You're the man now dog!

Hey, Michael "Ron Mexico" Vick.....




My personal opinion is there is no way Vick is suspended this season, supposedly Vick would need a prior criminal record for Goody Two Shoes Goodall to suspend his for a few games. Which means Vick might need to be convicted of the dog fighting charges first. And if Vick is looking for a lawyer in the ATL I suggest checking out this guy. (Completely random side note, I heard from a completely reliable source the dude's wife LOVES anal.)

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....