Bucs Received Fifth-Round Pick For TE Smith courtesy of pewterreport.com

The following try-out players will participate in this weekend's rookie-mini-camp. I see alot of Floida ties. A few USF players. I like LB Maurice Crum out of ND. He'a a Tampa product too.

33 TRY-OUT PLAYERS WITH BUCS
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 Amari 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 Geneath 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

Thanks to Peewter Report for for dish and more info on the picks. My favorite is CB Willingham even of he is from Tennessee....Here's the link: 

http://pewterreport.com/articles/view/5428

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed eight undrafted free agents to their roster on Friday in time for the start of the team's three-day rookie mini-camp at One Buc Place.

The Bucs signed Iowa center Rob Bruggeman, Georgia safety C.J. Byrd, Temple tackle Andre Douglas, Ole Miss guard Maurice Miller, Pittsburgh defensive tackle Rashaad Duncan, Florida International cornerback Marshall McDuffie, Richmond running back Josh Vaughan and Tennessee cornerback DeAngelo Willingham.

All eight players will participate in Tampa Bay's rookie-mini-camp, which begins Friday and ends Sunday.

Although some considered it a pressing need heading into the 2009 NFL Draft, the Bucs waited until the seventh round to address the cornerback position. They drafted Western Michigan CB E.J. Biggers.

But the Bucs used undrafted free agency to land two cornerbacks they were high on heading into the draft in McDuffie and Willingham.

Matthew Stafford agreed to 6 year 41 million dollar contract with all 41 million guaranteed. He also has the chance to make up to 78 million total if he meets incentives. Here's the link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4097641.

The Lions have certainly set the going rate at what seems reasonable at first glance, but after realizing he is guaranteed 41 million dollars one doesn't feel too bad for Stafford. This getting done makes tomorrow all the more interesting.

Well slap me and call me silly. According to espn.com it appears the Cardinals have lowered their demands and all they want now is a 2nd round pick in this years draft. (see link):

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4096399

And what's the only draft pick we don't have available this year? Go figure. Now I am not taking away anything from Mark Dominik, Jim Hickey, and company. However, if we would have held out just a little longer we possibly could have had Winslow for less or we could have traded for Tony Gonzalez instead for a pick next year. Not only could we have possibly traded for Gonzalez, but we still would have had this years 2nd round pick to dangle in front of Arizona for Boldin. WOW

Probably not. However, Jerry....you gotta break out the polls and get a vote on this one. Buc Fans, would you sign Plaxico Burress? Personally, I think the guy is going to prison, but if he were to manage to stay out of jail, I would definitely sign him. I am not sure if he fits in Jagz system or not, but holy shiite, can you imagine McCown being able to throw to Burress, Bryant, and Winslow. Now that would be insane. One thing I can say is this: What a freaking crazy offseason!

According to numerous sources including espn.com and mlbtraderumors.com, Gary Sheffield is a Met. Intererstingly, the Mets signed him even though they have Church as well as Murphy and Beltran in the outfield. With no DH in the NL, Sheff is going to have to accept mop up duty. According to Tim Kurkjian, Sheff will be a situational guy that could play both corner OF spots to give Murphy/Church a break.. Minaya says Sheffield will provide quality depth. I am glad, however, that he didn't sign with the Rays. Not that I wouldn't be happier with a solid replacement for the Gabes, but when Beej comes back, ideally Joyce will shift from CF to RF.

Here's the link on Sheff: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/04/mets-close-to-signing-gary-sheffield.html

Well Buc Fans, first it was Cutler. Now this. We have lost out on the Michael Vick sweepstakes. Vick has decided to sign with...a contstruction company.That's right. No NFL. Hell, not even CFL, or the UFL for that matter. Michael Vick is going to be a construction worker. No word if it is day labor or some moron actually hired him to work for his crew.

I really don't get it. I mean, Vick should be holed up in some weight room or some college campus getting back into football shape and gaining arm strength. But I suppose he got enough "training" the past couple of years playing in the yard with Bubba and Tiny. Apparently one of those guys also pulled some strings and got Vick into his new occupation too. I guess I shouldn't expect nothing less from Michael Vick.

Courtesy of espn.com, here's the link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2009/news/story?id=3998363

Third baseman Evan Longoria will be joining Team USA, according to Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman.

Friedman said USA Baseball called late Thursday night requesting that Longoria join the team and the Rays agreed.

Team USA has been hit by a rash of injuries.

First baseman and cleanup hitter Kevin Youkilis was ruled out for the rest of the tournament Wednesday because of mild ankle and foot injuries.

Four other Americans have been sidelined by injuries since the start of round two, and there was concern in the U.S. dugout when third baseman David Wright fouled a ball off his foot in the first inning.

Here's my list of 5 (subject to change). #1 on my list is:

1.  Ramses Barden- WR Cal Poly

My favorite underdog in the 2009 NFL Draft. Barden is 6'6, 228, and writes a blog for Sporting News (Check out this piece he wrote on Crabtree not running at the combine). Barden is compared to a popular former sleeper in Marques Colston. In 2008 he hauled in 67 catches for 1257 yards and 18 touchdowns. My favorite stat is that in four years of 40+ reception seasons, Barden has never fumbled. Barden may go in the fourth round but don't be surprised if he is taken just before the end of the first day.

2. Rhett Bomar- QB Sam Houston State

Right now you are probably thinking that Rhett Bomar sounds slightly familar from somewhere but you just can't think of where you know this name from. Bomar made a lot of headlines from 2003-2006. He was one of the top recruits in the country and signed with Oklahoma. Bomar was MVP of the Holiday Bowl and broke the Sooners record for passing yards by a freshman. Bomar was dismissed from college football after receiving payment for a job at a car dealership that he apparently never showed up to. In two seasons with Sam Houston State, Bomar has thrown for 5,550+ yards, 37 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. Bomar will be the steal of the draft if he can stay out of trouble. He would be a great 3rd round pick for the Detroit Lions.

3. WR Brian Robiskie, Ohio St.

Robiskie’s father coaches in the NFL and he has been a key part of a perennial BCS contender so he isn’t your typical sleeper. But Brian Robiskie seems to slip out of the spotlight when people mention the top receivers available for the draft. All the talk focuses on the abundance of underclassmen that have declared. In some cases, it is understandable. Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin are the class of the WR crop this year. Robiskie may not be the home run threat or possess the blazing speed some of the other receivers have, but the kid is a 10 year NFL starter in the making. Other than his size, he does not have any true standout physical quality but he is above average across the board. He will go over the middle to make the tough grab, but has the athleticism and body control to go up and get the football in the air. What truly sets Robiskie apart is the coaching he has received all his life. You can see the influence his father has had on him, as he runs crisp routes and has tremendous hands. He may not become a true game breaker, but Robiskie should become a very solid #2 receiver in the NFL. If he gets out of the second round, he is a big time steal.

4. LB Michael Tuailiili, Duke

Every year there are undersized tackling machines but not all of them make it in the NFL. For every Zack Thomas there are five Will Derting’s. Tuailiili hopes to have a career more like the former Dolphin, and he may just be able to. He has tremendous football instincts and is very aggressive on the field. He doesn’t waste much time reading the play and getting to the ball carrier. Tuailiili is not afraid to mix it up between the tackles and will knock the ball carrier back when he hits them. The questions about Tuailiili revolve around his size. He is short, stocky, and can be engulfed by larger lineman. He will need to be in a scheme that can protect him up front and flow to the football. Tuailiili was named team captain for the Shrine Game and earned defensive MVP honors on top of it. In the right system, Tuailiili be a solid performer at stopping the run and be a boost on special teams despite not hearing his name called until the final third of the draft.

5. DT Texas Roy Miller, Texas: I don't see why this prospect isn't getting more press. At 6' 1" 305 pounds, he is very disruptive and he gets your attention when you watch game film of the Texas defense. Maybe not a Pro Bowler at the next level, but he could a solid player in a rotation.

And here's 2 that could easily crack my lineup for my top 5:

WR Creg Carr FSU and RB Paul Coffee Alabama

I will add/update my list leading up to the draft. I didn't mean to, but it seems as if most of the positions I chose are ones of need for the Bucs, so Mark Dominik and company, keep these guys in mind!