SB Nation - Dexter Jackson

Viva La Rookie! A light-hearted look how a 3rd Rookie in a row returns a Kickoff for TD!

Niko Houllis — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:50 -0000

32 Years.

37,395 Return yards without one.

141 Kick Returners

1,865 Tries.

And then, in 2007, 2008, and now 2009, Three consecutive rookies are able to return a kickoff for a TD, like its Practice!

Practice?!?

Add Sammie Stroughter to the name of "Rookies with names that begin with an S" as in Superman.

Spurlock, Michael; was the first. Then came...

Dexter Jackson, drafted to be a kick return specialist. Problem was he spent too much of his youth on the slip n slide instead of playing Foosball with Bobby Bouchet. He was removed from his duties, and undrafted Clifton Smith took over and returned his version. Oh he also added a punt return to boot.

Same Clifton Smith is hit by a Mack Truck (why is it a Mack Truck? Won't a Ford Ranger do the job just as well?) and taken out of the game. In comes 7th round selection Sammie Superman 3 Stroughter, with the record (we're having to keep records of these things now).

Credit Special Teams coach Richard Bisaccia who survived the coaching purge. He designed the attack plans that were crippled with new 2009 rules that prohibit 3 man wedges.

Imagine someone from the past coming to the future to read this. His story would be straight science fiction. The Bucs with three KO returns! Sure..in Star Trek 3: The Search for Spurlock.

Accountability? Morris, Dominik show mettle.

Niko Houllis — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:39:44 -0000

Message clear to non performers...

View full size photo »

The first few weeks, we heard the questions. "Where is the accountability". Then the losses piled up as did the heat on GM Mark Dominik and Head Coach Raheem Morris. "Morris is too cozy with his players".

It would seem that the gassers Morris ordered first day of camp was not enough to persuade some that he is to be taken seriously. Friday night, the message got clearer for many.

Dexter Jackson, can't return kicks or catch? Gone.

Jeff Jagodzinski? Can't give the details required? Gone.

Mike Nugent missing FGs? Gone.

And now, Gaines Adams, the franchise's compensation for the miserable 2006 season, the 4th overall pick in the 2007 draft, traded for a second round pick from the Chicago Bears.

Truth be told, most fans feel like it was a steal. Adams was expected, even challenged, to produce a double digit sack season which would've require double his efforts. Obviously the pressure was too much to ask of him; Adams went several games without so much as a single stat to show for his challenge.

Some will harp on the fact that we now wasted that #4 pick. This is not news, Adams status has been sealed for some time now, yesterday's news just became official, thats all. In much the same way Dexter Jackson's release was a sea of doom for some, his wasted pick just needed confirming too in the same way Adams had been. Instead, the topic of the conversations this weekend should focus on the Bucs management, and their willingness to make the tough decisions and cut players who are clearly not producing and a burden on the franchise, at the risk of the major backlash its sure to create.

Unlike the releasing of former Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, most of these cuts are not exactly an admission of a mistake. All except the OC were the result of poor draft records of the previous administration. Still, the message seems clear to those who are dropping passes, missing tackles, and just poor play overall. Where you were drafted does not matter. How much money you make is of no concern. Dominik and Morris are doing everything BUT use the R word, but in the process are setting up the Bucs with draft picks for next year, when the real rebuilding begins.

PEWTER PREVIEW! Philadelphia Eagles preview, Vick, DE Trent Cole Mic'ed Up & More

Niko Houllis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:00:31 -0000

The countdown is started, the players will be packing soon, finishing up last practices, ready to head to the Linc, where the Bucs had success the last time they were there. But 2003 seems like a lifetime ago! The Bucs are rebuilding, and the Eagles have retooled and are as dangerous as ever. In this, the first Pewter Preview movie of the year, we will look at some of the Eagles weapons including a Mic'ed up DE Trent Cole, an NFL Network analysis of Michael Vick, and a look at a dangerous weapon we wanted here in Tampa; DeSean Jackson. I remember local media warning against picking DeSean because of his nickname (MESean) and his almost exact specs to former Gator receiver Jacquez Green, who also had speed but didn't really pan out as a WR here. Well everyone was wrong, and our pick, Dexter Jackson, is no longer even on the team.

Enjoy the preview, and we will look more into the last time we played the Eagles over the next few days before Game Day!

Five questions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

JasonB — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:00:19 -0000

View full size photo »

This week I traded 5 questions with Niko over at the Tampa Bay Bucs blog Buc Em. We talk Tampa QBs, the collapse against the Skins, rookie head coach Raheem Morris, the Buc's ownership situation, and which Eagle would Tampa steal?

Check out my answers to his questions over there.

BGN - What's up the Bucs' QB situation? We know Leftwich was benched for Johnson who didn't do much better but is obviously still young. There's Freeman waiting in the wings... Who should we expect to see this Sunday and how much confidence do you have in that guy?

Buc Em - Bucs Head Coach Raheem Morris drafted Josh Freeman to be the Franchise QB of the Buccaneers. He expects him to be a John Elway, McNabb, ETC, the face of the team for a decade. Problem is the Bucs were hoping to sneak in a few wins in the first few weeks, so they wanted to have a QB dual between Luke McCown and Leftwich. In doing so, Both Joshes had critical reps taken away from them. In fact, you could say the Bucs Quarterbacks are ill prepared at this stage of the season because NONE of them really have had a large share of practice reps. Byron Leffwich has obvious mechanical flaws, and the Buffalo Bills exploited them with our starting Center out, and the NY Giants copied that game plan to the point Raheem felt since NO surprise wins were achieved, it was time for a change.

The lack of practice reps with the starting team has hindered the progress of Josh Freeman. Josh Johnson has one year of NFL experience even though its mostly just bench stuff, but he is familiar with offensive coordinator Olsen, who was the QB coach last year. You will see Josh Johnson this week, and the NFL will not see Josh Freeman until either Starting Center Jeff Faine gets back or Freeman is more ready. I expect to see Freeman after the Bye.

I know a lot of Eagles fans were watching the Bucs/Skins game hoping to see a Redskins loss and it looked like that would be what they'd get... but the Bucs seemed to implode. What do you attribute that to?

Tampa Bay came out playing hard, but they left alot of points on the field when then kicker Mike Nugent missed two FGs that would have given the Bucs a 16-0 halftime lead.

Josh Freeman looked like a rookie, and at times looked very indecisive. Then you have some questionable coaching decisions as well, such as kicking the FG on 4th down with 4:00 left instead of going for it , and having a fumble prone back as your 2:00 back. None of these plays cost the Bucs the game though, it was mostly lost on the missed FGs, and the youth and inexperience of the Bucs and their coaching staff. In time, they will learn to close out games like that one.

What are your thoughts on rookie head coach Raheem Morris so far?

I may not be the best person to ask, because I actually predicted his rise back in 2007, telling my friends to look out for Raheem Morris, who did wonders with the Bucs secondary when he came back to Tampa Bay after leaving for Kansas State for a year. Judging by what he did to K States defense the year he was there, and what he did to the Bucs secondary from 06 to 07 when he came back, I felt he was going to be a hot coaching prospect one day.

There are a number of Bucs fans (% we have no idea) who feel Morris and GM Mark Dominik are too young and in over their head, however Mark Dominik has been with the Bucs since 1993, and learned under Rich McKay (who built the Sapp, Brooks, Barber Bucs), Jerry Angelo (who left Tampa to build the Bears into Superbowl shape), and Tim Ruskell (who left the Bucs to build the Seahawks into a Superbowl team too), as well as the last GM Bruce Allen. So Dominik has been trained by and worked with some of the best football minds in the country. Then you have Raheem Morris, who has been with the Bucs since the Superbowl season, and trained under Monte Kiffin, arguably the best defensive coordinator of all time, perhaps next to Phily's own Jim johnson. Seeing as the ownership is going to be paying Jon Gruden AND Bruce Allen for two more seasons for doing nothing, it is doubtful they will do the same with Morris and Dominick. Their jobs are pretty safe; unless of course they go 0-16, and that may be unforgivable.

I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the Bucs' ownership? BGN readers may not know that they also own Manchester United soccer club in the English Premier league and have over a billion dollars in debt. When you combine that with the fact that Tampa has almost twice as much cap space as any other team in the NFL... you have to wonder what is up with the Glazers? Can they afford these teams? Are they still committed to the Bucs?

This situation certainly has not escaped the Tampa fan base. The problem is the same economy that has hit the rest of us has hit the rich as well! The Glazers are required to pay a lot of money on interest payments right now, and that money has them cash strapped. The money coming in from the NFL TV contracts is more than enough to run the football operations of the team, but they do not have the cash to offer cash bonuses, instead they have been offering guaranteed contracts, which is also an attractive incentive for a player. Once the interest payments become more reasonable or gone, I personally am pretty sure they will get back to the business as usual for the bucs. Frustrated fans forget that the Glazers saved football in Tampa by purchasing the team and keeping them here at a time when the Rams, and Browns, Footballs historically relevant franchises, left their respective cities, yet the Bucs stayed in Tampa! Fans also forget that not so long ago the Bucs were in Salary Cap hell because of the unwise spending of former GM Rich McKay. The Bucs have not signed players just for the sake of spending the money, and in fact did go after big name talent this year, losing out to Washington for Albert Haynesworth. And speaking of Washington, Bucs fans also seem to not realize that the Redskins have led the league in Free Agency spending, and have not had much to show for it. A Lower Salary Cap surplus does not always spell out to more wins. The Bucs brought in K2 and Derrick Ward, the Best Tight End and Running Back available in 2009 Free agency. If the previous regime had drafted better, the Bucs would not need to rely on Free Agents so much.

Finally, my standard question... If you could steal an Eagle and add him to the Bucs, who would it be?

Right Now? We would take DeSean Jackson. Local Bucs beat writers had us taking him in the draft, but also warned that he reminded Bucs fans too much of some other WR we took with similar attributes, like Florida WR Jacquez Green. However, the Bucs ended up taking Dexter Jackson from App State, and he is now no longer with the team because he could not play WR nor could he play football in special teams duty. DeSean would be a welcomed addition to the Bucs roster. If we could go back in time and take someone off your roster, we would go back and take Donovan McNabb! Enough said there!

Dexter Jackson Released

Buc Wild — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:35:04 -0000

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had until September 1st to get down to the 75 player limit. It looks like they did it a day early by releasing Dexter Jackson.

A wide receiver out of Division II (or the FCS Division), he was a second round draft pick by the Gruden/Allen regime. He was drafted for his speed (4.27 40 yard dash) and hopes that he could help stretch the field and return kicks/punts.

After struggling a bit in the 2008 preseason, he returned a punt for a touchdown in the last preseason game, giving us all hope that he could perform at the NFL level. However, after the first few agmes, it was obvious he wasn't ready for the NFL level. He appeared tentative and indecisive, often stumbling to the ground or avoiding a hit.

There had been hopes that he could turn it around this year, but with the emergence of an identical player, Sammy Stroughter, Jackson become expendable. After one year, and less than 7 games as a Buc, Dexter Jackson has been sent packing.

According to a Buc 'Em poll, 71% of you thought that Jackson would make the team. It was not to be.

Grading Out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Offense

Buc Wild — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:00:24 -0000

With it being a short week, we'll get all the "Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers" columns into one extra super duper happy fun time 24 hour period. When looking at each player/unit, we take into account what they did at their position. If McCown delivers a strike to a WR but the WR tips it to a defensive player and it gets picked, I'm not holding that against McCown.

As usual, we are looking at the previous game (Bucs @ Jags) and how each unit/individual did relative to their position on the team, expectations and other factors. For example (fictitious): Gaines Adams getting 2 hurries against first string opponent is worth more to me than him getting 2.5 sacks against the 4th string JV team.

To check out the grades, click the jump and read on.

Offense

Quarterback

Byron Leftwich - Got the start against Jacksonville. Didn't have a great performance but was able to move the offense with moderate success. Able to convert a 3rd a long with a strike delivered in the middle of the field. Still shows long windup, but with good protection was able to find receivers. Displayed little touch on his passes, relying on arm strength. When he has time, is able to survey the field. Not as strong as Week 1, but not a huge step back. Grade: B-

Luke McCown - Huge turnaround from week 1. Looked decisive, didn't escape pocket unnecessarily, was able to connect with two good throws for touchdowns. Worked with a short field, but was able to convert. Made good reads on most passes. Showed ability to make tough throws in tight spaces. Protected the ball. Grade: A-

Josh Freeman - Showed same habit of staring down receivers. Relied too much on arm strength with no touch shown. Continued to miss high on passes. Did complete some good passes. Accuracy was worse than last week, but typically missed in right places. Able to move pretty well for a bigger quarterback, as shown on his TD run. Needs work on his celebrations. Grade: C+ without celebration, C- when factoring in celebration

Josh Johnson - After the media hype, underperformed. Opportunities were limited. Did move well out of pocket, but no game changing plays. Ability still remains a threat. Showed good accuracy in limited chances. Still needs some game time. Grade: C-

Running Backs

Derrick Ward - Looked much better in week 2. Broke a few long runs showing good power, speed, vision, and agility. Next career may be Olympic hurdler. Was able to make guys miss 1 on 1. Got to second level quickly and efficiently and continually fell forward. Took advantage of holes provided by OL. Good fit in the system. Grade: B

Kareem Huggins - Displayed good quickness, good tenacity, and an ability to make a guy miss. Shook a few tacklers with some nasty jukes. Shifty runner who would be labeled third down back. Need to see blocking ability before crowning him with that title. Not too powerful, was often stopped at point of first solid contact. Grade: C+

B.J. Askew - Will prove to be a HUGE asset in the running game. Can carry out of the FB position and be a good option. Has good hands and remains a threat to block, run or catch the ball. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers

Michael Clayton - Was able to get most fans to shut up about the drops, for a week. Showed good awareness in routes. Able to catch tough passes. Still a brutal blocker that will help the running game. If he can continue on this road, will be a good player in this offense. Showed ability to scoop tough throws. Still need to see him catch on run, as that has been his bugaboo. Grade: B-

Bryan Clark - Appears as if he doesn't want the 3rd WR spot. Dropped an easy pass that hit him in hands. Doesn't seem to separate well in routes. Not going to demand attention. Grade: C

Sammy Stroughter - Either our 3rd WR now or in the near future. Showed ability to take a hit, hang on to ball and run good route all on same play. Has speed to get open, and appears to have sure hands. Asset in other phases of game. (Editor's Note: Sammy Stroughter will be the end of Dexter Jackson. They play the same positions, WR/KR/PR, Sammy already has better hands, willingness to take a hit, vision, and security. With the emergence of SS, D-Jack may be on the unemployment line. Similar skill set, but fear of contact won't help him make the team, along with injuries.) Grade: B+

Jerramy Stevens - All personal issues aside, will continue to be a weapon for any quarterback. Nice route, good hands, and good finish will do nothing to deter from his fans. Size advantage is big plus in red zone. Grade: B

Kellen Winslow - It may just be me, but is this guy doing anything? He's played both weeks and done little to nothing. I'd like to see him utilized more. Don't know if he isn't showing up due to limited snaps, injuries, or lack of familiarity, but trading away a pick and spending some cash, I want more from him. Grade: D

The Others - Urrutia, Stovall and other remain largely unimpressive. They can contribute on team, but aren't making strides or showing well on the field. With Clayton still banged up, would be nice to see them with another QB Grade: C-

Offensive Line

First String - Definite progress. Showed ability to open holes for running game. Davin Joseph and Jeremy Zuttah were destroying opposing DT's in run game. Pass protection was much better with defined pocket and above average time for QB's. A few penalties but a much needed huge step forward. Grade: B

Every other string - About what you'd expect from the other guys. Some nice plays, overshadowed by breakdowns and penalties. Some good provide some good depth on line, but won't make a mark anywhere else. Grade: C

After a pretty blah performance last week, the offense rebounded this week with more consistency, more big plays, and a better discipline in moving the ball. Offensive line provided time and holes when needed, quarterbacks delivered, running backs leapt over tall buildings, and receivers (generally) made plays. Progress is important, and we saw plenty on Saturday night. Grade: B-

The Point After - Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Special Teams

Buc Wild — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:00:14 -0000

Some key battles are taking place on the special teams unit this year for the Bucs. So after one preseason game, how did the players do? Let's take a look at the grades

Punter

Dirk Johnson - Taking over for Bidwell, big shoes to fill. First punt was a weak end over end effort. Got better as night progressed. Punted 5 times for a net average of 38.6 yards (gross of 41 yards). He did drop a punt on the 9 yard line (fair caught) and the 11 yard line (short punt from the Tenn 45 yard line). Not too shabby, but will need more film to evaluate. No issues on holding for PAT's or FG"s. Grade: B

Kicker

Mike Nugent - With Matt Bryant out, the show was all Nugent's. He was perfect on PAT's. Went 1/2 on field goals, but both were beyond 50 yards. Nailed a 51 yarder with som room to spare, the 50 yarder was pulled low and left. Might have had the distance but looked like he mis-hit it. Averaged 68.6 yard per kickoff with one touchback (came after a penalty). Average kick ended on the Tenn 2 yard line. Hard to knock him for missing a 50 yarder, but every miss counts. Grade: C+

Punt Returner

Anyone - Technically, only one punt returner hit the box score. Sammy Stroughter had 2 returns for a total of 1 yard. Not groundbreaking, though he did field one punt in traffic with no fair catch. Dexter Jackson did return a punt 9 yards, but it was the punt that resulted in the safety. Grade: Incomplete, though D-Jack gets an A+ for not shying from contact

Kick Returner

Bryan Clark - 2 returns, averaging 18 yards, long of 23 yards. Not great field position here. Grade: C-

Sammy Stroughter - 3 returns, averaged 27 yards with a long of 30. Better field position, had the feeling that he can make some plays in this portion of game. Want to see more opportunites here. Grade: B

Dexter Jackson - One return for 27 yards. Didn't shy from contact but he looked like a nervous runner. Seems to be a better fit on punt returns as he likes to dance a little bit. That type of running doesn't suit kick returns as well. Grade: B-

Overall

Not much to look at here. Very average group, nothing tooe xciting or explosive, but no big mistakes either. Grade: C

The final grades are in. Nothing spectacular here, but I didn't feel like we were light years behind. I'll take the performances considering we had zero of our regular starters doing anything.

How would you rank the Special Teams?

Cannon Shots: Updates from Tuesday's Practice

Buc Wild — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:10:40 -0000

Pretty eventful day. It's the second to last day of training camp I believe, and with the Tanard Jackson suspension, it adds a few more questions into the mix. You have to wonder where Phillips will end up now. Could mean an extra LB or Safety makes the team initially.

- The big news is T-Jack got busted for his T-crack. Ok, lame jokes aside, it isn't reported what he took, but he said it's been going on for awhile. Pot would be the best guess I could offer, but it's just a guess. With him gone, Will Allen has to step up and Jermaine Phillips did take some snaps at safety today. Keep an eye there.

- I'm sure it was speculated on elsewhere, but I know that it was definitely mentioned here at Buc 'Em that the loser of the McCown/Leftwich battle may get cut. Josh Johnson is seeing a ton of reps in practice and while it may be nothing more than a chance to evaluate the young QB, it could open some eyes.

- In terms of the offensive line, check out this nugget from TBO.com's running update of practice.

11:50: And down goes McCown. The O-line continues to struggle.

Not what we wanted to hear. But this is still with Faine out and Mahan in. Hopefully Faine is the missing link

- No pads in the afternoon practice. Morris and crew rewarded the team with a light afternoon after a brisk morning practice.

- Alot of energy at practice, with the RB's doing a chant aimed at the LB's and Jameel Cook and Elbert Mack having a dance-off. No word on who won.

- Caddy was fielding punts again. They seem determined to get him involved.

- Stovall dropped a TD pass, but made up for it later with a great catch. Bad celebration though. Went to dunk on the goal post and got rejected by the post. Embarrassing.

- The Bucs are still mentioning that Hankton is in the mix for the slot WR position. I will refuse comment on this. If you want to know what I think about that, check either the game thread or my grading out the offense column.

- Injuries: Antonio Bryant is still out, Matt Bryant sat out, Will Allen, Matt McCoy, Dexter Jackson, Stylez and Winslow all sat out one or both practices. If Matt Bryant wants to make the team, he better start kicking. At this rate, Morris has to go with the available guy it seems.

Not how I wanted to wind down training camp. No Bryant (either of them), Clayton not getting a lot of reps, Caddy sitting out two games, a disaster at QB and a suspension. Maybe our adversity this year comes early?

A look back at the first week of training camp

Buc Wild — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

Browse more photos »

The players are out watching the new G.I. Joe movie. And deservedly so, they just finished the first week in training camp, one that was more physical than the last few seasons due to Coach Morris' mandate on wearing pads and hitting. We've seen and heard alot about the Bucs in the last week, but what have we learned? With week one fully in the books, let's take a position by position stop around the team and recap the first week of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's 2009 training camp.

Quarterback - We all know about the expectations, question marks, and relative inexperience at the quarterback position. But how is the battle shaping up? Josh Johnson, though not performing poorly, seems like a man destined for the practice squad, either here or with another team. Josh Freeman has had ups and downs. The young gun definitely has the arm strength, but as you'd expect, he's still green. A three interception day in camp is not what you want to see. At this point, I'd expect him to have a clipboard in hand come opening day. The last two are the vets, Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown. They'll be battling for the job all camp long. McCown has been fairly level while Leftwich started slow and has come on towards the end of the week. It'll be interesting to see who wins out. No one seems to separate themselves from the pack. I wonder if it's possible that Johnson could be kept on over Leftwich or McCown? Too soon to tell.

Running Back -Here we have the four headed monster. Earnest Graham has looked good, even ripping up equipment and ending a drill early when he pulled a cord off the goalposts. Derrick Ward is a bit hobbled right now, with his foot in a walking boot. Let's hope it's nothing serious. We need him this year. Clifton Smith is Mr. Everything right now, hitting special teams and running back. Cadillac is back at it on the field, looking good. His hands are still suspect, but he will be a valuable commodity during the year. No real movement on the depth chart here. Graham and Ward (assuming both are healthy) are the guys here.

Wide Receiver/Tight End - We know what we have in Antonio Bryant, and he hasn't let us down yet. Michael Clayton has come on strong in camp and looks like a number two receiver. The battle for the third spot continues and each day a new receiver has a strong day. Today was Cortez Hankton, but Brian Clark, Sammy Stroughter and even new addition Mario Urrutia have come on strong. Dexter Jackson started off strong but in recent days has started shying from contact again and dropping passes, not a good combo. Winslow and Stevens are known commodities and while Winslow was called out for his emotional outbursts, it's nothing we didn't know. As far as camp goes, no real surprises here as the top dogs are performing as such and there are some good battles going on for the lower spots

Offensive Line -Let's just hope everyone stays healthy. Jeff Faine is out with a groin injury and with Arron Sears still not in camp, we can't afford any more losses. The line is still adapting to the new zone scheme and for every great play and correct read, they have one that doesn't look so good. But that's to be expected in training camp.

Defensive Line -Big movers here. Gaines has been called out by the coach for a double digit sack year. Stylez G. White and Jimmy Wilkerson are having alright camps, but not spectacular. Chris Hovan hasn't had his name called much and I'd imagine he and Ryan Sims are incumbents in name only. The guys making some noise are newbies Kyle Moore and Roy Miller. Moore has been everywhere in the backfield drawing praise and Miller has been eating up the middle. I'd like to see Gaines get to the QB more and be more aggressive. This group, although the rookies are playing well, needs to step it up

Linebacker -Let's start with Barrett Ruud. I'm just happy he's in camp without that new contract. We need him to be a leader and he is doing just that. Jermaine Phillips can still hit you, but his reads have got to improve. He's learning on the job, and that will have some bumps in the road, but let's go Flip, you're a linebacker now. Geno Hayes may not be turning heads, but he's been alright. Consistent with only a few big plays. The big game changer thus far? Quincy Black. I hope his performance translates to the field. His performance in camp has been great and if he can make it count on Sundays then we have a pretty good player here.

Defensive Back -This group, well, it's been tough. Much like the OL, for every good play, there's a bad play. Ronde Barber has actually been fairly solid in the new scheme, something most Bucs fans didn't expect. Elbert Mack has been on fire, making play after play after play. Smart money is on him to be no worse than second string. The surprise? Aqib Talib and his poor play. He's been beaten, missed some tackles, just seems in a funk. Hope he can find his form quickly. The safety position has been quiet, with Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli making few plays, but also being somewhat solid in coverage. Will Allen looks to be in the mix as a rotating player.

Special Teams - Josh Bidwell is doing his thing. The kicking battle is close. Though Mike Nugent has missed more kicks, I'd say he's in the lead just based on Matt Bryant sitting out with a leg injury. Bryant has to get back into camp and make some kicks to show he's the man in Tampa. Several players have been returning kicks and punts. Clifton has been back there, Sammy Stroughter, Elbert Mack, even Cadillac. Alot of faces back there, but it's gonna be Clifton's job to lose.

So there you have it, a quick run around camp position by position. As far as dominating story lines, here you go

- Padding up: Players in full pads and live hitting in most drills. Not usual for Bucs camp

- No rest for the weary: The cool down tent is gone, get used to the heat

- McCown running with the ones: He's had first crack most days with the first team, followed by Leftwich

- Cadillac is back: Hasn't missed a practice, good to have you back

- Injuries: The lack of injuries is a great thing, though a few players have been dinged up

- All players in camp: Outside of Sears, every player has been in camp, another good sign

Practice starts back up tomorrow morning and is followed with an afternoon session. Hope the players enjoyed the night off, it's a full day tomorrow.

Cannon Shots: Update on Wednesday afternoon's practice

Buc Wild — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:17:04 -0000

After the rain came down in the Bay area and caused the morning session to be postponed for a bit, the players got back at just before 5 PM to take part in the afternoon session. It was a bit of a lighter practice, with full pads not being mandated.

Check out more Buc's info after the jump

- Dexter Jackson is still working on shedding his "soft" label. Until he takes a hit, it's hard to say how he will perform, but I like the way Raheem has been up front and told him you can't play scared.

- Injuries are piling up. The good news? They've been minor so far. Antonio Bryant was limited in the afternoon session, but he was out on the field jogging around. Michael Clayton is going to miss a few days, but nothing serious on the hamstring. Angelo Crowell is out until next week. He was supposed to be one of the leading candidates to step in at LB, but with all this missed time, it looks like the bench will be a-calling. Kellen Winslow was back at practice in the afternoon, a good sign for the oft-injured tight end.

- Kyle Moore may be a part-time starter in 2009. The coaches are definitely displaying confidence so far in the young defensive end. Seems to be a Bates' favorite already.

- Another solid day for the QB's. Luke McCown made some nice plays, but not a whole lot going on there. Byron Leftwich has picked up the hot hand, throwing 3 TD's on 12 plays in red zone drills. The deciding factor will be our O-Line. If they hold up consistently in the pre-season and give Leftwich time, I think he'll take the job. He's more experienced, has a cannon and is accurate (when given time). If our OL doesn't allow the QB much time, McCown and his mobility come into play, giving him the edge. Fairly simple.

- Coach Morris called out the team before Wednesday's practice by showing them tape of the Carolina games from 2002 until present day. He wanted to show how the Panthers had "out-muscled" us in all those games. If I was in that room as a player, I might have tried to hide. We've been bullied by them for the last few years. Doesn't mean we can't beat them, just that they've been the more physical team.

- Practice picks up again at 2:30 or 2:45 on Thursday.

The first preseason game is just around the corner. It's time to see how the Bucs look on the field in live action.