weeks remaining the offseason, you’re going to start hearing increased chatter on all the sports networks near and far; football season is about to start.

And you know what that means Bucs fans; it’s time for the local media to start to advancing two myths you will hear about often.

Myth 1: The Bucs have a long way to go to be competitive in the strong NFC South.

Really? That’s funny, because last year’s 3-13 team played competitively in five of its six division games, if I remember correctly, and every pundit agrees the Bucs improved themselves dramatically this offseason in talent at the need positions.

In 2009 among division foes, only a visit by the New Orleans Saints resulted in a game that was out of reach entering the fourth quarter. The season finale against the Falcons at Raymond James ended up a 10-point loss, but it was tied with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, and only a field goal with 1:00 left sealed the victory for Atlanta.

The rest? Two games against the Carolina were so competitive they rank as some of the better games played in recent history. The Carolina at Tampa Bay game saw the Bucs score two touchdowns in a 10-minute span to tie the game, and only a late fourth-quarter drive secured a Panthers win. Josh Freeman’s five interceptions spoiled what was otherwise a dominant Buccaneer performance up in Charlotte.

The away games against the Falcons and Saints were special indeed, with the Atlanta game marking the return to play-calling for Raheem Morris. The Bucs played the Falcons down to the wire, where a controversial fake punt call was more the culprit for the loss than any lack of competitive nature. And the Bucs game at New Orleans was the highlight of the season, when a far less talented Bucs team beat the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints, IN THEIR HOME!

So next time you hear someone on the radio talk about the Bucs needing to wait some time before they can be competitive in the NFC South, please set them straight.

Myth 2: The Glazers wont spend any money on free agents.

Funny, Bucs fans are the most fickle of fanatics it would seem. Just a year ago we were complaining “how could the Bucs regime give Kellen Winslow Jr. an undeserving contract like that”and “they must be crazy to give Michael Clayton 25 Million dollars,” while at the same saying over and over that the Bucs are too cheap to spend money.

What was the 10 million dollar franchise Tag on Antonio Bryant? Maybe you didn’t like where the money was spent, or how. But the bottom line is the Bucs went out and got the best running back on the market (Derrick Ward), the best tight end (K2 via a trade), and one of the best kickers available to replace a fan favorite who could not nail a 50+ yard FG any more.

These same Bucs fans that were calling Antonio Bryant the next David Boston all of a sudden were calling for Bucs heads for letting him get away.

Keep in mind that in 1996, free agents were available then too for the Bucs’ holes on the team at safety and cornerback, and other positions. If free agents had been acquired, John Lynch and Donnie Abraham would have not gotten valuable playing time, which would have delayed the breakout year of 1997.

Regardless of any debt the Glazers have with Manchester United, the NFL TV Contracts supply NFL Owners with enough revenue to keep a team running smoothly on its financial side.

They may not have large amounts of cash to offer signing bonuses, but the Glazers can offer guaranteed contracts if they need to attract free agents. Similar strategies around the league by other NFL owners for some reason are conveniently being left off the local airwaves. 

Whether the facts amount to an improved record remains to be seen. But thankfully the season start is just around the corner.

Who better than Chucky to get you in that work frame of mind this Wednesday morning.

Love Chucky or hate Chucky, it’s hard not to crack a smile of admiration watching these BSPN videos of him behind the scenes coaching Carrollowood Day School in Tampa.

Joe’s even debating heading to this high school team’s opening night, just to watch Gruden blow a gasket. Great entertainment.

You know if Joe has the gorgeous Jenny Dell on the brain, football can’t be far behind.

Last year Jenny, a former UMass cheerleader, delivered Bucs fans a weekly video, via BSPN, about what to expect from the Bucs on Sundays. Everyone seemed riveted to Jenny, but rarely heard a word she said. Odd.

My friends, training camp begins two weeks from Saturday. We’re getting there. We’re getting there.

In the meantime, feel free to admire Jenny.

Back when the Buccaneers were last for sale, Tampa icon George Steinbrenner assembled a group that entered a competitive bid to buy the Bucs.

Of course, Malcolm Glazer took home the prize with the fattest offer, and the rest is history.

With Steinbrenner dying today, Joe felt compelled to share a few Steinbrenner stories, as a way to remember the guy who was once motivated to buy the Bucs and keep them in Tampa.

Joe had many interactions with King George, as the New York tabloids often called him. Years ago, Joe was the Tampa Yankees beat writer for The Tampa Tribune. Those Yankees were the major league club’s A-ball affiliate.

Needless to say Joe typically was the only media guy at the games. Most nights it was just Joe and the Yankees famous pitching guru Billy Connors in the press box. So Joe subsequently learned an awful lot about evaluating pitchers — and about eating.

Occasionally, Steinbrenner would come down from his office at Legends Field to talk to Connors, and Steinbrenner was always extraordinarily respectful of Joe. Never talked down to him. And Joe remembers leaving the ballpark one night and seeing Steinbrenner picking up litter by hand in the parking lot. Yes, someone else’s garbage. A security guard later told Joe that this was not uncommon.

Joe also was the Tribune’s horse racing beat writer, and Steinbrenner once chewed Joe out at Tampa Bay Downs for continually referring to him in the newspaper as the owner of Kinsman Stable and for continuing to ask him to comment on the stable’s top horses.

Steinbrenner wanted Joe to give all credit related to the stable to his son Hank, who ran the stable and its breeding operation at that time.

Joe took a deep breath and explained to Steinbrenner that he was, in fact, the owner of Kinsman Stable and readers were much more interested in what he had to say rather than Hank. Joe told Steinbrenner that he wouldn’t stop referring to “George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable.”

Steinbrenner proceeded to stare right through Joe’s skull. It was a long two seconds. Steinbrenner then slapped Joe on the back and told Joe to “keep up the hard work.”

Joe also remembers watching Steinbrenner handle the hecklers at the racetrack. Steinbrenner would walk right through the crowd and inevitably hear some Yankees jeers. He would often acknowledge the heckler and at times walk right up to him to talk it out.

It would have been a wild ride if Steinbrenner’s group bought the Bucs back in the mid 1990s.

While it’s doubtful the team would have enjoyed the success it had under Team Glazer, it’s also doubtful that Bucs fans would have been debating the team’s low-budget payroll for the past several years.

R.I.P., Mr. Steinbrenner.  

Don’t know about you, but Joe’s hungry for football. So much so he can watch Chucky in this BSPN video teach high school offensive linemen the difference between their left and their right, all without cussing.

Each day Joe reads the anger, venom and frustration fans have towards the Bucs.

Fans got used to paying top dollar for a top team. Good things cost good money.

But when Team Glazer decided to go to the youth movement, canned Super Bowl-winning Chucky, jettisoned future Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks, and what was left was a hideous display of football, many fans erupted.

One such fan is Englewood resident Jim Hinck. Doug Fernandes of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune writes how Hinck is so incensed at watching last year’s train wreck, highlighted by the heinous Jim Bates Experiment, that a scantily-clad, well-perfumed Rachel Watson cooing in his ear wouldn’t be able to lure him back to the CITS.

“I don’t believe in what they’re doing.”

It started right after last season, when the long-time Buc fan decided to forgo the tickets he’s had since 1998 by ignoring his bill for 2011, close to $2,000.

The Bucs phoned Hinck, who said thanks but no thanks. They called again and again, even leaving messages at his work.

“I wasn’t harassed,” Hinck said, “but it’s almost like a debt collector… It’s hard to watch them. It’s not an NFL product. How do you watch that?”

Joe can understand Hinck’s frustration. In some ways it’s possible Bucs fans got spoiled. Sometimes in the NFL, you have to hit the valleys before rising back to the peaks.

Hinck, and perhaps thousands of other Bucs fans, will be content watching only Bucs road games on their HDTVs at home. In the air conditioning. With $6 six-packs as opposed to $8 beers.

Uber St. Pete Times columnist Gary Shelton invested a lot of Web real estate over the weekend telling Bucs fans not to worry about Josh Freeman’s 18 interceptions in nine starts last season.

Shelton studied “broadcast” game film and a pile of numbers to reach his conclusions. Joe has no problem with Shelton’s theories, although Shelton judging Bucs receivers and their routes from TV broadcast video is darn near impossible and almost unfair.

Historically, that shouldn’t surprise anyone. As a rookie on a 3-13 team, Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions in 16 starts. In ’89, Troy Aikman threw 18 interceptions in 11 starts for a 1-15 Dallas team. In ’87 and ’88, the Bucs’ Vinny Testaverde threw 41 picks in his first 19 starts.

It’s a tough position to play, and it’s harder when a team expects to be carried. For instance, the Bucs had the 23rd best running attack in the NFL last season. Given that, how many interceptions would you think a rookie would throw in nine games? Ten? Twelve? Eighteen?

Better question: How many should a second-year player throw?

Answer: A heck of lot less than two a game.

Stay tuned.

Joe also thinks Freeman should be improve in his second season. He’s clearly talented, obviously dedicated, and will benefit from stability at the coordinator ranks and a full season as the No. 1 guy.

However, Joe has a knot in his stomach over this Bucs receiving corps. The Bucs are expecting a lot from two rookies, a hard-working Sammie Stroughter and a group of underachievers. And there’s no beast in the backfield to open things up.

Andy Benoit of the New York Times is not too kind to Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud in his preview of the 2010 Bucs.

Well, the New York Times is hardly the publication that fans the flames of conspiracy theories but it sure seems that way as Andy Benoit typed a preview of the 2010 Bucs.

Benoit wastes no time in stating that the Bucs youth movement coincided with Team Glazer’s rising debt  — so some reports suggest — on its English kickball team.

It’s awfully convenient that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose to rebuild – or, as they’re calling it, undergo a “youth movement” – right around the time that the Glazer family’s debt soared sky high. Buc fans will say it’s a little too convenient. But they should empathize. The economic downturn rocked Florida, leaving the state with 12 percent unemployment. As a consequence, the Bucs have lowered ticket prices on some upper-level seats but are still facing Jaguar-like home television blackouts in 2010. The team only avoided this depressing scenario last season by handing out free tickets to local sponsors and charities.

Benoit, then seemingly channeling his inner Justin Pawlowski, unloads on Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud claiming his tackle statistics are bloated.

There’s no guarantee that improved tackle play will make these linebackers effective. People don’t realize how mediocre Barrett Ruud is. Yes, Ruud is a productive tackler. But many of his stops come too far downfield. And when the Bucs need a thumper who can blow up a lead-block and make a tone-setting play, Ruud is often nowhere to be found.

In short, Benoit, like Joe, isn’t expecting much from the Bucs this year. Benoit believes as much as anything, this season is a proving ground for young players as well as Bucs coach Raheem the Dream.

(Hat tip Bucstats.com)

The well-connected folks at NationalFootballPost.com claim today that new Bucs guard Keydrick Vincent falls under the category of low-budget signing.

No guaranteed anything for Vincent, although he will get his share of free food while he sweats his rump off during two-a-days in Tampa.

Although there were reports that Vincent’s two-year contract is worth a total of $4.5 million, a league source with knowledge of the situation told National Football Post that the deal includes no signing or roster bonus or guaranteed money.

Vincent is due $1 million base salaries in 2010 and 2011. The contract does include incentive clauses based on playing time that could boost his earnings.

Now Joe knows that legions of cynical Bucs fans will say, “See. See. More evidence the Glazers are skimping on the Bucs. They only signed Vincent because he comes cheap.” But Joe’s not interested in that rhetoric today.

The signing is what it is: an experienced player coming to a team in desperate need of experienced depth on its offensive line.

Now those who want to moan about how Vincent doesn’t fit into the Bucs stated “plan” will get much more agreement from Joe.

After Clifton Smith’s heinous concussions last year, and a history of fumbling a lot in limited carries, Joe wonders if the Bucs would rather pay Donald Penn $20 million guaranteed than use Smith on third down.

It’s been a year since running backs coach Steve Logan called Smith “the joker” in the Bucs offense. There were high hopes for him being a Dave Meggett-type lightning bolt last season.

In a feature about Smith reprinted on Buccaneers.com, he seems eager to get another crack at running the ball. 

As he prepares for his third season in Tampa, Smith said he’s not going to beg for more carries at running back. His approach is one of controlling what he can control, performing his role to the best of his ability and working as hard as possible.

Still, if given an opportunity to carry the ball like he did in college, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Smith knows his set of skills for the Bucs in 2010.

“I always felt like I had great vision,” he said. “I had great vision and I could make a couple of guys miss. Being as small as I am, somehow I was able to push the pile forward. I was never one of those guys that liked to get taken down by the first person.”

First, if Smith is 5’9, 190, then Joe might as well be fit, rich and covorting with multiple blondes every night. In other words, that’s not the case. “Peanut,” as Smith is known, is quite a bit smaller.

Joe thinks the Bucs should give Smith one final shot to prove himself to be a valuable running back option. Joe would be more protective of Smith and his returner prowess if Sammie Stroughter and Michael Spurlock weren’t on the roster.

Is Jeremy Zuttah being pushed on being pushed out?

The Bucs’ hierarchy have sold the message to one and all in the past year and a half that the Bucs are now about building through the draft, about a youth movement.

So when Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times learned the Bucs signed guard Keydrick Vincent, 32, late of the Carolina Panthers, Holder sensed there’s more than meets the eye.

Now comes word the Bucs have signed former Panthers guard Keydrick Vincent, who at 32, becomes the second-oldest player on the roster. Cornerback Ronde Barber, 35, is the oldest. What’s more, they are the only two Bucs over the age of 30, though defensive end Stylez White will turn 31 on July 25.

So, why are the Bucs deviating so wildly from their stated plan of building with young players? It’s not a stretch to say this is an indication that the Tampa Bay brass isn’t thrilled with its situation on the offensive line and is looking to push left guard Jeremy Zuttah. He is widely thought to be under a microscope from his coaches after an uneven season last year, his first as a starter.

Really, the Bucs are still trying to recover from the loss of Arron Sears, who was released earlier this summer after missing all of 2009 because of off-the-field matters and then suffering a setback in his recovery. Sears was a player the Bucs were counting on being a key cog on their line for years to come, leaving Zuttah as a utility man who could fill in and provide competition when and where the team needed.

Granted, Holder wrote the signing of Vincent was to “push” Zuttah. But let’s be honest; if Donald Penn was signed and sealed, would Dominik have signed Vincent?

Zuttah performed admirably when he filled in for right guard Davin Joseph his rookie year but didn’t exactly light things up filling in for Sears last year, which could mean Zuttah is better suited to the right side. Problem is, there’s no opening there.

It almost appears that Bucs general manager Mark Dominik is hitting the panic button.

For some odd reason, Joe has no idea why the link to Holder’s story is not working above, so please click on this link to read the rest of Holder’s story.

One of the reasons the Bucs loaded up early in April’s draft with defensive tackles was the thought that a much better pass rush will help the secondary.

Last year, especially during the heinous Jim Bates Experiment, the Bucs secondary got charred more than Joe’s pancakes on a hungover Saturday morning. So the feeling at One Buc Palace these days is, with Gerald McCoy and Brian Price on board, the pass rush will improve, thus the Bucs secondary will improve.

It seems eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune isn’t quite buying that. Not yet.

He believes for the aforementioned tactic to work, the Bucs need not just a better pass rush, but a better pass rush from the defensive ends.

On the TBO Bucs Twitter feed, Kaufman hints it may be another long season for the Bucs secondary.

Tampa Bay’s Cover 2 scheme relies on an effective pass rush, but at this point the Bucs don’t appear to have much heat off the edges.

Joe does know one reason Bucs general manager Mark Dominik did not go after a defensive end in the draft was that, overall, the defensive ends that came out of college this spring were lackluster as a whole. In next year’s draft, defensive end is expected to be a deep talent pool, so Dominik will likely grab a defensive end next spring.

But if the Bucs don’t get a decent push up front, will it be another nightmarish season for Sabby the Goat?

Ex-Bucs QB Jeff Carlson

By JEFF CARLSON
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson (1990 & 1991) writes The QB Blast column here at JoeBucsFan.com. Joe is ecstatic to have him firing away. Carlson is often seen as a color analyst on Bright House Sports Network, and he trains quarterbacks of all ages locally via his company, America’s Best Quarterback.

Late June and early July is always the slowest time of the year in the NFL, and without a question or controversy about the starting QB, interesting news is seriously lacking on the Buccaneers front. This gives us a chance to look at a couple of other issues that we may otherwise skip right by.

It was announced recently that there would only be a few training camp practices open to the public in the first week of camp. Is it good business to limit fan access to training camp?  In a word, I say, ‘Yes.’

Economics 101, the law of supply and demand, says that to increase demand supply must be reduced.

When the Rays signed a TV deal to broadcast almost every one of their 162 games on local TV, did they reduce the demand to see one of the best teams in MLB live?  I think so.  I know for my family, we follow the Rays closely and watch nightly, but we rarely attend games (due to multiple reasons). If the games weren’t on my 60-inch high definition screen, I guarantee we would go to more games.

How many more? I’m not sure, because spare time is probably the biggest hindrance from attending.  My guess is that I’m in the majority on this issue, as watching games with today’s television technology is much more enjoyable than my view at the game usually is and no cowbell in my ears to worry about, either.

The experience of attending games live is more about tradition and sharing that experience with my children than anything else. Do the Rays make more money on ticket sales or TV revenue?  I don’t know the answer, but empty seats are dollar bills slipping through the owner’s fingers every game.  Broadcast ad revenue, on the other hand, can be added through more sales, but most of those potential sponsors have made their spending decisions before the season starts. To be sure, teams in every sport (even the Yankees) need both TV and ticket sales revenue to flourish.

The NFL shares certain revenues between teams and the majority of the salary cap is from national television contracts. If you are a fan and don’t have easy access to the Buccaneers, aren’t you more likely to spend real dollars and attend a game?  Not as many of us remember the days of just seeing the Bucs on their away games and not at all in the preseason.  They have already realized sponsor dollars from NewsChannel 8 as a “Pewter Partner,” so the preseason will be “on the air.”  So keeping training camp a little more exclusive is a small way of driving up demand for their product. 

Let’s also not forget that it costs real money to “host” fans at One Buccaneer Place for training camp. While the Bucs can make a few bucks (pun intended) hawking their logo gear, they must employ many people to handle the crowds, so fewer open practices equals fewer expenses, and in this economy everything counts.

Is the public entitled to free training camp? Thousands show up to watch practice for free, but how many would show up for practice if it cost $5?  What about $10?  How many companies give their products away for free? Some do, but usually only to drive demand if the product is good enough.

The Washington Redskins started charging for training camp a few years ago. They ultimately ditched that concept, but just like the Bucs, they are only scheduled for eight open practices, including a “fan appreciation day.”  The New York Giants are charging $5 for parking during their time at the University of Albany.  The New Orleans Saints, fresh off their Super Bowl victory and with interest at an all-time high, will welcome fans to watch practices all the way to the end of August, while the Bucs close access after the first week of camp.

What does the team gain for opening even one practice to the public? There is certainly some goodwill as players sign autographs for fans after practice, but all Bucs fans just got an easy opportunity to do that at “FanFest.”

How much access is too little, too much or just right?  Economists and JoeBucsFan.com followers could spend plenty of hours over that one.  How much real money do the Glazers spend on “FanFest?”  This is another free opportunity for fans to get close to the players, coaches and cheerleaders and is an expensive venture for the owners (underwritten by sponsors I’m know, but those dollars could be put elsewhere if they chose).

I know they try to sell season tickets during the event, but I doubt they are even breaking even on that trade.

So I write all this to say we should be grateful that even some practices are open and free, because it might not be that way forever. … Maybe when the team improves its competitiveness on the field and the demand for tickets goes back up, the supply of free training camp practices will actually increase. 

Hey, can anyone remember when TV used to be free?

Joe likes the signing of experienced left guard Keydrick Vincent yesterday.

Of course, he’s a huge upgrade to the thin ranks of reserves on the Bucs offensive line. Vincent, 32, was a starter for the Panthers the past two seasons. However, Joe’s not sure how, if the 32-year-old Vincent starts over Jeremy Zuttah, that is a good thing for the rebuilding Bucs.

This is the plan?

Astute JoeBucsFan.com analyst and former Buccaneers defensive end Steve White has several takes on the Vincent signing on his blog. Joe recommends you check it out.

One of White’s strong takes is that Vincent is part of a Plan B in case Donald Penn is on his couch in September.

But I personally believe this is more about the prospect of not having Donald Penn. When Penn got hurt last year the Bucs had Zuttah line up at tackle. It was some what disasterous but that’s what they went with. I’m thinking that if Penn really holds out moving Zuttah out to tackle and having Vincent step in at guard might be seen as preferrable to having a guy like in there who has never started a game in the NFL and who only recently even took up football.

Of course, White is referring to the Bucs likely not wanting to have hoopster turned bright green left tackle Demar Dotson protecting Josh Freeman’s blind side.

(Hey wait, didn’t Jeff Faine just say Dotson could be one of the all-time greats?)

Again, Joe likes the Vincent signing but hopes Zuttah, entering his third season, makes him an afterthought.

A pile of allegedly astute NFL analysts at BSPN got together and ranked the NFL teams entering training camp.

The Bucs are better than the Bills and Rams but nobody else, so says the group.

In this BSPN video, Mark Schlereth looks at the projected bottom feeders and explains why the Lions might not be a W for the Bucs.

In what amounts to lighting a fire under Jeremy Zuttah’s rear, the Bucs signed veteran guard Keydrick Vincent today, so reports the St. Pete Times.

Vincent, 32, a veteran free agent (Joe didn’t know the Bucs knew what that was anymore) was a starter at Carolina the last two seasons and previously in Pittsburgh.

Joe likes the signing. The Bucs are desperate for depth on the O-Line after the loss of Arron Sears and the mess that is the Donald Penn situation.

But Joe sincerely hopes Zuttah proves worthy of keeping his starting job. Vincent surely isn’t an All-Pro, and continuity on the line should make a difference.

Bucs first round draft choice and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy gave Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com a few minutes to discuss all sorts of things including the difference playing at Oklahoma compared to the Bucs, his relationship with Warren Sapp and what the Bucs expect from him as an NFL player.