Bucs No.26 in NFL Power Rankings

Apparently the Bucs are in for another really tough year. At least profootballtalk.com thinks so. Tampa Bay is only ranked ahead of 6 teams on the profootballtalk rankings. This is despite a really successful offseason.

The Bucs upgraded their offensive line by signing one of the top lineman available in Carl Nicks. They upgraded their defensive backfield by getting Eric Wright from the Lions. Tampa also landed perhaps the most sought after free agent in Vincent Jackson. Jackson instantly upgrades the receiving core and gives Josh Freeman a true #1 receiver.

Not only all of that, but the Bucs had an outstanding draft. Tampa got superstar safety Mark Barron from Alabama. They also managed to fill holes at runningback and linebacker. There is even talk that Doug Martin, the new RB from Boise State, may be an early favorite for rookie of the year.

Additionally they have a new coach. Greg Schiano is saying and doing all of the right things. He means business. Let's not forget how he completely turned around Rutgers football either.

This is an extremely classy, talented, and driven team that is embarrassed by last year. Perhaps, they do finish @ #26 in the league, but I find it unlikely. This team will surprise some people. At least it will surprise profootballtalk.

-Noland

Buccaneer Rookies Making An Impact In Community

I am really proud of my new hometown team and their new coach. The Bucs seem to be doing all of the right things in the past couple months. The new Bucs are doing an especially nice job as they prepare for their NFL debuts. The entire Bucs offseason has been filled with community outreach, and they continue to help out the community.

Last Monday, the Bucs visited Celebration Station (a mini golf and arcade center) to play games with kids from an at risk center. That program was called Operation Graduate and boosted a 100% success rate last year with those students! CB Leonard Johnson is a Clearwater Native and was very happy about helping out in his hometown as Celebration Station is actually in Clearwater.

“The biggest thing for me is just showing them that you can do it, that I am real,” he said. “A lot of times kids hear guys go to the NFL from their city, from their community, a lot of those guys don’t come back and get themselves involved with the community. This is a great opportunity to reach out and connect with those kids.” - Leonard Johnson

Then on Wednesday, the Bucs hosted students from Webb Middle School for a movie. They saw Madagascar 3: Europes's Most Wanted.
Sidebar: Madagascar 3 was a really great movie. I thought it was the best of the trilogy. Jenna reviewed it on her blog.

These players should be proud of their continued service to the community. I hope these Bucs continue to make an impact.

I hope Coach Greg Schiano keeps making positive role models for kids, we all know they need them. Below is a picture of some rookies visiting a hospital earlier in the offseason. Keep up the good work, gentlemen.

-Noland

Ronde Barber Talks About the Move to FS

One of the greatest cornerbacks of my generation and my favorite non-Sanders cornerback is moving to FS. It is a big change for him, but he seems excited by the notion of moving. Ronde Barber, who is 37, is ready for the change.

Barber will have a vital role on the Bucs defense. Two months of offseason work seem to have benefited Barber a great deal. He is excited to because he plays for Greg Schiano. Schiano plans to frequently blitz Barber from his FS spot. This blitzing will be great for Barber, who has 37 career sacks and is known for being one of the better tackling corners in the league.

"I'm going to do a lot of different things," Barber said. "(Schiano) is definitely an aggressive play caller and I get to move around with the nickel and dime packages. You can expect some blitzing from me. Maybe one or two per game.
"I get a chance to be an impact player in this defense and I'm looking forward to that."
"One benefit of being really (deep) in the backfield is you get a chance to really see the quarterback, which has always been a strength of mine," Barber said. "It's putting my strengths to the test."
"I'm getting to do a lot of things that's keeping me stimulated in the meeting room and out here on the practice field," Barber said. "I'm enjoying it."

I think Barber is going to do an amazing job at FS. Even if he is 37. Tampa Bay may have a very good defensive backfield.

-Noland

Bucs Trade Winslow, Sign Clark

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a lot of moves at tight end yesterday. They traded Kellen Winslow to Seattle for a draft pick. Then followed up that move by signing Dallas Clark. Winslow was not working out with the team and that was not ok with Greg Schiano. Therefore, Schiano made a move at tight end. Good for him, even more reason to root for the Bucs as they have one less Miami player. The draft pick Tampa received is a conditional pick in the 2013 draft. The better Winslow does, the better the pick is.

Now, for a little bit about Dallas Clark. This was one of Manning's favorite targets in Indy. He has 4,877 career yards, 427 catches, and 46 touchdowns. Last year, Clark had his worst season as Manning was hurt. The tight end is turning 33 next month though and probably has his best pro days behind him. It will also be interesting to see how his production changes with Josh Freeman at QB instead of Manning. I do like how this team is being built though. Welcome to Tampa, Dallas Clark.

-Noland

LeGrand Signs With Bucs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed a lot of class today when they signed Eric LeGrand to a contract. LeGrand is an amazing person who has been through an incredible amount. The contract is only ceremonial, but it means a lot to LeGrand. In 2010 LeGrand was paralyzed from the waist down against Army. This past draft would have been LeGrand's draft.

Greg Schiano coached LeGrand at Rutgers and thought this would be a good gesture. Schiano showed a lot of class here and made a bigger fan of me with this move. All class, way to go Bucs. Below is video of LeGrand leading Rutgers onto the field after his injury. Great stuff.

-Noland