There’s been loads of local and national buzz today surrounding the possibility that the Bucs broke NFL-mandated, no-contact rules at a recent OTA practice.

ProFootballTalk.com got the ball rolling this morning jumping on Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings’ comments during an interview last week on 98.7 FM. Cummings explained that he saw hitting that may have crossed a line that could get the Bucs in hot water with the NFL.

“It’s football practice, without pads,” Cummings said.  “I’ll tell you what, Greg Schiano is right on the border of getting investigated and possibly — I don’t know if they would fine him, I don’t know what the penalty is — but these guys are out there, they’re hitting. . . .  There’s no pads on, but I’m telling you, the linemen, these guys are hitting.  People are going down on the ground.  And it’s interesting.  I mean, most of this was second- and third-team guys, it wasn’t the front-line guys.  So there’s a little bit of what Jon Gruden used to call ‘practice etiquette’ that I think has to be learned here, but they’re going at it pretty good.”

Cummings pointed to the Zuttah-Spence fight, and said it was a 22-man “melee” that “went on for a while” — all due to the fact that there was contact between the linemen.

“I can’t imagine it’s being ordered, I think it’s just guys being a little overzealous, trying to earn a spot,” Cummings added.  “And that’s part of what this part of the season is about.”

Were Cummings’ comments out of line in any way?

Did they break an unwritten code between the Bucs and the reporters that cover them?

The dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, believes they did.

This afternoon, Duemig called out Cummings for sharing negative speculation on whether the Bucs are rule-breakers. Duemig said he’s no fan of media “squealers” when they’re “ratting out” the home team for no good reason.

“There are things that you report, and there are things that you don’t report. Am I wrong here?” Duemig asked his audience.

Duemig says he believes reporters need to exercise judgment with their reporting and speculation because comments like Cummings’ can cause the Bucs to limit access for all media. “When given the opportunity, why ruin it?” Duemig asked. “For crying out loud, there are some things you keep to yourself if you know it’s borderline. I believe in reporting, but in some cases when you’re allowed to watch practice  … why ruin it?”

Now Joe’s a friend of Cummings and Duemig. Joe’s not taking a side here. It’s just a great debate that intrigues Joe.

Two years ago, Joe came under fire from Duemig and some fans for being a “rat” after reporting that Raheem Morris communicated with Buccaneers during the lockout. The NFL eventually punished the Bucs. Joe understood and respected Duemig’s point of view. There are observations about teams and comments from team members that all reporters leave unsaid/unwritten.

Joe also gets that Cummings simply suggested the Bucs are pushing the limits of NFL practice rules and was relaying his observations of practice — a practice the Bucs invited him to report on. Yes, the Bucs could get punished and lose valuable practice time. However, Cummings shedding light on the situation could prevent injuries and subsequently help the Bucs.

Reporters are constantly deciding what to report and what not to, and sometimes there is a greater good that is considered.

Can reporters be “squealers?” It’s an interesting question.

Eric Wright had what some would call a nightmarish season in 2012, despite perhaps making the Bucs’ play of the year with a thrilling pick-six of Eli Manning win Week 2 at the Meadowlands.

Wright signed a lucrative contract in 2012 to join the Bucs but agreed to a clause that would void his contract if he were suspended by the NFL. That came back to bite Wright in the rear end in a terrible way, as he was busted for popping Adderall and had to cower to Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik for his job back, but at a much-reduced cost.

Wright discussed past, present and future after today’s OTA practice at One Buc Palace.

The interception return for a touchdown against Manning “should have been the play of the year,” Wright said. But the 2012 season, there was “nothing sweet about it, we lost. That’s what we are out here for today and the rest of the offseason and training camp to get ready for the season, to get ready for big things.”

When his contract was renegotiated with the Bucs, “I had no idea about (Revis trade talks),” Wright said. “I’m not sure. Darrelle is a friend of mine; I talk to him but as far as the timing, not too sure. Obviously, [acquiring Revis is] a great move, a great thing for everybody.

“Losing a guy like Ronde [Barber to retirement], that hurts. He was one of my favorite cornerbacks ever. Not having him around will hurt. But bringing in Revis and Dashon [Goldson] and some young guys will help and modes well for us.

“As long as I am healthy and out here, there’s no way I won’t contribute for this team, that’s how I am in general. I have been playing this [NFL] game for six years and starting for six years. That should say something about who I am and the player I am and where my mindset is.

“Of course there was concern [about not being back after suspension]. I am just happy to be out here as a player. I take it as I can contribute to the team. Definitely a place I am happy to be and dealing with coach and the Glazers and Mark Dominik, it is a vote of confidence to be here and to continue my playing career here. I’m grateful for that.”

Bucs reserve safety Cody Grimm has had a busy offseason and unfortunately for Bucs brass, it has nothing to do with football and everything to do with not being a Buccaneer Man.

Grimm was pinched over the weekend at a Virginia hotel for public intoxication at 5:30 a.m. following a wedding. As it turned out, he was also cited for the same charge in March, also in Virginia, his home state.

Meeting with reporters after the Bucs OTA practice Wednesday morning, Grimm confessed he has not been behaving like a Buccaneer Man and admitted his Buccaneer fate lies in the hands of Greg Schiano, who stated in his press conference he has talked with Grimm several times since his arrests and is “disappointed.”

Grimm seems to have studied the Mark McGwire School of Testimony, saying he can only become educated by his missteps.

“I have to learn from my mistakes,” Grimm said. “I can’t change anything in the past. I have to learn and move forward. [Future with Bucs] is up to [Schiano]. All I can control is what I can do from here on out. I am not going into details about it. I’m moving forward. That’s in the past. It was an error in judgment, clearly.”

Grimm, however, practiced like a man possessed this morning. Joe’s quite confident he had never seen Grimm perform so well at a practice.

Grimm has somewhat of an uphill battle making the roster, as his only chance seems to be as the No. 4 safety. Tangling with the law in Virginia — twice — certainly hasn’t helped raise his stock in the eyes of both Schiano and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

Here are some sights and sounds Joe witnessed and heard at this morning’s OTA practice at One Buc Palace:

*Mike Williams is singled out on the first play of practice for hustling down the field. On this particular drill, the entire first team offense had to race from the 20-yard line to the end zone to finish a play as a unit.

*Schiano is heard more today than last week. Shortly into practice, Schiano called a team huddle on the far end of the field for what Joe assumes was some tongue lashing. After the huddle broke up, Schiano walked away and could clearly be heard hollering, “Details, details!”

*Later during a punt drill, Schiano could be heard yelling, “Critical play here, critical play!”

*Bucs were doing what Joe refers to as “stations,” where the team is in small position groups and when a whistle blows after a few minutes, the players change stations but the same technique is drilled upon in the each station. In the station closest to Joe, defensive players focused solely on wrapping up on tackles.

*During defensive line drills, assistant defensive coordinator Bob Fraser could be heard asking the players, “Do me a favor and keep your head up!”

*Cornerback Leonard Johnson had a pick of an errant Josh Freeman throw. On the next play, Freeman made up for his previous error hitting Tiquan Underwood on a long bomb down the right sideline for six points. Freeman later showed some outstanding accuracy by throwing low passes to Vincent Jackson and Underwood, passes that were very catchable but difficult for a cornerback to pick, though Freeman did one-hop one badly to Jackson.

*Hoping no player is injured by hitting the ground, Schiano pleads, “HOLD EACH OTHER UP!”

*With Darrelle Revis still unable to participate, the first-team corners were Eric Wright and Johnthan Banks.

*Perhaps motivated to try to keep his roster spot despite a couple of embarrassing brushes with the law in the past three months, Cody Grimm may have had the best practice Joe of the 2013 offseason. He intercepted a tipped pass from Mike Glennon, had a breakup of a Dan Orlovsky offering and generally was all over the field making plays.

*Anthony Gaitor also had a nice tip of a Glennon pass.

*Wide receiver Kevin Ogletree had to come back to catch a poorly thrown pass that was behind Ogletree for a fantastic catch.

*In a defensive backs drill, the defensive backs practice batting down balls and scooping up loose balls.

*On a pass play, Aaron Morgan tried to bull rush Donald Penn, but it was a wrong move. Penn gave Morgan an open-hand punch to the shoulder, knocking Morgan backwards and nearly off his feet.

*Mike Glennon largely looked like a backup quarterback today, though he did show some good pocket footwork under pressure.

*Wide receiver hopeful David Douglas, who was with the Cardinals last season, made a few good catches and really seems to run sharp routes and has a quick burst after the catch.

*Keith Tandy had a near-pick of Josh Freeman. It was unclear whether it was a fourth-down play or not, so Joe can’t hang Freeman for what seemed to be an ill-advised throw.

*Mike Williams flashed his athleticism quite a bit. He made a great catch on a short ball behind him with Leonard Johnson in tight coverage. Williams also made a trademark back-of-the-endzone grab of a Freeman pass that drew a lot of celebration and Raheem Morris–era body bumps from teammates. Freeman was running to his right and let go of a pass only Williams could snag.

See the sights and hear the sounds of Bucs OTA practice Wednesday in this Tampa Bay Times video.

Penn said he felt “stabbed” in the stomach

Donald Penn looks fit to Joe, and he is fit, so claimed the Bucs brass today after today’s OTA session at One Buc Palace.

Penn unloaded on the hurt and confusion he felt by the PewterReport.com report Monday that claimed his weight was a serious issue with the Buccaneers.

Penn ripped the publication for lying via profane tirades on Twitter on Monday, but today Penn was calm and offered more details to Joe and other media.

“I just hope it’s not going to be a trend,” Penn said of inaccurate media claims about his weight. “Last offseason, [Tampa Bay Times Bucs beat writer] Rick Stroud came out with something, some true, a lot of it was false. It seems like this year, you know, it came out again, some more false stuff. You know, I don’t do anything to anybody. I’m a happy-go-lucky guy and it seems like people are trying to attack me. But you know, I’m going to be bigger and better than that. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. I wish I could take it back.

“You know, me and [Greg] Schiano, we had a lot of talks last year about where he wanted my weight. Because we had a disagreement on where he wanted and where I thought I should be. And you know at the end of the day, that’s a battle that I’m not going to win. And I bought in and I’ve done everything he’s asked me to do. I’ve done everything Mark [Dominik’s] asked me to do since [the start of] last year. And for that to come out, after I’ve been doing everything that I’ve done, it really like kind of stabbed me in the stomach.

“Where’d that come from? I know it didn’t come from the Bucs because all I’ve been getting from them is praise and they’re happy with what I’ve been doing and how I came back in April 15 in my football weight. Usually I get down to it when I come back, but I came back already at the weight he wants me to play at. And for that little stupid report to come out, I don’t know, I guess [PewterReport.com] has nothing else to talk about.

As Joe wrote yesterday, Penn is being unfairly targeted.

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik said today that Penn “is right on par with what we would have hoped and expected from Donald Penn. I think anything else has kind of been exaggerated.” Greg Schiano concurred during his post-practice news conference.

Weighing the losses of Roy Miller, Ronde Barber, Quincy Black and Michael Bennett versus the additions of Dashon Goldson rehabilitating Darrelle Revis, Derek Landri, Jonathan Casillaas and Akeem Spence, are the Bucs better on defense?

That question was on the mind of former Bucs quarterback Shaun King today. King, one of only three QBs to lead the Bucs to the NFC Championship game, doesn’t think the Bucs have improved.

“On the surface you look at that and you have to say, ‘No,'” King said on WDAE-AM 620 this morning.

King clarified a bit explaining that he has to see Revis play before he makes a full assessment. But interestingly, King was skeptical that Goldson will be a significant upgrade from Barber, especially without all the superstars in front of him that he had in San Francicsco.

Also, as Joe touched on yesterday, King wants to see what kind of tactician Greg Schiano is in Year 2.

“How does Schiano adjust his schemes and playcalling?” King asked, referring to how Bucs opponents will adjust after studying the first full season of the New Schiano Order Xs and Os.

Joe is on board with King’s takes here, except for the one on Goldson. It’s hard to believe Goldson won’t be better than Barber overall, though he might not be the same level of opportunistic playmaker Barber was.

And, as usual, King fired a shot at rockstar general manager Mark Dominik. King reminded listeners he considers Dominik a  “terrible talent evaluator.” King said he doesn’t give Dominik credit for trading for Darrelle Revis and paying him $16 million. Any GM could do that, King said.

Joe will deliver interesting QB takes from King later today.

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Last week at the “Sneaker Soiree,” a black tie affair where a collection of local sports celebrities mingled, an event that is only for the upper crust of society; “TKras,” Tom Krasniqi of WDAE-AM 620, got a chance to chat with Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

During the interview, GMC noted this is the first offseason since he was a pro that he got a brief moment to decompress and spend quality time with his kinfolks in Oklahoma.

“I got a chance to relax for an offseason — not long, but to enjoy my family and not have to go to rehab all the way up to” training camp,” GMC said.

As for as hearing the news of the Bucs trading for star cornerback Darrelle Revis, GMC was giddy.

“I was excited,” GMC said. “There’s not more to it than to have one of the best defenders in the game. For me, that is very exciting because that missed split second [the time a quarterback gets off a pass to an open receiver before GMC could sack him] was all it took for me to get double digit sacks last year. … [Revis is] the last piece we needed, but it will take all of us [to win]. I’m very excited.”

What interested Joe the most GMC confirming what Joe wrote last week, that the OTA practice he witnessed was much more crisp and players were less hesitant and seemingly had a strong purpose in the second season with Greg Schiano. GMC said the team is well down the track of success versus where the Bucs were this time last year.

“The mindset and focus is much higher than last year,” GMC said. “Last year it was kind of shaky because everyone was kind of worried and kind of complaining and now it is like, ‘Full steam ahead!'”

Of course, Joe will have much more from today’s OTA session when practice wraps up this afternoon. To listen to GMC’s full interview with Krasniqi, please press the black arrow below.

Audio courtesy of Clear Channel and WDAE-AM. Hat tip: Tom Krasniqi, Pat Donovan and Dory LeBlanc.

Bucs reserve safety/special teams player Cody Grimm was popped for public intoxication over the holiday weekend, per a report by “Reliable Source” of the Washington Post.

(How the hell can one of the most respected papers in America pull a stunt like this with a fake byline on a serious news story? What the hell???)

We’re told that the 26-year-old Fairfax native, once a gridiron standout at Oakton High, was back in the area for a wedding. Town police said the arrest happened at a Hampton Inn at 5:30 a.m. Court records show that Grimm has a hearing scheduled for July 9.

The charge is a misdemeanor — but for Grimm, the matter could be complicated by a previous public intoxication arrest, on March 10 in Christiansburg, Va. That case, records show, was given a “deferred disposition,” which allows prosecutors to drop a charge if assuming the accused fulfills certain promises and stays out of trouble.

Grimm, the son of 1980s Redskins star Russ Grimm, did not reply to voice messages or e-mails. In a statement, Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano said the team was “disappointed” to learn of the arrest: “Our players know our expectations on and off the field and we take these matters very seriously. When we feel we have obtained all the necessary information, we will act accordingly.”

Wow, 5:30 a.m.? Must have been a helluva wedding party.

Joe’s not sure how someone can get a “public intoxication” citation twice in a matter of weeks. That’s not a good pattern.

UPDATE: Via the Bucs’ media relations department, Bucs coach Greg Schiano has issued a statement on Grimm’s arrests.

“We are disappointed to learn of this situation. Our players know our expectations on and off the field and we take these matters very seriously. When we feel we have obtained all the necessary information, we will act accordingly.”

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Think about what 3 million+ sets of eyeballs seeing your company’s advertisement might do for business. As part of this special discount offer, Joe’s put a bounty of only $1,999 on these ads. They must be paid in full up front, and the rate includes all graphic design, plus a bunch of other perks.

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Rookie defensive end Steven Means lauded Gerald McCoy as being a leader for the young guns on defense.

On Wednesday (which is tomorrow, even though today feels much like a Monday), Joe will be out at One Buc Palace for Bucs OTAs. Naturally, you can expect loads of copy, interviews, analysis and observations.

Last week, rookie defensive end Steven Means had just walked off the practice field, seemingly OK with his first session against the vets. But one thing stuck out for Means — the leadership on the Bucs.

“There are real leaders,” Means said. “Lots of leaders on the field. It is different from college where you have a handful of leaders. Here, you have 20 leaders out there.

“It is vocal [leadership]. I will give you one example of a leader: It is Gerald McCoy. It is real vocal with him. If we mess up, he pulls us aside and shows up what we have to do right and why we have to do it. That way, we understand. It’s vocal with him, but also he shows us by example.”

The WWE match between rookie Akeem Spence and veteran Jeremy Zuttah on Spence’s first play from scrimmage didn’t surprise Means.

“It will be intense,” Means said. “Any time you have a group of competitors going against each other, it will be intense.”

Again, Means explained what he feels about his personal space.

“I don’t like being touched.”

Adam Schein

Joe could point to all sorts of players who, if lost to injury, could screw the Bucs.

The first who springs to Joe’s mind is defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. The next one would be Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson. One also could make an argument for safety Dashon Goldson (Bucs fans should really watch the Saints-49ers playoff game on NFL Game Rewind from 2011 to get an idea of how Goldson lays the wood to receivers and running backs).

But Adam Schein disagrees.

The popular sports radio and television personality has typed a column for NFL.com and argues that not only is Doug Martin irreplaceable, he has Martin as the ninth-most “indispensable” player in the NFL.

9) Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs rightly don’t trust quarterback Josh Freeman. The drafting of Mike Glennon and the ensuing comments from head coach Greg Schiano (who said the rookie “can play quickly”) are further proof of this.

The Bucs are all about Martin. They are going to pound the ball with the second-year stud, especially with offensive guards Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks returning from injury. When opponents stack the box to stop the human bowling ball, Vincent Jackson will dominate down field.

Joe just can’t argue with Schein here. Last year, when Martin was running rampant through defenses, the Bucs generally won.

Here’s the thing, though, if Josh Freeman struggles, defenses are just going to load up with eight or nine guys in the box and basically dare Freeman to throw the ball.

As always, the Bucs’ success this season begins and ends with Freeman.

There’s been a lot of chatter the past 48 hours or so about fat/in shape NFL players around these here parts. Well, here’s one about a player dropping weight.

Joe was talking with Bucs defensive end Adrian Clayborn. The stud right defensive end was felled by a nasty knee injury but Clayborn has been a madman in working out this offseason to make sure he is ready to go for training camp at the end of July

Clayborn looked svelte, as if he dropped weight. Not enough, says Clayborn.

“I need to get down a little bit more,” Clayborn said.

Clayborn seems to have a different body built. He looks lean but apparently has really built up his upper body and legs.

“I am just more comfortable going into the season light, never know what is going to happen,” Clayborn said. “The rehab is going good. I’m ahead of schedule. No tweaks or setbacks, going good. I hope to keep it positive. My goal is to be in pads by training camp.”

Joe will be very interested to see what the new-look Clayborn does to left tackles.

Perhaps the greatest unknown about Greg Schiano is what caliber game coach he really is.

Is Schiano better than Mike Smith or Sean Payton, his primary competition?

Will Schiano’s mind win games for the Bucs?

The jury is very much still out on Schiano. It’s not like he was known as a big-game coach at Rutgers. And the Bucs had their share of collapses late last season. Their obsessive blitzing and conservative play calling came under fire, and the Bucs didn’t show up in New Orleans — in December against a division rival.

On the flip side, Joe was very encouraged by the Bucs performance in Atlanta to close the season. It was as if Schiano found a way to right a sinking ship in very difficult seas. That’s a mark of good coaching.

Interestingly, while speaking with Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM last week, Schiano said the first thing he did after the season was perform an extensive evaluation of himself. And Schiano humbly said, “There are certainly a lot of things” he needs to improve.

For Joe, Schiano’s improvement is the unspoken X-factor of 2013. In the NFC South, with an extraordinarily talented Bucs roster, the Bucs desperately need Schiano to prove he’s a one of the better head coaches in the NFL.

Donnie Abraham, now coaching at Clearwater High School, was a damn fine cornerback for the Bucs.

Joe can’t remember a time like when the Bucs hit back-to-back home runs in drafting running back Doug Martin and outside linebacker Lavonte David in consecutive picks, after starting the 2012 draft with a solid extra-base hit in Mark Barron.

Was this the best Bucs’ draft in the team’s history?

The pride of Northwestern and overseer of “The Captain’s Blog,” on Buccaneers.com, Scott Smith, isn’t buying it yet. While Smith admits last year’s draft was fantastic, he has it tied with two other Bucs drafts as best ever, 1996 and 1988.

1996: The Bucs took two defensive linemen in the first round in Tony Dungy’s first draft but it was the second and third rounds, which produced Mike Alstott and Donnie Abraham, that really made this class. Alstott led the team in receiving and scoring and was a good complement in the running game to Errict Rhett. Abraham quickly took over the starting right corner job and led the team with five interceptions. Those two first-round linemen, Regan Upshaw and Marcus Jones, didn’t have an enormous impact, but Upshaw did start all 16 games at right end and had four sacks. Fourth-rounder Jason Odom started six games at right tackle and one at left tackle. Sixth-round WR Nilo Silvan was the team’s primary kickoff return man.

1988: Future Ring of Honor inductee Paul Gruber went from the fourth overall pick to the starting job at left tackle without pause, beginning an ironman streak in which he wouldn’t miss an offensive snap for five years. Lars Tate led the team in rushing and scored a then-Buc rookie record eight touchdowns. DL Pig Goff started six games and pitched in with two sacks and three fumble recoveries. G Robert Bruhin also started six games on the offensive line. Fifth-round RB William Howard not only became the starter at fullback but got almost the exact same number of carries and yards as Tate. Putting this one over the top was ninth-round find Reuben Davis, who immediately became the starter at LE in the Bucs’ 3-4 front and had three sacks. Even 11th-round pick WR Frank Pillow found his way to 15 catches and 206 yards.

Obviously, time will tell if the 2012 studs thrive or regress. Martin already has logged a Pro Bowl game.

Joe is glad Smith mentioned Donnie Abraham, who now coaches at Clearwater High School. It seems as though Abraham is one of the forgotten Bucs, but damn, he played really good ball and was a fixture on those Father Dungy defenses.

.

What’s next in the fat assault on Donald Penn?

Will a major newspaper accuse him, via a hidden source, of wearing a rubber shirt at practice to somehow lose up to 30 pounds at a clip? Oh, wait, the Tampa Bay Times did that last year.

What about the GM sharing disgust of Penn’s body? That’s old news.

Yesterday, PewterReport.com Bucs beat writer Mark Cook used an anonymous-source assault on Penn’s fitness only to revise/fix his story to reflect that Penn did, in fact, meet all the weigh-in requirements assigned him by the Buccaneers in 2012.

This, and fans ripping Penn for his weight, makes Joe shake his head. Penn has made 92 consecutive starts and at worst is an above-average left tackle. It’s sad that he’s been targeted by fat haters. Just last week, offensive line coach/guru Bob Bostad praised Penn and called him a “rock.”

So a damn good left tackle has been known to attack buffets like he does defensive ends. Big freakin’ deal. There’s a reason they call these guys “hogs.” They’re not supposed to be chiseled. Fat is ok as long as it doesn’t hinder productivity.

The Bucs invested tens of millions of dollars into Pro Bowl guard Carl Nicks, who is rather Penn-like in his approach to fitness. There is no evidence Penn’s waistline has gotten in his way.

Joe will now wait to see what hit comes Penn’s way next. Perhaps TMZ will catch him eating butter with a spoon.