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.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s old news. Antonio Bryant is gone. That doesn’t mean it won’t affect the play of the Bucs this season.

Jason Cole, of Yahoo! Sports, is ranking all the wide receiver groups of each NFL team. Naturally, with blocking icon Michael Clayton, second-year man Sammie Stroughter and a pair of rookies as your best receivers, it’s easy to see how Cole can rank the Bucs near the bottom at No. 29.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mercurial TE Kellen Winslow returns, but getting rid of Bryant in favor of rookie Arrelious Benn might turn out bad for the Bucs.

This is why Joe isn’t expecting much from Josh Freeman this year. First, who aside from Winslow does he have to throw to? That’s not an impressive list. Second, the running backs, as Joe has pointed out, are at best average.

With limited targets to throw to and guys running the ball who are past their prime, how can anyone expect Freeman to shine? Maybe Cole is right? Maybe the Bucs should have kept Bryant around one more year to help Freeman develop?

Joe introduced his Hate Mail feature recently. In case you missed that, Joe is committed to interacting with as many readers as he can, even those who bomb Joe with heinous venom and personal attacks.

So Joe is now taking that previously off-line hate mail in his inbox and bringing it here in a weekly feature simply titled, Hate Mail.

If you have a problem with Joe, fire away to hatemail@joebucsfan.com. Joe will answer some select questions right here, likely those void of profanity.

Hey Joe,

It figures you want hate mail you masochistic a**hole. All this site is is a bunch of negative crap. You’re probably not even a Bucs fan. The only reason you have a following is because there are so many rednecks and morons around here who don’t know any better. If there was decent radio and media in this town, there’d be no reason to come here what Joe has to say. Nice life.
 
Tom in Brandon (Joe doesn’t publish last names)
 
Dear Tom — First, let Joe assure you that he is an absolute diehard Bucs fan who gains no perverse pleasure from hate mail. But that was some real good hate. Thanks. Good work. You’re talented. Also, you might want to read JoeBucsFan.com more closely. There’s a lot of positive interviews and commentary here. Check the archives. However, when your team wins three of its last 20 freaking games and is a laughing stock of the league in 2009, commentary tends to trend negative.
 
I’ve got some hate for you, Joe.

I think it’s so weakass that you hide behind this website trashing guys like Rick Stroud and other legitimate journalists while you don’t even show your face. What makes you so great? You have no right or place to rip those guys who do your dirty work for you. I just can’t believe all the sheep who think this site is so great. It’s not. You’ll never last.
 
Kelly
 
Dear Kelly – Thanks for the hate, buddy (or perhaps you’re a naughty woman?). Joe’s not hiding. In fact, Joe has published his identity on this site, and Joe uses his real name during his many interviews on local sports radio, as well during some national appearances and once for an interview with ESPN The Magazine. Also, Joe can assure you all the Bucs beat writers know who Joe is personally, including The Mad Twitterer, aka Rick Stroud, Vacation Man, Woody Cummings, eye-RAH! Kaufman, the colorful Pewter fellows, etc. Both founders of JoeBucsFan.com have worked in media locally on various levels since the late 1990s.
 
And Joe takes great offense to calling his many tens of thousands of readers sheep. How dare you insult the most intelligent, passionate and informed Bucs fans on the planet. As for never lasting, it’s too late. Joe’s traffic is too big. It has no less than quadrupled since last July. Joe is here to stay.

Roy Miller had what Pat Kirwan of Sirius NFL Radio deems a good year last season for a rookie defensive tackle.

In recent days Joe brought you all sorts of information from Pat Kirwan who indirectly cautioned Bucs fans to have patience with quarterback Josh Freeman.

Kirwan also had the same advice for Bucs fans with the development of rookie defensive tackles, namely Gerald McCoy and Brian Price.

Like he did with quarterbacks, Kirwan, an on-air personality for Sirius NFL Radio and a columnist for NFL.com, went back a few years to study how rookie defensive tackles measured up.

The numbers weren’t pretty. In short, Bucs fans should have modest goals for GMC and Price.

“I’ve always said, 30 tackles and three sacks are nice numbers for a rookie defensive tackle,” Kirwan told his radio audience last week.

That’s not exactly All Pro numbers.

Part of this is, Kirwan noted, rookie defensive tackles are going up against men. While in college, they often used their sheer physical abilities to get past lesser offensive linemen, in some cases fresh out of high school.

It’s a world of difference overpowering a 19-year old kid still struggling with acne and trying to do the same against a 29-year old man in the prime of his physical condition.

For evidence of how rookie defensive tackles struggled, Joe only needed to do a little research from last year.

B.J. Raji (Packers), Peria Jerry (Falcons) and Ziggy Hood (Steelers) were all first round draft picks in 2009.

Raji played in 14 games, started one, had 25 combined tackles and one sack. Jerry, riddled with injuries, played in just two games with one tackle and one assist. Hood played in 16 games, had eight tackles and one assist.

By comparison, Bucs rookie defensive tackle Roy Miller, drafted in the third round, had what Kirwan would describe as a good year. He had 33 tackles and two sacks playing in 15 games.

Based on this information, while Joe doesn’t expect GMC or Price to light things up this year, Joe is sort of expecting Miller to continue to be a beacon of light on what was a dark area of the defense.

Surfing the net last night hoping not to find any Bucs who had to call mommy for a lift, Joe came across a very positive item about another Bucs player who has had transportation issues himself in the past.

CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco recently listed who he thought to be some of the most underrated players in the NFL. Aqib Talib, a Bucs starting cornerback, made Prisco’s list.

Forget the off-field issues of the past. He’s a good cover player. Matt Ryan raved about him when I spent time with him watching tape.

Prisco isn’t the only person Joe has heard this from. Joe has spoken with various Bucs insiders in recent weeks and if anything can be gleamed from dudes running in shorts at the Bucs OTAs, it’s that Talib was sticking on people like glue and was all over the defensive backfield.

Bucs fans, of course, know Talib is a damn fine player. This year very well could mean his NFL breakout year when all knowledgeable NFL fans know his name.