Bucs fans want to know. They want to know who was responsible for leaky Rip Van Freeman’s meltdown (still a great mystery), who didn’t want Michael Bennett (Greg Schiano), who didn’t want Wallace Gilberry (Schiano); who gave what orders at what time.

Bucs fans demand coaches and front office suits be transparent. Sadly, the Bucs, much like Team Glazer, do not work in the public eye and trying to pin down who exactly wields the power with what decision at what time at the new One Buc Palace (mostly Lovie Smith) is something the Bucs will never fully admit, despite fans desires. [read more]

Joe’s enjoyed a welcome break today from all the chatter about general manager stuff and draft decisions that are 100+ days away.

Joe’s got his Hawaiian A-team at the Pro Bowl getting all kinds of interviews. You’ve read highlights throughout the day, but now here’s the video. And there’s much more to come through the weekend. Enjoy.

JoeBucsFan.com at the Pro Bowl from Video 21 Productions on Vimeo.

Joe got a scouting report on Donald Penn at the Pro Bowl

Loyal JoeBucsFan.com readers know Joe isn’t in the camp of Bucs fans that wants to dump Donald Penn.

At worst, Penn is an average starting left tackle. His paycheck reads like that of an average starter at his position, and he’s extraordinarily durable and he’s a leader. Yet this is a guy some Bucs fans want to run out of town? [read more]

A “quarterback-crazy” frenzy early in the first round of the NFL Draft could be a darn good thing for the Bucs.

Tampa Bay might end up with a shiny new right tackle, explains one noted NFL Draft guru. [read more]

From Pro Bowl practice in Hawaii, Gerald McCoy opens up to JoeBucsFan.com about his first chat with Lovie Smith

Guess who’s going surfing on the Pacific Ocean today? It’s Bucs Pro Bowl defensive tackle manbeast Gerald McCoy.

Let’s hope the sharks aren’t looking for a 300-pound meal.

Yesterday at Pro Bowl practice at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, McCoy took some time for JoeBucsFan.com to talk all things Lovie Smith, pass rushing and more. [read more]

Joe had his Hawaiian team all over Pro Bowl practices this week talking Bucs and more with various players (video tonight and tomorrow).

Bears running back Matt Forte weighed in on his former head coach, Lovie Smith. [read more]

The Panthers’ sackmaster is salivating

You want beastly young Panthers free agent defensive end Greg Hardy playing alongside Gerald McCoy and terrorizing left tackles?

Well, the outspoken Hardy would love to accommodate, so he told JoeBucsFan.com in Hawaii. [read more]

It’s a happy marriage over at One Buc Palace. Lovie Smith and new Bucs general manager Jason Licht are bonded. And it happened quickly, much like Joe’s love affair with Newcastle (the beer, not the soccer team).

Bucs beat man Tom Krasniqi was among the media types talking to Lovie about the union following Licht’s introduction to media this afternoon. Lovie made it sound like love at first sight.

“Everything we discussed, we were on the same page,” Smith told reporters after the press conference. (You can read Krasniqi’s full report on his Bucs blog at 620wdae.com.)

Now the skeptic in Joe wonders, “how could these guys be on the same page about everything?” especially if they dove into specifics during their four-hour initial meeting. But Joe surely isn’t questioning Lovie’s credibility.

It’s honeymoon time for Lovie and Licht. Joe hopes it lasts.

The Bucs’ new GM opened up on WDAE-AM 620

New Bucs general manager Jason Licht sat down with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, and shared plenty about his experience and philosophies this afternoon. [read more]

The new Bucs GM sounded familiar today

One of the hallmarks if not a catch phrase of the Bucs era under former rock star general manager Mark Dominik was “Build through the draft.”

Bucs fans, when hearing this, recoiled in outrage, angry that the Bucs did not have a win-now mentality and wanted to go through a rebuilding process. It didn’t help Dominik’s cause when he unloaded older players including the great Derrick Brooks. [read more]

He’s already been to see new GM Jason Licht

Joe already wrote about how Mike Glennon is on a sales mission — to sell himself as the Bucs’ main man at quarterback. He’s smart enough to know that playing every last angle can only help him.

Glennon ran to see Lovie Smith, was quick to pop in on Jeff Tedford, penned a column for Sports Illustrated and jumped on Delaware sports radio. [read more]

In a rare moment with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club, Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer discussed the hiring process of new Bucs general manager Jason Licht.

Among the nuggets Glazer offered were how the process of hiring Licht took place, how many candidates Team Glazer interviewed and how new Bucs coach Lovie Smith was involved in the process. [read more]

Bucs new GM Jason Light explained his role and that “arguments are healthy.”

New Bucs general manager Jason Licht shed great light on his job approach this afternoon at One Buc Palace.

Licht made it clear that life is the same in “every place where I’ve worked, especially successful teams.” [read more]

Team Glazer introduced new Bucs general manager Jason Licht today at One Buc Palace.

Ownership made it clear what they were seeking when they searched for their new GM: “Somebody who is all about football, scouting and a strong football background. … Someone who is going to work closely with Lovie in a partnership.”

Team Glazer said Licht had three interviews before his hire.

Licht said he met with Lovie Smith two years ago in Chicago and was very impressed, and he thanked Lovie for endorsing him to Team Glazer.

Stick with Joe for so much more out of this historic day. 

Bucs icon Derrick Brooks discusses the weeding process

Other than calling it the “Rutgers defense,” Joe’s not quite sure what the heck kind of defense the Bucs were playing on many snaps last season. Clearly, Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson didn’t think the scheme made a load of sense, and neither did many former Buccaneers chiming in via various media. [read more]

It seems that the hyped quarterback from the smaller school isn’t over-hyped after all. That’s the vibe Joe is getting from Senior Bowl reports. That’s where Eastern Illinois’s Jimmy Garoppolo is competing with the big boys this week.

In this NFL.com video, former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah talks about Garoppolo and gives his hunch where he could be drafted. [read more]

The tone of a man’s quotes aren’t always clear in print. Stuff can get fuzzy in the translation from voice to type sometimes.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times joined WDAE-AM 620 this morning to detail his recent chat with Darrelle Revis and where Revis’ heart and mind was when he criticized the New Schiano Order. (Full audio below)

Darrelle Revis dishes on Greg Schiano.

If one is going to fly damn near half-way around the globe, he better get a sitdown and a good story and it appears Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times did just that. Amid the tranquil conditions of Hawaii, Stroud had a fascinating chat with Bucs stud cornerback Darrelle Revis who spilled the beans on the New Schiano Order. [read more]