Maybe Maurice Stovall is getting a little sick of all the love for Mike Williams.

After all, Stovall was a third round pick (Williams was a fourth) and Stovall is coming off a season in which he caught more balls from Josh Freeman than any other receiver.

Joe hasn’t forgotten that Stovall caught 21 passes from Freeman, while Sammie Stroughter snagged 15. Joe thinks the growing chemistry between Stovall and Freeman is all too quickly an afterthought.

Joe also thinks that if Stovall wore a No. 19 jersey for a practice, not too many fans would notice the difference.

In a red zone drill today, Willams caught a touchdown pass from Josh Freeman, making Elbert Mack look like a schoolgirl. Seconds later, Stovall dove between three defenders to catch a laser from Rudy Carpenter for a score.

Stovall got up and spiked the ball with quite a bit of force. It was the catch of a day, and probably a receiver trying to send a message.

Joe watched a lot of tight ends work today, as they went through various blocking and receiving drills in the searing heat at One Buc Palace.

Kellen Winslow sure seemed to be going full speed, and he sure appears to be about 10 times better than the Bucs’ other tight ends when it comes to catching the football.

Winslow was all smiles, apparently getting a kick out of being intentionally thrown a bad pass in a short passing drill just to see if he would catch it.

He did.

In fact, in the drills Joe watched, not one tight end dropped a pass. However, during a live drill, Ryan Purvis, who has bulked up a bit, had a bad drop on a ball in his chest.

Those concerned about Winslow’s health (right now) should have no worries.

Last year was pretty much a wasted year for Bucs defensive end Kyle Moore. The rookie out of USC was hurt off and on and as a result Moore could rarely be found in uniform.

A Kyle Moore sighting on the field was about as rare as a spotting of Sasquatch.

This year may be a very different story. Now in the same type of defense since the end of the heinous Jim Bates Experiment and seemingly healthy, Moore appears to be making headway. At least, that’s the point made by eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune as he posted from training camp this afternoon on the TBO Bucs Twitter feed.

DE Kyle Moore keeps making plays out here in the heat. At this point, he looks like the starter on the left side.

This is encouraging. Until today, just about all the talk of the Bucs defensive linemen was the rampage that rookie defensive tackle Brian Price has been on.

It would help the rookie tackles immeasurably if the Bucs can bring heat from the defensive end position. If Moore can live up to his success at USC, this could be significant for the Bucs.

The recent passing of Kaye Cowher — wife of Bill Cowher who many Bucs fans pine for as the next Bucs coach — who succumbed to skin cancer, the news struck a nerve with Joe and not for the obvious reasons.

As all fellow Floridians know, we are constantly reminded at virtually ever turn to use sunscreen of some sort when outside. After all, we live in the Sunshine State which makes for a pretty good market for dermatologists.

At Joe’s real job, it is a requirement that he sometimes has to work outside. When Joe was first hired it was made crystal clear to him that when he did work outside, he must use no less than 16 SPF sunscreen.

This was not a suggestion. Joe had to sign a form agreeing to this edict.

Given that protection against the sun is such a significant issue in Florida, Joe wonders why fans cannot buy sunscreen at the CITS? Joe has tried before, to no avail. Hey, when Joe goes to Bucs games, he has his pregame priorities in order: multiple beers while tailgating and significant time budgeted for preening at scantily-clad babes. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility that from time to time Joe forgets to bring his sunscreen.

Sadly, Joe has never found any sunscreen for sale inside the CITS. This is not uncommon. Joe has tried to buy sunscreen at other NFL stadiums in the past. No dice.

Joe hasn’t been to too many college football games in the state of Florida. However, Joe does know that one can buy sunscreen at Doak Campbell Stadium, home of Florida State.

Now Joe knows this really isn’t a Bucs issue nor is it likely an issue for the Tampa Sports Authority, which oversees operations at the CITS. Rather, it’s a concessionaire issue.

One would think that a team, or the NFL itself, that expects fans to sit outside under the sun for three hours, specifically in Florida, that fans’ protection and health would be a concern. Why not require stadiums to sell suncreen — and make a profit in the process?

It just seems like such a no-brainer, especially in Florida, not to sell sunscreen at stadiums. It almost borders on irresponsibility. Imagine not selling bottled water or not having a police presence at games?

We always hope something good can come out of something bad. Let’s hope that the sad circumstances that have befallen the Cowher family will spur the NFL to require stadium concessionaires to sell sunscreen at games.

Jeff Faine is an example of why Team Glazer isn't cheap.

Joe read the following sentence virtually each day in the offseason if not every day last season.

“The Glazers are cheap.’

Joe didn’t totally buy into this. Was Team Glazer being more frugal? Sure. There’s a difference.

Lost in Jeff Faine’s comments about Barrett Ruud’s pouting over not getting a new contract in a FanHouse.com story, typed by Chris Harry, was Faine’s contention that this notion many fans have that Team Glazer is cheap is nonsense.

“I’ve never thought this organization was cheap. I’ve been at other [NFL] facilities that couldn’t hold a candle to this,” Bucs veteran center Jeff Faine told FanHouse following Sunday’s practice at the club’s palatial $35 million complex. “I think they’re just trying to make right decisions and evaluating things.”

Faine can shine a little different perspective on this issue. That’s because the Notre Dame graduate and former first-round pick is also a successful entrepreneur with various businesses scattered across the country. The eighth-year pro has made more money off the field than on it — for example, the Texas oil field he bought on spec last year became a gusher — and has been the guy behind the big desk hiring and firing.

“For me, as a business owner, I would say that we did not produce the way we should have last year,” Faine said. “As a business owner, my heart wouldn’t have been open to giving out a lot of money, especially to guys who had been here and were part of that 3-13 team. So, it’s a tough situation, but I’m not ever going to say that ownership here is cheap.”

Faine is Exhibit-A why Joe never believed Team Glazer was cheap. Other examples were Chucky (who basically got a two-year paid vacation from Team Glazer), Bruce Almighty, Kellen Winslow, Mike Nugent and Luke McCown.

After shelling out $110 million in a handful of hours last weekend on two players (Gerald McCoy and Donald Penn) can you honestly say Team Glazer is cheap?

Joe can’t.

With all the hullabaloo surrounding Barrett Ruud’s frustration over not getting a long term contract offer, Joe wanted to float another theory as to why Donald Penn is super wealthy and Ruud is just wealthy.

Maybe, just maybe, Team Glazer and Mark Dominik understand that Penn, who just got a fat new deal, can play his position at a high level for any head coach in any system. But Barrett Ruud? He might not be a great fit outside of the current Bucs defense.

Regardless of all the in-house love for Raheem The Dream, his job is hardly secure for many years to come.

If Dominik has concerns about the head coach’s future, then why would he lock up Ruud now for several seasons? Heck, Ruud went out last year and all but proved he couldn’t thrive in the Jim Bates Experiment.

Dominik was quick to eject the traditional Bucs defense a year ago. Maybe he wants to feel free to do it again? Especially with the recent talent upgrade on the defensive line.

Now Joe’s not saying Ruud is bad. As JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve White said in an radio interview yesterday about Ruud, guys with that many tackles don’t suck.

Joe just thinks Ruud is tied to the current coach, whereas Penn is a universal piece of the puzzle.

Woody Cummings and Anwar Richardson, of The Tampa Tribune, sat down for a lively video blog session on TBO.com. to talk about Barrett Ruud and his non-existent long term contract.

Of course, the media types around Bucs camp are buzzing about Ruud being a bit unhappy that Team Glazer opened its wallet for Donald Penn but not him.

Richardson has some harsh words for Ruud, saying “You’re a hater right now, Barrett.”

Cummings isn’t so hateful, except when he calls Richardson an “angry young man.”

Joe suggests you check out the video.

On a more serious note, Joe will roll out a very fresh take on why Ruud does not have a deal tomorrow.

JoeBucsFan.com photo by Kyra Hallett

Nothing exciting happening yet at One Buc Palace today, as the Bucs aren’t dealing with the rash of injuries like other NFL teams and Raheem The Dream is taking it easy on the guys, so Twittered eye-RAH! Kaufman, of the Tampa Tribune. 

No men putting their face on people, as the head coach likes to say.

Just special teams practice for the Bucs today as Raheem Morris gives the guys a breather. Through three days, the Bucs are healthy

Still, there is sure to be some intriguing nuggets from training camp later. So check back with Joe through the evening.

Former Bucs great and future Hall of Famer Warren Sapp made an appearance on the Yiddish-sounding King David Show with Shaun King and Toby David heard on WQYK-AM 1010.

Sapp talked about how he felt it was his responsibility to tutor Bucs first round draft pick Gerald McCoy when the two earlier this year worked out at One Buc Palace.

“I felt it was like my duty to go over and see what the kid had and give him the expectations of Tampa Bay because I left my footprint there. I know people in Tampa are hungry and crazed for football. Now is the time to build that mansion back up.

“I expect big things from [McCoy]. He’s a sponge. What I mean by that is he is absorbing the good and exposing the bad. He went on the field with me. I love his feet. I love his hands but what I love most is his attention to detail most of all. I love his love for football, his thirst for knowledge.

“I told him now it’s time to take steps. Every day you are either going to get better or you are going to get worse. Every day must be purposeful.”

In this St. Petersburg Times video, Bucs beat writers Stephen Holder and the man who knows all the tricks of Twitter, Rick Stroud, discuss the issues the Bucs offense will have with a second-year quarterback relying on rookie receivers.

Former Bucs DE Steve White

By STEVE WHITE
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Former Buccaneers defensive end Steve White (1996-2001) is a devoted student of the game, and White shares his knowledge with JoeBucsFan.com readers regularlly in his must-read Bull Rush column. 

Today, White breaks away from Xs and Os to set the record straight on the recent business rumblings of Barrett Ruud and Jeff Faine.

Driving home from Bucs practice at training camp yesterday I heard news that Barrett Ruud finally talked to the media about his disappointment over a lack of a new contract after Donald Penn got paid this weekend.

I think what Ruud said was ok, and he didn’t go over the top. But I then heard someone speaking about it and they turned it into a conversation about character. As in Ruud thought about holding out but it wasn’t in his “character” to do so.

On the flip side the argument was that for Penn it was about the money but for Ruud it’s about security.

Uhmm, what the hell?!

The money IS the security when it comes to playing in the NFL. Penn said a bunch of times that he wanted to end his career with Tampa and that it was ALSO about security for him, as well, going as far as to talk about how the injuries to Chad Jones influenced his decision to take the Bucs’ offer.

I was kind of leaning towards dismissing it until I saw a report from the St. Pete Times’ Stephen Holder that Ruud considered walking out of camp after he heard about Penn’s deal but his “character” wouldn’t allow him to.

Let’s get something straight right now. The NFL is a BUSINESS. Whether a guy chooses to hold out or not, if they really have out-performed their current deal isn’t a matter of their character, its a matter of BUSINESS!

The mistake Ruud made was signing his tender, which then allowed the Bucs to fine him if he did in fact hold out. It kind of got me wondering if he bought the false report the Bucs put out about their ability to fine restricted free agents even if they hadn’t signed their deal. Whether he did or he didn’t, once he signed he effectively gave up all of his leverage.

Now I happen to agree with Ruud that he deserves a new contract. I have even went so far to defend him against the talking point about making tackles 5 yards down the field. But him showing up and staying in camp doesn’t show that he has “character” any more than him holding out would have made him a “bad guy.” In both instances it would have been a business decision, and it’s bogus to view it any other way.

Why Not Shine The Character Light On Owners?

You know who never gets called out for a lack of character? Team owners who refuse to pay players that deserve it. Team owners who cut payroll even when their franchises are making loads of money. Team owners who cut or trade guys who were the cornerstones of their teams without so much as an explanation.

But do you ever hear anyone saying they showed poor character when those situations arise?

Nope.

Instead, the phrase “business decision” is tossed about. Well, holding out for a new contract is in the same category. Making it about someone’s character is not only wrong, it’s ridiculous. Nobody wants to be underpaid no matter what kind of job they have. Holding out is one of the only tools NFL players have to force a team to renegotiate with them. So everyone needs to chill with this “character” argument because it just doesn’t hold water.

Faine Shouldn’t Cast Stones

I was about to end this post when I happened to go over to JoeBucsFan.com, and I see this post about Jeff Faine weighing in on Ruud’s situation to FanHouse.com.

Faine, the player, sympathizes.

Faine, the suit, has a different take.

“I understand, but at the same time, [Rudd]’s under contract,” said Faine, who hit the free-agent lottery after the ’07 season, his last with the New Orleans Saints. “If you’re going to have issues with the last year of the contract, don’t sign the contract. I’m really tired of [that]. … This is me, as a player — and we’ve been taught [by the union] not to talk about the league and guys around the league — but as a player in that position [last year of his contract] , I came to camp, I did everything. I could have easily done the same thing and held out for an extension and wanted a new contract … but I signed the contract as a rookie and that was the last year of my contract. If I didn’t want a five-year contract, I should have signed a four-year contract.”

Neither Ruud, a second-round pick in 2005, nor Penn, an undrafted free agent, could have foreseen the complicated CBA situation, but Faine’s point is that a contract is a contract. He’s played by contract rules on the football fields and been bound by them in the business fields.

So let’s unpeel this onion. First off, Faine does have a point in a sense. Barrett Ruud had the opportunity last year and this year to holdout for a new contract but he declined to do so. I happen to like his backup Adam Heyward because he gives you everything he’s got whenever he’s on the field. But the reality is he is not the caliber of middle linebacker that Ruud is and, thus, had he done what Penn did and not signed the tender, he would have had the same kind of leverage and perhaps a new contract.

He decided not to and when he made that decision he should have let it go. I don’t know where some players get this notion that teams are going to “do the right thing” if you just show up and play. History has shown that isn’t the case. But if it’s really about “character” as folks are trying to make it out to be, then that same “character” should have kept Ruud silent on the issue after he made the business decision to sign his tender and show up to camp.

On the other hand, however, what is Faine doing here? Is going public with his problems with Ruud’s situation going to help a team that was horrible last year in any possible way?

First off, he’s wrong on the details. Ruud DID play out his contract which is the reason he’s playing on a restricted free agent tender right now. Ruud was in line for a new contract, just like Faine was but the CBA situation precluded him from going out on the open market.

Besides that he goes on to say:

“Players complain when they get cut from a contract, but they don’t complain when they’re [under-producing] and already under contract. So it’s, ‘Hey, I’m already paying you $4 million this year — and you want more?’ You signed a contract.”

News flash Jeff, teams will ask players to take pay cuts when they under perform or are hurt and in some instances they release them if the salary cap allows it. And that is precisely the reason why players have to fight their butts off to get paid what they are worth when the iron is hot because the owners aren’t going to just give that money away and guys have to worry about their financial security.

Now I personally think Faine has played well since he has been a Buccaneer, but now might be a good time to remind him that since he signed his $37 million dollar deal here the team hasn’t made the playoffs and he hasn’t made the Pro Bowl. Considering his deal was the richest for a center in NFL history at the time, does that mean he has under performed? Should he be giving some of that money back to the Glazers, especially in light of last year’s 3-13 season?

See, that’s why its never good to talk about another guy’s contract status. Because then the spotlight gets shined right back at you.

And at this point it would probably be good if both Ruud and Faine took some STFU pills.

JoeBucsFan.com photo by Kyra Hallett

Blocking icon Michael Clayton has been going overboard to mentor rookie Mike Williams, so says The Mad Twitterer, of the St. Pete Times.

Despite Clayton’s surely noble intentions, Joe finds it troubling to think of Clayton mentoring a young guy for long periods of alone time given Clayton’s many public displays of bitterness and blaming.

Joe suspects that, if nothing else, Williams now will never want to play for Chucky.

Here is some of the Mad Twitterer’s detail on the Clayton-Williams tutoring session:

Sunday after practice, Michael Clayton spent three hours watching tape with Williams and showed him every game from the 2004 season, when Clayton led all rookies with 80 catches for 1,193 and seven touchdowns. But in the past five years, Clayton never has had more than 38 catches in a season and had a career-low 16 in 2009.

“His first year, he thought he was All-Everything,” Williams said. “All-Rookie, led all rookies in receiving, the fifth-best rookie receiving performance ever. He just thought he was the man. He said he came back his second year and it all went away. So he had to adjust to things like that and he just wanted me to be ready for that.”

Clayton, whose $3 million salary is guaranteed this season, isn’t sure if he will stay with the Bucs this season. But he says his role is to mentor young receivers.

“Basically, I gave him my whole life story,” Clayton said. “It was about handling the ups and downs, the mentality that every yard matters. When you catch the ball, get vertical. Take care of the football. It wasn’t about boasting on my rookie year but teaching everything matters. Whether I’m here or not, that’s a part of my title, being there for him.

No word on Clayton explaining how to secure $10 million guaranteed even if you can’t catch anymore. 

Irked Bucs middle linebacker Barrett Ruud has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with his contract, specifically since the Bucs saw fit to reward left tackle Donald Penn with a handsome new pact.

But it seems the constant attention and whining over Ruud’s contract is wearing thin with center Jeff Faine.

Speaking to Chris Harry of Fanhouse.com, Faine, though he understands Ruud’s plight, believes his defensive teammate needs to man up and clam up about his status and just worry about football.

“I understand, but at the same time, [Rudd]’s under contract,” said Faine, who hit the free-agent lottery after the ’07 season, his last with the New Orleans Saints. “If you’re going to have issues with the last year of the contract, don’t sign the contract. I’m really tired of [that]. … This is me, as a player — and we’ve been taught [by the union] not to talk about the league and guys around the league — but as a player in that position [last year of his contract] , I came to camp, I did everything. I could have easily done the same thing and held out for an extension and wanted a new contract … but I signed the contract as a rookie and that was the last year of my contract. If I didn’t want a five-year contract, I should have signed a four-year contract.”

Wow! Joe wasn’t aware Ruud’s stomping of his feet is becoming an issue in the locker room. And if this wasn’t an issue in the locker room, then why is Faine so pointed in his remarks?

Joe’s starting to wonder if this soap opera will fester and infect the locker room even more?

Joe will soon roll out a promotion that should soothe the nerves of Bucs fans living in fear of blacked out home games. 

Joe and his great corporate partners have crafted a reasonably-priced, fun-filled solution. Tickets are very limited and will go quickly. The Blackout Tour is coming  …

There’s been a few things pretty clear thus far in the early days of the Bucs training camp 2010:

* Brian Price is better than advertised.

* Mike Williams looks to be a budding go-to guy for Josh Freeman.

* Barrett Ruud is steamed.

The Bucs middle linebacker has been disgruntled for some time as he has wanted his payday, which has yet to come. When he was told, in so many words, by Bucs management that it wasn’t coming, he damned near walked out.

That’s the word from the Twitter feed of Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times.

Ive learned Barrett Ruud came close to leaving Bucs camp after being told there wont be a contract extension. Only his character stopped him.

Well, Ruud’s character better stop him from his kvetching. Joe will have something a bit later where it seems the Barrett Ruud soap opera may be wearing on his teammates.

As Joe has stated previously, Joe hopes Ruud takes his rage to the field and proves to the Bucs if not the NFL that he’s a stud linebacker.

OK Bucs fans, still hungry for Bucs training camp news and analysis? Joe knows where you get can some.

Joe has brought you the YouTube videos of Derek “Old School” Fournier of WhatTheBuc.Net who had a lot to get off his chest. So he cut a 75-minute podcast where he reviews the first three practices of Bucs training camp 2010.

Just fast forward through the tedious, overly stoned, inaudible dude trying to pull off some annoying sort of rap in a painfully long intro. Joe knows you want to listen to football so jump right in and get to Derek’s breakdown.

Joe has no idea why the link above won’t work but try this.

Former Bucs DE Steve White

By STEVE WHITE
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

 

 Former Buccaneers defensive end Steve White (1996-2001) is a devoted student of the game. He’s even authored a coaching guide and coached defensive linemen at the University of South Florida. And after all those years breaking down film with former defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and the other architects and legends of the Bucs’ defense, White shares his knowledge with JoeBucsFan.com readers in his must-read Bull Rush column. 

You’ve read various reports about this morning’s training camp session. But those are laughable compared to White’s breakdown below. Grab a cold beverage and enjoy.

The first thing I want to talk about is tempo. Or rather the lack thereof.

Now today admittedly was my first time visiting the Bucs’ training camp since I played here, but the tempo wasn’t up to par today.

I know it was hot, very hot. And I know it was the third day in pads. But the one thing we prided ourselves on back in the day, especially on defense, was how hard we practiced every single day.

I was reminded today of a situation back when I was playing where we signed a veteran linebacker one offseason to back up the starters. Well, during training camp we’d run what’s called a “pursuit” drill, where the whole defense has to sprint 40 or so yards down the field through the goal line. If one person in your group doesn’t bust his tail all the way through, the whole group has to do it again.

Well, this free agent guy happened to be in a group that had to go back twice. And I BS you not, this guy was so gassed that he retired pretty much on the spot. That’s the kind of effort that used to be asked of us no matter what the conditions, and I just didn’t see that today at One Buc Place.

Roy Miller Shows His Work Ethic

Now its just one day, and again maybe this is the norm now. Still, it just didn’t sit right with me.

On the defensive line there were some guys who were going balls to the wall, most notably, in my opinion, was Roy Miller. But as a group they just looked like they were going at about three-quarter speed. Or at least three quarters of the speed I’m used to seeing.

Another thing I noticed was the lack of position-specific drill work for the D-line. Again it was just one day, and I wasn’t there for the two preceding days of practice. But they didn’t do the bags today and the drills they did do were more akin to linebacker drills.

Why does that matter?

Well, we have two second-year guys and two rookies who are going to play a LOT for us this season on the defensive line. And those guys need to get as much drill work as possible so the team work comes easier for them.

Wax On; Wax Off

The thing about Rod Marinelli is that he put us through 15 to 20 minutes of hell to start off every practice. Along with going through the bags, we had to do a bunch of change-of-direction drills, get-offs, and quick hands work. This had a kind of Mr. Miyagi effect where you did it over and over and over again, and then when you got to team work you reacted basically off instinct. You didn’t have to think to turn your hips on a pass rush; you just did it. You didn’t have to concentrate to knock an offensive lineman’s hands down; it was just second nature.

Now I am not about to make a judgement after seeing just one practice, I’m just making observations.

One guy who could definitely benefit from change of direction drills everyday is Gerald McCoy. I had heard that he had been up and down so far in the first two days of practice, and I immediately could see why.

Two things I noticed about him today. First, his stance is kind of elongated instead of compact which makes it a little harder to get off. It would help if he had his feet under him a little more and he bent his legs more. That would give him a more spring loaded action out of his stance. Second thing is that he was taking too long of a step on the snap.

When that happens, guys lose their gaps because they aren’t able to react to the guard’s block while their foot is out of the ground. By the time he got his step down he was playing catch up whether it was a reach block (outside) or a slip block (inside). He did ok when it was a pass, but even then he got caught a couple of times with a punch before his foot came down and that made it easier to get him off balance.

Roy Miller, in addition to being a ball of energy today, also was solid when I saw him. He is good keeping his ground at the point of attack on a double team. And he is slippery with his pass rush.

Competition Lacking For Price

I had seen reports that Brian Price was tearing it up in camp, so I was looking forward to watching him work. It’s true that he was dominant against our second team offensive line. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much.

He is very quick off the ball, but at times it appeared that he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to go, and at other times his effort wasn’t consistent. He does use his hands well, and when he understands the effort level needed play in and play out, he looks like he will be more than ready to handle his own. Still, I didn’t exactly see the “beast” that everybody else described.

The first team defensive line today consisted of Kyle Moore, Gerald McCoy, Roy Miller, and Stylez G. White. They held their own most of practice today but neither Moore nor White made a whole lot of plays. Some of that is because of the plays run against them, but you would like to see your starting ends show up a little more, even in practice.

Something that caught my eye was on the second team D-line, where Michael Bennett was backing up Moore on the left side and Tim Crowder was backing up White on the right.

Now I don’t know if this has been consistent all camp but it was still curious to me. I mean, I like Bennett’s potential and everything, but Crowder in my opinion has a better chance of pushing Moore for that starting left end spot. If they have really moved Crowder to the right side backing up White for all of camp, then to me its a sign that the Bucs have handed Moore the starting spot on a silver platter.

Don’t get me wrong, I predicted this after the season was over. But still I thought there would at least be a competition. I think Crowder pushing Moore for that spot would only make both guys better and whomever ended up on top would be better for having gone through the competition. I don’t necessarily think Moore won’t give it his all, if that’s not the case, but it’s hard to understand the move if only because Crowder showed that he could play well there last season.

I also noticed that they have Ryan Sims running as the undertackle with the second team. I’m sure that’s mostly to make sure Price gets enough reps at nose tackle to develop. But, to put it bluntly, Sims just isn’t an undertackle. I don’t know what that says about his future with the team, but it will be interesting to see how he performs there during preseason games.

Reality Check On Ronde Barber

I thought the linebackers practiced well today. Quincy Black had an outstanding pass breakup sliding underneath what appeared to be an out route to knock the ball down. Barrett Ruud and Geno Hayes were both physical against the run and really flew to the ball when it was thrown to the short routes. Hayes had a good PBU himself being physical with a guy to get the ball out.

The backups were ok but nobody particularly stood out. I did see Rico McCoy make a couple of plays and Dekoda Watson looked good in blitz period.

It was hard to focus on the secondary and the front seven at the same time but everyone seemed to hold their own. The offense scored on a few red zone passes, but for most of the day the secondary kept everything in front of them.

I will say that a lot was made of a catch Mike Williams made on Ronde Barber in 1 on 1s. I should say first off that the drill is one of the most unrealistic in all of football practice. The receiver has the ability to run any route he wants with the knowledge that there is no rush to make the quarterback hurry the throw and there is no underneath coverage to impede their progress down the field.

Williams put a double move on Ronde and admittedly made him look bad. But the thing about double moves is that they usually take a long time to develop. That’s why you don’t see a lot of successful double moves in the actual games. So, in my opinion, it was much ado about not a lot. But to Ronde’s credit he came back and made a beautiful interception right along the side lines and kept both feet in.

I thought our offensive line did well today. Keydrick Vincent ran with the starters, and I didn’t personally see a lot of Jeremy Zuttah.

Vincent is a powerful blocker and he is really good on double teams. Donald Penn looked as good as I have seen him both in pass and run blocking. The right side of the line with Jeremy Trueblood and Davin Joseph looked solid all day. There were refs at practice today, and although there were a few jumps during blitz period, for the most part the guys held their water during the later team periods.
 
As for the backups….
 
All I can say is that we all should be praying that our starters on the offensive line stay healthy. Like I said before, Price showed flashes of dominance against the second team offensive line but I think my old behind could get out there and give those guys fits. They just don’t seem to be very physical or athletic.

One of the things I noticed about the offense was that they ran a lot more split-bellys and counter-plays today. Translated, that means a lot of downhill runs, which is what I think fits our personnel best.

Cadillac Williams sat out at running back but Derrick Ward and the rest of the guys took up the slack. Kareem Huggins looks just as explosive as advertised both as a runner and as a receiver. I really like the kid and I think he has an excellent chance of making the final roster if he stays healthy and keeps it up.

His primary competition for a roster spot, Clifton “Peanut” Smith, is quick but he doesn’t seem to possess the power Huggins has and that will make a difference when either guy actually has to break a tackle. Of course, Smith is also a former Pro Bowler on special teams so its wayyyy too early to count him out.

Kellen Winslow sat out practice this morning and I didn’t see a lot out of the other tight ends, but Jerramy Stevens did catch a touchdown on a rollout from Josh Freeman that was pretty impressive. I still didn’t see the physicality out of them as a group that I think we need to run the ball effectively.

Freeman Looks On Track

At quarterback, I had seen reports where Josh Freeman had been off the first two days of practice. Well, he seemed to practice well today. He didn’t throw a lot of deep balls but he was sharp taking what the defense gave him and hitting the underneath routes.

The one thing he has to realize is that he now has some guys who can make things happen after the catch. Arrelious Benn, Mike Williams, Sammie Stroughter, Kellen Winslow and plenty of other guys can turn a short pass into a pretty good gain. So every pass doesn’t have to be past the first-down marker. Sometimes you just have to deliver it to those guys in space and let them work and Freeman seems to be starting to understand that concept.

I didn’t get to see all of his throws but by my count he was 5-for-7 or so during 7-on-7 and, as I referenced before, he had a really nice touchdown throw to Stevens on a bootleg play.

Josh Johnson was ok but not great. He throws a somewhat flat ball without a lot of air underneath it, but it seemed to get where it needed to more often than not. He also had what appeared to be a touchdown on a quarterback draw during the redzone portion of practice.

Rudy Carpenter fumbled the snap and didn’t look great overall, but he did have a nice touchdown throw on a slant to Benn.

Overall, I would say it was a good practice and the stands were full even in the heat.

JoeBucsFan.com photo by Kyra Hallett

A rather mellow Raheem The Dream took to the airwaves today on WDAE-AM 620 with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, who was live at Bucs training camp.

The head coach addressed a variety of topics but Joe was most intrigued by Raheem The Dream explaining that this year Josh Freeman will be assessed in preseason by his performance in exhibition games, rather than what he does in training camp practices.

Of course, that was hardly the case a year ago.

Raheem The Dream went on to explain that after the extraordinary work ethic Freeman showed in the offseason, the coaching staff is supremely confident that he’ll work like a manbeast in practice on all the details associated with installing the offense.

In essence, the head coach said fans should worry about his play against opponents.

Before the post-practice media throng, Raheem The Dream said he was very pleased with Freeman committing no turnovers during this morning’s red zone drills.

Joe knows many observers have been critical of Freeman’s performance in training camp thus far. Joe just can’t go there now.

The offense is typically behind the defense at this point, and Freeman’s working with new receivers. Joe’s with Raheem The Dream on this; let’s wait til he plays a quarter or two against Miami next week.

JoeBucsFan.com photo by Kyra Hallett

Joe’s raved about Brian Price earlier based on his own observations at Bucs training camp.

And the media hounds were all over Raheem The Dream today to talk about his new defensive tackle, even one reporter asked if he was better than Gerald McCoy.

Raheem The Dream shared a little insight this afternoon from Price’s teammates into how well Price is doing.

“It’s nice when offensive vets come to you and say, ‘Hey, man, Brian Price got something to prove. Look like he’s pissed off he got picked in the second [round]’ and things like that. It’s always a good sign for us.”

Raheem The Dream went on to praise McCoy. “He’s doing well. He’s got a serious demeanor,” the head coach said.

Of course, Raheem The Dream had some love for Roy Miller’s weight loss, Dre Moore and Ryan Sims.

Everyone gets the love this time of year.

JoeBucsFan.com photo by Kyra Hallett

Like any football fan with a pulse, Joe enjoys watching receivers go one-on-one with cornerbacks in drills.

But let’s get real; without a pass rush and the receiver getting a chance to make multiple moves, it’s not exactly a fair fight.

So Joe wasn’t ooohing and ahhhing when Arrelious Benn made Ronde Barber look bad for a touchdown. Mike Williams and Michael Clayton also had TDs in that specific drill. But Joe’s blood was pumping when Barber made a great break on the next pass to Benn for a sweet one-hand interception.

It’s practice.

Not that training camp isn’t a godsend, but Joe’s already itching for some real football. The preseason opener against Miami on Aug. 14 can’t come soon enough.

Mingling around training camp today, Joe was looking to see if Cadillac Williams would be around.

Yesterday, Raheeem The Dream reported that Williams had a minor ankle sprain and would miss practice.

Well, Joe found Cadillac wearing his jersey and walking around the practice field. He wasn’t limping at all.

Later, Cadillac told Joe that “I’m just fine.”

In the meantime, Kareem Huggins continues to impress with his speed, although Joe can’t get all excited about that without seeing him get it done in the preseason games.