A Very Pre-emptive Fantasy Look at the Bucs

If there's anything lamer than a dude with a blog it's a dude with a blog who writes about his fantasy team. So no worries, I ain't gonna be that lame. What I am gonna do is break down the fantasy stock of the Bucs offensive players.

Cadillac Williams

If Cadillac went to high last season he could be a sleeper this year. He has all the tools to be a top ten back with the exception of catching the ball out of the backfield. Cadillac's lack of production last year can be blamed mostly on the poor play from the quarterback position and the Bucs constantly being forced to play from behind. This year Garcia should stabalize the quarterback position, which means Cadillac's production will rely on how the rebuilt offensive line plays.

Joey Galloway

Galloway was the diamond in the rough for the Bucs last year, and should remain their best receiver going into this season even at the ripe old age of 35. Galloway has that rare ability to turn a ten yard button hook into a 25 yard gain. Much like Cadillac, Galloway should benefit from Garcia's tenure. My biggest warning flag for Galloway is not his age but the other receivers who may take away Galloway's targets.

Jeff Garcia

Garcia has not had a whole lot of success since he left the City by the Bay, that is until late last season when he replaced an injured McNabb. To be successful Garcia needs to be in a west coast offense which doesn't ask him to be the main man. In Philly last season Westbrook touched the ball more often once Cadillac went down, in San Fran Garcia had T.O. as a safety blanket. Gruden knows his quarterbacks and plays to theirs strengths, which is fortunate because Garcia is the perfect fot for Gruden's offense. With Simms it was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, but with Garcia it's like inserting a round pole into a willing round hole, and Garica is very willing.

Michael Clayton

While's its a bit too early to label Clayton a bust he is getting awfully close to that point. An outstanding rookie year followed by two subpar seasons Clayton has become the anti-Galloway, a player who's lack of training in the offseason has hurt him in the regular season. He has the talent to be the best receiver on the team but drops and lack of conditioning have cost him. I would stay away from drafting Clayton.

Maurice Stovall

One player who could see an increased role in the offense is second year receiver Stovall, who is threatening to take Clayton's starting role in the offense. Stovall is the type of receiver Gruden tends to fall in love with, tall and lanky. Stovall looked good in limited action last season and could be worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses.

Alex Smith

Eventually Smith is going to make the jump to elite tightend, and I think this may be the season. He's one of these new age Tony Gonzalez/Antonio Gates receiving tightends with the wheels to stretch the field. The only reason he hasn't caught more balls is Smith has been forced to stay on the line to help block for the pitiful offensive line. If the line can improve their pass blocking (fingers crossed) Gruden will be able to deploy Smith down the field more often.


I might just try and make this a regular feature so to be sure to check back later in the year, when I will check in with a update and where each of these players should/could be drafted.

Just 2 More Weeks

With just two more weeks to go until training camp, the sports columns factories of ESPN.com and their ilk are beginning to churn out columns like "10 Best Punters" and "3 Things Your Team Needs to Do to Win: #1 SCORE POINTS." Kudos to Scott for pointing out all the things that are wrong with Bucky Brooks article on the 3 major challenges the Bucs face. What Scott failed to do was offer up 3 challenges of his own, which is just pure laziness on his part.

#1- Figure Out What the Fuck is Going on with the D-line

No other position has been as massivley rehauled (not even the linebackers) as the d-line, which promises to look different than last year. To my knowledge Kiffin has still not tipped his hand on what he's doing with Gaines Adams, have him backup Rice or play on the other side? It seems to make some to have Adams and Rice on the field on the same time to pressure the quarterback but the rightend spot Adams would occupy has traditionally been played by a bigger end who is used more to stop the run. For all the concern about who will play the undertackle (likely a platoon of players) I haven't seen much about where the Bucs will play their first round pick.

#2 - Re-establish the Run

I know runningbacks burn out quickly but just one season for Cadillac? I stand by my assertion Williams can be a top ten back in the league but it all comes down to blocking and staying healthy. A big part of the blocking will come down to the rebuilt left side of the line, which was the side where Cadillac found much of his success two seasons ago. Gruden has been building a offensive line for some time now, it's about time all that time and energy (and draft picks) paid off. Although on an odd side note anyone else find it distressing that Clayton and Cadillac both had stellar rookie seasons followed by sophomore slumps?

#3 - Find Someone to Play Safety

The Bucs were so weak at safety last year they ended up moving a corner or two to safety during training camp. Gruden and company seem to have realized their mistake and went fishing for safeties in the offseason, notably drafting the Italian Stallion to be the Next John Lynch (not so much in talent but as a whitie on the defense for fans to root for). I eagerly await for annoucers to describe Piscitelli as "doing all the small things" while Will Allen is a "pure athlete." Speaking of Will Allen, I have been disappointed by his play lately especially since he has showed such promise. But most of that I will blame on the recently departed secondary coach, since safeties depend so much more on coaching than any other position in the defense.


Anyway, those are my 3 Challenges for the Bucs. You got any better ones?

The 3-4

Kiffin is adding an interesting wrinkle to the Bucs defense by introducing a 3-4 defense to be used intermittingly with the base 4-3/Tampa Two. For the details on how the 3-4 would work check out BucStats, which has just been the bees knees lately.

This is the first time, since Kiffin took over a decade ago, that I can remember the Bucs planning on using the 3-4. But considering this is a copy cat league, and the 3-4 has been the soup du jour lately it makes sense to add it. While I doubt the 3-4 will do much to improve the Bucs rushing defense (they lack the over sized linebackers to man the middle), it should help improve their dreadful pass rush. I criticized the Bucs for adding too many linebackers at the expense of not adding enough lineman before, so adding a 3-4 certainly fits the Bucs talent to an extent. In fact I wouldn't be too surprised to see the Bucs use the 3-4 almost exclusively in passing downs to give opposing quarterbacks a different look.

What's more interesting to me is that Kiffin has enough faith in his defense to add an entirely new formation. With a large influx of new players and an entirely new set of defensive coaches it speaks highly of the new guys that Kiffin is willing to introduce something new. Kiffin has never been a guy to shy away from experimentation, but the players typically have to earn his respect before Kiffin will use something different come gameday. It seems like so long ago now, but it was just a few years ago that Kiffin would not shy away from dropping Sapp or Rice into pass coverage and blitz Ronde off the edge.

Additionally, I wonder if Kiffin has been talking to his former protege in Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin, who is now in the process of merging the Tampa Two and 3-4 defenses? The Bucs don't play the Steelers for another four years (unless they meet in the Super Bowl) so there's little reason why the two would not be willing to help each other. Perhaps the two coaches could devise a defense combining the best elements of the Tampa Two and the 3-4?

Jeff Garcia Would Fucking Anyone

I'm stuck in bed all day with an injured back which means you can expect a proficient period of posting as boredom gets the best of me.


A week after naming Jeff Garcia the starter Gruden has made a very public plea to Jake Plummer to join the team. Understandably Garcia is not happy about this, and has launched the first salvo of smacktalk with this gem, "That's fine. If he wants to come, he can come and sit on the bench with the others."

For reasons unbeknonwst to me Garcia has been savaged by the two most prolific Bucs bloggers, BucStats and Buc 'Em for making the above statement. With all due respect to the well written BucStats (which has been on fire lately), why would you rip the man for showing some emotion? The Bucs Quarterbacks have been a revolving door since Gruden came to town so I have little problem with QB who wants to remain a starter for more than six games.

Of greater concern to me is Garcia's age (37), which all but guarantees he will only be around for a season, maybe two at the most. Which is why Gruden is practically begging the much younger Plummer to join the team. Since he came to Tampa Gruden has been getting cute with his quarterbacks, trying to find values in guys like Griese, Simms and Leaf even though none of these players fit his system. Gruden finally found someone who could be the starter for a few years in Plummer only to be spurned by Jake the Snake. (As an aside, Gruden could have had Carr, also a young mobile quarterback, for nothing. Instead Carr has gone to rival Carolina where he will inevitably end up starting.)

I'm no big fan of Garcia's, he's pretty much washed up. But compared to Simms and Grads, Garcia is Joe Montana.

What Is A Washed Up Has Been?

Call it the Curse of Steve Young. Or maybe the Curse of Dilfer. The Bucs appear to be doomed to be stuck with ineffective quarterbacks for as long as the franchise exists.

Jeff Garcia has been named the starter, and I am supposed to feel what......excitement? Garcia has played for five teams in five years and is the definition of impotent. If Garcia was any more ineffectual he would have been in the last episode of the Sopranos (which should have ended in a blood bath).

Make no mistake, Garcia will excel in the Bucs offense. But not because Garcia is a great quarterback, but instead because Gruden is a great quarterback COACH. Gruden has the ability to turn water into wine, journeymen into MVPs. The Bucs will at least improve their record to 8-8 this season. Bet on it.....I will.

But what happens after next season? How long can the Bucs go with a 37 year old quarterback at the helm? The answer is as simple as it obvious, not long. Garcia can man the helm for at the most one, maybe two more years. But then what? Chris Simms can't win a game to save his spleen, and Gradkowski......is Gradskowski. Garcia is nothing more than spare tire, a temporary fix until the Bucs can find a more permanent solution.

So Long, Farewell Dave Moore

And the short list of current Bucs who once wore creamsicle gets even shorter.

Dave Moore has made his retirement official. Moore is a throwback to when players were actually part of the community they played for, in fact I used to be able to find Moore fishing off my dock late at night. It appears the arrival of Jerremy Stevens signaled the end for Moore. But this won't be the last we hear from Moore in Tampa Bay, he will be moving to the radio booth (I assume to replace Hardy Nickerson). So Moore, all I have left to say is.....

I Really Don't Dislike the Times but....

I'm really not trying to pile on the Times but kudos to Rays Index for pointing out the Times snafu the other week (and by snafu I mean a misstep off the side of the Sunshine Skyway level mistake).

Seems the Times withheld last Wednesday's edition from the Rays game. Typically the Times distributes copies of the paper during Rays games. What was so special about last Wednesday's paper? It featured a story on Elijah Dukes threatening his wife. Oh, and did I mention the Times and the Rays have a business relationship which could possibly lead to a conflict of interest for the Times?

Anyway, denials, coverups and further shenanigans ensue so go check out RI for all the info.

EDIT: Tommy at the Sticks was 1st with this story. Wow, I really have been away from the Sticks for awhile if I missed this.

And as long as I'm throwing out love to friends of the BBB I recommend checking out the Fanhome message boards, which is run by John from the knowledgable BoltsMag.

Do the Local Beat Writers Read Blogs?

I have always wondered how much beat writers read the fan blogs of the teams they cover, not so much out of personal vanity (although that plays into it) but out of curiosity. There should be a clear and dividing line between the inksheets and blogs, the inksheets are responsible for reporting the news while blogs express opinion and unsubstantiated rumors, such as the fact that CADILLAC WILLIAMS IS THE ILLIGITIMATE LOVE CHILD OF OJ SIMPSON AND BAT BOY!!!


It appears that Stephen Holder of the St Pete Times reads blogs based on the first paragraph of his latest report from Bucs practice....

We try not to dwell too much on what's happening in practices this time of year because, well, it's May for crying out loud. But for what it's worth, we did get a rare chance to sit on Thursday's workout at Raymond James Stadium and picked up a few tidbits.

I mention this because last week I called out Holder for his lack of reporting regarding Larry Coyer, the new Bucs d-line coach (see below). Additionally, the much more superbly written BucStats had the same complaint of the local inksheets, which amounted to Give Us Coverage or Give Us Death (for the purposes of hyperbole this claim may be exaggerated).

So to recap, Holder is called out for his lack of reportinig by two blogs, to which Holder responds by defending his lack of coverage in the first sentence. But to make this situation all the more entertaining to me Holder actually gives us an interesting report from Bucs practice. So I assume I should apologize to Holder for my rush to judgement, my hat is off for your latest report.

Holder has all kinds of juicy tidbits from practice but to me the juiciest tidbit is that Anthony Davis is starting at left guard while Dan Buenning recovers from injury. For those who have been keeping track Gruden and company drafted a guard early in the second round, Arron Sears, to play the left guard position. I'm not going so far as to criticize Gruden and company for drafting Sears, for now, but what is the point of drafting somebody in the second round if you don't expect them to start?

I paid 35 cents for this?

Perhaps it's just me, but I can't stand the local inksheets coverage of the Bucs. Despite the fact that there are ostensibly three major newspapers which cover the Bucs (Tribune, Times and Orlando Sentinel) all three have relatively little to write about the Bucs. Perhaps I have been spoiled by the Washington Post but the columns put forth by the local inksheets leave a lot to be desired. Exhibit A, this column yesterday by Stephen Holder from the Times.

I was looking forward to this column when the Times dropped the teaser on Friday they would be publishing an inside look at the new defensive line coach, Larry Coyer. Silly me, I assumed it would actually be an inside look at the Buccaneer organization. Instead we were left with ten short paragraphs (which were mostly one sentence long) which told us nothing we did not already know. Just about the only interesting tid bit in the entire column were three shorts sentences at the very end which mention Maurcie Stovall appears to be the anti-Michael Clayton, i.e. Stovall has a work ethic.

By comparison, just look at the first paragrpah from a Washington Post column on the disconnect between Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs and water sprinkler Sean Taylor...

Listen to Joe Gibbs talk about losing "contact" with Sean Taylor and Shawn Springs. "All of a sudden we lost contact," he said of Springs. As for Taylor, "I've had no contact whatsoever." It sounds as though Gibbs is mission control and Taylor and Springs are space modules. Contact is something you make via antenna while transiting Mercury, or looking for compelling evidence of water on Mars. It's not reassuring when the Redskins' coach uses it to describe his relationship with two starters.

Now THAT is an inside look at a franchise. And the thing is the Times should have an easier time getting access to One Buc Place than the Post does to the Skins. For those who unaware of local DC politics, Dan Snyder (owner of the 'Skins) despises the Post ever since the newspaper; 1) criticized the way the team is being run and, 2) ran a story about how Snyder attempted to bribe park officials to allow him to cut down protected trees on his property. Snyder even went so far as to start his own 'Skins radio network to control the information about his team.

Sure, one could always turn to the fanzine Pewter Report for Bucs information, but who wants to pay a $40 subscription fee?

So in the end I am left lacking when it comes to Bucs coverage. Which is a shame because this offseason has the makings of one the more interesting offseasons in recent history. A quarterback battle. A head coach on the hot seat. An influx on new talent on the defense. Even a story about redemption (Stevens) which two bit columnists devour like it was popcorn shrimp at a free buffet.


(SIDE NOTE: I honestly have no idea how much the Times costs now, i.e. if it's 25 or 35 cents.)

And my pain and humiliation continues...

When I made the bet with Scott a month ago I thought picking Calvin Johnson was a lead pipe lock, but time makes fools of us all, especially me. So go check out my humiliation over at BucStats.

And seriously, the Bucs practice facility will always be One Buc Place.

Welcome Jerramy Stevens

Consider me in the minority but I like the Jerramy Stevens signing, especially how Bruce Allen released the news on the second day of the draft when the sports media is too busy handing out draft grades to actually pay attention to what is going on (hell, a Mets bat boy basically admitted to giving steroids to players and nobody is talking about it). But I have already digressed from the subject at hand.....

The Stevens signing is low risk/high reward for the Bucs, which has become so quintessentially Gruden. The Bucs likely didn't pay much for Stevens since nobody wanted him, yet they were able to add one of the better tightends in the league. After Alex Smith the Bucs have zero depth at tightend, which is troubling since the Bucs have been forced to play more double tightend formations that Gruden would like. With the offensive line blocking woes, especially at tackle, the Bucs have been forced to keep two tightends on the field to help block. Much like Alex Smith Stevens is a threat to block and to catch.

This isn't the first time Gruden has done somthing like this, Gruden has a history of gambling on troubled but talented players. Sometimes it works out like Chris Hovan did, and other times it doesn't work out so well, i.e. Ryan Leaf and David Boston. Either way the Bucs typically don't give up a lot.

Although on the down side, Stevens often has difficulty driving a car (he has been arrested thrice for driving offenses), is considered a dick by most other players (there's a reason he was kneed in the balls by Tyler Brayton), and needs to learn how to spell his first name.

Maybe I'm wrong on this, but assuming he's not the number one tightend Stevens could be a valuable addition.

Blah

I didn't think it was possible to have a more uninspiring draft than last year but the Bucs managed to lower the bar even further. Two picks in particular boggle me, 2nd rounder Arron Sears and 3rd rounder Quincy Black. Both picks where at positions the Bucs had no pressing need but which could have been used on a position the Bucs had a bigger need at, tackle.

For the second straight year the Bucs selected a guard in the first two rounds, which is odd because: 1) the Bucs already have two really good guards in Joseph and Buenning and, 2) you can find quality guards in the later rounds (i.e. Buenning was drafted in the fourth). Buccaneer Harbour seems to think that Buenning can be moved to center which would kill two birds with one stone, although I believe the Bucs would have been better served to draft Justin Blalock (ot, Texas). Blalock, who went to the Falcons, has a better chance of starting at left tackle, which is the bigger need for the Bucs.

Quincy Black is another odd choice for the Bucs considering they already have two very good weakside linebackers, Brooks and Cato June, and the last thing the defense needs is a project pick. An infinitely smarter pick would have been Demarcus 'Tank' Tyler, the defensive tackle out of NC State for several reasons. First, Tank would have filled the Bucs most pressing need, defensive tackle, which the Bucs are woefully thin at. Second, it would give the Bucs another great nickname to replace Booger.

The rest of the draft was fairly uninspiring. I had hoped CJ or Joe Thomas would have fallen to the Bucs but neither did and the Bucs made the safe pick and drafted Gaines Adams, who was widely regarded as the top defensive player on the board. I would have liked to see the Bucs select Amobi Okoye at four but Braves and Birds makes an interesting point that the Falcons, who have a need for a defensive tackle as well, had a shot at drafting Okoye and passed on him. What does it say about Okoye that his college coach, Bobby Petrino, passed on Okoye to draft another defensive lineman?

I like the two defensive backs the Bucs selected, safety Sabby Piscitelli and corner Tanard Jackson. The Bucs most glaring need, after offensive and defensive tackle, was safety and Piscitelli filled the need. Plus the Bucs can now claim they have the only Italian American in the league, which is good for an untold number of Soprano's jokes. And Jackson is a great value in the fourth round for a cornerback. Jackson slipped because he didn't have ideal speed but neither did Ronde Barber and how has that worked out?

All in all, I would give the Bucs a 'C' if I where to hand out draft grades. They landed only one impact player, Gaines Adams, when they could have landed three impact players. I like that the Bucs added depth to their offensive and defensive lines, which is the quickest way to turn a team around (a la the Ravens last year). And the Bucs likely picked up a good deal of starters for the forseeable future. But the question I keep going to is what impact will any of these players have on the team next year, not five years down the line? Two years ago the Bucs drafted three impact players, Cadillac, Alex Smith and Dan Buenning, and made the playoffs largely due to the contributions of these three rookies. I don't see that level of contribution from this year's crop of rookies.

So There's This Little Thing Called the Draft Tomorrow...

At this point I just want to be done with the damn thing, the hype and incessant rumors has reached unparalleled levels this year and it is only a matter of time before the hype eclipses the event itself....if it hasn't happened already.

Because I'm a good sport I will give you my pick for the Bucs first rounder, a pick which, given my history, is almost certain to be wrong. Joe Thomas will be the Bucs first round pick and will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in Tampa while small children sprinkle flowers down Dale Mabry to celebrate Thomas' arrival.

You can find my draft preview, of sorts, at the Sticks here (althought the link won't work until this afternoon. In fact the link probably won't work at all so just click on the Sticks. But wait until this afternoon when it is published.).

And don't forget to enter the BucStats draft day contest, now with real prizes.

UPDATE: I just remembered that I made a bet with Scott a month ago where I picked CJ to be the Bucs first round draft pick and it would be so John Kerry of me to flip-flop on my pick. So nix the Joe Thomas pick. Kinda. Well, not really. Whatever, I'll be back late Sunday to mock Gruden's picks.

Yet Another Experiment in Futility: Grading Past Drafts

You now what my favorite part about summer is? Watermelon. Of all the melons watermelon has to be favorite (although melondew is a close second). Nothing beats a slice of watermelon on a warm summer day, especially if you've been grilling all day. And who ever invented seedless watermelon is a fucking genius, although one has to wonder how seedless watermelons are propagated if they lack seeds. What does any of this have to do with the draft? Nothing. I just like watermelon and wanted to make sure you were aware of that.

Few tasks are more futile than assigning grades to drafts what just happened, yet come Monday Mel Kiper Jr and the usual suspects will do just that. And we will read them. Which will lead to even more draft grades next year. Its like an endless circle jerk without a money shot.

So when I sat down to eat my watermelon tonight I asked myself if there was someway I could get in on this grading goodness and also test my theory that Gruden is one of the worst drafters in the league. As much as I love Gruden, he's also the same guy who took Sebastien Janikowski in the first round.

Warning: My theory here is that Gruden is a bad drafter so it is very likely my grades will reflect that fact, which would make this entire execise about as productive as the aforementioned draft day grades.

Few rules before we get started, I'm only looking at first day picks (rounds 1-3) since Gruden joined the team in 2002 to 2005. I'm ignoring 2006 since the players have only been around for one season, and if we only judged players on their rookie seasons Michael Clayton would be a Pro Bowler.



2002: Marquise Walker, wr, 3rd RD (#86)
We're off to a good start here en route to confirming my theory. Walker has never caught a ball in the NFL and only stayed with the team one year. Walker's current location is most likely working the deep fryer at your local burger butt. Although in Gruden's defense he had very little time to research draft picks in the offseason. You don't expect much of a third round pick but you at least expect him to contribute.
Grade: F

2003: Dewayne White, de, 2nd RD (#64)
A little better for Gruden and company although White never worked his way into the starting lineup for four years despite showing flashes of brilliance. This offseason White signed with Detroit.
Grade: C

2003: Chris Simms, qb, 3rd RD (#97)
A good test case for our little experiment, Simm has exceeded expectations but also is at risk of losing his starting job. Gruden's speciality has always been quarterbacks so it is likely Simms has done better in Gruden's offense than he would elsewhere. I'm going to give Simms a good grade but I reserve the right to change this grade if Simms bombs this season, which he probably will.
Grade: B


2004: Michael Clayton, wr, 1st RD (#15)
It's funny how time changes your perspective on players. Just a year ago everyone made fun of Peyton Manning and loved Shawm Merriman. If I was grading Clayton after his rookie season he would receive an "A" but if we're just looking at years 2 and 3 he would get a "D".
Grade: C

2004: Marquise Cooper, olb, 3rd RD (#79)
One thing I should point out here is that Gruden didn't have a lot of draft picks to work with his first three years in Tampa. The more ardent Buccaneer fans know this but for those who are unfamiliar the Bucs had to give up 2 first round draft picks and 2 second round draft picks in exchange for Gruden. Why did I mention all this? Because I honestly can't remember a single thing about Cooper.
Grade: F

2005: Cadillac Williams, rb, 1st RD (#5)
Some people might argue I should drop Caddy's grade due to his decreased production last season but I blame that more on the team constantly playing from behind more than anything. Caddy doesn't look like he has LT potential but he can be scary when he gets in the open field and is one of the more difficult backs to tackle in the league.
Grade: A

2005: Barrett Ruud, mlb, 2nd RD (#36)
Ruud looks like he'll be a really good player in the league but he has failed to move past Shelton Quarles in two years. Although in Ruud's defense Quarles has played really well the past two seasons. Like the Simms grade I reserve the right to change this if Ruud stinks up the joint this season.
Grade: B

2005: Alex Smith, te, 3rd RD (#71)
Smith has become one of my favorites players on the team, and is the best tightend people have never heard of. He was originally drafted to be a receiving tightend in the Tony Gonzalez/Antonio Gates but offensive line deficiencies have forced Smith to become a blocking tightend. If the Bucs can ever solve their blocking woes Smith could become one of the most feared tightends in the league.
Grade: A



2005: Chris Colmer, ot, 3rd RD (#91)
Colmer had a lot of potential coming out of NC State but back problems have prevented Colmer from ever playing a down in a Bucs uniform. Colmer suffers from Parsonage-Turner Syndrome which caused him to miss his entire 2003 season at NC State. I'm no doctor so Colmer may come back and play for the Bucs this season but I wouldn't bet on it.
Grade: D

Some other players worth mentioning in the later rounds who became starters are Dan Buenning, Will Allen and Jermaine Phillips, all of whom were drafted in the fourth round.

Overall, this more or less confirms what I thought of Gruden. His only really impressive picks came two years ago, i.e. Alex Smith and Dan Buenning. I'm not counting the Cadillac pick since anytime you pick in the top five you are guaranteed to be getting an impact player. Gruden has also drafted a surprising number of busts, although most of those came early in his tenure with Tampa. So I would rate Gruden at about average to below average when it comes to drafting.

Bucs Bid Quarles Adieu

Shelton Quarles back problems finally got the best of him and it appears the Bucs are going to cut ties with their former middle linebacker. Quarles joined the Bucs rather unceremoniously in '97 following a two year stint in the CFL. Quarles didn't start until '99 (5 years after he went pro), and originally started at strongside linbacker. When Gruden took over in '02 he moved Quarles to middle backer and Quarles earned his first and only Pro Bowl berth, after he helped lead Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory. In the last two years, perhaps responding to competition from Barrett Ruud, Quarles had excelled, and at times looked like the best defensive player on the field for the Bucs. Shelton will be remembered as a tough-nosed, smart player who overcame long odds to lead the Bucs defense to the Super Bowl.

But enough of Shelton, what happens next?

Not much actually. The Bucs were prepared for this, and have been grooming Ruud to replace Quarles. While he looked lost at first Ruud performed well, especially in sporadic starts in replacement on an injured Quarles last season. I want to say the Bucs picked up another middle backer this offseason but I honestly can't remember the guys name, so I'm going to assume he's no good. Of course, linebacker is one of those positions (as Quarles proved) where you can find undrafted free agents and turn them into Pro Bowlers so the Bucs may want to look through the rubbage and see if they can find a diamond to back up Ruud.

Oh, and this in no way impacts the draft unless you care about who the Bucs draft in Round 6.

(By the by the Bucs have already deleated all pictures of Quarles from their website. In lieu of a gameday pic of Quarles here is another one of the man in action.)

The NFL Network laughs at Mel Kiper Jr and Chris Berman

For those who have debated whether to watch the draft on ESPN or the NFL Network (assuming you get NFL Network) your decision has been made for you....the NFL Network will feature the FishCam, a camera mounted on Joe Thomas' boat. Thomas, as you will remember, will decline to attend the draft in favor of spending a day at the lake. Because, as ESPN's Bass Fishing has proven nothing kills in the ratings more than fat guys catching fish.

Gosselin's second mock is out....

1. Oakland	Calvin Johnson	WR	Georgia Tech
COMMENT: Say goodbye to Randy Moss
2. Detroit	Gaines Adams	DE	Clemson
COMMENT: Best pass-rusher in the draft
3. Cleveland	JaMarcus Russell	QB	LSU
COMMENT: Browns like his 85-yard arm
4. Tampa Bay	Adrian Peterson	HB	Oklahoma
COMMENT: Bucs need more big plays on offense
5. Arizona	Joe Thomas	OT	Wisconsin
COMMENT: LT Leonard Davis left in free agency

I find the Peterson selection especially peculiar since the Bucs seem to have a number of backs on their roster, including a first round pick from just two years ago, Cadillac Williams. Why do I continue to focus on Gosselin? Because he has a repuation as the most accurate draft predictor.

(HT to AA)

You Give Me Cause for Love I Can Not Hide

I'm taking the GMAT tomorrow which means I've undergone self exile this Friday night. Which means you, my beloved reader, receive the benefit of my restless fingers (hurrah!).

With roughly a week to go before draft day speculation is running rampant, and misdirection has become the soup du jour. The Raiders, beneficieries of the worst record in the league, are playing games with the first overall pick, flirting with both JaMarcus and Calvin Johnson (who shall henceforth be referred to as The Second Coming in this post). Which is awfully egotistic yet quintessentially "Al Davis" of the Raiders. But fret not Bucs fans, this can only benefit our team.

File this under wishful thinking, but the Raiders are almost certain to draft the Herculean JaMarcus, who more closely resembles a tree trunk gifted with a trebuchet for an arm. Al Davis has an infatuation with the deep ball which is why he brought Randy Moss, and then Kerry Collins to town. The Second Coming may be awfully tempting but even Al Davis can not have his cake and eat it to, the Raiders pick will be JaMarcus.

In the interim, teams are a hell of a lot less likely to work a trade with the Lions if they think The Second Coming may come off the board before pick number two. It's no secret the Lions want to trade down (or up right Plugs?) and everyone wants to trade up for rights to The Second Coming. Although, on a side note, I find it interesting everyone seems to be assuming Matt Millen won't pick a receiver considering he has done so in the first round the last three years and the Lions still have a need at receiver. By comparison, if you walk past a house and get bit by the same dog three straight days, wouldn't you expect the dog to bite you the next day? But I've veered off topic....

As I was mentioning before the latest rumor mongering involving the Raiders can only benefit the Bucs, since it would likely scare away teams from giving up a king's ransom for the #2 pick. And there are, based on rumors, no lack of teams which would be interested in trading up for the rights to The Second Coming. But maybe. just maybe, the latest rumors will scare off these teams from doing just that.

Although I stand by my previous assesment that Joe Thomas is a smarter pick for the Bucs. Changing gears slightly...

Rick Gosselin's latest mock draft has the following order.....

1. Oakland	JaMarcus Russell	QB	LSU
2. Detroit	Adrian Peterson	RB	Oklahoma
Matt Millen has struggled with top-10 picks in his stint as general manager of the Lions. Peterson would be a safe and popular choice. Detroit had success using first-round picks on Oklahoma runners Steve Owens (1970) and Billy Sims (1980).
3. Cleveland	Calvin Johnson	WR	Georgia Tech
4. Tampa Bay	Brady Quinn	QB	Notre Dame
5. Arizona	Joe Thomas	OT	Wisconsin

For those not familiar with Gosselin he is a sports writer for the Dallas Morning News who has earned the reputation as the most accurate predictor of the draft order. Gosselin, as opposed to Mel Kiper Jr, bases his mock draft on his network of NFL scouts and coaches, as opposed to scouting the college ranks himself. Although judging by Gosselin's mock pick for the Bucs I am hoping Gruden plans to unleash the first three quarterback offense ever, maybe something similar to the Emory and Henry offense. Actually, I think I'm on to something there....

But did he pass to the left?

(Whole New Meaning to Green Room) Three of the Bucs four most likely picks in the first round (Calvin Johnson, Gaines Adams, Omobi Akoye) admitted to smoking pot in college, and in other news the sun rises in the east. I'm certain the Rush Limbaugh types will attack these guys for their honesty but I think Michael Wilbon has the best take, this news should only stregthen their draft stock. EVERONE who is COOL smoked pot in college, which makes CJ, Gaines and Amobi the three coolest guys in the draft.

(Does He Use Real Bait?) Joe Thomas, the other player most likely to be drafted by the Bucs, has turned down the NFL's Draft invite, instead choosing to spend the day fishing with his family. Which is probably the way to go. Fishing beats making awkward jokes with Drew Rosenhaus while 5 million people watch every move you make any day of the week.

(Just a Free Fallin' Man) Heat seeking missile Reggie Nelson is falling down the draft charts and may even be available to the Bucs in the second round. Apparently scouts don't like it when you confuse a nickelback for a tax refund.

I'm calling shenanigans

We'll see how this plays out but I agree with BucStats on this one, don't see Bucs trading #4 and Simeon Rice for Detroit's #2. Like Scott said it doesn't make sense to trade up to #2 when you aren't guaranteed to get Calvin Johnson. Although this post could raise speculation that Scott and I are actually the same person....

This Will Be My Last Tech Post

My incompetence with html coding in the previous post aside, please consider donating to the Virginia Tech Family Fund. I have often debated internally the purpose of donating to a relief fund, questioning how much good it really does the families, and quite fairly it probably gives them little comfort in the grand scheme of things. At the same time I would like to think that if I were ever placed in the situation any of the Tech families are now placed in I could depend on the kindness of people I will never meet. So with that in mind, my check is in the mail. And I mention this not to brag but simply hope I can give the ball enough momentum to get it rolling. Anyway, as I mentioned in the title this will be my last Tech post.

UPDATE: Here's a way to donate to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund through the internet.

Moment of Silence

And thanks to EDSBS for the help.

Black Out the Ice Palace

The Bolts come home tonight tied 1-1 with the Devils, and BoltsMag is leading the charge to Black Out the Ice Palace. If you're heading to the game wear dark colors (black or blue) to support the home team. Also, tip of the hat to DRays Bay for the heads up that the Rays drew a 1.7 television rating on FSN on Thursday while the Bolts only drew a 0.5 rating on Sunshine. I bring this up only to complain that I still can't watch any of the games, and truth be told I'm not even sure which channel I would go to watch the games. I have Direct TV so it's not as if I lack enough channels, in fact it would probably make a lot of sense to put a game involving a New York area team on national, or at least, eastern seaboard television. To quote Tony Kornheiser, for all intents and purpose hockey has disappeared.

One event which will be on tv is the NFL Draft (in fact it will be on two channels, ESPN and NFL Network). In the runup to the draft, BucStats has a contest with real prizes and everything. First place wins a gift certificate to BucGear.com and second place even gets a free hat. All you have to do is guess which players the Bucs will draft.

Finally, Buccaneers.com has a draft contest of its own and is only offering game tickets to the winner. While game tickets are not nearly as good as free swag (after all we can all watch the games on tv) it ain't all that bad.

Should the Bucs draft Joe Thomas?

With two weeks to go until the draft I feel obligated to argue in favor of Joe Thomas, the left tackle out of Wisconsin. Gruden seems to have become absolutely smitten with Calvin Johnson to the point that he likely dreams of the Herculean Golden Jacket running through opposing secondaries in those three hours of sleep Gruden gets between 2:15 am and 5:15 am. But would it be smarter to draft Thomas even if CJ is available?

Left tackle is, by most accounts, the second most important position on the offense behind the quarterback (those who have read the Blind Side will have seen this argument before). In brief, there are very few men who possess the rare combination of size and agility required to protect a right handed quarterback's blindside. The intelligent design of the blind side pass rush (starting with Lawrence Taylor) has led to the increased importance of the left side, most especially the tackle, who is often isolated on an island against the defense's best pass rusher. In fact, the left tackle is, on average, the second highest paid player on the offense.

The Bucs look especially thin at left tackle this season, which would be incredibly risky if Jeff Garcia ends up as the starting quarterback. Dan Buenning will likely still be injured when the season starts which means current left tackle Anthony Davis will be moved to left guard to replace Buenning. Which means recent addition Luke Petitgout would be the starter at left tackle. There is absolutely nobody behind Petitgout on the depth chart worth mentioning, and I shudder to think what would happen in the very likely scenario where Petitgout was too injured to play.

Drafting Thomas would not only give the Bucs depth at the position, it would finally let Gruden unleash Alex Smith on opposing secondaries. Smith is the best tightend nobody has ever heard of because he has to stay on the line to help block far more often than he should. The strength of Gruden's Raiders team was their offensive line which allowed four and even five receiver sets. With Thomas added to a rebuilt offensive line Gruden could finally recreate some of the offensive fireworks he produced in Oakland.

Don't get me wrong, I love CJ and think he will be a great player in the NFL. But fans tend to fall in love with positions players while the contributions of lineman are often overlooked (except by John Madden it should be noted). Truth is that championship teams are built on both sides of the line, offense and defense. You can have the best skill players in the world (i.e. Arizona) but if you don't have a line to match them you might as well be playing with replacement players.

Call me crazy but I'm starting to think the drafting Joe Thomas over Calvin Johnson may be the smart choice....

Go Bolts!

As you probably know by know unless you're a commie Nazi terrorist, our Bolts begin their playoff series tonight against the New Jersey Devils. Last year I mocked the canuck team the Bolts played in the first round of the playoffs, but I will refrain from doing that this year, there is just nothing about Jersey to mock. Head on over to BoltsMag for all your Lightning Playoff Fever.

Ryan Nece will be receiving a JB Award tonight in Washington DC, which is part of an annual ceremony celebrating the "good guys" in the NFL. The event was created by James Brown and will be hosted by the Better Half of PTI, aka Michael Wilbon. If you'll excuse my bit of social commentary so much press is made out of Pacman Jones and Chris Henry but what are the chances ESPN will even mention the JB Awards? Anyway, congrats to Nece for the well deserved honor.

Schedulin'

Sun.	Sept. 9	at Seattle	4:15 p.m.	FOX
Sun.	Sept. 16	NEW ORLEANS	1:00 p.m.	FOX
Sun.	Sept. 23	ST. LOUIS	1:00 p.m.	FOX
Sun.	Sept. 30	at Carolina	4:05 p.m.	FOX
Sun.	Oct. 7	at Indianapolis	4:05 p.m.	FOX
Sun.	Oct. 14	TENNESSEE	1:00 p.m.	CBS
Sun.	Oct. 21	at Detroit	1:00 p.m.	FOX
Sun.	Oct. 28	JACKSONVILLE	4:05 p.m.	CBS
Sun.	Nov. 4	ARIZONA	1:00 p.m.	FOX
Sun.	Nov. 11	-- bye week --
Sun.	Nov. 18	at Atlanta	1:00 p.m.^	FOX
Sun.	Nov. 25	WASHINGTON	1:00 p.m.^	FOX
Sun.	Dec. 2	at New Orleans	1:00 p.m.^	FOX
Sun.	Dec. 9	at Houston	1:00 p.m.^	FOX
Sun.	Dec. 16	ATLANTA	1:00 p.m.^	FOX
Sun.	Dec. 23	at San Francisco*	8:15 p.m.^	NBC
Sun.	Dec. 30	CAROLINA	1:00 p.m.^	FOX

* nationally televised game
^ subject to time change

I would love to complain about how NFL has turned what should be an otherwise meaningless act of releasing the schedules into something of a celebration by teasing us for two weeks with opening day and turkey day games, and then releasing the schedules one by one on the NFL Network akin to what CBS does for Selection Sunday. I would love to point out how we should all ignore this event and treat it for the over-hyped creature that it is, yet here I am about to give you my initial thoughts about the schedule. Soooo, since I don't want to be a hypocrite I won't tell you to ignore the release of the schedule and focus on more important things like say....Sanjaya's hair.

• (Shiver Me Timbers) Good news, there are no cold weather games this year. The closest the Bucs have to cold weather games are San Fran and Houston in December. Personally, I think the Bucs record in cold weather games is a bit exagerrated since they were just dreadful for roughly 20 years and would have lost those games even if they had been playing in Hawaii. But, Gruden's passing offense does not tend to do well in the cold with the New England game two years ago and last year's Pittsburgh game coming to mind.

• (At Least They Will Know How to Get Around TIA) For the 6th time in five years the Bucs will play the Skins, and for the fourth straight time the Skins will come to Tampa. Now it isn't a surprise that Tampa Bay plays Washington, we know exactly who the Bucs play from the moment the prior season ends, but I can't imagine who in DC could have so annoyed the NFL that they keep forcing the Skins to play in Tampa.

• (No Rain in Mons) It sure is nice of Pacman Jones to get banned for a season during the year his Titans play the Bucs.

• (Thanks NFL) This is a much easier schedule compared to last season when the Bucs had to play three games in five days (or something like that). With the exception of the early season @ Carolina, @ Indy stretch there are no difficult back-to-back games for the Bucs. Personally, I prefer front loading the tough games since it seems teams tend to have more post season success if they get hot in the second half of the season as compared to the first half. Throw in the late bye week and the fact that the final game is at home against a division rival, and I would venture the Bucs have one of the easier schedules in the NFL.
  

sometimes you write simply to write

It's been a week since I last updated this page (yet some how my site visits have been increasing) so I figured I would stop by with my two cents on the latest Bucs news...

For some inexplicable reason Scott, the proprieter of BucStats, has been handed his pink slip from TBO. In addition to his own site, Scott wrote for a Bucs blog at the Tampa Tribune's website, which was aptly named BucShots. Roughly a week back Scott wrote a post (and a well written post at that) joking about how he was denied entrance to One Buc Place (it's still called One Buc Place right?) despite his media credentials as a blogger for TBO.com. Apparently someone at TBO forgot that "media credentials for a blogger" is an oxymoron along the lines of jumbo shrimp or student athlete, and now BucShots has gone the way of the dodo. Which is a shame. The Tampa Tribune has sacrificed good writing for the phantom threat of decreased access.

In other news, we have a little less than three weeks to go before the draft and rumors are swirling about what the Bucs will do. Gruden is doing his best to spread misinformation about his draft pick, but it is clear by now that Gruden has his heart set on Calvin Johnson. Which is great except rumors are that CJ may not be available with the fourth pick. Supposedly the Lions are not set on any of the top four players (JaMarcus, CJ, Joe Thomas or Adrian Peterson) and wouldn't mind moving back in the draft to go after defense. In response Gruden has been telling the whole world he loves every player at the top of the draft not named Calvin Johnson, and has even gone so far to suggest he would draft Adrian Peterson.

If I'm Gruden I would quit suggesting I would love to draft a runningback or a quarterback (since nobody really believes that) and instead preach the greatness of either Gaines Adams or Amobi Okoye. It is much more believeable that the Bucs need to draft defense than it is they need to draft another qb or runningback. If you really want CJ to fall to you at four the Bucs need to convince every potential team which could trade up that CJ could fall to the fifth or even sixth spot. At this point in the game I'm not sure how believable that would be, but it could create enough doubt to prevent another team from giving up a king's ransom to move up to two or three.

And if for some reason CJ does not fall to the Bucs I have no problem with the Bucs drafting Joe Thomas instead. In fact, Thomas would be a much more valuable addition to the Bucs considering: a) the larger talent gap between Thomas and Davis compared to CJ and Clayton, and b) the greater value of elite left tackles compared to elite receivers. It would be a mistake to trade up for Johnson, which would, in effect be trading two starters for one starter. If the Bucs were close to making the Super Bowl this would be a good idea but for a team struggling to get over .500 it would be foolish.

Mock Draft Goodness

Mock drafts abound this time of the year and the Swamp has its own version of fake drafting. But this one is different, this one is special, I picked for the Bucs. The first round has finished up, and I'm on the clock for the Bucs in the second. But I'll get to that in a bit. First, the first round...

1. Oakland Raiders - Diddystyle - JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
2. Detroit Lions - briandtw - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
3. Cleveland Browns - Sabo! Sabo! - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ski - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
5. Arizona Cardinals - BoSoxFanatic21 LaRon Landy, S, LSU
6. Washington Redskins - gary.clark - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
7. Minnesota Vikings - IcyCandy2 - Jamal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
8. Atlanta Falcons - GritsGoBlue - Patrick Willis - MLB - Ole Miss
9. Miami Dolphins - EdZipper - Amobi Okoye Louisville
10. Houston Texans - TexansTragedy - Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
11. San Francisco 49ers - Mister Delaware - Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
12. Buffalo Bills - Diamond - Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal
13. St. Louis Rams - bcg11 - Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
14.Carolina Panthers -eerrx - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jerloma - Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State
16. Green Bay Packers- BigPapaC - Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Ohio State
17. Jacksonville Jaguars -jhiphop - Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
18. Cincinnati Bengals - tennbengal - Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
19. Tennessee Titans - Tom1860 - Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
20. New York Giants - bc3412 - Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
21. Denver Broncos - San Carlos Kid - Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan
22. Dallas Cowboys -redarmy - Jarvis Moss, OLB/DE, Florida
23. Kansas City Chiefs- Brontoburglar - Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
24. New England Patriots - Chumley - Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
25. New York Jets - Coz - Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
26. Philadelphia Eagles - timgod99 - Lawrence Timmons, LB, FSU
27. New Orleans Saints - Oiler - Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
28. New England Patriots - Chumley - Jon Beason, LB, Miami
29. Baltimore Ravens - Kranepool - Justin Blaylock, OT, Texas
30. San Diego Chargers - SL22 and Barbaro - Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
31. Chicago Bears - DSafetyGuy - Ryan Kalil, C, USC
32. Indianapolis Colts - Billy22g - Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State

I would be surprised if the Lions DID draft Calvin Johnson but if the Yellow Jacket does not fall to the Bucs Joe Thomas is a pretty damn good alternative. The Bucs need someone to protect Jeff Garcia's blindside next season. I also considered Amobi Okoye and Gaines Adams in this spot.

Anyway, as I mentioned before the Bucs are on the clock for round two, and Arron Sears and Brandon Meriweather are off the board. I am considering Justin Harrell (DT, Tenn), Michael Griffin (S, Texas), and Anthony Spencer (DE, Purdue). Your thoughts? (And yes, this is my first real Bucs post in two weeks, but screw it, it's the offseason.)

This falls squarely into the realm of no shit Sherlock

The NFL has released it's opening day primetime schedule, as well as the Turkeyday schedule and there are a few things which should not surprise us; 1) the Bucs are NOT playing on Turkeyday, 2) the Cowboys and Lions are playing on Turkeyday, 3) the NFL Network will continue to screw over its potential fanbase by broadcasting games nobody can watch. I get the NFL Network but my parents do not even have the option of subscribing which means we will once again be limited to the two worst NFL games that fourth Thursday in November.

Anyway, you've got to appreciate how the NFL teases us by releasing the limited schedule a week before they release the full schedule. No other sport could get away with this but I can guarantee ESPN will have a rundown of each one of these games by the 6:00 SportsCenter complete with final score predictions and rushing totals.

"Get your head out of your ass!"

This SNL spoof commerical from last night is quickly making the rounds on the intertubes but I'll join in on the Peyton love (just call me Kenny Chesney)....

See? Garcia is totally not gay

He's even getting married. Now, would a gay get married? (Not if Dungy has anything to say about it.)

Obligatory cheesecake shot.

Welcome Kato (erghhh....Cato)

The Bucs have signed Kato.


No, not that Kato.


Not that one either.


There we go.

The popular consensus is that this is a good move as it upgrades an average linebacker corp and creates competition for the weakest backer position, strongside, between Cato and Ryan Nece.

Anyone else notice that the Bucs big defensive free agent signings have all been tweeners, i.e. guys who can play two positions? Kevin Carter is between a tackle and end, Chuckwara is between an end and a outside linebacker and Cato could play either outside backer or strong safety. The Tampa Two defense has been good to tweeners who would struggle in a more traditional defense, so it will be fun to see how Kiffin utilizes his newest weapons. The Bucs defensive cupboard has gone from being very barren to well stocked, and should look even better after the draft (Marcus Thomas anyone?).

Oh, and Tampa Tribune, June Arrives Early for Bucs? Nice.

Hells Yeah

Screw the Simms-Garcia cat fight. Screw the minor league signings by the Bucs. Screw (even) the text message Rays bill board (although it makes me want to go to a lot more Rays games). Today and tomorrow, here at the BBB it is all about the VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY.


CAA Represent.

My thoughts, predictions, and other useless insights into the NCAA Tournament

You have to love March madness, if for no other reason that with the exception of the Super Bowl no other sporting event is as widely talked about as the NCAA Tournament. The tournament is held across America with teams from every conference. Everyone has a bracket, and chances are the middle aged mother of two who thinks George Mason is in Georgia will win your tournament. Unless you are bolshevik or a Seminole you should be a fan of March madness.

[and I meant to add this orginally but check out the creatively named Chris' Sports Blog for plenty of NCAA Tourney goodness]

Anyway, on to my thoughts on the bracket with my picks to be released on Thursday...

• Everyone is picking Florida to win it all, which as I have argued is more than fair. Not since Wooden's era has a team brought back all five starters from a championship team, and only UNC and Kansas can rival Florida's talent. And while I think Florida is a lock for the Final Four, I do not think they will win it all this year. Since Kansas beat Florida in overtime (at a neutral site) back in November I have been leaning towards Kansas to win the championship and I'm still leaning that way right now. My advice for filling out your bracket is to pick a Final Four and work backwards. For example, before the brackets were announced my Final Four was Florida, Kansas, Texas and Oregon. I'm feeling less confident about Texas and obviously Oregon and Florida both can not make the Final Four, so I have no idea who my current Final Four would be.

• I'm a shameless SEC apologist so I will make an argument for Arkansas. The Hogs have a great neutral site record (6-2) beating Southern Illionois, West Virginia and Vandy and losing to Texas Tech. In addition Arkansas lost at Texas, so nobody can say Arkansas did not have a difficult non-conference schedule (like say Syracuse). In addition, the SEC is the second best conference by RPI (behind only the ACC).

• I hate that Stanford is one of the last four teams in. Their non-conference schedule is less than impressive (Texas Tech, Virginia and Air Force, and they got killed by Air Force 45-79), and they lost in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament. The best thing Stanford had going for them is they finished 6th in the PAC-10 with a 10-8 record. If the Comittee was simply looking at conference records then Kansas State (10-6), which finished fourth in the Big 12, deserved to get in ahead of Stanford. But then again, I watched very few middle of the pack games involving either the PAC 10 or Big 12 so I don't have a good feel for either team.

• One team which I do have a good feel for is FSU which for the second straight year is one of the last four teams out. FSU is a great case study of what the Selection Committee takes into account when handing out at-large bids.. FSU has the best player in the ACC (Thornton) and played a great non-conference schedule (Florida, Wisconsin, Pitt). But the Noles went a pitiful 7-9 in conference, and no matter how deep the ACC is this year the Selection Committee was not going to let in a team with a losing record in conference. FSU has the ability to beat any team it plays (they did beat Florida) but the Noles are horribly inconsistent. If FSU could have picked up one more win February (when they went 2-5) they probably would have been playing in the tournament.

• Prepare yourself for plenty of Jim Boeheim whining over the next 24 hours. And I might actually feel some pity for Boeheim if his team has left New York more than once before New Years Day this season. Syracuse played three decent teams out of conference (Wichita St, Oklahoma St, and Drexel) and lost to all three teams. Additionally, Syracuse didn't have many impressive Big East wins despite going 10-8 in the conference. The Orange beat Marquette and Villanova early in the season and defeated Georgetown in a classic let down game for the Hoyas (Georgetown had just defeated Pitt).

• The mid-majors got hosed and not because Drexel didn't get in. I don't have any problem with the number of mid-majors which earned at large berths. You could make an argument in favor of Drexel based on their out of conference record (beat Syracuse, Villanova, Creighton) but any team which losses to my alma mater, William and Mary, should not earn an at-large bid. Maybe someday when William and Mary sells it soul and spends the money to field a decent team (and with the current president that may happen) losing to William and Mary will not be a black mark on a team's resume. Instead, it appears the Selection Committee hates mid majors because eight mids are matched up against each other in the first round of the tournament. The Nevada-Creighton and Old Dominion-Butler matchups are especially disheartening. There is no way that mid majors will be as big of a story this year as they were last year (although that was bound to happen before the brackets were announced anyway).

• I think we're going to see a return to chalk this year, with runs by middle of the pack conference teams like Maryland, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech. This isn't exactly going out on a limb but I think at least three of these teams will defeat either a #1 or #2 seed.

• I really like VCU to make it to the Sweet Sixteen for several reasons; 1) they are coached by former Florida assistant Anthony Grant, 2) they won an underrated CAA (also know as George Mason's conference) and, 3) they are from Virginia. VCU pulls weak Duke and Pitt teams in the first two rounds.

• Just something worth pointing out, there are a lot of freshman point guards on teams which are getting a lot of pub. Ohio State, Texas, UNC and Maryland all start freshman at the point guard position and while all of these rookies are talented, it remains to be seen how they dish the ball when the pressure is on.

A Story in Pictures

Because everything's easier to understand when all you have to figure out is bright shiny images.....

The Buccaneer quarterback saga begins March 13, 1972 with the birth of Trent Dilfer (for convience's sake we will fast forward 22 years and several dozen other Buc quarterbacks).

Dilfer (the one with his shirt off) had a few good years in Tampa, got chased off by that fat fuck Bubba the Love Sponge, then got to tell Tampa to suck his dick before beginning his Kung Fu-like destiny to roam the league going from one city to the next every year.

Dilfer was replaced by a series of forgetable quarterbacks beginning with Eric Zeier. This is the only existing picture of Zeier.

Everyone loved Shaun King until people realized his arm was weaker than FDR's legs. He now has a promising career in the Arena League.

Then came Brad Johnson, who despite not being able to throw the ball further than 15 yards down field, won a Super Bowl. The BJ is 68 and currently looking for a team interested in his services.


For roughly two years the quarterback position was manned by either Rob Johnson or King whenever the Bucs had a late game as the same time as the Ponderosa early bird special (the BJ has to eat).

Rob Johnson's current whereabouts are unknown. Despite what his website might lead you to believe King is still in the arena league.

For a brief time we were teased with the suckitude of Chris Simms before....

...we had to live through a year of Brian Griese....

...only to go back to the Liberace-loving, spinach-dip making quarterback. These years are largely forgetable.


In stepped Bruce Gradkowski (let's be honest you have no idea what Grads looks like) and Tim Rattay when the Panthers defense decided they like Simms better without a spleen.

And now we have Simms and Jeff Garcia on the same team (and maybe Plummer if he wants to make it a holy trinity?). I'm sure this will work out well....

Could the Bucs be the big winners this offseason?

With the initial flury of free agency slowing down it appears the Bucs could emerge as the big winners of the offseason. With a shallow free agent pool and an unprecedented 27% increase in the salary cap, the best value this offseason lies in quantity not quality. And no team has signed more players than the Bucs.

Take a look at the right hand side bar, the Bucs have signed at least seven free agents, including five who were not on the team last year (I'm not including Plummer in that number). The Bucs have upgraded three crucial positions on the team which were weaknesses last year, quarterback, offensive tackle and defensive end. More importantly, the Bucs have not broken the bank signing any of these players.

The surplus of cash has resulted in over valued contracts for some of the premier free agents. Joey Porter has received $20 million in guaranteed cash in a 5 year, $32 million contract from the Dolphins. Adalius Thomas has $15 million guanteed in his 6 year contract with the Pats. Patrick Kerney's 6 year contract with the Seahawks includes $19.5 million in guaranteed money. In comparison, the Bucs signed Kevin Carter to a contract with less than $5 million guaranteed. As Buccaneer Harbour points out, that is some shrew maneuvering by Bruce Allen.

After the disasterous '04 offseason which led to the signings of Todd Steusie, Charlie Garner and Darrell Russell (all busts), the Bucs seem to have retooled their approach to free agency. The Bucs have had mixed success pursuing value free agents like Chris Hovan, Jamie Winborn and Ike Hilliard. Some players turn into starters like Hovan, others (like Winborn) don't stick with the team. Either way the Bucs are not spending a good deal of cash signing these players.

On the flip side, the Bucs have only lost two players so far (although if Mahan signs somewhere else it would be a big loss). It is unlikely the Bucs will lose any starters this offseason (although, again, there is a possibility middlebacker Shelton Quarles may be lost for the season due to injury). When taken on the whole, so far the Bucs have come out ahead this offseason. We still have another month or so to go until the draft so it is too early to say for sure the Bucs came out winners this offseason but based on the early reports I would say they have to be front runners for the honor.

The Buccaneer Ministry of Truth

Hat tip to the Times Bucs blog (and Stephen Holder) for revealing this tid bit from the press conference with Bruce Allen regarding the Plummer trade...

Reporter: "Is this a conditional draft pick?" (The Broncos press release says it is)

Allen: "No. There's other conditions with the pick we sent. . . They're undisclosed."

Reporter: "So, it IS a conditional pick?"

Allen: "No."

I'm no Nobel Laureate but I'm pretty sure if a pick has conditions it is, by definition, a conditional pick.

I've had some time to digest the qb moves and I still like it, if for no other reason than it involves Gruden and company thinking outside the box. In the best case scenario, the Bucs pick up Carr or a draft pick in exchange for Plummer or Simms, respectively. In the worst case scenario the Bucs carry three starting-caliber qbs on their roster heading into the season which, compared to last season, ain't all that bad. The Bucs have a good deal of flexibility because of the increased cap as it is. But we'll see how this plays out. Moving on....

Scanning the headlines......ahhhh, the Bucs have signed defensive end Kevin Carter (go Gators) to a four year deal for $25. Spires ain't happy about the move, not that I blame him. Holder indicates Carter could play the tackle position previously manned by Booger and before him Sapp. I haven't seen much of Carter since he moved to the Dolphins but I don't remember him being big enough to man the under tackle position (although he is talented at getting to the quarterback).

I know I'm forgettting something......that's right, check out my latest installment of the sunshine state roundball update over at the sticks, which is apparently not a fan of not gay jokes.

What the hell is going on here?

I've pretty much quit doing the whole BREAKING NEWS thing, but ESPN News is reporting that the Bucs have signed Jeff Garcia and traded for Jake Plummer.

I've have no idea what is going on here.

My first impression is that Gruden and company are going with the theory that if you throw enough shit against the wall some of it has to stick. That being written both Garcia and Plummer are better fits for Gruden's west coast offense than Chris Simms. Plus, with Plummer on board the Bucs quarterbacks, on average, are slightly less effimenate. And if Plummer regrew his beard it might make the Bucs quarterbacks the most manly squad (again on average) in the NFL.

With this many former starting quarterbacks on the roster you can expect two results: 1) a very heated training camp battle, and 2) a lot of media hype surrounding the Bucs going into the season. I think Garcia is the odds on favorite to win the job for the upcoming season, with Plummer set to enter the roll of quarterback for the future. Which leaves Simms as the odd man out (and a very good chance that Simms sees the writing on the wall and asks to be traded). But ESPN has been wrong before so we'll see how this plays out.

UPDATE (1:54 pm): ESPN is now reporting that if Plummer does retire then the Bucs would not have to give up a draft pick. Rumors are flying in certainly one of the most interesting Buccaneer offseasons in recent history. Some of the more interesting ones.....

• Bucs may try and trade the rights to Plummer to the Texans for either Carr or a draft pick.
• Bucs may try and trade away Simms, maybe to the Raiders.

UPDATE (2:42): ESPN's Michael Smith reports Plummer had turned in his retirement papers to the NFL front office according to the Pewter Report message board.

A lover spurned...

Dear Jake,

Fuck you. What did we ever do to you that pissed you off? Was it the Largo sex change firing thing, 'cause if it was we're totally not down with that. That ain't Tampa baby.

We could have made you so happy. You could be throwing to Joey Galloway and Calvin Johnson, and handing off to Cadillac and Mike Alstott. We would even over look your suckitude when you tried to throw a 30 yard pass into double coverage using your left hand. Anything's better than the pussy we're with now, he can't even get his balls past the line of scrimmage (if you know what I mean).

We had so much to offer you; plentiful beaches, quality steak joints, no state income tax....we would have even turned a blind eye when you went to our ample strip clubs. 'Cause we're down with that.

But hey, it's cool. We don't need you or your beard. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. In fact, we've been talking to this other guy who is totally not gay. So enjoy retirement fucktard.

-Tampa Bay

Don't let the door hit you on the way out

Kenyatta cut by Bucs.

You ever have that guy in college who makes a great first impression but then you get to know him and you realize all he ever does is make bad jokes, argues with people and brings nothing to the table? Everyone has a friend like that, and I won't say his name (Snake), but when he leaves you are slightly relieved. You still wish him well, just as long as he's not in the same zip code. Well, that's what Kenyatta was to the Bucs, he tried hard but he never lived up to the expectations.

Anyway with Kenyatta gone, Trueblood is left to man the right tackle position which should work great as long as the Bucs run the ball every play. Trueblood is big and works as hard as anyone on the line but he struggles in pass protection. In his defense, pass blocking typically takes more time for young tackles to learn and requires working in synch with another equally young lineman in Davin Joseph, so Trueblood may get better. But if I'm the Bucs I would try and sign Jeff Gracia or Brad Johnson for more quarterback depth if you know what I'm saying.

(Like a Virus) The number of Bucs blogs continues to expand with the addition of Buc Em to the Sports Blogs Network. While many Bucs blogs can lay claim to spot on analysis and commentary only Buc Em features pics of the Oscar Meyer Weiner-mobile.

(White Wants Green) You want an indication for how much money teams are going to throw at free agents? It looks like Dewayne White will not resign with the Bucs because they are not going to give him Simeon Rice money. Assuming White leaves it would leave the Bucs pitifully thin on the defensive line.

(Drum Roll Please) And my selection for the Bucs first round pick is.........Calvin Johnson.

CJ blew away most everyone at the combine, and the biggest question in my mind isn't "do the Bucs want him?" but "will he be available at #4?" Supposedly CJ has been ranked as the number one talent in the draft, which combined with a weak free agent pool at receiver, could lead to CJ being picked before the Bucs' clock starts. Even if JaMarcus and Joe Thomas go to the Raiders and Lions respectively, I think there's a good chance the Browns trade down, possibly with Minnesota at seven. The Browns could still draft Adrian Peterson at seven and would pick up an extra second round pick in the process. And Minnesota could use a safety net for whomever they throw out there at receiver. We still have two months to go before the draft so plenty can happen between now and then.

Calvin continues to prove that his only weaknesses are kyptonite and Reggie Ball.