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Want to write for Buc 'Em? Follow in CallMeTaterNuts footsteps below. Create a FanPost on any Bucs related topic of your choosing and it will be pulled to the front page for all to see and judge. If you write well enough, SB*Nation may bring you aboard. Good Luck!

My last post:

When I went to SB*Nation two and half years ago to see if I could start a Bucs Blog on their platform I had no idea of the responsibility that came with such a request. Early on you had to know HTML code in order to function for SB*Nation and for a person who had no experience in HTML it was a struggle, but a fun struggle. I remember at one point I had stripped the site of all of its color accidentally while working behind the scenes, luckily for me the Tech guys reversed my error. My studies at FSU suffered as I became more and more attuned to the blog, I may have had to repeat a course or two, but it was totally worth it.

Turn the page from then to now and wow has SB*Nation grown. We’ve got twitter feeds, rss feeds, auto-taggers, AP photo privileges, automated schedules and rosters on the sites, a Yahoo partnership; and several bloggers are even credentialed by their respective franchises. Simply amazing. The platform has evolved into a blogger’s haven. That’s why it’s tough to let this thing go. SB*Nation has become and will continue to be the premier Sports Blogging Network for diehard fans across the nation. With that said I can no longer take on the responsibility that comes with blogging for SB*Nation. Over the past two and half years I graduated from college, got a full time job, got married, bought a home, and recently had my first child. Needless to say I don’t have enough hours in my day to commit to this endeavor. It is with great remorse and apprehension that I step away from this site and community, but I must.

Many Thanks:

I would like to thank Tyler and Dave for allowing me to join the SB*Nation family and voice my opinions on everything related to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You guys trusted me with your brand and gave me an outlet to empty my thoughts. For that I will be forever grateful. Dave, Jaxon, and Dave/Sunil I thank you guys for being excellent (rival) colleagues; we spent many a day’s debating the Falcons troubles, Julius Peppers availability, and the Paper Champion Saints (I kid). Ryan, Trei, and the rest of the tech team I greatly appreciate your efforts over the years, you have crafted a fantastic thing here; I can’t even put into words the type of environment you have cultivated for bloggers and fans alike… R.J. and John it was fun being a part of the Tampa Area Blogosphere with you gentlemen! Here’s to continued success for both of you and your sites. Go Devil Rays and Bolts!

I especially want to thank Stephen Holder and Rick Stroud from the St. Pete Times, the fellas from the Pewter Report, Roy Cummings and Anwar Richardson from the Tampa Tribune and Scott from BucStats for providing me with great Buccaneers insight over the years. You guys do a phenomenal job and Bucs Fans are better for having you at their disposal. I have the greatest and utmost respect for what it is that you do. I don’t think fans fully grasp what a grind it is to initially get the information and then to disseminate it to everyone’s satisfaction. You guys do a great job, honestly you do. I’ll continue to lurk your sites, ha!

To the Vendors that provided Merchandise for contests and ticket companies who provided our readers with the cheapest tickets, a big THANK YOU goes out to you. Carroll’s Sports Cove, Wall Daddy, Ticket City, Razorgator, My Ticket Market, and 1st 4 Football Tickets we greatly appreciated your support over the years… Thanks to Flea Flicker for being our Fantasy Football provider.

Finally I want to thank my contributors and the community here. Joel (aka The Bull Gator, Craig (aka Craig T), and Niko (aka Niko521Bucs), you guys did a fantastic job keeping the site fresh with content and providing your own unique insights. It took me a while to make that leap and add voices other than mine to the site, but I feel like I’ve added three brothers to my family. I appreciate all of the time and effort you put into this website! I wish I had more time in my day to keep this thing a float, or had the resources to do this full time as I really enjoyed your company.

And the Community. . . Ghosthippo, Stixx, UNFNole, UltimateBucFan, LinuxTX, and so many more of you made this site worth coming back to day in and day out. I greatly appreciate the discussions you folks conjured up within the comments section of this site… I’ll miss the GameDay Threads we had. You may not realize it, but you are the reason the site is where it is today and why I came back day after day. I started Buc ‘Em because I wanted to provide a place where Bucs fans could come and discuss everything Bucs without censorship. We have that today and I thank you all for it!!!

Buc ‘Em Head Blogger Opportunity:

I can’t make any promises with what I have to say below, but it’s worth a shot for any respective Bucs Fan out there that wants and thinks they can handle running SB*Nation’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers Blog, Buc ‘Em. The powers that be are currently looking for a new head blogger to run Buc ‘Em, do you have what it takes? Several of you responded to my writer request a week ago so I know some of you are ready to contribute. Here’s the challenge: Blog in the FanPost Section. Blog like the site is yours. Introduce yourself to the community and blog like you would if the site was yours. We’ll pull your posts to the front page and make SB*Nation take an honest look at your writing style and abilities. Make it hard for them to pick someone over you. Go! Start! Right now! Let’s see what you got… Maybe they will bring you aboard.

With that, I’m done… It was a fun ride. Go Bucs!!!

The Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans are contemplating attaching a small patch with a corporate logo to their practice jerseys; this is in reaction to a new NFL rule allowing such actions. This probably isn’t the popular sentiment, but who cares? It’s a practice jersey. I realize this could eventually extend to regular season jerseys, but what’s the harm? I know I discuss the lack of Bucs Hats and Practice Jerseys available for the public to purchase and recently advised Coach Morris to wear a new alternate jersey this season, but I can’t get riled up about Corporate sponsors on jerseys:

Don’t get me wrong I don’t like it, but I don’t watch the games to gawk at the uniforms. So long as the patches don’t take away from the action I’m indifferent. This also won’t bother me so long as the jerseys I purchase on NFL Shop EBay don’t have the corporate logos either. Maybe we can come together as a fan base and sponsor a logo on the Saints Practice Jerseys that say, "Paper Champions" or "Go Bucs" either would do…

Let’s hear it, does this scare you?

Los Angeles Lakers	9:00PM Est	Orlando Magic
	NBA FINALS

The NBA Finals start tonight with the Los Angeles Lakers taking on my and some of yours Orlando Magic. The game is on ABC at 9pm Est time (how late can it be?). Any way, good luck to the Magic and head over to both of the sites linked above for their respective teams news and analysis.

No nobody is leaving the site (as far as i know), from time to time we try and see who is interested in blogging at Buc 'Em full time, part time, whatever the case may be...

If you think you have the passion, TIME, and skills to become a Buc 'Em writer, send us an email to BucEmBlog@gmail.com. Be sure to put "Writer" in the subject block. Give us your age, location, and why you think you would be a good fit for the site. We look forward to the emails...

...UPDATE...

Despite the hatred toward this color combo, the Bucs apparently attempted to use it or produce it back in 2003, to no avail obviously:

So at least I wasn't all alone in thinking this color combo looked pretty good. Considering it never got produced it appears the majority didnt agree with the idea, as is apparent on this site as well, ha!

Original post below:

Can you believe it’s been 12 years since the Bucs unleashed the switch from the Creamsicle jerseys to the Pewter and Red? Honestly the jerseys still feel new to me. I know with the Bucs wearing throwbacks one game this season I shouldn’t get greedy, but if Raheem wants to put his finishing touch on the team, he would do it by revealing a new alternate jersey this season. That would be the final change needed to completely wipe the previous slate clean. Can you point out the new jersey scheme from the image below?

Kind of sticks out like a sore thumb huh? You didn’t think I was going to ask for lame black jerseys did you? No, this new alternate has a Bucs twist to it with the Pewter on Pewter. There’s one other wrinkle in there as well… Do you see it? Notice the orange striping is gone? The Glazers should striken the orange striping from all of the jerseys the Bucs wear immediately, it just clashes with our primary colors and everybody remembers the creamsicle days by now. Also, if you implement a throwback game every other season that’s all you need for nostalgia purposes. A new Head Coach, a new General Manager, a new Quarterback, why not a new look?…

What do you think about the alternate jersey? You got any ideas yourself? Let’s hear it!

Buc Blog Brethren:

Joe Bucs Fan interviews Kelly Campbell's CFL Coach from last season, Mike Kelly, the halfrican.

Scott from BucStats does his best Christian Bale impersonation (think the Terminator Head Case) in response to Peter King of Sports Illustrated

Gaines Adams didnt have the necessary strength the past two seasons, let's hope year three is different

Bucs Central figures it's too early to speculate on who the Bucs starting QB will be.

If you live in the Atlanta Area and are a Bucs Fan, you need to check this website out.

Bucs Beat Writers:

Bucs Center Jeff Faine has a Clothing Store in Orlando that serves complimentary beer, no seriously.

Derrick Brooks was busy handing Diplomas out Monday, what were you doing?

Don't count out the Bucs this season, Mike Alstott hasnt

WR Kelly Campbell considers this opportunity his last chance...

Bucs in the National Media:

1040 ESPN Tampa Interview with QB Josh Freeman

Former Bucs FB Jon Bradley was released by the Detroit Lions

From the Bleacher Report: Don't Expect Much from the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2009-10, hat tip to UNFNOLE for the link.

This fan is contemplating giving up his NFL Sunday Ticket thus giving up on the Bucs

The Bucs have the 6th, 9th, and 10th best QBs in the NFC South?

For those of you expecting that second wave of yesterday, um yeah

Tampa Area Sports Blogs:

Raw Charge has a used Trophy Case to sell you

DRaysBay has a word about Bossman Juniors Batting Average

This site has lacked something since its creation in February of 2007. A decent blog writer? You may be right, no I was thinking something more aesthetic and catchy…

Simply put: We don’t have a slogan for the community here. Early on that was fine as there wasn’t a community outside of myself and family members, namely my wife, sister, and mother. Now that we have a real community here (it would be bigger if the lurkers felt compelled to converse with us commoners) we definitely need a slogan; something that represents us all as a whole. Below are the Slogans I’ve come up with in the past, nothing concrete as I wanted the community to chime in on the decision:

Some other good slogans across the net:

So let’s hear your suggestions. We’ll take the suggestions, stick them in poll format, and determine the most appropriate slogan that way. The winner will receive something Bucs related and have their slogan placed prominently on the website… Alright get to it!

This morning we released some new features, all of them designed to help you share what you have to say about your favorite sport and team. Here is the rundown:

Share on Twitter

When you publish a FanPost or FanShot let your friends (or followers as they're called) know via Twitter. We've built an easy tool into the FanPost and FanShot editors that automatically creates a short URL back to your post and lets you send that to your Twitter stream along with a quick message. You can set this all up from your account settings screen, or right within the FanPost and FanShot editors. See more detailed instructions below.

Redesigned FanPost Editor

We've made a few changes to the layout and features of the FanPost editor:

1) Bigger textarea - more space to explain why ranking systems can't be objective or your GM should be fired immediately

2) Spellchecker - this isn't a spelling bee, it's a sports blog network

3) Draggable jump bar - we combined the intro and extended entry sections of a post and made it easy to decide where to split them

4) Sidebar inserts palette - tools to insert images, videos and quick, relevant, timely links in your post

5) Easy status + save - we made the auto-save message more obvious, combined it with the post status and made the whole thing a big button you can click to save as often as you want (without reloading the whole page)

6) Autotagger - adding player, team and game tags to your post helps everyone find your opinion on those subjects; we just made it super easy: write your post, click that 'run autotagger' button and we'll tag your post the most relevant players and teams + link them up as well. if you don't feel like clicking that button, we'll run that process for you when you publish.

A help box that explains all of this in more detail will open up the first time you try out the new FanPost editor. Now go fire it up on your favorite blog and try it out!

Continue reading this post »

Buc Blog Brethren:

Joe Bucs Fan posts an interview with 2nd year QB Josh Johnson who thinks he has a ‘fair’ shot at becoming the starter.

WR Maurice Stovall has been slowed by a back injury reports Buccaneers Gab.

Dwight Smith the greatest Buc to wear jersey #26? So says Buc Power.

Paris Warren has signed with Saints says Buc Stats

The fellas from the Pewter Plank shed tears over the end of the Bucs once 100,000 strong Season Ticket waiting list.

Bucs Beat Writers:

Rick Stroud of the St. Pete Times discusses Byron Leftwich’s progress in OTAs.

Jeremy Zuttah may start over Arron Sears who has missed practice reports the Tampa Tribune’s Ira Kaufman.

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune relays Carnell Williams progression thus far into the off-season.

Blackouts? Possible Blackouts this season? Gary Sheldon of the St. Pete Times discusses the possibility.

Scott Reynolds of the Pewter Report sits down with WR Kelly Campbell who will attempt to pull an Antonio Bryant type comeback this season.

Bucs in the National Media:

MJD of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner loves him some Sabby Piscitelli

Chris Harry of the Orlando Sentinel reminds you that the Bucs LB Marshall McDuffie (out of FIU) knows something about perseverance.

Per Buccaneers.com Raheem Morris discusses QB Josh Johnson and G Jeremy Zuttah’s roles in the offense.

Warren Sapp sits down with the Sentinel’s Chris Harry and discusses the refreshing new look Bucs

Paul Lukas of ESPN’s Page 2 says the Bucs WILL NOT wear throwback unis this season.

The Tampa Tribune says an NFL Source said the Bucs WILL wear throwback unis this season (speculated to be against the Green Bay Packers, immediately after the Bucs Bye Week).

Remember that piece we did on the Four Horsemen (aka Kellen Winslow, Jerramy Stevens, John Gilmore, and Alex Smith)? Well they have since been dwindled to three. No fear, there is a new set of Four Horsemen in town:

Raheem Morris on the Four Horsemen:

"We are talking about the bash and bash with Earnest and D-Ward. You got the lightning with [Clifton Smith], and Cadillac. I like the Horsemen, whatever they want to call themselves." - Head Coach Raheem Morris per the Pewter Report

"I'm riding with Cadillac. If Cadillac said training camp is when he will return then that is what I'm rolling with. Until he proves me wrong, and proves himself wrong, I'm going with Cadillac. I got my chips on Cadillac." - Head Coach Raheem Morris on Cadillac Williams per the Pewter Report

Caddy has yet to practice during OTA’s and is expected to skip them so he is 100% come Training Camp. It’s cool how it appears the entire fan base is behind this guy, essentially willing him back to the playing field. Hopefully he can stay on the field.

We have two bruisers in D-Ward and Earnest. A wildcard in Cadillac Williams, but the most intriguing piece to the puzzle for me is Clifton Smith. Clifton Smith, the man who Jags joked about walking under tables at One Buccaneer Place because he’s so short. Like Dunn, his versatility can really throw a defense for a loop. It will be interesting to see if he was able to add Warrick’s patented spin move to his arsenal. At this point it would be a shame not to have a QB who can get the ball in these guy’s hands.

The other day, ESPN Radio Host Colin Cowherd was trying to explain why the NFL is killing MLB and the NBA in ratings. He brought up some good points, but I think he left a very vital point out of the debate, so . . .

Let me tell you why the NFL destroys MLB and the NBA in ratings and popularity. I'm not saying this is the end-all be-all to its success, but it's definitely one of the over-riding factors:

Look at the NFL Draft, go ahead, Look. How many of those players are you familiar with? How many have you watched for several years? Okay, now go look at the potential Players for the NBA Draft. How many of those players are you familiar with? How about MLB's Draft? Only HARDCORE College Baseball fans would know a handful of the Draftee's, ESPN doesn't even cover College Baseball. Go look at their website and try to find a link to College Baseball without having to go through several pages to find anything.

The NFL does a great job of making its upcoming Rookies household names before they ever play their first game. The NBA could do this, but they choose not to. By implementing a minimum age requirement, the NBA too, could grow in popularity. Sure, the Kobe Bryant's, Kevin Garnett's, and LeBron James' of the world would have to wait, but did either of them experience Championship esque success in their first 2-3 years of playing in the league? No. MLB is somewhat at a disadvantage in that, it's extremely rare for a college draftee to immediately see playing time on the Big League ball club.

I think this all stems from keeping athletes in college longer. Through my own experiences I watched RB Warrick Dunn play his college ball at FSU along with LB Derrick Brooks and it made it that more intriguing to watch how they turned out in the NFL. It's tougher for MLB, as I'm watching C Buster Posey of FSU begin his second professional season and he's only in Single-A for the Giants.

Again, I'm not saying this is the only reason for why the NFL is captivating its audiences, but I think it plays a major role in its success.

Something to keep an eye on this off-season is the Kicker competition. Head Coach Raheem Morris has labeled it the simplest competition to determine:

"You line up the ball, you snap it, you tee it up and you let them kick. Whoever gets the ball between those two yellow bars the most wins." – Head Coach Raheem Morris per the Pewter Report

I guess it is that simple when you really think about it. Pedigree has to go into a little bit as well, meaning Bryant has gotten the job done in pressure situations (62 yarder against the Eagles in ‘06) in the past and so that can’t be overlooked. But you’re not going to keep a guy around who bombs in the Pre-Season based on his past successes. I just hope if Nugent were to win, his success in the off-season wouldn’t be an illusion much like Major League Baseball players who rake in Spring Training and then tank when real action begins, because Matt Bryant will get picked up if released. For their careers they are very comparable in completion percentage on their kicks: Bryant (82.1% on 168 attempts) and Nugent (82.4% on 92 attempts).

The NFL needs to quit depriving its fans and get rid of the exclusive rights deal with Reebok. The main reason? Reebok is lacking in the Apparel department, specifically in the Hat Department. Checkout what MLB has done with its apparel: Nike, New Era, Twins Franchise etc. Granted MLB players actually wear hats as part of their uniforms, but who didn’t come out of the womb with a ball cap on? Whether it’s the NFL, MLB, or the NBA; fans wear hats a lot.

Why would you limit yourself to one outfitter, especially an outfitter like Reebok who can’t seem to manufacture a decent hat? They’ve yet to realize that you can actually color code the NFL Shield to match the team in which it’s accompanying. Nothing says ugly like the Bucs Red, Black, and White followed by Red, White, and Blue. I think we can all agree that Lids.com is the premier supplier of Hats, professional or casual. They actually have more Tampa Bay Devil Rays hats, than Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hats…. Are you serious? Head over to Lids.com if you feel like becoming depressed by the embarrassing selection of Bucs Hats for purchase. That’s not Lids fault, the blame falls squarely on Reebok and the NFL’s ignorance.

Check out the hats that could have Bucs logos and color schemes:

Now feast your eyes on the options we actually have as Buccaneer fans and consumers:

Unless Reebok miraculously figures out how to mimic New Era, Nike, and the Twins Franchises every move with their products, the entire NFL fan base is stuck like Chuck; as the NFL and its owners signed a 10 YEAR exclusive deal with Reebok in 2002… Ouch!! Who’s looking forward to next season’s hideous Draft Cap? What a disaster…

If you've regularly frequented the site for the past two years you would have noticed that I took my longest leave of absence over the past couple weeks. I'm not leaving the site (unless the powers that be want me out), no, I've just been a little busy with the newest member of the Buc 'Em Family:

AScott is my first child and my head has been spinning ever since she entered the world. We dealt with a couple complications early on, but we are out of the woods and looking good. Just wanted to let everyone know what's been going on with my absence.. I hope to blog regularly from here on out...

Go Bucs!!!

The NFL may have MLB whopped in ratings as I argued here, but MLB is bringing in Revenue where the NFL for some reason, has decided not to.

or better known as Training Camp Jerseys for the NFL. In a market in which you can purchase Used Jerseys, Autographed Helmets, and a whole lot more, you would think Training Camp Jerseys would be available for purchase. MLB sells a ton of Spring Training Jerseys every season. So why not the NFL? I can't imagine how many merchandising dollars the NFL has lost over the years by not producing these jerseys. At this point it's a shame that consumers have to point out products they would buy had they had the option to do so. What do you have to say for yourself?

Training Camp is nearly upon us so here's where the players stand thus far:

Here's how this chart works: An means the athlete's stock is on the rise, though it doesn't necessarily mean they are particularly likely to make the club. A means they aren't doing so hot. Double Dashes "--" means the player is neutral; the player isn't on the rise or down fall. A means the player is starting barring injury or hail fire, a pair of means that perspective player got cut. A and that player is currently injured.

Potential Open Spots: Quarterback, Running back, Wide Receiver, Left Tackle, Defensive End, Defensive Tackle, Weak/Strong Side Linebacker, Strong Safety.

I'll post an updated list once a week or so, as circumstances encourage me to do so.

Player, Position	Status	Comment
Jeff Faine, C		Given one of the richest contracts for centers in the league just an off-season ago. Proved his worth last season.
Robert Bruggeman, C	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent out of Iowa. You would think he would make the team given our lack of depth at the center position.
Sean Mahan, C/G	--	Mahan is more of a Gruden player so he will really have to impress Mangurian to warrant a roster spot.
Elbert Mack, CB	--	Signed as an Un-Drafted Free Agent last off-season out of Troy. May vie for the starting nickelback position in Bates defense.
Aqib Talib, CB		Talib led the team (with Barber) in INT’s with four last season. He will certainly start opposite Ronde.
Ronde Barber, CB		A main stay on the Bucs Defense for Years, no doubt starter. Could lose time should he not handle the switch to man coverage.
Kyle Arrington, CB	--	Was on the Practice Squad last season. Probably will remain on it.
Torrie Cox, CB	--	He adds quality depth to the position for sure. He could get pushed out if Elbert and Biggers continue to develop.
Marshall McDuffie, CB	--	An undrafted free agent out of FIU. He will have to fight to make this team. Practice Squad?
E.J. Biggers, CB	--	Drafted in the 7th Round of the NFL Draft. Should be key on Special Teams. Already has a great name, hopefully his talent can back it!
DeAngelo Willingham, CB	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent out of Tennessee. Highly unlikely to make the squad.
Evan McCollough, CB	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent out of James Madison. He too is highly unlikely to make the squad.
Louis Holmes, DE	--	Undrafted Free Agent out of Arizona. Practice Squader?
Jimmy Wilkerson, DE		There’s a buzz around Wilkerson based on his play from last season and he may shock us by starting opposite Gaines Adams.
Jarriett Buie, DE	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent out of USF. May or may not make the squad.
Gaines Adams, DE		I wouldn’t say this is a make or break season for Gaines just yet as he has moderately produced. We are all expecting a nice jump in his production heading into his third season though.
Kyle Moore, DE	--	Taken in the 4th Round of the NFL Draft. He will compete to become the starter, but will certainly see time in the rotation.
Greg Peterson, DE		5th Round Pick entering his third season and has yet to contribute. The writing is on the wall.
Stylez Greg White, DE		He's got a tough season ahead of him with all the depth surrounding him. Coming off a disappointing season he will have to prove himself more so than ever this year.
Chris Bradwell, DT	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent last off-season out of Troy. Said to have a strong motor, could provide depth.
Dre' Moore, DT		4th Round Draft Pick last season. Unlike Gaines Adams he has to show marked improvement this season. With Bates on board Moore has been given a mulligan.
Chris Hovan, DT		Despite having a productive year, he should see fewer reps due to his lack of size. Bates system doesn’t bode well for Hovan.
Roy Miller, DT		Third Round Draft Pick this year. He has the size and work ethic to start right out of the gates. He is my dark horse to start.
Jovan Haye, DT		Look for Haye to improve upon last year’s successful campaign.
Ryan Sims, DT		In his third season with the Bucs it appears he may become the starter he was picked to be out of college years ago..
Rashaad Duncan, DT		Un-Drafted Free Agent out of Pittsburgh, good luck!
B.J. Askew, FB		Only FB on the roster with talent and experience. Barring injuries he is the starter.
Byron Storer, FB		Aggravated his torn ACL ligament (from last season) in the first week of OTA’s. He may or may not contribute this season.
Jameel Cook, FB	--	Signed with the Bucs last season when Storer went down. Could provide adequate depth.
Jeremy Zuttah, G/T	--	You get the sense he could start, but every position along the line is filled. Provides great depth.
Maurice Miller, G	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent out of Ole Miss. Could provide depth.
Davin Joseph, G		Concrete Starter on the Right Side of the line. Increased stamina/focus would help..
Arron Sears, G		Was very good last season. Should show marked improvement in his second season.
Matt Bryant, K		For the first time since joining the Bucs in ’05 Bryant is not considered a lock to be the team’s primary kicker. He should rise to the challenge.
Mike Nugent, K		Was a 2nd Round pick of the Jets in ’05. Will compete with Bryant for the starting job.
Niko Koutouvides, LB	--	Signed this off-season, previously played for the Broncos. Special Teamer?
Jamall Johnson, LB	--	Signed this off-season, could provide depth. Probably not though.
Angelo Crowell, LB	--	Former starter for the Bills. Coming off a serious knee injury. At this point he is considered the starter opposite Jermaine Phillips.
Rod Wilson, LB	--	Nice Player, Signed by the Bucs in December…
Barrett Ruud, LB		Proved he's the real deal the past two seasons by leading the team in tackles, despite fading toward the end of each season.
Quincy Black, LB		Will provide the primary competition to Angelo Crowell for Cato June’s old job. Don’t be surprised if he is the starter week one.
Matt McCoy, LB	--	Bucs added McCoy last March. Look to add depth.
Adam Hayward, LB		Like Greg Peterson, needs to stay on the field and prove his worth.
Geno Hayes, LB	--	Proved last season he can contribute (blocked punt for td). An injury shortened his season. Will push Jermaine Phillips to start, but unlikely to succeed in that quest.
Jermaine Phillips, LB		Unless he falters mightily he will be the starter. Time will tell whether this was the correct decision for Flips career.
Andrew Economos, LS		Signed a 5 year deal ($800k a year) last season. I graduated with a degree in Economics so I'm biased here and he's the only long snapper on the team. We all should have become long snappers. Son of a …
Josh Bidwell, P		He watched Matt Bryant receive competition this off-season, he could be next. As it is he is the team’s punter for this season.
Byron Leftwich, QB	--	He will compete with McCown to become the team’s starter. He’s got a good shot ahead of him.
Luke McCown, QB	--	This is Luke’s FINAL chance to become the starter he wants to be. He only has himself to blame if he doesn’t hold the title come the regular season.
Josh Freeman, QB	--	Do you think he will consult Josh Johnson on where to purchase the perfect clipboard? If he is the starter, Leftwich/McCown imploded (or caught the swine flu).
Josh Johnson, QB		With the addition of TWO QB’s this off-season I wouldn’t be shocked to see JJ let go at some point this off-season despite Doug Williams infatuation for him.
Brian Griese, QB		He hasn’t attended a single OTA thus far, he will be cut or traded. Good luck Brian!
Earnest Graham, RB		I expect he and Ward to receive equal reps throughout the season. One may leap the other though.
Derrick Ward, RB		It’s on Jags to keep Graham and Ward both locked into the game. Good luck with that.
Josh Vaughan, RB	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent from Richmond. The numbers aren’t in his favor. Practice Squad?
Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, RB		This is essentially it for Caddy and his NFL Career. If he gets injured again I envision him calling his career quits. Hopefully Carnell proves healthy and makes Jags job even tougher to spread the reps. This is a contract year however. Good luck Caddy!
Kareem Huggins, RB	--	Signed May 6th with the Bucs out of Hofstra. Good luck buddy.
Clifton Smith, RB		Has Jags in his corner, expect him to see increased reps on offense this season, potentially in the passing game (think screens, dump passes, etc).
Sabby Piscitelli, S		Apparently Jermaine Phillips old position is Sabby’s to lose. He was out of positions from time to time last season, but I have complete confidence in his ability to produce Flip-like numbers.
C.J. Byrd, S	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent out of Georgia. Practice Squad?
Tanard Jackson, S		Gets better and better as he gains more experience. Should make a name for himself in the NFL this season.
Donte Nicholson, S	--	Five-year safety prospect with good size who provides depth to Buccaneers secondary. Recently Re-Signed.
Will Allen, S		A good back-up, basically the only threat to unseat Sabby from his perch. Highly unlikely though.
Xavier Fulton, T	--	5th Round Draft Pick, should provide ample depth, could potentially replace Trueblood or Penn.
Marc Dile, T	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent from USF. He’ll struggle to make the team.
James Lee, T	--	He was signed back in September for depth purposes.
Donald Penn, T		Despite wanting a long term deal, Penn will remain this team’s left tackle. He needs to continue to make strides in his play to warrant a long term deal.
Demar Dotson, T	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent from Southern Miss. He’ll have to battle.
Anthony Alibi, T	--	Signed in January. Practice Squader?
Jeremy Trueblood, T		Despite solid play he needs to clean up his game a bit. The personal fouls are a bit excessive. As are the false starts.
Julius Wilson, T	--	2008 Practice Squad player, will probably do another turn this season.
Kellen Winslow, TE		The Saints have Shockey, the Falcons have Gonzalez, and the Bucs have Winslow, hopefully he produces like he has in the past.
John Gilmore, TE		Signed last off-season. Big on blocking, the only blocking TE we have.
Daniel Fells, TE	--	Signed futures contract in February. Has no future with team though. Just by sheer numbers depth chart wise
Jerramy Stevens, TE		Re-Signed this off-season to the chagrin of the masses (Which still shocks me as there wasn’t even half the fuss when he initially signed two years ago). He’ll remain on the team despite the outrage.
Ryan Purvis, TE		Un-Drafted Free Agent from Boston College. If there was any fringe player on the team that has an EXCELLENT chance of making the team it’s Purvis due to his past relationship with Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski.
Jason Pociask, TE		Practice Squad player, no shot at making the team.
Maurice Stovall, WR		Like Paris Warren if he doesn’t prove he can stay healthy he’ll never be able to showcase his talents.
Amarri Jackson, WR		This is Amarri’s second chance at becoming a Pro, I would like to think he was given another shot for a reason.
Dexter Jackson, WR		It’s only his second season, but the pressure is mounting. Can he contribute this season?
Sammie Stroughter, WR	--	7th Round Pick, has shined thus far in OTA’s. May make the squad.
Joel Filani, WR	--	The Bucs signed Filani May 13th, he was drafted by the Titans and released by the Rams. He played college ball at Texas Tech.
Kelly Campbell, WR	--	One of Mark Dominik’s first signings as a GM. He’s played well in the CFL, it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table.
Patrick Carter, WR	--	Un-Drafted Free Agent from a year ago… eh
Cortez Hankton, WR	--	Futures contract last season, lightning in a bottle? nah ....
Antonio Bryant, WR		Bryant said last year was for the haters and that this year is for the doubters. I don’t know what that means, but I can’t wait to see him in year two. Ha!
Michael Clayton, WR		Last season was make or break and apparently he made it by banking a 5 year $26 million dollar deal. Hopefully Raheem can inspire him to hold on to the ball and make plays.
Brian Clark, WR		It feels like Clark has been with the team forever. I don’t know that the organization feels this way, but he’s either got to compete or get off the pot. Make or Break season here.

Key:
-- = Chance of making the team is even.
= Chance of making the team is going down.
= Chance of making the team is going up.
= Player has been cut.
= Player is injured.
= Player is a starter.

Martin Gandy put up a "Making the Team Meter" over at Talking Chop, as did my boy Eric over at Amazin Avenue and I liked it so much I decided to borrow it in true SB Nation fashion. Thanks fellas

Feel FREE to absolutely RIP me a "New One" over the opinions I have cast. I'm a fan just as much as you are, I could certainly be reading too much into certain bias' I have OR it could just be that I'm right and you're CRAZY. Tell me what you think ....... GO BUCS!!!!

"Our plan [for Rookie QB Josh Freeman] would really be to compete with the four quarterbacks we take to camp, and let his talent show. I understand he’s 21. I’ve seen it where it helps if they sit. I saw last year where the guys played themselves onto the football field, but I do realize he’s a young quarterback, and ideally you’d like those guys to learn a little bit, prepare, and get caught up to the game. We’ll see how it goes in the preseason." - Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik per the Pewter Report

There you have it. We were all excited about the three man QB competition we initially thought we had, now throw two more names in the hat: Free Agent Byron Leftwich and Rookie Josh Freeman. Let’s discuss what may or may not come of this QB competition:

QB Luke McCown | 6’3 212lbs | 6th Season in the League
	If we ran a poll (wait for it) the fan base would probably tab Luke McCown as the team’s early favorite to become the starting QB. #1 He’s making the most money of the QB’s on the roster, $5 ($2.5 mil guaranteed) million this season (well until Freeman gets signed). #2 He’s had more time running Jags offense thus far as he’s had more reps in practice. #3 You get the sense listening to Rah and Mark that he will be the starter. This is truly a make or break opportunity for McCown; he’s had four years to rise to the top and hasn’t. The pressure is on him to prove he can become the starter. He’s been billed the team’s most athletic player, so it will be interesting to see if he can avoid the big sacks this Pre-season and finally take hold of the starting gig.
Prediction: Luke will be the team’s starter.

QB Byron Leftwich | 6’5 250lbs | 7th Season in the League
	Byron was brought in two weeks before the NFL Draft. He wasn’t given any guaranteed money on the first year of his two year deal, despite that he remains the biggest threat to unseat McCown for the starter’s job. Leftwich is coming off a successful stint as the Pittsburgh Steelers back-up QB. He possesses a strong will, good decision making skills, and a strong arm. The knock on him has always been his slow delivery and lack of mobility. He and McCown will go neck and neck during the pre-season to determine who starts for Raheem Morris.
Prediction: Leftwich becomes McCown’s primary back-up.

QB Brian Griese | 6’3 214lbs | 12th Season in the League
	With Leftwich now on the roster, Griese lost his luster as the Veteran presence on the team. Couple that with the fact that he didn’t attend the team’s first three-day voluntary mini-camp and he’s on the outside looking in. I thought Griese provided enough last season in the way of the win column to forget adding another Veteran this off-season, but the Bucs did and so his days appear numbered.
Prediction: Griese gets cut prior to Training Camp in order to let him seek employment elsewhere.

QB Josh Johnson | 6’3 213lbs | 2nd Season in the League
	This is a tough situation to figure out. On the one hand Johnson has Pro Personnel Director Doug Williams in his corner, on the other hand he has another Rookie QB coming in to take his minutes. If this were the previous regime I could see JJ getting cut. With the new regime maybe they find a way to get him on the field with his athleticism. However you chop it up it doesn’t look too good for the 5th round draft pick.
Prediction: Practice Squad material.

QB Josh Freeman | 6’5 248lbs | Rookie Season
	Herein lays the wildcard. Josh will be given every opportunity to become the starter this off-season. Can he emerge as the starter? Beating out McCown and Leftwich? I’m not so sure. There’s no rush from a management perspective to throw him in there, as this is essentially a transition year. Add in the 5th toughest schedule in the NFL and you have plenty of reasons to let him sit a season. Will his ability not allow for that though?
Prediction: Freeman becomes the 3rd string QB and will play in the event that McCown/Leftwich are ineffective after multiple opportunities (think after Week 8's Bye Week) or if injuries occur.

The Bucs started their Rookie Mini-Camp Friday. Here's a list of the 39 players participating:

QB Josh Freeman - Kansas State, DT Roy Miller Texas, DE Kyle Moore USC, OT Xavier Fulton Illinois, CB E.J. (Edjuan) Biggers Western Michigan, WR Sammie Stroughter, LB Adetokunbo Abanikanda - Southern Miss, RB Gary Anderson Jr. - Rice, DE Jarrett Buie - South Florida, FB Michael Christen - North Carolina A&T, FB Conredge Collins - Pittsburgh, LB Maurice Crum - Notre Dame, G Calvin Darrity - North Carolina, OL Marc Dile - South Florida, T Demar Dotson - Southern Miss, P Matt Fodge - Oklahoma State, G Michael Gates - Mississippi State, TE Cedric Hill - South Florida, RB Kareem Huggins - Hofstra, S Jeffrey Jack - Grambling, WR Amarri Jackson - South Florida, WR Dorrell Jalloh - West Virginia, S Merrill Johnson - Auburn, QB Rodney Landers - James Madison, RB Jay Lucas - Southern Louisiana, DT Melvin Matthew - Grambling, CB Evan McCullough - James Madison, RB Paul McKinnis - Murray State, DE Neefy Moffett - Florida State, LB Terrence Moore - Troy, CB Armando Murillo - Nebraska, WR Co-Eric Riley - Mississippi State, DT Nate Robinson - Akron, WR Tommy Saunders - Missouri, G Dion Small - Troy, LB Marcellus Speaks - Jackson State, WR Desmond Tardy - Purdue, LB Nathan Williams - Murray State, TE Chris Zellner - Miami, TE Ryan Purvis - Boston College, OC/OG Jake Griffin - USF, DE Adam Oliver - Georgia Tech, and DT Paul Griffin FSU.

I'm a bit surprised WR Amari Jackson from USF is on this list. If you'll remember he was invited last off-season as well. Maybe he can make it stick this time. I would like to see the FB Conredge Collins from Pitt make the roster as Askew is an injury waiting to happen until he proves otherwise.

Head Coach Raheem Morris on what he wants to see this weekend:

"All these guys here, they come in and you want to flood them with information; you want to give it to them and you want to see if they take it out to the grass and then do it. But the other part is, you want to see conditioning, how guys last. You've got to get the guys that have the best conditioning. You've got to get the guys that can pick it up, retain it, take it to the field and do it." - per Buccaneers.com

Head Coach Raheem Morris threw out the first pitch in the Rays 6-2 victory over the Red Sox Friday.

In case you forgot, Clifton Smith and Elbert Mack both made the team via Rookie Mini-Camp last off-season as undrafted free agents.

Raheem on Brian Griese: "I'm sure [he'll ask what his status is], and I don't want to have that conversation with [the media] before I have it with Brian. No matter what it is, it's just not right for Brian or his family for me to talk to you guys before I talk to Brian.". If that's not WRITING ON THE WALL, I don't know what it is... no shock there though.

For more images from Rookie Mini-Camp click over to the Buccaneers Official Website. Images include DT Roy Miller, DE Kyle Moore, WR Sammie Stroughter, WR Amarri Jackson, and more...

2nd Year Player Dre Moore showed flashes today in practice of resembling a real NFL player. Even more good news is that he's actually in good shape this off-season. Raheem said he wanted to FIGHT Moore last year because he was so out of shape, ha! His progression is great news, he's essentially an extra draft pick. He had a reputation as taking a while to fight and flash in a system as he did at Maryland. This is definitely a situation to keep an eye on.

QB Josh Freeman on the Rookies improvement:

"It went well. I think from the morning practice to the afternoon practice we improved collectively as a group. In the first practice guys were trying to feel their way out, me included, and in the second practice we kind of cut loose and started making some plays." - per the Pewter Report

Freeman is currently living out of a hotel room when he's not at One Buc Place. Ahh the life of a Bucs Franchise QB, ha!

Freeman looked good in his first day of Camp, the only snafu coming when he fell trying to drop back due to a Guard tripping him up.

Freeman jokingly on the hits he's taken from DT Roy Miller in camp, "Yeah they were late, cheap." You can tell there is a budding friendship growing between these two.

"The humidity definitely gets me, I sweat already, but I'll probably sweat off another five pounds in this humidity." - DE Kyle Moore on the Tampa Weather. That's got to be a shock from the humidity-less California weather to the sap all of your energy humid Florida weather.

The Pewter Report has a great interview with Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski where they talk about Freeman's abilities, the negative hype around him, and Sammie Stroughter's potential to make the club.

Freeman struggled a bit in today's afternoon practice. Raheem joked had the media been there they would have made a big to do about it.

Quote(s) of the Day:

"This is a defense that has changed from the Tampa 2 to the press-man coverage. I did that a lot in college. That’s my strength. From what I’ve seen so far, I love the system here. I like to get in a receiver’s face and use my hands. I’m good at cutting off routes with my quick feet. That’s what press coverage is. It’s using your hands and your feet and your eyes. I’m pretty good at it. Raheem loves the DBs. He’s got a soft spot for us." - Rookie CB E.J. Biggers per the Pewter Report.

What kind of Rookie Mini-Camp update would this be without a BIGGERS quote? Ha!

One more Photo Gallery you ought to take a peak at (Kyle Moore, Roy Miller, Josh Freeman, Sammie Stroughter, sadly no Biggers sightings): Bucs Beat

Hat tip to the UltimateBucFan for the list!