Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

Tampa Bay Buccaneers could learn a lesson from Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints
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February 7
St. Petersburg Times
 
"One week of interviewing the Colts and Saints in preparation for Super Bowl XLIV will teach you something about how teams are successful. It also will give you some clues as to why they are not. Of course, it's a quarterback league. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are incomparable in many ways, including their ability to grind through games and a season. It also helps that Manning has been in the same system, under offensive coordinator Tom Moore, for all 12 seasons while Brees has played under coach Sean Payton all four seasons in New Orleans. The quarterbacks help set the tone; not just in terms of their performance in games, but by their work ethic and leadership. By all accounts, the ..."
New Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB coach Alex Van Pelt wants Josh Freeman to be vocal leader
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February 6
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Josh Freeman has the size, arm strength and poise in the pocket to become an elite NFL quarterback, Alex Van Pelt said Friday. But the Bucs' new quarterbacks coach said he believes Freeman's voice doesn't just need to be heard in the huddle going into his second season. "I think the first thing you have to discuss is your philosophy," said Van Pelt, hired Monday by Tampa Bay. "We want him to complete 65 percent of his passes. He has to get the ball to his playmakers. But what I'm talking about is to let him know exactly what we're looking for, what we need him to do."
Bucs' Clayton offers health advice to kids: Just eat
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February 5
Tampa Tribune
 
"If you're an NFL fan, you've likely seen the league's ads for its Play 60 program, which promotes 60 minutes of exercise a day for children. They'll be on display again this weekend during the Super Bowl XLIV broadcast. A side effort by the NFL, the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, asks players to get the message out that healthy eating is important, too. Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Michael Clayton, in a sponsorship with the Dairy Council of Florida, is speaking to local students about eating and exercise. Clayton talked earlier this week about the importance of food in his athletic career. You have to worry about your body and your fuel when you get ready for playing. Tell me a little ..."
New Buccaneers assistant Alex Van Pelt gets down to work
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February 5
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Alex Van Pelt has been a part of the Bills organization as a player or coach for about 16 years. You don't have that kind of longevity with one team unless you have a great work ethic, according to Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson. The Bucs officially announced Thursday that Van Pelt, 39, has been hired to work with first-round pick Josh Freeman and the team's other quarterbacks. "I think his experience as a player is a plus," Olson said of Van Pelt. "He's coached and played under some impressive head coaches, starting with Paul Hackett at Pittsburgh. He played behind some good quarterbacks as a player, so he was able to see a lot. He's a very intelligent person. "Obviously, the fact ..."
NFL players preparing for 2011 lockout
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February 5
Boston Globe
 
"As collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the NFL Players Association and the NFL owners continue to drag, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he expects the owners to lock out the players before the 2011 season. Chad Ochocinco, representing OCNN, asked the first question of a press conference this afternoon in which the NFLPA laid out their message. He asked Smith how worried he is about a lockout next season. "On a scale of 1 to 10," Smith said, "it's a 14." Smith said he and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae have informed players to save 25 percent of their paychecks in order to prepare for a lockout. Mawae said negotiations for a CBA have been "frustrating" and moved ..."
Bucs complete staff with addition of receivers coach Yarber
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February 4
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff is complete after the hiring of Eric Yarber to coach wide receivers, the team announced Thursday. Yarber, who spent two years playing receiver in the NFL with the Washington Redskins, has college and NFL coaching experience. He worked as a college assistant for 11 seasons, most recently at Arizona State, and coached in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers (2003-04) and Seattle Seahawks (1998). With the 49ers, Yarber guided Pro Bowler Terrell Owens to a 1,000-yard season in his first year and played an integral part in the development of rookie wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, who led the team with a 15.1-yard average per catch in 2004. Yarber was also a ..."
Tampa preparing bid to host Super Bowl in 2014
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February 4
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Tampa Bay area's hope of landing the 2014 Super Bowl could be dashed in a New York minute. The Bay area is preparing a bid to attract America's No. 1 sports event for the fifth time but faces some formidable competition for the next available Super Bowl. Bids are due by early April and an announcement on the 2014 game is expected at the league's spring meetings May 24-26 in Dallas. "League people always talk about how easy it is to do a Super Bowl in Tampa and we did a flawless job a year ago,'' said Paul Catoe, president and CEO of Tampa Bay & Co., Hillsborough's visitors bureau. "The game has a tremendous economic impact and we will put our best foot forward to get the Super Bowl ..."
Olson excited about Bucs' hire of Van Pelt
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February 2
Tampa Tribune
 
"The offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers describes new quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt as a "self-made" man who will provide a valuable fresh perspective working with second-year pro Josh Freeman. Greg Olson served in a dual role as Tampa Bay's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in 2009, when he replaced Jeff Jagodzinski as the Bucs play-caller only 10 days before the season opener against Dallas. Van Pelt experienced a similar shock last year when he was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in Buffalo after the Bills fired Turk Schonert on the brink of the opening game. "For the Bills to pick him as coordinator when things fell apart tells you ..."
Buccaneers pick Alex Van Pelt to work with Josh Freeman
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February 2
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Josh Freeman won't have to explain to new Bucs quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt how difficult it was to change offensive coordinators days before the start of the regular season. He lived it. Van Pelt, as Bills quarterbacks coach, was asked to take over playcalling duties from fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert at the end of the 2009 preseason. It's the same hand Greg Olson was dealt when the Bucs fired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski 10 days before the regular-season opener. Van Pelt, 39, was hired as the Bucs quarterbacks coach Monday. The Bucs are expected to make a formal announcement this week. The appointment of Van Pelt is considered vital to the development of ..."
Bucs choose Van Pelt for QB coach
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February 2
Tampa Tribune
 
"Alex Van Pelt and Greg Olson were thrown into the fire as offensive coordinators just days before the start of the 2009 NFL season, Van Pelt with the Buffalo Bills and Olson with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, it appears, these kindred spirits will be working together. The Bucs have chosen Van Pelt to be their quarterbacks coach, though an official announcement might not come for a few days when details are finalized. Van Pelt, a former Bills backup quarterback, will be tagged with the critical job of grooming Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman. Van Pelt will assume Olson's former role of working with the quarterbacks, while Olson concentrates on the coordinator job, including ..."
Three Buccaneers and Tony Dungy make NFL's All-Decade Team
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February 1
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The NFL has just unveiled its All-Decade Team just prior to tonight's Pro Bowl kickoff, and there are several with Buccaneers ties. Linebacker Derrick Brooks, cornerback Ronde Barber and defensive tackle Warren Sapp were all selected at their respective positions, with former Bucs coach Tony Dungy named one of two All-Decade coaches (Bill Belichick was the other)."
Drafting quarterbacks can be tricky
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January 31
St. Petersburg Times
 
"A year ago, the notion of using a first-round pick to draft QB Josh Freeman solicited groans from many Bucs fans. The reasoning went something like this: too many other needs on the team; the Bucs might have a good starting quarterback in Luke McCown if he gets a chance; the 2010 quarterback class will be much better. It's hard to argue there are not major needs after a 3-13 season in which the defense finished 27th in the league and allowed 25 points and 365.6 yards per game. McCown, who was traded to Jacksonville, has been a career backup. And the great quarterback class? Oklahoma's Sam Bradford is coming off a serious shoulder injury. Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen might be the only other ..."
Wilfork would play for Bucs, Dolphins
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January 29
Boston Globe
 
"Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork is in Miami for the Pro Bowl. As he has in the past, Wilfork, a Boyton Beach, Fla., native, let it be known to a Dolphins writer that he's open to the idea of playing all of his games in Florida. This time he expanded the field to include not only the Dolphins, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, saying playing in Florida would be "a dream come true." However, he also said "he would love to stay in New England." Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel caught up with Wilfork today and the big nose tackle continued his case for a new contract after being a good solider last year. Wilfork said he has been trying to get a new contract with the Patriots for ..."
Bucs' Faine expects Super Bowl shootout, and he should know
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January 28
Tampa Tribune
 
"According to a man in the know, anyone looking for a defensive struggle in the Super Bowl is bound to be disappointed. Center Jeff Faine, who played two years with the Saints before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008 as a free agent, says the Feb. 7 matchup between New Orleans and Indianapolis should light up the scoreboard at Sun Life Stadium. "I think it's going to be a fabulous game and I see it ending up as a shootout,'' says Faine, who helped the Bucs split with the Saints this season. "It's going to be a tough day for both defenses.'' With Faine opening holes and protecting Drew Brees, the Saints led the NFL in total offense in 2006 while reaching the NFC title game. In 2009, ..."
Buccaneers defensive assistant Robert Nunn leaves for Giants
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January 28
St. Petersburg Times
 
"For the second straight day, the Bucs let a coach out of his contract so he could go to another team. Defensive line coach Robert Nunn was granted permission to interview for the same job with the Giants, who hired him Wednesday. Nunn, 44, who just finished his 10th season in the league, had shared defensive line coaching duties with Todd Wash. GM Mark Dominik said the Bucs traditionally have had one defensive line coach. But Nunn was hired before last season, in part, because of his familiarity with the system of defensive coordinator Jim Bates, who was ousted after 10 games. Coach Raheem Morris will continue to run the defense next season, which will be a variation of the Bucs' ..."
For Bucs, it's more about being smart than cheap
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January 28
Tampa Tribune
 
"There have been many times in the past year when it looked like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had lost their way. Actually, we can't really be sure that isn't still the case – at least until we see what happens over the next few months. But there's only one way to get better, and General Manager Mark Dominik seems focused on that, judging by remarks he made to reporters this week at the Senior Bowl. That's where the Bucs are scouting what should be – make that, what had better be – the class of rookies that will begin to lead them out of the wilderness. Dominik was emphatic that the focus is on the draft, where the Bucs control 10 picks (including three in the first two rounds). He gave only a ..."
Joe Barry leaves Buccaneers to coach linebackers at alma mater USC
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January 27
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Joe Barry is going back to college. The Bucs released Barry from his contract as linebackers coach so he can rejoin former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin at Southern Cal to coach linebackers. Barry had one year left on his contract that prevented him from taking another job in the NFL or college. But the Bucs did not enforce that clause. That allowed Barry to sign a three-year deal with the Trojans, where he was a team captain and linebacker in 1992 and 1993, and a graduate assistant coach. "It was a tough decision, especially leaving Tampa," said Barry, 39. "Our family loves living here. The fans have been unbelievable. We've had some good times, obviously, with the Super Bowl year, ..."
GM Mark Dominik sees brighter future beyond 3-13 season for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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January 27
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Bucs general manager Mark Dominik is genuinely concerned about more growing pains that could be suffered at Raymond James Stadium again next season. Yours. Bucs fans can expect the youth movement to continue with 10 draft picks and almost no involvement in free agency expected in 2010. The centerpiece of the turnaround is in place with quarterback Josh Freeman. But Dominik urged fans to have more patience with a team that finished 3-13 under first-year coach Raheem Morris. "It's going to be somewhat of a process," Dominik said. "I think we took a big step last year, and I think the fans are starting seeing some of that stuff pay off for Josh Freeman. It's good to know to know you have a ..."
Buccaneers already looking at draft strategy, but not in complete control
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January 27
St. Petersburg Times
 
"For as much discussion as there will inevitably be during the next few months about what the Bucs will do in the NFL draft, in the end, it's not totally up to them. What the Bucs settle on with the third overall selection in April will depend on what happens just before then. What do the Rams do with the top overall pick? Do the Lions finally go with defense at No. 2? Beginning with the Senior Bowl this week, there are many scenarios being thrown around. So much time remains before the draft that players' stocks could change dramatically, but at the very top of the draft, a likely scenario is emerging. It involves Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh going No. 1 to the Rams, followed by ..."
Bucs let Barry out of contract to take job at USC
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January 26
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to let linebackers coach Joe Barry out of his contract so that Barry can become the linebackers coach under Lane Kiffin at Southern Cal. Barry originally was thought to be under consideration for the defensive coordinator job at Tennessee under new coach Derek Dooley, who was hired after Kiffin abruptly resigned to take the USC head coaching position. The Bucs will replace Barry, who was under contract through the 2010 season, by moving former defensive backs coach Joe Baker into that role. Baker will be replaced as defensive backs coach by Jimmy Lake, another former assistant with the Buccaneers. Bucs general manager Mark Dominik announced the changes ..."
So many reasons not to draft Tebow, but do it anyway
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January 26
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tim Tebow isn't in Kansas anymore. He isn't in Gainesville, either. No, he's in Mobile, Ala., preparing for the Senior Bowl before the eyes of NFL coaches, general managers and scouts. Ticket sales for the Senior Bowl went through the roof when the Florida Gators' quarterback announced he would play in the game. That might float Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver's boat, but forget about everybody else. Leave emotion at the door. This is about mechanics, this is about transitioning to the pro-style offense, this is about Tebow's shortcomings, about cold, hard facts. I'd still take the kid. Maybe not in the first round, maybe not in the second or third rounds, either, but I wouldn't ..."
Finding assistants one mission of Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Senior Bowl
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January 26
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Bucs coach Raheem Morris and general manager Mark Dominik will interview candidates at the Senior Bowl for the two remaining spots on their staff — a quarterbacks coach and receivers coach. "We've got a lot of guys targeted, a lot of guys to interview," Morris said Monday. "We'll do a couple here (in Mobile) and a couple back home. Hopefully, it will be done pretty soon, pretty quickly. … Right now, it's just quarterbacks and receivers." WR coach Richard Mann is not being retained and has interviewed for a position with the Redskins. There could be other openings. LB coach Joe Barry is a candidate for the Tennessee Volunteers defensive coordinator's position. "I'm talking to him. Joe Barry ..."
Greg Olson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers focus on Josh Freeman's development
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January 26
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Text messages volleyed between quarterback Josh Freeman and offensive coordinator Greg Olson on Sunday. When Vikings quarterback Brett Favre threw an interception with the score tied, his team in possible field-goal range and only seconds remaining in regulation in the NFC Championship Game, Olson used it as a teaching moment. "You learn from the first day you're a quarterback not to throw the ball back across your body," Olson remembers telling Freeman. "Yet here was a guy who's played 19 years doing it at the most critical time." Olson, the Bucs offensive coordinator, knows this offseason is a critical time for Freeman, 21. Among the first tasks will be improving Freeman's accuracy. As a ..."
Dominik to give Bucs update at Senior Bowl today
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January 26
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik has barely spoken a word this young offseason, but for fans eager to know his feelings on the season just past and the season ahead, the wait is just about over. Dominik has agreed to sit down with Bucs reporters at the Senior Bowl today following the morning workout at Ladd-Peebles Stadium to discuss those topics and other issues. One reason for Dominik's silence, of course, is that few changes have or will be made within Raheem Morris's coaching staff, which is looking only for a receivers coach and quarterbacks coach. Dominik and Morris will spend some of their time in Mobile interviewing candidates for those positions, but it may be a ..."
Improving QB Freeman's accuracy is goal for Bucs this off-season
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January 26
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The text messages were volleyed between quarterback Josh Freeman and offensive coordinator Greg Olson Sunday. When Vikings quarterback Brett Favre threw an interception with the score tied, his team in possible field goal range with seconds remaining in the NFC Championship game, Olson used it as a teaching moment. "You learn from the first day you're a quarterback not to throw the ball back across your body,'' Olson remembers telling Freeman. "Yet here was a guy who's played 19 years doing it at the most critical time.'' Olson, the Bucs offensive coordinator, knows this off-season is a critical time for Freeman, the 21-year quarterback who carries the weight of the franchise on his ..."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' needs start at defensive line, defensive back and receiver
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January 24
St. Petersburg Times
 
"You don't go 3-13 in the NFL unless there is a serious lack of talent on your football team. While it's true Raheem Morris, the youngest coach in the NFL at 33, and first-time general manager Mark Dominik, 37, made enough mistakes to sabotage an opportunity for more victories, the fact remains the 2009 Bucs did not have enough impact players. A big reason for that is the organizational mandate to rebuild with young players or unproven starters. The goal of making the playoffs gave way to simply showing progress. With a promising young quarterback in Josh Freeman and a defense that showed improvement over the final six games, the Bucs are hopeful they have some pieces to build around. ..."
Bucs Beat: Five players to watch at Senior Bowl
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January 23
Tampa Tribune
 
"The NFL is all abuzz about the record 53 juniors who have made themselves eligible for this year's draft. Starting on Sunday, though, and for the next week the league's collective focus will turn to the top seniors in this year's draft. Sunday begins a week's worth of festivities and workouts leading up to Saturday's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Al. Little Ladd-Peebles Stadium is the site of the game as well as the daily NFL convention that takes place during the morning and afternoon Senior Bowl practices. Just about everyone who's anyone in the NFL attends this event and plenty of news comes out of it as a result. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for example, are expected to announce the minor tweaks ..."
Gaines Adams celebrated at his funeral
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January 23
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden probably gets his storytelling ability from his father, so no wonder he had the masses packed into Rock Springs Baptist Church on the edge of their pews. The son of former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was recalling how his Tigers were on the verge of losing to Wake Forest in 2006, the Demon Deacons lining up for a field goal that likely would have iced the game. But in stepped Gaines Adams to save the day and, perhaps, much more. The defensive end smothered the attempted kick and returned the ball for a touchdown that gave Clemson the win. "He probably added a couple years to my contract with that play versus Wake Forest," Bowden said. "He outran the ..."
Jets and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez show Tampa Bay Buccaneers the way forward
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January 22
St. Petersburg Times
 
"As the Jets continue their improbable march through the playoffs into Sunday's AFC Championship Game, the Buccaneers would be wise to pay particular attention. Because the very blueprint for their success is being sketched right before their eyes. Like the Bucs, the Jets have had to cope with the growing pains associated with a rookie quarterback — in their case, Mark Sanchez. But unlike the Bucs, who went 3-6 in Josh Freeman's nine starts, the Jets have discovered it's possible to win while developing a young prospect under center. The ingredients include a heavy dose of defense with a dash of consistency in the running game. Throw in a rookie quarterback who can offset his inevitable ..."
Tennessee Volunteers call Buccaneers linebackers coach Joe Barry about being defensive coordinator
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January 22
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Another Bucs assistant coach could run the University of Tennessee's defense next season. Linebackers coach Joe Barry is a candidate to replace Monte Kiffin as the Vols' defensive coordinator. Barry was contacted by Derek Dooley on Saturday, the same day he was named Tennessee's new coach. "I really didn't know Coach Dooley from the man in the moon until he called," Barry, 39, said. "But he said he really liked what Monte did on defense … and wanted to continue it. He said through all his research, my name was the one that kept coming up." The Vols were close to hiring Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, but he told Dooley on Thursday he was staying. Steele reportedly was offered a ..."
Vols' Dooley contacts Bucs LB coach Joe Barry
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January 22
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers coach Joe Barry is in demand again. Barry, whom the Washington Redskins wanted as their new linebackers coach, has been contacted twice in the last few days by new University of Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley. Barry said Dooley called him last Friday and again on Thursday and is interested in making him the replacement for Monte Kiffin as the Volunteers' defensive coordinator. Barry said he's interested in the job, but it appears the Bucs still have not decided whether to hold Barry to his contract, which has another year remaining on it. Citing that contract, Barry was recently denied an opportunity to speak to the Redskins about the opening on their ..."
Funeral for ex-Buc Gaines Adams today in South Carolina
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January 22
Tampa Tribune
 
"Gaines Adams, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player who died Sunday due to cardiac arrest, will be remembered by friends and family today at a service in Easley, S.C. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. at Rock Springs Baptist Church. Easley is about 20 miles from Clemson, S.C., where Adams was a star defensive end in college. Adams died suddenly at age 26 in Greenwood, S.C. Autopsies have determined he died of cardiac arrest due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an abnormal thickening of the heart wall. It was ruled a natural death. The Bucs selected Adams with the fourth overall pick of the 2007 draft out of Clemson University. He was traded to the Bears in October. The Bucs and Chicago ..."
Friends, family remember Gaines Adams
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January 22
Chicago Tribune
 
"As family and friends gathered to view Gaines Adams' body Thursday evening, many entered Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services wearing a specially-designed white T-shirt honoring their local hero. On the front of the shirt was a collection of snapshots from Adams' playing career, with four smaller photos surrounding a larger image of Adams' introductory news conference with the Bears. The back had Adams' number 93 from Clemson, with a Tiger paw forming the 9. Vince Coates, a distant relative, Greenwood native, and brother of former NFL tight end Ben Coates, came up with the concept. "I really just thought of doing something for the family, just in remembrance," said Coates, owner of ..."
Buccaneers want QB Josh Freeman to get personal attention
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January 21
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The 2010 Buccaneers coaching staff is going to look strikingly similar to last season's cast. Coach Raheem Morris, attending practices for the East-West Shrine college all-star game at the Citrus Bowl, said things are largely "status quo" on his coaching staff despite the widely held assumption there would be extensive turnover. Morris confirmed Greg Olson will remain as offensive coordinator and most position coaches will remain unchanged. The most notable changes will be at receivers coach — Richard Mann is moving on, according to Morris — and quarterbacks coach, a job Olson will no longer handle. The priority is quarterbacks coach, seeing how Morris has proclaimed this offseason to be ..."
Bucs charter plane to attend Gaines Adams' funeral
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January 21
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made arrangements to support the relatives of someone they consider family. Coaches, players and administrators will fly a charter plane to South Carolina on Friday to attend the funeral of former Bucs defensive end Gaines Adams, who died Sunday morning at age 26 of cardiac arrest. Services will be held at Rock Springs Baptist Church in Easley, S.C. at 1 p.m. on Friday. The church is located 20 miles from Clemson, where Adams attended college. The Chicago Bears, to whom the Bucs traded Adams this past season, also will charter a flight for members of their organization. The Bucs selected Adams with the fourth overall pick of the 2007 draft out of Clemson ..."
Second autopsy requested for Gaines Adams; funeral details set
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January 20
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Chicago Tribune is reporting that a second autopsy was scheduled to be performed Tuesday on ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Gaines Adams in South Carolina. Adams, 26, died Sunday morning after suffering cardiac arrest that the initial autopsy ruled was caused by an enlarged heart. The new autopsy was requested by the family, the Tribune says a law-enforcement official with the Greenwood County (S.C.) Sheriff's Department said. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft out of Clemson by the Bucs, Adams was traded to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick in October. Marcia Kelley-Clark, chief deputy coroner for Greenwood County, told the Tribune the death was from natural causes. ..."
Ex-Buc Alstott to sign autographs today for Haitian relief
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January 19
Tampa Tribune
 
"Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Mike Alstott will be signing autographs this afternoon to raise money for Haiti relief. He will be at Westfield Countryside mall from 5 to 6 p.m., signing autographs in exchange for a donation to the American Red Cross. The donations will go toward helping those affected by last week's earthquake."
Bucs drop some ticket prices for 2010
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January 19
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers today announced that season ticket prices for the 2010 season will remain the same and in some sections prices will be reduced to $35, $7 less than the cheapest ticket over the last two seasons. This marks the second straight year the Bucs have not raised season ticket prices, after the highest increase in team history following the 2007 campaign. General season ticket prices for the 2010 season at Raymond James Stadium will be $99, $89, $85, $75, $65, $55, $50, $49, $42, and $35 per game. The Bucs will also introduce a new $35 general ticket price, and will continue to offer season ticket holders a discount versus individual game pricing. "We recognize this is a ..."
Adams' death latest tragedy to rock NFL
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January 19
Tampa Tribune
 
"The stunning death of former Bucs defensive end Gaines Adams continues a gloomy trend in the National Football League. In an era when Commissioner Roger Goodell has stressed player safety, America's most popular sport was jolted once again by the untimely passing of an active NFL competitor. Adams, 26, died Sunday of cardiac arrest in South Carolina, apparently the victim of an enlarged heart that wasn't detected on yearly NFL physicals. His passing comes only one month after 26-year-old wide receiver Chris Henry of the Bengals died after falling from a pickup truck during an argument with his fiancee. In addition to the eight active NFL players who have died since 2007, former league MVP ..."
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Gaines Adams dies of cardiac arrest at 26
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January 18
St. Petersburg Times
 
"On tree-lined Dublin Avenue in this quiet Southern town, family and friends of Gaines Adams IV filtered in and out of a modest white house into the evening on Sunday. They wore stunned expressions, and there was no wondering why. Their vibrant, young brother, nephew, cousin and friend had passed unexpectedly, and the shock was a long way from wearing off. Adams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2007 first-round draft pick, died suddenly Sunday morning. Adams went into cardiac arrest and later died after being taken to Self Regional Hospital, the local coroner's office said. He was 26. An autopsy performed later in the day showed Adams had an enlarged heart, Greenwood County chief deputy coroner ..."
Gaines Adams: So much good went unseen
Comment
January 18
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist John Romano
"I'm guessing you would have liked Gaines Adams if he had not been the No. 4 pick in the 2007 draft. You would have liked him if he had not walked in the door on the same day the Buccaneers told Simeon Rice to walk out, or if he had not been handed a $15 million signing bonus before he ever played a down in the NFL. I'm guessing you would have liked Gaines Adams if you had ever met him. For in the end, he was a better man than he was a football player. He was a quiet, decent, unassuming guy who would display pictures of his children in his locker, and disguise the frustrations of his job behind a wide grin. And so the tragedy of Adams' passing at age 26 on Sunday should not be lessened by ..."
Former Buc Gaines Adams dies of cardiac arrest
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January 18
Tampa Tribune
 
"To Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan, Gaines Adams was never just a teammate. From the time Adams came to the Bucs as the fourth overall pick in the 2007 draft until his sudden death from cardiac arrest today, Hovan treated his fellow defensive lineman like he was family. "When he came to Tampa I took Gaines under my wing,'' Hovan said. "I considered him my little brother, and that's how I will always remember him.'' Most football fans will remember Adams as an underachiever who never quite played up to expectations. That's what concerns Derrick Brooks. "All the time he was in Tampa it was always about him as a player and what he did and didn't do as the fourth pick in the draft,'' Brooks ..."
Autopsy: Gaines Adams died of cardiac arrest
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January 17
ESPN.com
 
"Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams died Sunday morning after he was taken to a Greenwood, S.C., emergency room, the county coroner said. Greenwood County coroner James T. Coursey told ESPN that Adams was taken to the emergency room at Self Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9 a.m. Coursey said the preliminary autopsy performed Sunday indicated Adams died of cardiac arrest. Adams went into cardiac arrest at his family's home early Sunday morning, said Marcia Kelley-Clark, chief deputy coroner for Greenwood County. The autopsy showed Adams had an enlarged heart, a condition Kelley-Clark said can often lead to a heart attack. But Adams' relatives didn't know about it. ..."
Bears defensive end Gaines Adams dead at 26
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January 17
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Bears player Gaines Adams, 26, is dead, according to a report by the Greenville News of South Carolina. Adams, a former Clemson University football star, died Sunday morning after he was taken to the Emergency Room at Self Regional in Greenwood, County Coroner James T. Coursey told the Greensville News. Adams, a defensive end, was the fourth player chosen in the 2007 National Football League draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."
Report: Former Buc Gaines Adams dies of apparent heart attack
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January 17
Tampa Tribune
 
"Gaines Adams, the former Buccaneers first-round draft pick, died overnight while visiting family in his hometown of Greenwood, S.C., the county coroner said. An autopsy is scheduled for today. Adams, 26, was picked by the Bucs in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He was named to five All-America teams in 2006 when he attended Clemson University. But the The 6-foot-5, 258-pound defensive end never quite lived up to expectations, though, prompting the Buccaneers to trade him in October to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick in the 2010 draft. Defensive end Stylez G. White played with Adams for three seasons before Adams was traded. "I admired Gaines' work ethic and how much he ..."
Morris might have history on his side
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January 17
Tampa Tribune
 
"3-13 blemish of a record the Bucs produced during Raheem Morris' first year as coach is nothing to boast about, but it did leave Morris in an impressive company of coaches. A look back at the history books shows you that eventual Super Bowl-winning coaches Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh and Jimmy Johnson got off to the same kind of miserable start that Morris did. Noll led the Steelers through a 1-13 season as a rookie head coach in 1969; Walsh guided the 49ers to a 2-14 finish as a first-year head coach in 1979 and Johnson engineered a 1-15 finish as the Cowboys' rookie head coach in 1989. It's interesting to note that like Noll, Walsh and Johnson, Morris' first year as an NFL head coach came ..."
NFL prospect Dez Bryant regrets lying, has plenty to prove
Comment
January 16
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't have to travel far to keep tabs on the top receiver in this year's NFL Draft. Dez Bryant, the Oklahoma State wideout who was suspended by the NCAA in October for lying about a meeting he had with Deion Sanders, has decided to kick start his stagnant career here in Tampa Bay. Bryant, a Texas native, said Friday he plans to spend at least the next couple of months working out at the Saddlebrook resort. Though he played just three games of his junior season before the suspension, Bryant ranks as the top wideout in the draft, according to most experts. Maintaining that spot is the objective behind Bryant's work at Saddlebrook. "I just feel like I have things to ..."
Former Oklahoma State star receiver Dez Bryant calls Deion Sanders a mentor, says he didn't encourage him to sign with agent
Comment
January 16
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Former Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant regrets lying to NCAA investigators about visiting the Texas home of Deion Sanders but insists the former Florida State All-American is a mentor and did not influence him to sign with an agent. "The way (the NCAA investigator) was asking me, 'Did I have any relationship with Deion Sanders?', he was making it seem like I did something wrong,'' Bryant said Friday during a news conference at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, where he is training. "He asked me, 'Did I go out to Deion Sanders' house?' I told him no, (but) I really did. And I came back and told him before it all blew up that I had visited Deion Sanders' house. "I made a mistake ..."
Bucs CB Aqib Talib applies for pretrial intervention
Comment
January 14
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib hopes to enter a pretrial intervention program to resolve his misdemeanor battery charge. Talib has a court date of Feb. 19 in Pinellas County to determine if he can enter the program. Talib was arrested on Aug. 19, 2009, after the Florida Highway Patrol said he struck cab driver David Duggan while Duggan was driving Talib and two other Buccaneers from a St. Petersburg night club to a Tampa hotel. The state attorney's office charged Talib with simple battery. "We are hopeful on having the matter closed for Aqib by the next date," said Ron Hanes, Talib's attorney."
Buccaneers emit good vibes about coach Raheem Morris
Comment
January 14
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist John Romano
"It is employee evaluation time at One Buc Place. So do you suppose Raheem Morris got a call from someone in human resources? For it was one year ago this week that Morris was handed his new job title with the Buccaneers, and it is customary to do job reviews around every anniversary. So was this employee punctual? Did he keep his work area clean? Did he blitz Matt Ryan enough? I suppose, in this case, there probably isn't a need for a formal review. The Glazers pretty much signed off on Raheem's first year of work when they issued a one-sentence statement 10 days ago expressing support for their young head coach. Granted, they offered no details. No explanations. No hint of what they ..."