Doubt surfaces on the beat

What to expect on the field from starting quarterback Josh McCown is unclear. He simply hasn’t started a full NFL season since he was drafted in 2003.

Thirteen 2004 starts with the Cardinals was by far his busiest year. Can he withstand punishment? That would surprise one prominent Bucs media voice. (more…)

The Bucs sure got fans aroused this weekend after an offensive draft, giving whoever is quarterbacking the Bucs major weapons, and perhaps a couple of blockers, too.

Still, Andrew Astleford isn’t drinking the Kool-Aid. The Fox Sports Florida Bucs beat guy likes what he saw but isn’t quite willing to begin comparing the new Bucs to Air Coryell quite yet. (more…)

Win immediately, says the Bucs GM.

A giddy Bucs general manager Jason Licht appeared on NFL Network last night, fresh off a truly offensive draft class this past weekend (it depresses Joe to type this, but he knows if he doesn’t, the humorless, thin-skinned, easily-offended, reading-impaired will totally freak out: offensive = all offensive players picked). (more…)

ESPN is now wondering about Doug Martin’s job security.

Now Joe was dragged through the mud a few weeks ago when he wondered aloud just how secure Doug Martin is with Lovie Smith. Joe loves Martin but running backs are a dime a dozen and, Joe thought, maybe, Martin might be used to obtain draft picks in a trade last week or next year.

Of course, nothing happened last week.

But now a national reporter with close ties to the Bucs is also debating Martin’s job security. (more…)

More clues to what the Bucs offense will look like under offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford.

Ever since Jeff Tedford was named Bucs offensive coordinator, people have been trying to figure out what his offense will look like.

Joe has written many posts claiming if you base your projection on the traits of Tampa Bay’s offensive lineman, then it appears the Bucs will pass.

A lot. (more…)

New Bucs rookie manbeast receiver Mike Evans is one heck of a raw prospect. Heck, the kid’s only 20 years old. He can’t even drink beer and skinny margaritas with his best friend Johnny Football. (Really, they are tight.)

Evans showed off his skills at Texas A&M, including playing all kinds of backyard football with his BFF. (more…)

The only Bucs draftee that you can bank on starting Sept. 7 against the Stinking Panthers is WR Mike Evans.

It would be both bad and good if a team started all of its draft picks.

Good in that it would appear on face value the front office did one helluva job cherry-picking players who could start. Really, really bad in that your incumbent starters were losing gigs to third-day draft picks. (more…)

New Bucs front office type Jon Robinson.

Now that the draft is over, suits in the football offices of NFL teams begin sweating, especialy when there is a new sheriff in town. In other words, a general manager often likes to bring in his guys.

That is happening now with the Bucs. Today it was learned by Mike Reiss and Field Yates, both of ESPNBoston, that current Patriots director of college scouting Jon Robinson is leaving the team to join forces with Bucs general manager Jason Licht as his player personnel director. (more…)

It’s only May 14 and Joe is on pace to shatter the 3 million mark of pages viewed on JoeBucsFan.com in a single month.

Joe thinks it can be done. Tell a friend about how you enjoy the Bucs news, madness and mayhem here.

Thanks to all readers, and especially to the teeny, tiny percentage of you who leave comments in the comments section. Often, those comments are like flowers or warm chocolate chip cookies or funny greeting cards, and often they’re like bags of feces at a doorstep or evil ramblings worthy of a restraining order. But they have their place in the landscape.

As always, stick with Joe through the day and night for all things Bucs. And if you think your business could be well served by having an advertising presence here, feel free to email joe@joebucsfan.com. Make Joe a reasonable offer, and he’ll probably take it.

An endangered species, aka a Raheem Morris-era holdover, was jettisoned today by the Buccaneers.

Cornerback Anthony Gaitor, who drew very loud on-field rage from Greg Schiano, was ousted. (more…)

A reporter asked Bucs starting quarterback Josh McCown yesterday whether it was “too simplistic” to say the Bucs could now throw a bunch of high passes to their gargantuan receivers and doing that is simple and easy.

McCown said it was just fine to make that simple characterization. (more…)

Click on through below to visit Joe’s friends at Ed Morse Autoplaza in Port Richey. Joe bought his pre-owned Ford there 27 months ago. Not a problem since!

Lost a bit in the NFL Draft frenzy was the point-guard-sized receiver drafted for the best basketball team in the NFC South: “The Dunkaneers,” as general manager Jason Licht called them.

The little guy Joe is referring to is speedy slot-receiver candidate Robert Herron, who stands 5-9 and was a star at Wyoming. (more…)

The result was no surprise but the timing was. The Bucs’ famous “Captain of the Inactive List,” running back Michael Smith, was honorably discharged from Bucs forces Tuesday.

Smith, heralded for his speed and return abilities in 2012, always seemed on the cusp of big things, so his coaches at the time (led by former Bucs commander Greg Schiano) often said. Yet each week when the inactive list was released 90 minutes prior to kickoff, despite hours earlier coaches offering high hopes for him to have an impact, Smith found himself inactive. (more…)

Bucs GM Jason Licht talks about Mike Glennon non-trade talks.

A representative of a Bucs media outlet went on local radio and “guaranteed” backup quarterback Mike Glennon would be dealt during the weekend of the draft. National media types were abuzz about where Glennon may end up and what the Bucs could get in return.

Even Joe thought it was a good bet Glennon would be traded for a coveted draft pick.

That didn’t happen, as the Bucs seemingly believe they have something in Glennon. (more…)

Here’s every last word from the media session today at One Buc Palace with Buccaneers starting quarterback Josh McCown. (more…)

“Follow Josh McCown, my son.”

Josh McCown is one giant fan of Mike Glennon, so he detailed today at One Buc Palace.

McCown is certain Glennon is destined for greatness. But, surprisingly, McCown told reporters he hasn’t watched any of Glennon’s game tape. (more…)

No waiting around until the start of the Bucs’ rookie minicamp on Friday for the new drafted rookie Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The draft picks are in the house and on the field, minus tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. (more…)

McCown talked to Joe today about building chemistry in the passing game

The Bucs just drafted a running back with incredible hands in the third round of the NFL Draft, Charles Sims out of West Virginia.

And moments ago Josh McCown just raved about how Doug Martin is “really embracing” the fine points of catching passes out of the backfield. Hmmm. (more…)

Bucs GM Jason Licht discussed fifth round pick Purdue OT Kevin Pamphile.

Now Joe always hears about a rotation for defensive linemen and how it is important for the Bucs because the early weeks of the season are played under the brutal west-central Florida sun. Guys are just zapped from the heat.

But the term “rotation” is in the vernacular of Bucs general manager Jason Licht when referring to offensive tackles, as well. (more…)

Bucs GM Jason Licht explained his pick of West Virginia RB Charles Sims.

Many Bucs fans put down their beers and stared at the TV (if you frequented an Original Hooters location, you may have stared at something else), mouth agape, struggling for words when the Bucs drafted Charles Sims out of West Virginia.

The Bucs seemed to have been loaded with running backs, backs Bucs coach Lovie Smith talked highly about, Bobby Rainey, Mike James and,of course, Doug Martin, who has returned from an injury-shortened season. (more…)

All the new Tampa Bay receivers better not give up on their routes a half-second early or have tender hands during spring practices and training camp. Why? Because the Bucs’ quarterback of the future has a “cannon” for an arm, even better than Josh McCown’s.

That’s how Bucs general manager Jason Licht described Mike Glennon’s prized appendage yesterday to the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620. (more…)

Is Gators speedster and leading 2013 receiver Solomon Patton on Lovie’s secret list?

This weekend’s Buccaneers rookie minicamp (Friday through Sunday) just got a lot more interesting.

Head coach Lovie Smith has said he expects “three or four” of the 11 newly signed undrafted free agents to make the final roster. (more…)