“Blessings are coming, my son.”

Patriots beat writer Tom Curran is bringing word this evening that New England backup quarterback Ryan Mallett, who many view as potential starter material, is likely to be sent to Houston to reunite with Texans coach Bill O’Brien. (more…)

If all things were even, your new franchise quarterback for the Bucs would be none other than Johnny Football, says 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.

The Bucs, said King, want Johnny Football. Problem is, they don’t want him that badly. (more…)

Dominik explained how draft day trades are rarely a last-minute deal, including the Bucs’ in 2012.

As many Bucs fans fantasize about who might be their next potential “franchise” quarterback, perhaps some still care who former Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik thinks is worthy?

(Cue the boos.) (more…)

We all knew this was coming. Heck, Bucs general manager Jason Licht told Joe the covert analytics team at One Buc Palace is a key cog in the Tampa Bay scouting machine.

Now we learn from ESPN that the Browns paid six figures recently to study QB data, in addition to the millions already invested in their scouting department. (more…)

Missouri DE Kony Ealy is one of Peter King’s best available pass rushers in the draft.

If Bucs coach Lovie Smith picks true to his roots draft history, then he may select a pass rusher today or tomorrow. If he does that, it would speak volumes about the future of Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers.

It wouldn’t shock Joe if this happened. So here’s 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 has a breakdown of the top pass rushers available – tonight! (more…)

Joe is thoroughly fed up with the bizarre debate/claims surrounding who has final say of the Buccaneers’ draft.

Joe thought that chatter died months ago, but it arose again yesterday courtesy of a local beat writer. (more…)

The Bucs draft-day chasing of defensive end Booker Reese accelerated their demise that approached two decades.

Joe remembers when, once upon a time, wearing the Creamsicles was like walking around with a “Kick Me” sign taped to your arse. They were a team that only Harry Dunne could embrace.

Such a sad sack organization the Bucs were. After coming off their second NFC Central title in three years, the 1982 Bucs couldn’t get their first-round draft pick right and picked the wrong guy, who actually was pretty decent, Penn State offensive lineman Sean Farrell.

The guy they wanted to draft, defensive end Booker Reese, the Bucs chased in the second round with a valuable ’83 first round pick, only to see Reese vanish soon after. (more…)

Shortly after Lovie Smith was hired, he delivered likely his most telling interview to date. Mike Florio, of Pro Football Talk Live, was peppering the Bucs’ head coach in January, and Lovie revealed the 2013 NFL teams that had his full attention and admiration.

Joe believes Lovie’s take provides a window into the Bucs’ pursuing Johnny Football and the rest of their 2014 draft philosophy. (more…)

(This is a repost of a previously published article Joe runs as an annual tradition for the morning of the first day of the NFL draft.)

Joe’s going to go slightly personal here, a rare, albeit tiny window into Joe’s background on this holiest of high football holidays. (more…)

The loudest Bucs-loving voice in the media, Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, used to be called the “QBKilla.”

As for Johnny Football, Sapp said tonight on NFL Network that the young quarterback is a great candidate to be a GMKilla. (more…)

Why would the NFL hold the draft in Orlando?

NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell has floated the idea of moving the NFL Draft around to different cities other than New York. Joe isn’t sure if it would be all three days or only one day – or perhaps a new four-day draft, as has been speculated. There are no specifics. (more…)

Very interesting pre-draft nuggets in this WDAE-AM 620 interview of longtime NFL Insider Chris Mortensen.

The ESPN talking head broke the story of Josh Freeman being drug tested, and now “Mort” explains he’s learned that potential Bucs target Johnny Football has scored extremely high marks in extensive psychological testing that NFL teams rely on heavily. (more…)

Might the Bucs want to trade down and grab LSU WR Odell Beckham?

The two positions where the Bucs are hurting worse than a herniated disk as the draft approaches are guard and wide receiver. The talent pool is deep and rich for a wide receiver, and shallow for guard, but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Bucs drafted a flashy receiver in the first round.

But drafting wide receivers is a perilous road to travel. Recently, the Charlotte Observer did a study of the top 40 wide receivers in the NFL and compiled a list of how they were acquired. The results were eye-opening. (more…)

Yesterday, while speaking with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club, Derrick Brooks talked about life and football, particularly his Buccaneers moments after the team announced no other Bucs player will ever wear No. 55 again.

As most know, Brooks is a successful local businessman. That’s why he will never coach, sans his son’s youth team. He’s making too much cash and is enjoying spending quality time with his family, as opposed to the 80-hour-work-week grind of the NFL or college ranks. (more…)

Mississippi State G Gabe Jackson might be a guy the Bucs could use up front.

Yes, Joe has beaten his readers’ collective heads into the wall discussing how the Bucs’ now thin offensive line is in desperate need of a guard (at least).

One could make an argument that offensive line is a greater need than wide receiver. That’s how bad it appears on paper. (more…)

Walking around the Bucs’ minicamp practice fields taking” mental reps” two weeks ago was Bucs safety Dashon Goldson, aka the ferocious “Hawk,” who has been neutered by NFL flag football rules.

The Bucs kept Goldson’s condition quiet, but now the story is out. (more…)