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The man who cut Derrick Brooks, re-signed Jerramy Stevens, kept Bucs payroll painfully low at the start of his tenure, and dumped fan favorite Cadillac Williams against the desire of his head coach, says the opinions of Bucs fans and media played a role in shaping team decisions.
Joe had to listen to former rockstar general manager Mark Dominik’s take twice to be sure.
Lovie Smith talks about Bucs fans.
Lovie Smith feels your pain, Bucs fans. Missing the playoffs going on seven years and not winning a playoff game since winning the Super Bowl in January 2003, the Tampa Bay head coach understands your frustration.
Lovie talked Friday night about trying to bring a winner back for the long-suffering fans. Also, Lovie discussed how his team practiced last night and gives an update on injured center Evan Dietrich-Smith in this SportsTalkFlorida.com video. [read more]
It was an autograph hound’s paradise Friday night as the Bucs held their annual night practice at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. Autographs could have easily been obtained both before and after practice.
Oh, yeah, there was practice, too. And fireworks! Below are some video glimpses of the night practice courtesy of the Bucs’ official Vine account. [read more]
Doug Martin shares his investigative work
The running back fraternity around the NFL is pretty tight. These guys talk, especially the top-dog backs.
Joe chatted about the new Tampa Bay offense with Doug Martin, and Martin revealed that he tapped his share of contacts to know what he might be in for under the new Tampa Bay regime. [read more]
The Bucs entertained just shy of 15,000 fans tonight at their annual training camp night practice at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. The autograph hounds were out hawking current and former Buccaneers. And there was even football being practiced on the field. [read more]
Yes, this is a special weekend for not only the Bucs, but for one of the greatest linebackers whoever donned a helmet in the NFL. Mr. Derrick Brooks, double-nickel, No. 55, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame tomorrow evening.
(Hint, those planning on watching best not be late. Brooks will be the first of this year’s class to be inducted and to speak.) [read more]
The Bucs play a total of six games a year against the hated Dixie Chicks, the Stinkin’ Panthers, and the bounty-loving Saints. For those who want to snoop on the Bucs’ hated rivals, Joe’s going to provide a regular glimpse at what’s happening around the NFC South. [read more]
Jeff Demps tells TBO.com’s Olivia Stacey about his newfound desire.
One reason Joe wasn’t doing cartwheels when Tampa Bay got running back Jeff Demps as a throwaway item in the LeGarrette Blount trade was because Demps was an Olympic star with his focus on winning a gold medal.
Joe has no problem with that in itself. It’s a noble goal that few humans have ever accomplished. More power to him. But Joe was worried about the Bucs and had no use for a guy who treated the team as an offseason hobby. [read more]
Lovie Smith isn’t losing sleep over new NFL rules
There are new NFL rules for 2014, and rules the NFL will enforce a bit more, which the league refers to as “point of emphasis.”
One is the “Mel Blount Rule.”
Never heard of the Mel Blount Rule? It’s where defensive backs can’t touch a receiver once he gets five yards downfield from the line of scrimmage. [read more]
Bucs fans fantasize that the Tampa Bay offense will hum with Vincent Jackson or Mike Evans drawing single coverage and Josh McCown will hurl a well-placed jump ball to be plucked out of the sky, and over the outstretched arms of a too-short cornerback.
The Bucs are expecting that, too. [read more]
Bucs TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a monster.
Watch Bucs general manager Jason Licht talk about rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and you will see a grown man’s face light up as if Carmella Garcia was whispering naughty thoughts in his ear.
ASJ hasn’t performed a ton of work with the first-team or second-team offense in training camp thus far. He’s still somewhat learning the ropes after missing spring workouts recovering from ankle surgery and attending classes at the University of Washington, which conflicted with the Bucs’ schedule.
When ASJ does get on the field, this dude is a matchup nightmare. Think a young Vincent Jackson playing tight end. [read more]
Peter King wagged a finger at a new Buccaneer
Esteemed fight-instigating, barista-training, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball box score-reading Peter King, of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports fame, was at Buccaneers practice yesterday and shared a little negativity with Buccaneers.com. [read more]
Whatever Herm Edwards is inhaling at ESPN headquarters hasn’t been passed on to noted NFL insider “The Professor,” John Clayton.
Clayton likes what Lovie Smith is building but doesn’t believe it’s enough to make Bucs fans smile all around Tampa Bay. [read more]
Can Lovie Smith simply release the hounds?
When an established defensive coach has a loaded roster on defense, you would suspect good things to happen. Then when that same coach stocks up the offense as if he’s at a Publix and a hurricane is hours away, well, it is easy to see how Bucs fans have their hopes up.
(A good gauge on how excited Bucs fans will be is how they fill up the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway tonight for the night practice, which begins at 7:30 p.m.) [read more]
A fan surprises Jason Licht
Usually, Joe is a cranky cuss in the morning, especially if he had a couple of cold ones the night before, and certainly before his morning ration of caffeine has kicked in. That’s why Joe’s most emotional rants often happen first thing in the morning.
Today, there’s no room for being petty, at least not to start off this fine Friday. Joe stumbled across the following accidentally and was taken aback. Never heard of such a thing before. [read more]
It seemed like an uneventful day out at One Buc Palace for Day 6 of Bucs training camp 2014. But Vincent Jackson continued an incline in improvement, really setting himself apart. Tommy Streeter continued to consistently catch balls. Robert Herron continued to struggle finding the handle on passes.
For the second day in a row, linebacker Danny Lansanah is blasting Bucs offensive players. The Jeff Tedford offense is beginning to look fun. [read more]
