Buccaneers Observer

We are back! A lot of stuff to cover that has happened this offseason and we touch on as much of it as we can. The Bucs first preseason game against the Steelers is rated by Molly, we discuss transactions, and give our thoughts on all of the new gambling going on with the NFL.

The strategy is simple: the player must be from a southern school and projected to go near the Bucs pick. Molly likes OT Darnell Wright in the first round for his Jensen-like demeanor. OLB BJ Ojulari is Molly's pick in the second round. His high character was a major draw, in addition to his toolkit of moves. In the third round, Molly selects RB Kenny McIntosh. The rest of her picks are coin flips, or something a monkey would pick.

Ralph and Molly discuss the latest happenings with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Devin White wants to be traded. Re-signings, new kicker, new offensive lineman. Where are they now with the Bucs secondary. Should Gerald McCoy be in the Ring of Honor? And some of these contracts are getting out of hand across the league.

The NFL new year has started and we discuss all of the moves happening with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NFC South, and touch on a few things of interest in the league.

Dan Canales joins the Buccaneers as offensive coordinator. Canales was the quarterback coach at Seattle this year, assisting Geno Smith in the rehab of his career. It's a promotion for Canales, and as such we have no clue what the Buccaneers offense will look like. The Buccaneers will also cut Leonard Fournette and Donovan Smith, adding to the uncertainty. Unfortunately, it's just the start of cuts to the Bucs roster as the front office pays the bill for the last three years of cap finangling.  Many Bucs fans will agree with Smith's ouster after his performance in 2022 where he regressed markedly, particularly with penalties. Media is reporting he experienced personal 'tragedy', which perhaps explains the regression.  A number of players experienced tragedy last year, and we posit it may have had an impact on the field.

Both of us agree that this Super Bowl was pretty boring. The penalty that basically gave the Chiefs the win really summed up this season as a whole. What could have been an exciting game fizzled out in a bad way. Ralph discusses his thoughts on the Damar Hamlin situation and how it is incentivizing injuries. And what is going on with the Bucs offensive coordinator search? It seems like a mess, as though they did not have any plan in place for after they fired Leftwich.

Tom Brady announced his retirement this week, sending the Buccaneers back to the basement. QB coach Clyde Christiansen revealed Brady received news of his divorce during training camp and subsequently lost 15 pounds, which explains a lot about the season. It's disappointing Brady couldn't go out on top with a Super Bowl win, but the retirement was probably came at the right time.   It does not bode well for the Buccaneers offensive coordinator search, however. The prospect of Tom Brady at quarterback would be enough to lure a cream of the crop coordinator. Without Brady, the appeal drops significantly. The candidates we've interviewed reflect that reality, which mostly comprise of assistant coaches.  The Championship games were nearly unwatchable with the number of flags thrown, some of which changed the trajectory of the games. The officiating has been so atrocious it raises questions about the impact of legalized gambling on the game. The NFL has never had a referee scandal. What is it doing to safeguard against refs throwing games now that gambling on NFL games has been legalized in a number of states?

The Buccaneers offense certainly took a step back this season, but was Byron Leftwich to blame? We know Todd Bowles wanted more of an emphasis on the run game. Leftwich's offense is a vertical offense, proficient at long shots down the field as we saw in 2020 and 2021. It was never a running offense. Was Bowles asking too much? The result, as we saw, was a neutered passing game and a running game that was worse than years past.   Further, the team took a step back in other areas, including the defense and special teams. That was not on Leftwich. So, while we aren't devastated or surprised by Leftwich's firing, we don't think it will solve the Buccaneers' problems.  The Buccaneers also fired Specialists coach Chris Boniol, WRs coach Kevin Garver, OQC Jeff Kastl, assistant DL coach Lori Locust and RBs coach Todd McNair. QBs coach Clyde Christensen, senior offensive assistant Rick Christophel and OLBs coach Bob Sanders have decided to retire.

For the third year in a row, the Buccaneers are playoff bound, and division champs for the second year in a row. The team that showed up against Carolina is a team we can proudly ride to the playoffs (and Super Bowl). The Bucs week 17 matchup against the Panthers was hard fought by both teams. Both looked like they wanted a win. The Buccaneers defense showed up when it mattered, as did punter Jake Camarda during the botched punt.  There's been debate whether the Bucs should even play their starters Week 18 against the Atlanta Falcons, as Bucs clinched the division already and the Falcons are playing for draft position at this point. Is it worth the risk of injuries to our starters? The point will certainly be raised should a key player actually suffer injury during the game, but Todd Bowles does not seem concerned, and Ralph agrees. Bowles said in his press conference that injuries happen at all times during the season - practice, the preseason, the first game. You can't play scared of injury because it's part of the game. Some have argued this game is meaningless and not worth the risk. This game is not meaningless to the Bucs - we can earn a winning record with a win. Further, we've seen teams rest starters and come into the playoffs flat. It doesn't guarantee an advantage come playoff time.  Speaking of playoffs - the Buccaneers will play either the Dallas Cowboys or the Philadelphia Eagles at home in the wildcard round. Who would you rather play? Comment below.

This is for all the marbles - the NFC South title, a playoff berth. While we wouldn't technically be out of the playoff running with a loss, our fate would no longer be in our hands. The Panthers are coming off a record-breaking win over the Lions, where they rushed for a franchise-record 320 yards. The team has gone from rebuild mode to playoff contender in the weeks since the Buccaneers last played them.  How bad do the Buccaneers want it? Mike Evans needs just 83 yards to get yet another 1,000-yard season. Can he and Brady figure things out? We also have to remedy the bad tackling from the first matchup. Luke Goedeke was a huge liability during that game, which will hopefully not be a factor with Nick Leverett starting at left guard. And while the Bucs are banged up, no one player is ruled out yet.

The Buccaneers defeated the mighty Arizona Cardinals in overtime on Christmas. The Bucs once again struggled on third downs, wide receiver connections, and tackling. Tom Brady didn't have the best game, throwing two interceptions. Nevertheless, we persevered and got the W.  This week the Buccaneers need a win against the Carolina Panthers to secure their playoff berth. A win would also serve as retribution for the Buccaneers earlier loss against their division opponent. A loss would not be fatal to the Bucs playoff chances, but in that case their playoff hopes would be out of their hands.

There's no other way to say it: The 49ers loss was a better team putting the beatdown on the Buccaneers. Our blocking is bad, the tackling not much better. Brady threw short, inaccurate passes. The playcalling involved way too many screens. Our receivers got no separation. The defense got no pressure. All-in-all, it felt like we showed up and that was it.   We have four more games until playoffs. While we're leading the division at the moment, the Carolina Panthers hold their destiny in their hands. Winning out would means the Bucs' playoff hopes are dashed. Do any Bucs fans think we have a good shot during the playoffs with the way this team is playing?   We host the Cincinnati Bengals tomorrow, who are still fighting for their division and are on a hot streak. They have a ton of weapons on both sides of the ball. We fear another performance like that against the 49ers.

The Buccaneers loss to the 3-7 Browns is a tough pill to swallow. The team played well, only to break down by the 4th quarter, giving the Browns the opportunity to tie the game and take us to overtime. By then, the momentum was in their favor and they came out victorious.   There is a plethora of targets to blame, including the coaches, players, management, injuries - take your pick. We're still over here scratching our heads. What in the world is going on??

We first delve into Raph's all-22 analysis of the Seattle Seahawks victory. Many of the Buccaneers' troubles through the early part of the season were rectified this game - the poor tackling, the dropped passes, the lack of physicality, uncalled penalties working in the Bucs' favor. The Seahawks didn't just lay there and take it by any stretch of the imagination. They played hard too, and Geno Smith played well. Field conditions in Munich were terrible.  The Buccaneers will face the 3-7 Browns coming off their bye week. Jacoby Brissett has led the team against some tough opponents, but their record speaks for itself. The Browns have some studs on defense, to be sure, although it is not translating into wins. The team has had to sign a center off the street as starting center Ethan Pocic heads to IR. Vita Vea, if he plays (dealing with a foot injury himself), could have a good game.

Ralph's knee jerk reaction to the Ravens game fell apart after review of the all-22. While everyone, including Ralph, piled on the defense and Devin White, the tape showed them fighting to the very end. The Ravens offense, and Lamar Jackson in particular, just bested us. But it was a fight.  The offense is a different story. It seems everyone is in a fog, and it starts from leadership. We hate to see Tom Brady in the fallout from his divorce - you can tell the man is in a fog and it's contagious. We need someone on the offense to step up and be a leader.  The Buccaneers face the Rams tomorrow. The Rams appear to be in a similar spot to the Bucs, coming to Tampa with a 3-4 record. Their woes include their offensive line, run game, and injury to Cooper Kupp. Is it a Super Bowl hangover? Both teams need to right the ship.

The Carolina Panthers are a dumpster fire and present the perfect opportunity for the Bucs to get the awful taste of the Steelers loss out of their mouths. Not only are the Panthers dealing with an interim coaching staff, they've jettisoned their best player RB Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers. The most challenging part of this matchup for the Bucs will be the unanswered question: Will the Panthers be tanking their season, or will Steve Wilks and Co. be looking for redemption?

Ralph analyzed the game film of the Steelers loss, and it was worse than expected. The Buccaneers were plagued by miscommunication, miscues and overall poor performance by nearly everyone. There are a lot of issues that stood out on the all-22, and it remains to be seen whether the team will correct them.

What a disappointing loss. The Buccaneers should have taken this victory easily, but the Steelers, simply put, wanted it more. Bucs couldn't convert on short yardage situations, and on the other side of the ball couldn't get stops when needed. It was a game of inches where every play mattered. The boo birds are out in full force after having been retired for three years. They're blaming coaching, Tom Brady, offensive line play, the run game - you name it, they're blaming them. In truth, there's probably some blame to go around. The team lacks passion and drive, it feels like, and that's a problem not easily solved. Luckily it's only October, we're 3-3, the rest of the NFC isn't doing that great either and we're still in a good position for playoffs.

The Buccaneers have historically struggled against rookie quarterbacks jettisoned to a starting position only weeks or sometimes days before our matchup. However, Kenny Pickett will face a different Buccaneers team. The Buccaneers will dominate the Steelers the same way the Bills did: with unstoppable deep threats, namely Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Our defense must look for opportunities for turnovers as the Steelers are weak in nearly every position group on offense.  Ralph delved into the Atlanta game film. It was a cleaner game penalty-wise than originally thought, and certainly moreso than last week. The Buccaneers defensive line is not getting the push we want or expect, particularly out of Vita Vea and Logan Hall. The Buccaneers interior offensive line was beaten by Grady Jarrett during this game, while LT Donovan Smith manhandled Lorenzo Carter. RB Leonard Fournette had a few missed blocks this game, and has changed his run style a bit to target the defensive players.

The Buccaneers rise to the top of the NFC South with their win over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday. Leonard Fournette had a great game, topping not just the rushing stats but the receiving stats as well. The Buccaneers defense also clocked five sacks on Marcus Mariota.   This game, however, is in the headlines for another reason: the trash officiating. The roughing the passer call on Grady Jarrett in particular has fans in a tizzy. However, the officials missed calls all over the place, including in the prior play where the Falcons got away with an egregious DPI against Scotty Miller.

This was a close game where the defense was able to hold Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense to only 14 points. The Buccaneers offense was incohesive. The absence of their top three receivers was felt. Nevertheless, the offense nearly came back to tie the game and take the Packers to overtime.

Ralph and Molly not only give their thoughts on the Bucs win over the Saints in week 2 but they also cover the Dallas beatdown in week 1. All of this while also regaling of our adventures moving to the new house. Nothing is set up yet for recording, so this was done in a makeshift manner.

The Buccaneer will face their first regular season opponent this week when they travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys. The Cowboys are a slightly weaker team than the one the Bucs faced in the 2021 season opener, having lost LT Tyron Smith to a devastating hamstring injury. Rookie OT Tyler Smith will start in his stead. In addition, the team released RT La'el Collins this offseason, opting instead for Terence Steele. The team felt Steele won the job. Collins' $10M cap hit didn't help his cause, to be sure.  In addition, the Cowboys have lost stud receivers Amari Cooper to a trade with the Browns, and Michael Gallup to an ACL injury that required surgery. Gallup will return this season but is not expected to see the season opener. CeeDee Lamb remains from the elite trio the Bucs faced last year.  The Buccaneers finalized their roster earlier this week. Surprisingly WR Tyler Johnson did not make the cut. Head coach Todd Bowles said receivers Breshad Perriman and Scotty Miller beat him out for a roster spot because of their versatility on special teams. Johnson was signed by the Texans. Bucs traded LB Grant Stuard to the Colts, who have said his special teams prowess is a reason they signed him.  The tabloids are reporting there's trouble in the Brady home, with Gisele being upset at Tom's unretirement. Mrs. Brady reportedly stormed out of the home and is with family in Costa Rica, leaving Tom with the kids.

We finally got a taste of what the Buccaneers will look like this upcoming season, with both the starting offense and defense making their debuts. It was a welcome relief from the sub-par football we've seen from the depth guys. The Buccaneers offense drove down the field, putting three points on the board. The defense was maybe more impressive, holding Matt Ryan and the Colts offense to punts the first two drives.   The rest of the game was not as impressive. Once again, the wide receivers who need to have a good showing in a crowded room underperformed, particularly Scotty Miller. Special teams may have been a bigger disaster, with missed tackles and confusion galore. The Colts had great field position the whole game. Our returners couldn't get blocks to help them out of our redzone.   Molly's theory: this is the first draft class post-Covid. It's a mess, as expected.   Thankfully, our starters are head and shoulders above. They just need to stay healthy.  C Robert Hainsey suffered an ankle injury during the game, but it is not expected to be longterm. In addition, his replacement Nick Leverett suffered a shoulder injury. That injury is also not expected to keep him out long.   Our division rival the Carolina Panthers have also suffered several injuries, including backup quarterback Sam Darnold and kicker Zane Gonzales.   The Buccaneers have begun cuts in advance of the league's August 30 deadline. The first casualties: WR Jerrith Sterns, OLB Andre Anthony and CB Kyler McMichael.

The Buccaneers performance against the Tennessee Titans in the second preseason game left something to desired. In contrast to the first game where the receivers and tight ends really shone, there was no player or position group that stood out in the second week. We saw some notable starters in this game, including Leonard Fournette, S Mike Edwards and second string CB Jamel Dean. We lost a potential starter in G Aaron Stinnie when he suffered an ACL tear and MCL sprain in the third quarter. Stinnie went on IR and is lost for the season.  Rookie guard Luke Goedeke is getting first string snaps at guard in the aftermath of the injury. T Tristan Wirfs strained an oblique last week at practice with the Titans but should be ready by the regular season.  After much fanfare and conjecture, Tom Brady returned to practice this week from his 11-day hiatus. A theory emerged last week that Brady may be a contestant on the Masked Singer. NFL insiders insist the absence was for a family vacation scheduled during Brady's brief retirement.  We may see some starters in the upcoming matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Dolphins barely squeaked out a win over the Buccaneers in Week 1 of preseason. Overall, the Bucs performance was satisfactory, with the exception of a few freak plays that put the Dolphins ahead. Kyle Trask fumbled the ball, which could have just as easily been called an incomplete pass. The Dolphins got a freak interception on a checkdown pass to a Bucs receiver: the two struggled on the ground and the Dolphins came away with it. The game ended on a missed field goal by Jose Borregales, a headscratcher that looked like it could have been blocked but most certainly wasn't.  Aside from those plays, the Bucs played well. WR Tyler Johnson stood out as the best player on either team. WR Kaylon Geiger showed flashes and we'd like to see more of him in the next two games. The Bucs tight ends were blocking with gusto. OL Fred Johnson stood out at right tackle, largely for his size and tenacity. The Bucs defense got constant pressure on the Dolphins offense and kept it a close game. Overall, it was a good showing by the Buccaneers depth.  OLB Cam Gill, who made big plays in the Dolphins game, left the game early due to injury and was spotted at Monday's practice with a boot and using a scooter. RB Gio Bernard was also held out of practice, although there were no visible signs of an ankle injury.  The NFL released its bottom 50 of its top 100 list. Buccaneers on the list included Shaq Barrett at #86, Antoine Winfield, Jr. at 75, Devin White at 64 and Mike Evans at 53.  Former Buccaneer Aqib Taleb was present at a youth football game where his brother got into an altercation with an opposing coach and fired on the man, who died from his wounds.  Former Buccaneer Mike Williams was set to be arraigned today, August 15 after a warrant was issued for his arrest on July 22. Williams turned himself in to police.

The Buccaneers kicked off joint practices with the Dolphins today. Things got chippy quite a few times, a common occurrence in joint practices. The Bucs will face the Dolphins at home this Saturday. We probably won't see starters, but could get a peak at the offensive line prospects, as well as the new defensive line.  How will the Bucs fare this season with a completely new interior offensive line? This is a big question mark as Bucs fans eagerly await news on Ryan Jensen's injury. He's a huge anchor up front, particularly when both guards are new this year. A new center would make the line vulnerable where it would hurt Brady the most: right up the middle. We have confidence in Robert Hainsey, but Ryan Jensen will be sorely missed. A glimpse of light, however: Jensen was spotted at practice with just a knee brace. Time will tell how serious the injury is. Our prediction is the Bucs won't show their cards any sooner than they have to.  However, they need to name starting guards soon so the guys have time to gel together. Todd Bowles is aware of this predicament, voiced also by Donovan Smith. The unofficial depth chart shows Aaron Stinnie at left guard and Shaq Mason at right guard. They're both the most logical at those positions, but there's still a competition for the job.  The NFC South is in rough shape. Unofficial depth charts show the Falcons are weak at wide receiver. The Saints show Jameis Winston as starting quarterback, with Taysom Hill gracing the top of the tight end roster. The Panthers are a mess, with Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold both at the number one quarterback spot.   Injuries have plagued the Bucs at training camp. However, it appears it is mostly heat related (with the exception of Ryan Jensen's injury). His replacement Robert Hainsey went down this week and was carted off the field. Not to worry: we're told it's just cramps. Mike Evans and Russell Gage also left practice for cramps. Stay hydrated, boys!

Happy birthday to Ralph! He can now buy that Julio Jones jersey he's always wanted. A mix of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Jones can make an impact in a deep wide receiver room. His hamstring injury is healed and he's ready to chase a ring with Tom Brady. Other teams interested in signing Jones included the Packers, the Saints and the Colts. A call from Tom Brady sealed the deal.  

Bucs also bring in TE Kyle Rudolph. Similar in size to Gronk, although not as bulky, he's also a great blocker. Between Jones and Rudolph, they may collectively replace Gronk's skillset.  

Chris Godwin, who was initially not scheduled to return until mid-season, has miraculously been cleared for training camp thanks to TB12.   

Could the Bucs' offense become more run heavy this year with Leonard Fournette as a bell-cow back? Ralph makes the case.  

Vita Vea is shoring up his pass rush skills, furthering Ralph's theory that we may shift our defensive focus to the pass.

Rob Gronkowski has officially announced his retirement. The legend put out a statement on social media. His absence leaves a huge hole in the Buccaneers offense that cannot be filled.  Ndamukong Suh said on an appearance on ESPNLive's NFL2 that it was unlikely he was returning to the Buccaneers: "It looks like the Bucs are out of the picture." He was a stud on defense next year, and like Gronk, the team is going to miss his presence.  Ralph rewatches the 2021 season. Suh was among the best on defense, along with Mike Edwards. On offense, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Gronk were total gamechangers.

The NFL released the schedule last week. The Buccaneers have five primetime games once again, although theirs is one of the toughest. The schedule includes a 9:30 a.m. game in Munich, Germany against the Seahawks. We'll match up against the NFC West and AFC North this year.  Ndamukong Suh may sign with another team this year. The Browns and Raiders are potential landing spots, but the Bucs are not out of the running either. The Buccaneers signed three players after rookie minicamp, including WR Kameron Brown, DL Mike Greene and TE J.J. Howland. The team cut DL Kobe Smith and WR Austin Watkins to make room on the roster.  The New York Post reports Drew Brees is leaving NBC after a year, to which Brees tweeted he is undecided what this year holds for him, also stating playing is a possibility. Those close to him say that's not a possibility, FWIW.

The Buccaneers shocked Bucs nation by trading away their first-round pick in the NFL Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars. They gained the first overall pick in the second round and selected DE Logan Hall. In another surprising move, they picked up G Luke Goedeke at with the 57th pick. In Round 3, they snagged RB Rachaad White. With the first pick in the 4th Round they selected TE Cade Otton. Jason Licht triggered the Bucs fan base by selecting a punter with the 28th pick in the 4th Round, Jake Camarda. (Is it safe to say Bradley Pinion is out of a job?) Round 5 brought us CB Zyon McCollum. Round 6 brought us another tight end in Ko Kieft. With the 27th pick in the 7th Round the Buccaneers selected LSU LB Andre Anthony.

Jason Licht and Co. have done a phenomenal job in years past of building a team and acquiring depth that we are now, for the second year in a row, drafting the best available player rather than drafting for need. As you know, we do not follow college and therefore are ill equipped to evaluate players coming into the draft.   

However, we can look at the Buccaneers roster and tell you where we are due for an upgrade. The most obvious place, in our opinion, is at the tight end position. We *hope* Rob Gronkowski has a gentleman's agreement with Jason Licht that he is coming back but will only sign after OTAs, etc. BUT in the event that's not the case, we have a serious dearth of talent at the tight end position. Cam Brate and Codey McElroy are the only tight ends on the roster. Any tight end the Buccaneers draft would have to be a blocker first. If we don't draft a tight end, it would indicate to us that the front office has a high degree of confidence that Gronk is coming back.   

The next position where we could potentially spend a draft pick is at running back. The Buccaneers secured Leonard Fournette this off-season and he is set to be the starter. However, he's benefitted the last two seasons from the one-two punch of Ronald Jones. Rojo became a free agent this offseason and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. This year, Fournette has Giovanni Bernard, Ke'Shawn Johnson and Kenyon Barner. Despite Barner being a three-time Super Bowl champ, the talent drop off after Fournette is steep. What do we do if Fournette gets hurt? Spending draft capital at the position makes sense.  

This draft is stacked in the trenches, and the Bucs could use some depth at defensive line. We are still unsure if Ndamukong Suh will be back, but in any event another stud defensive lineman can't hurt. We have Vita Vea, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Will Gholston and Pat O'Connor. But one injury to any of those and we're in trouble. In the event Suh doesn't come back, we need to replace his talent stack. Defensive line is a position where an upgrade would be useful.  

In this draft's installment of Know Your Enemy: 

- The Carolina Panthers are expected to draft Kenny Pickett at quarterback with the sixth overall pick. 

- The Atlanta Falcons are expected to go with a wide receiver at the eighth pick. 

- The New Orleans Saints are expected to draft either a tackle or defensive lineman with the 16th pick.

Ralph is uneasy about the coaching change at One Buc Place. Between Todd Bowles' win-loss record and penchant for firing underlings, Ralph is hesitant about celebrating the move. Molly would agree but for the culture and staff installed under Bruce Arians being mostly in-tact. How much say will Bowles have in the day-to-day of the team, including the offense? What about personnel decisions? There are a lot of unknowns.  We discuss the additions of Keanu Neal, Logan Ryan, Pat O'Connor, Giovanni Bernard, Gronk's status, and more!

In a move that shocked the football world, Bruce Arians announced he would step down as head coach of the Buccaneers, moving to a position in the front office. Todd Bowles will secede him as the new head coach. The Buccaneers made it official by giving Bowles a five-year contract. BA will stay within the organization as a Senior Football Consultant.  The Glazers announced during the press conference today BA would be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor this season.  BA's announcement has resurrected speculation there was a rift between Brady and BA, although BA once again rejected that assertion during his press conference.  Bowles will still call plays for the defense, but Larry Foote and Kacy Rodgers will serve as co-defensive coordinators.   The team also brought back backup QB Ryan Griffin today.

Free agency continues and the Buccaneers have locked up two key free agents: Leonard Fournette and William Gholston. They've also signed OL Fred Johnson, a former Bengal, and T Josh Wells.  The Bucs have not yet reached agreements with Ndamukong Suh and Rob Gronkowski, although they are reportedly in talks with both. JPP still remains a free agent, as is Gio Bernard, Pat O'Connor, Steve McClendon. The defensive line is currently a little thin, and it remains to be seen whether the Bucs will fill the gaps through free agency or the draft.  The Buccaneers lost Ronald Jones II to the Kansas City Chiefs. While Rojo showed promise at times, he failed to make himself non-expendable at the Bucs.  Antonio Brown continues to act a fool, this time with an Instagram model who he claims owes him $5,000.

This free agency period is bananas. The Buccaneers re-sign stud C Ryan Jensen. They bring in Shaq Mason in a trade with the Patriots (an absolute steal, btw). The Bucs sign S Logan Ryan, a Tom Brady guy. They also bring in Russell Gage with a phone call from Tom. Breshad Perriman is back. Chris Godwin is now under contract. Shaq Barrett and Mike Evans restructure their contracts to give us some wiggle room, and Cam Brate takes a paycut.  We did lose several guys. S Jordan Whitehead went to the Jets for $7 million a year (a two-year deal). The Bills snagged TE OJ Howard on a one-year prove-it deal. G Alex Cappa, of course, went to Cincinnati the first day of free agency.  The Buccaneers have some notable holes to fill and free agents still unsigned. The most pressing will be Ndamukong Suh and Will Gholston on the defensive line. The running back room is also an area of concern. Leonard Fournette indicates he wants to get paid, and as we know, Bruce Arians does not like to pay running backs. However, it seems like Ezekiel Elliot contracts are going the way of the do-do bird, so the market may not meet Lenny's expectations.  The tight end room is also empty, with only Brate and Codey McElroy under contract, but Gronk is expected to return. A fourth tight end will likely be signed before the season begins.  Deshaun Watson signed a monster contract with the Browns in a moved that shocked the NFL world. The Browns were out per media reports. Watson was meeting with the Saints and Falcons, who seemed like the final contenders. The Browns swooped in with a record breaking fully guaranteed contract and draft picks galore that the Texans and Watson couldn't refuse. The remainder of the NFC South now has to grapple with quarterback drama for the near future (lol).

Free agency starts with a bang for the Bucs, who not only get the GOAT back in a surprise un-retiring, but also retained star Center Ryan Jensen AND CB Carlton Davis. Both players were highly sought-after in free agency for their positions.  The Buccaneers have not worked out a deal with S Jordan Whitehead, who is being eyed by Bucs fans as the next priority in free agency. Will Rob Gronkowski come back for one more season with Tom? He has reportedly been working out at the team facility every week. What will we do at running back? Leonard Fournette deleted a "goodbye, Tampa" Instagram post.  The Bucs interior offensive line is a big question, but will be anchored by Jensen in the middle. Retaining G Aaron Stinnie offers consistency, having played in Cappa's absence during the postseason in 2020. Stinnie is a lateral move from Cappa and could start in his place with little disruption. That lives one hole at guard for the Bucs to fill through free agency, the draft or by promoting existing players on the roster. Nick Leverett and Robert Hainsey are recent acquisitions through the draft class the team has been developing.

The deadline to franchise tag players is tomorrow. Who will the Bucs tag? Chris Godwin? Carlton Davis? Jordan Whitehead?  Buccaneers make some minor changes to their staff, including Larry Foote moving from OLB coach to ILB coach.  Tom Brady has made cryptic comments about his future in the NFL. SO YOU'RE TELLING US THERE'S STILL A CHANCE??? No. There isn't. Kyle Trask looks more and more likely as the Bucs next quarterback, especially with the current draft class and the small free agent market. Blaine Gabbert may also be an option, per Bruce Arians.  Bruce Arians and Jason Licht appeared at the combine last week. BA, when asked about the possibility of Jameis returning to the Bucs, said he wouldn't be opposed but it might not be the best place for Jameis. Jason Licht sang the praises of KJ Britt and Grant Stuard.

We have some sad personal news.  

The Buccaneers lose another key piece in Ali Marpet, who announced his retirement Sunday after seven years with the team. It makes it all the more vital we re-sign free agents Alex Cappa, Aaron Stinnie and Ryan Jensen to ensure continuity on the offensive line.  

Buccaneers staff writer and social media personality Carmen Vitali has announced her departure from the team. It is unclear where Carmen will head next, but we wish her the best.  

Is this a rebuild? Please, God. No.  

We discuss quarterback options going forward.  

The Buccaneers picked up Devin White's fifth year option.  

Tom Brady announces his next project: a movie starring himself, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and others.

The Super Bowl happened... That's about it. It was kind of boring. We expected a comeback by Joe Burrow, but the game ended on some bizarre penalties and then a 4 & out by Cincinnati.   Ralph recounts how we got to the modern halftime model.   We discuss the current questions surrounding race in the NFL.

And none of us are okay.

The Rams' final drive was a disappointing showing by the Buccaneers' defense (like we had to tell you that). However, it wasn't the 40+ yard bomb to Cooper Kupp, but the play before that sealed the Bucs' fate. SMB was covering Kupp and inexplicably fell down, leaving Mike Edwards to move up and tackle Kupp. It was Jamel Dean's effort, or lack thereof, that allowed Kupp to get out of bounds and stop the clock. Had Dean tackled Kupp in bounds, the clock would have continued to run. The Rams were out of timeouts at that point and time would not have been on their side.   

The next play was the bomb to Kupp. Bruce Arians said in his press conference that not everyone on the defense got the call to blitz. But the game film shows Lavonte David just standing there, hands on his hips, moving no more than three yards, while the Rams finished us off. He should have blitzed on that play, but took the time off, apparently. It was a terrible finish and uncharacteristic of Lavonte. Lavonte also took off the next play when the defensive line attempted to bat down the snap. It was like he had given up.  

Adam Schefter proves once again he's a hack. Perhaps he had better sourcing than when he insisted Aaron Rodgers was leaving Green Bay the day before the draft. But the Brady camp is emphatic no decision has been made. Nevertheless, the communists at ESPN stand by their reporting. I hope Brady comes back to spite-win another Super Bowl just because of this report.

What a heartbreaking rollercoaster that was. Until late in the third quarter, it seemed like the Buccaneers were doomed. But the defense kept us in it, and in it, and in it. The offense made plays when it needed them and put enough points on the board to tie us up. Then Matt Gay struck with an assist by Cooper Kupp.  

The team may have been defeated, but they went down swinging. Fans should be proud, and those guys should hold their heads high.  

Next season is gonna be fire.

We faced the Rams in week 3 and it wasn't pretty for the Buccaneers. The Rams were more physical, Bucs receivers couldn't hang onto the ball, and the defense couldn't stop the Rams offense.   

But the Rams haven't seen the Playoff Buccaneers. They haven't seen the defensive backs who nearly had five picks last week. They haven't seen Suh, Vita and Barrett firing on all cylinders. And most of all, they haven't seen playoff Tom Brady. Well... Sean McVay has. 😏  

It'll be a close game to be sure, but the Bucs are coming out with a victory.

Bucs are back to form. This game was really not even close. The Eagles managed some garbage time touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but in reality this was a trouncing by the Buccaneers. All the Bucs playoff opponents from last year experienced PTSD watching that game.  

With Dallas falling to the 49ers last night, the Bucs will face the winner of the Rams/Arizona game tonight. It will be a big matchup for the Bucs next week, and either team should be a formidable opponent.  

A concerning takeaway from the Eagles game was the injuries to the offensive line. Tristan Wirfs suffered a sprained ankle and is wearing a boot. Bruce Arians said he'd have a better idea whether Tristan will play on Friday. Same with Ryan Jensen (but he'll probably play IMO).

Veteran Buccaneer fans know the pain of losing to the Eagles in the playoffs. It happened in the years before the Bucs made their Super Bowl appearance in 2003. It cost the team Tony Dungy. Ronde Barber righted the ship with his pick six in the NFC Championship. The victory took the Bucs to the Super Bowl, where they came away with the Lombardi.  

We meet again nearly 20 years later. The teams are dead even in both regular seasons matchups and playoff wins. This game will be the tie breaker.  

Ralph is eager to see the defense step it up. Now that playoffs are here, the studs need to show their brass: Vita, Suh, JPP, Shaq, Lavonte. We're counting on them. The Buccaneers will play at home in the wind and rain against a young, gimmicky team led by Jalen Hurts. We will come out victorious as long as we don't beat ourselves.