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Uber Driver Thinks That Jameis Winston’s Apology Over Incident “Needs Some Work”

June 29th, 2018

Craig

Posted in News, Police Blotter

The Uber driver allegedly groped by NFL star Jameis Winston issued a statement on the importance of believing women reporting sexual misconduct, a day after the football league suspended the Buccaneers quarterback for three games, Talal Ansari of Buzzfeed reports.

“My experience should highlight the importance of believing women when we have the courage to come forward about sexual assault,” she said in a statement to BuzzFeed. “Perhaps that night could have been prevented if others had been believed before me.”

The driver previously told BuzzFeed News she was hailed to the lively party scene of downtown Scottsdale, Arizona, to pick Winston up around 2 a.m. on March 13, 2016. She filed a complaint with Uber soon after the ride, writing that “apparently a big athlete in the nfl” reached over “and put his fingers on my crotch.”

As a result of the complaint, Uber suspended Winston’s account.

The NFL’s suspension came after officials determined the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner violated the league’s personal conduct policy, the NFL said in a statement.

The quarterback had denied the allegation, which was first reported by BuzzFeed News in November.

In a statement on Thursday, Winston did not deny the allegation, but apologized to the driver “for the position I put you in.”

“I’m glad to see the NFL discipline Jameis Winston,” the driver said in her statement. “I do appreciate his apology even if it needs some work.”

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Buccaneers Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick Ready to Reach Elite Company in 2018

June 24th, 2018

Max Luckan

Posted in News

Buccaneers backup Ryan Fitzpatrick is no one’s idea of an elite quarterback but his long time career and consistency are about to put him in some elite company according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.com.

Because of starter Jameis Winston’s looming suspension, the 36-year-old Fitzpatrick is slated to start the first three games of the 2018 season for the Bucs. Fitzpatrick also started three games last year while Winston was injured. And Fitzpatrick has started at least three games every year since 2008. If all the other quarterbacks projected to be starters do so as well, Fitzpatrick will be one of only eight QBs who have starteed at least three games a season from 2008-2018. The other seven are Drew Brees, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan, at least three of whom-Brees, Rodgers, and Roethlisberger-seem destined for the Hall of Fame .And all but Rivers have made at least one Super Bowl appearance.

Not bad for a seventh-round pick out of Harvard way back in 2005. Fitzpatrick barely saw the field his first three years in the league but has since had a prolific and very lucrative career and has had four 3000-plus seasons. He may not be elite but he is smart, durable, and wealthy.

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Could the Buccaneers Take a Flier on Running Back Adrian Peterson?

May 27th, 2018

CJ

Posted in News

The Bucs might take a look at former stud Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who last season played for both the Arizona Cardinals ain nd ended the year with the New Orleans Saints.

Here’s the report about Tampa reportedly showing interest in Peterson, who is telling anyone that will listen that he’d like to play again this upcoming season.

According to Florida Football Insiders, “Tampa Bay may be ready to take a small gamble on bringing the future Hall of Famer in for one last try.”

The Bucs were one of the teams showing some interest in Peterson last year before he ended up in New Orleans. Recently, the former All-Pro revealed he wants to play another half decade, if that’s possible.

Last season was a mixed bag for the longtime veteran. He struggled during his tenure with the Saints before showing some signs of life with the Arizona Cardinals, who made a mid-season trade after losing David Johnson for the year.

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Bucs Coach Mike Smith Says TB Defense Has to Be Better in 2018

May 17th, 2018

CJ

Posted in News

Bucs fans may still be tempted, but there’s no need to tell Mike Smith how disappointing Tampa Bay’s defense — last in the NFL in sacks, last in passing yards allowed — was last season, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

“It’s got to be a hell of a lot better than what we put out there last year,” Smith said Wednesday, asked how much better his defense must be. “I’ve said it many times. The numbers are not anywhere close to what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to be more consistent in everything we do, and it starts in the meeting rooms, in building trust with one another across the board. That’s the most important thing.”

The Bucs have helped Smith out by addressing the defense extensively in the offseason, first in signing end Vinny Curry and tackles Beau Allen and Mitch Unrein, then trading a third-round pick to get Pro Bowl end Jason Pierre-Paul.

In the draft, three of the first four picks were on defense, with defensive tackle Vita Vea in the first round and cornerbacks M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis in the second round, plus two more defensive draft picks.

Smith said he was encouraged by how his defense continued to fight last year, through injuries and two five-game losing streaks, and that speaks to the character of the players he’s counting on to turn things around.

“The way that we played, how poorly we played, to show some resiliency at the end, that says at the core that we have some really strong-willed football players,” Smith said. “I think we’ve added guys that are strong-willed into the defensive meeting room, and they’re also better football players.”

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Can the Bucs Go From Worst to First in 2018? Pro Football Weekly Discusses Their Chances

May 9th, 2018

Matt Loede

Posted in Opinions

There’s been plenty of buzz around the Bucs since the NFL Draft nearly two weeks ago, as many think that the turnaround for the team will be swift, and not the long drawn out process that it’s taken for the team to start winning.

Today Pro Football Weekly’s Eric Edholm put out an article ranking all eight last place teams from the 2017 season, and if there’s a chance they can make it all the way to first place in 2018.

According to the article, the Bucs have the Fourth best shot to unseat the Saints for the Division title in 2018 – a feat that won’t come easy.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)

Everyone’s chic NFC South pick a year ago went into the dumpster, which then was embalmed with a few gallons of turpentine. They started out 2-1, then dropped four close games in a brutal October stretch and never really got back on track. Still, this was a team that was pretty competitive most Sundays despite being terrible at winning close games (3-7), mostly because it put itself in a lot of early holes — Tampa was outscored 288-193 in the first three quarters of games — and shot itself with turnovers.

Jameis Winston endured an injury-plagued season, DeSean Jackson was a bust after signing a big contract, the running backs provided zero burst to what was an unbalanced offense and the pass rush was virtually nil. That’s what placed head coach Dirk Koetter and defensive coordinator Mike Smith squarely on the hot seat.

But Winston is healthy again, and signs point to an improved run game with the signing of center Ryan Jensen and the drafting of Ronald Jones II, a big-play machine. The defensive front was almost completely remade with the additions of veteran defensive ends Vinny Curry and Jason Pierre-Paul and interior help alongside Gerald McCoy with first-round space eater Vita Vea and free agents Beau Allen and Mitch Unrein.

Is this team good enough to challenge both the Saints and Falcons, not to mention their fellow playoff participant Panthers? That’s highly debatable. But if you told me that the Bucs were to turn things around and finish above .500, I wouldn’t be shocked a bit.

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Video: Buccaneers GM GM Jason Licht on What Rookie RB Ronald Jones II Brings to the Team

May 3rd, 2018

Matt Loede

Posted in Main, Video

The Bucs were pumped when they were able to get Ronald Jones II in the second round of last weeks NFL Draft. The running back from USC brings a lot to the table, and today on NFL Network GM Jason Licht spoke to his talents and what he is expected to bring to the team once the season gets going.

“He brings something that we haven’t had here in a while, and that’s juice.”@Buccaneers‘ GM Jason Licht is excited what @rojo brings to their backfield. ??

?: @gmfb pic.twitter.com/pe56SeIMux

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 4, 2018

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Buccaneers Earn an ‘B’ for Their Draft According to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.

April 29th, 2018

Matt Loede

Posted in NFL Draft

The draft grades from ‘Draft Guru’ Mel Kiper Jr. are out, and one team that got a very good grade is that of the Bucs, who according to Kiper got an ‘B’ for their collection of players over the two days.

Here’s what he had to say:

The Tampa defense was abysmal last season. The Bucs allowed 5.98 yards per play, which ranked last in the league. They couldn’t stop the run, and they couldn’t defend the pass. They made a few moves to address the defensive line in the offseason, signing Vinny Curry and Beau Allen then trading for Jason Pierre-Paul. And they went defensive line with their first pick, adding mammoth nose tackle Vita Vea after trading down five spots with the Bills. I was a little surprised the Bucs didn’t go with safety Derwin James because he was still on the board, but I like Vea, even if tackle wasn’t a huge need. He should eat up blockers next to Gerald McCoy. GM Jason Licht and coach Dirk Koetter clearly identified the weakest spot on the team and fortified it this offseason.

The Bucs added two second-round picks from the Bills in that trade — those are two really important and premium selections — and ended up picking four times on Day 2. Running pack Ronald Jones II (pick 38) could be an immediate starter. He has breakaway speed but wasn’t used much in the passing game in college. Then Licht went with back-to-back cornerbacks in M.J. Stewart (53) and Carlton Davis (63), trying to address that need in the secondary. Former first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves III has been a disappointment, so expect Stewart and Davis to compete right away. Alex Cappa (94) is a developmental prospect who was named Northwest Athletic Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year each of the past four seasons. He’ll need time to adjust to the NFL. I had safety Jordan Whitehead (117) farther down on my board — he’s not very big. If Jack Cichy (202) stays healthy, he could be a good player.

Did this D get better in free agency and the draft? Six games against New Orleans, Atlanta and Carolina will tell us.

Round/Pick Name Pos College
1/12 Vita Vea DT WASHINGTON
2/38 Ronald Jones II RB USC
2/53 M.J. Stewart CB NORTH CAROLINA
2/63 Carlton Davis CB AUBURN
3/94 Alex Cappa OT HUMBOLDT STATE
4/117 Jordan Whitehead S PITTSBURGH
5/144 Justin Watson WR PENNSYLVANIA
6/202 Jack Cichy ILB WISCONSIN

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Buccaneers Pickup Fifth-Year Option on QB Jameis Winston

April 17th, 2018

Loren Leiser

Posted in News

Jameis Winston is headed for a big pay day after this season, whether he gets a contract extension or not, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Bucs on Tuesday picked up the fifth-year option on Winston’s rookie contract worth $20.9 million for 2019. The deal is not guaranteed except against injury.

Winston, the first overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft, signed a four-year, $25.3-million contract that included a fifth-year club option.

He stands to make $8.06 million in 2018 salary and bonuses, ranking him 26th among quarterbacks and 250th among NFL players.

If Winston were to play under the fifth year option of about $20.1-million, it would rank 13th in average salary per year among quarterbacks. There are currently 17 NFL quarterbacks earning more than $20-million.

At 24, Winston is entering his fourth season, having passed for 11,636 yards with 69 touchdowns and 44 interceptions. But his team has never reached the postseason. Winston went 6-10, 9-7 and 3-10 as a starter. He missed three games last season with a shoulder injury and fell less than 500 yards shy of passing for 4,000 yards for the third straight season.

The Bucs are likely to attempt to negotiate a long-term deal before the start of 2019.

“It’s exciting to start the fourth year, especially with my teammates, my class coming in,” Winston said Monday. “Donovan (Smith) has a big year coming up, Ali (Marpet) has a big year coming up, and obviously, I have a huge year coming up. And seeing guys like Cam (Brate) and Mike (Evans) — they reap what they sow. I mean, they got huge contracts but it’s what you said at the end.

“It’s about that postseason, man. It’s about getting some wins together, it’s about bringing this community behind us, it’s about really changing this culture around here and we’re taking strides to that but now it’s time to get it done.”

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