Tampa Bay Buccaneer 5th Round Draft Pick Quarterback Josh Johnson is adjusting to the Pro Life. Surprisingly its a lot like his freshman year in college:

"It’s like you’re a freshman," Johnson said, shortly after his first practice as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. "The way I was thinking about it is like you went from high school to college as a freshman. Now I’m just at the next freshman level for me. - Buccaneers.com

As expected, Josh was as nervous as anyone of us would have been had we taken the field as a Buccaneer:

There was a little bit of extra juice, just to be back on the field," Johnson said. "You’ve got to get your feet wet, but once practice was on, it was football again. It kind of became reality," Johnson said, referring to the first time he pulled on his Buccaneers practice jersey. "Finally today it hit me that I have an opportunity to play for an NFL team, so that’s when it sank in" - Buccaneers.com

Josh Johnson on what its like to take the inevitable verbal beating from Head Coach Jon Gruden:

"Coach Gruden is awesome," Johnson said. "He’s intense, but I like coaches like that. It makes you get better when somebody is pushing you all the time. You know everything he’s saying is only going to help you; it’s not to make you worse. You have to look at it like that. He’s intense, but he’s always telling you something that can only help you. To me, I’ve been coached like that my whole life, so I’m really used to guys getting in your face. The way I look at it, he’s teaching me something so all I can do is listen." - Buccaneers.com

Josh Johnson hopes to eventually get an opportunity to play and run with that opportunity:

"I’m just taking [this experience] and trying to learn as much as I can and go out on the field and execute," Johnson said. "I want to come away with a good impression on the coaches that I can learn and get better every day and take coaching. I want to go out and execute and show my teammates around me that I can be a leader. I just want to be a great team player and learn from the veterans and learn from coach Gruden and just continue to get better every day. Hopefully when I get my opportunity to play I’ll just take it and run with it" - Buccaneers.com

I know I didnt want the bucs to draft another quarterback, but consider me one of Josh Johnson's biggest supporters. I hope he makes it to the NFL in lightning fashion. By that I don't mean in Week 1 of the Regular Season, but I hope once Jeff Garcia calls it quits or becomes a Free Agent, that Josh Johnson is ready and raring to be our starting Quarterback. Like Gruden said in the Buccaneers.com article, "We've got a long way to go – that's about the best way I can sum it up. But work will get done and it will take some time" .... It will take some time. If it does (and one can only hope it would), that can only spell good things for the Bucs, as the only way JJ would see the field is if disaster strikes..

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wrapped up their Rookie Mini Camp this weekend. Of the 60+ players who showed up for tryouts, only THREE players were told to come back when camp resumes on May 16th. Those players are listed below along with Head Coach Jon Gruden's take on the 7 Rookies he helped GM Bruce Allen Draft:

Gruden on 2nd Round Draft Pick WR Dexter Jackson and 7th Round Draft Pick RB Cory Boyd:

"Some of these guys, maybe we’re just doing a little bit more than they’re accustomed to this time of the year. But Boyd is fine. Dexter Jackson was limited here, but I think they understand that they better be ready to go on May 16."

Gruden on 4th Round Draft Pick Dre' Moore:

"He’s an explosive big man," Gruden said. "I think he’ll be the first to tell you his stamina is going to be an issue. He’s got to get in much better condition, and that’s why we have that factory over there, that industrial, weight room machine factory over there. We’ll get him in there. He is strong, very powerful, but I think the stamina needs to be addressed and it’ll be addressed. Hopefully he starts it himself here as he leaves the building."

Gruden on 5th Round Draft Pick QB Josh Johnson:

"I like him," Gruden said. "I’ll say it again and again – it’s going to be an exciting process. Reps at the quarterback position – I keep reading how we have seven or eight triggers, so he might not get any reps, but we’ll do our best to get him ready. We’re excited about him"

Gruden on 6th Round Draft Pick LB Geno Hayes:

"He has athletic ability," Gruden said. "He’s what’s advertised. He’s going to be a good contact player, I think, when we start putting pads on. He’s instinctive, he has good functional speed and he appears natural. He appears comfortable in this defense, and we’re excited about that"

Gruden on the Three Undrafted Rookies who made the cut:

"We have 58 or 59 guys [out here for the weekend], but we had a linebacker, Ron McCullough from Bethune Cookman, Stan White, a fullback from Ohio State, and John Rochford, a center from Miami, three guys that the staff voted on that really stood out in terms of their effort," Gruden said. "I have a lot of respect for those guys. We gave them their helmets to take home with them and use as a piece of motivation to hopefully keep things working where they get an opportunity some day."

Talk of an industrial weight room like Gruden described makes my muscles cramp up. I love the fact that the three undrafted rookies get to take home their Rookie Mini-Camp helmets for motivational and "Look Ma and Pa, what I got" moments... Good stuff. I'm happy for Geno Hayes as well. Apparently he showed out pretty well. Good for him. I'm sure Gruden kind of laughed off the Quarterback reps situation, but its a real concern. Although probably not a huge concern for a 5th Round Quarterback who'll be carrying a clipboard ALL OF 2008!!!! I know its only May 5th, but i was a little disappointed 2nd Round Draft Pick Dexter Jackson was hampered by a hamstring injury. I'm ready to see a WR/PR BREAKOUT!!!

Welcome to the fray Greg and nice work Bruce Allen, the past couple weeks have been great to be a Bucs fan!!

Word on the streets is the Bucs are having a hard time evaluating their weekend Rookie Mini-Camp. To me, it would be hard enough to watch 7 draftees plus several other undrafted players who have only one day of preparation and have never played together get on a football field and perform for several coaches. The Bucs thought it would be better to magnify that difficulty by inviting the following players on top of the ones already invited:

DE Tommy Blake TCU, DT Chris Bradwell Troy, DE Daniel Brooks Jackson State, K Art Carmody Louisville, T Jared Carnes USF, G Jackie Claude Florida State, LB Derrick Doggett Oregon State, WR Wes Doyle San Diego, CB Bryan Flowers Jacksonville, DE Vegas Franklin Miami, CB Byron Garvin Kansas State, RB Lavarius Giles Jackson State, K Chris Gould Virginia, T Floyd Headen West Texas State, WR Bruce Hocker Duquesne, S Anthony Houlis Florida State, WR Amari Jackson USF, CB Brandon Jackson Georgia Southern, S Kyle Jackson Florida, FB Langston Johnson Yale, LB Adam Kadela Northwestern, QB Sam Keller Nebraska, T Adam Kieft Central Michigan, TE Gerard Landry Southern, TE Jon Loyte Boston College, LB Ron McCullough Bethune-Cookman, LB Corey McKeon Nebraska, DT Tywain Miles Tarleton State, DT Alphonso Moran Kansas State, WR Derrick Richards Utah, C John Rochford Miami, CB Junior Rosegreen Auburn, LS Garrison Sanborn Florida State, G Pat Schwenke West Texas A&M, RB Clifton Smith Fresno State, LB Gian Villante Hofstra, OL Walter Walker USF, FB Stan White Ohio State

That list alone makes me dizzy, I couldnt imagine attempting to evaluate these guys in a 24 hour window. I wonder if QB John Johnson had a hand in WR Wes Doyle getting a look or maybe Doyle left an impression on the club while it was scouting Johnson... S Anthony Houlis is a good kid, but he was always injured at FSU, no way does he make the squad, the same goes for FSU's Jackie Claude... That's almost an entire roster made up of "Not-quite-Enoughs" up there... Good luck fellas

QB Matt Ryan, OT Sam Baker, LB Curtis Lofton, CB Chevis Jackson, WR Harry Douglas, S Thomas Decoud, LB Robert James, LB Kroy Biermann, RB Thomas Brown, CB Wilfrey Fontenot, and TE Keith Zinger

Despite the Falcons fans being dismayed on draft day, I think they made a handful of decent selections. Although the fan base wanted line help in Round 1, the public perception of the Falcons needed direction and QB Matt Ryan is the guy to direct the nest. Matty Ice as they call him should provide Bucs fans a pulse worth watching on the Falcons offense outside of new RB Michael Turner. OT Sam Baker was considered a Top 15 Pick at one point, he should help a hoge poge line. Three linebackers drafted seems a bit excessive, but you know those pesky Falcons. S Thomas Decoud is an absolute stud and I'm envious of that selection... This is a solid coupe for the Falcons to start building with...

RB Jonathan Stewart, OT Jeff Otah, CB Charles Godfrey, LB Dan Conner, TE Gary Barnidge, DL Nick Hayden, LB Hilee Taylor, OL Geoff Schwartz, and OG Mackenzy Bernadeau

What is it with John Fox and drafting Running backs? Gruden loves QB's in Tampa and Fox loves RB's in Carolina. It's seems as if a two-back system is the only way to go in this league, so move over DeAngelo Williams. The Bucs were rumored to be interested in OT Jeff Otah, its a good thing Carolina scooped him up or is it... LB Dan Conner was a projected 1st Round Draft Pick in several Mock Drafts, clearly a good value pick. Hopefully he remains on the field more than Dan Morgan. I said it over the weekend and I'll say it again, I love how Carolina took a Carolina player. Not just because Hilee plays in-state, but because local players are just easier to route for, having witnessed their abilities first hand. Again solid selections

DT Sedrick Ellis, CB Tracy Porter, DT DeMario Pressley, OT Carl Nicks, K Taylor Mehlhaff, and WR Adrian Arrington

Like the Bucs, the Saints didnt have many Draft Picks to work with. I was kind of surprised they didnt look to draft any runningbacks in a deep class of runners. Deuce nearly got cut this off-season and Reggie Bush has been far from what he was anticipated to be. The Saints first two picks solidified their draft. Sedrick Ellis is going to wreak havoc on our interior line, he's just a quick able bodied assassin. CB Tracy Porter is probably the most underrated and overlooked corner of the entire draft. He will help Saints fans forget Jason David. Pressley will either pan out or he won't, there seems to be no in-between with the guy. I don't like the Adrian Arrington pick and that fan base probably wont either...

All in all, the NFC South did a bang up job at the NFL Draft last weekend. I love it, as it just adds to the competition and makes those rivalry games that much more interesting. Hopefully Jake Delhomme, Drew Brees, and Matt Ryan can keep those competitive NFC South rivalries going. If I had to rank the NFC South in terms of draft grades I would go: Panthers, Saints, Bucs, and Falcons....

I've been dreading grading the Bucs Draft. It almost feels like homework in a way, so let me go ahead and get this out of the way.. Forget the teasers, I'm gonna throw it out there: The Bucs deserve an B+ for last weekends draft results.

The Bucs solved their Cornerback question, added speed to the offense, and got guarenteed hog mollies for both sides of the line. First the obvious, Nobody has questioned Talib's ability, just his character and I think the two year drug-less period he's had proves that he has turned the page. Surely theres no guarentees, as we're all human and susceptible to relapses. At any rate, you could argue drafting Mike Jenkins over Talib, but they're almost one in the same and if you had to wager money, I'm sure you would bet Talib has the better athleticism of the two corners...

A ton of fans were angered by the Bucs 2nd Round selection, many felt the pick was a reach. I too would have liked to see the Bucs move up to nab a more battle tested Receiver, but #1 - It cost a Kings Ransom to move up in the Draft (just ask the Jags), #2 - Lets be honest with ourselves, there isnt/wasnt a single Wide Receiver in that Draft that would turn the Bucs offensive woes around. The time it takes to learn Gruden's offense is the first mountain, the second mountain is trying to work your way into the fold (for some reason Clayton receives chance after chance, along with "Has-Been" free agent pick-ups). We needed a burner for the offense and specifically the return game and Dexter Jackson may have been the fastest receiver in the draft. Sure he played for a Div-II DivI-AA school and may not have the softest hands, but he will be a factor on the field for the Bucs.

Even more fans were puzzled by a third round pick being used on a potential back-up player. Several scouts had Zuttah as a 2nd round pick and by his own accounts he seems eager to mix it up in the starting rotation. I don't think adding depth to the line was such a bad thing here. Who knows if Petitgout can make it through a season. Who knows if Donald Penn can duplicate or improve upon last seasons production. I think Gruden's learned a valuable lesson and its evident in the teams disgusting acquisition of veteran QB Brian Griese.. This team cant afford to have guys go down and not have capable back-ups ready to step in. We've seen guys go down throughout Gruden's tenure and its guarenteed to continue

Maryland's DT Dre' Moore has been recounted as a steal by many draft scouts. He was projected to go in the late first or early 2nd round and fell all the way to the fourth round. Moore is known for his run stopping ability and by the end of the season, teams figured out to the run the ball to the opposite side of Moore. His achilles heel appears to be his conditioning or lack there of. He has a high motor and rarely ever takes plays off, thus he's pretty well spent by the end of ball games. I don't think he'll have a problem with conditioning in Monte's defense, as his position rotates fairly often. It would be nice to find a vocal leader for the d-line as Moore is anything but. He's about as solid as they come for a 4th round pick though. He should push Jovan Haye and Chris Hovan...

On to the most shocking pick of the weekend or was it? We all saw this selection coming a mile away. We may not have known who the QB would be, but we knew he was coming regardless. It's been a while since the Bucs had success come from the 5th Round of the Draft and beyond (the last coming in S Jermaine Phillips in '02), so blowing a fifth round pick on a Div-II QB shouldnt hurt the Bucs grade. Johnson's speed, strong arm, smarts, and accuracy led Gruden to draft the San Diego star. His sheer numbers didnt hurt his case either; He threw for 2,988 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 1 interception against Div-II competition and thats the only knock on Josh. Can he hack it against elite competition? Can he read the more elaborate defensive schemes of the NFL? Time will tell.. Although he's a QB, the Bucs didnt go wrong with this pick

Their 6th round selection of LB Geno Hayes was the only question mark of the weekend for me. Had the Bucs drafted Hayes in '07 I would have been ecstatic, as Geno was amazing. This year however, his play left alot to be desired. Against the rival Florida Gators, Geno had all of ONE Tackle.. way to show up. Granted the program around him is/was a complete mess, he should still have put forth full effort. Putting last season behind me, Geno always seemed to play above his abilities. You were often watching him play and for no reason you would start to cheer him on. He's got good size at 6'2 and deceptive speed. He covers the field well and attempts to get in on every play. He's got good instincts which allows him to spy the Quarterback and disrupt the underneath patterns. If Geno can stay out of trouble he could turn out to be a bargain in the 6th round, but I'm not so sure he has the focus to do so.

Runningback was the one position I thought the Bucs would surely overlook in the Draft, especially considering the amount of backs they currently have on the roster. Cory Boyd seems to be a more complete version of RB Kenneth Darby who the Bucs drafted in the 7th round last season. Darby and Boyd both possess speed and agility, but Boyd adds the combination of power to his running ability. I don't expect Boyd to contribute in the running game any time soon and it would have to be one heck of a disaster season for him to see the field, but special teams is an area he should be able to contribute in immediately.

I know alot of you are disappointed the Bucs didnt draft another Wide Receiver, but outside of the 5th round, there really wasnt an opportunity to look toward the wide receiving position again. I think the Bucs had a very solid draft. They filled several voids on the team and added just enough spark to make next season even more interesting. Report Card closed!

With the 3rd Pick in last weekends NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected versatile OL Jeremy Zuttah from Rutgers University, a school that produced a 2,000 yard rusher and two 1,000 yard receivers during Zuttah's tenure. Alot of fans were puzzled by the drafting of the o-lineman in the 3rd round, speculating whether its wise to use a 3rd round pick on what appears to be a back-up/role player.

The Offensive Line as of right now shakes out as such: LT Luke Petitgout, LG Arron Sears, OC Jeff Faine, RG Davin Joseph, and RT Jeremy Trueblood... Arron Sears and back-up Dan Buenning may want to prepare for a battle for their jobs this off-season:

"I think I will probably be an inside [lineman]," Zuttah said. "They have a lot of young linemen, a lot of people playing a lot of different positions. I think one of the things they liked about me was my versatility, so nothing is set in stone, [but] I think right now it is likely I will be inside." - Buccaneers.com

Zuttah's definitely not taking Davin Joseph's position on the line, but with the rash of injuries this team has suffered under Jon Gruden's watch, it wouldnt be a shock to see Zuttah play all across the line this season. Zuttah, like me, graduated with an Economics degree so that makes him a pretty bright fella, did i say that out loud? I apologize. Here's Zuttah on growing with the rest of the Bucs Young Line:

"Coach [Jon] Gruden and Coach [Bill] Muir told me that they have a very young offensive line right now, a lot of guys that are familiar to me from the college football ranks, guys like Arron Sears and Jeff Faine," said Zuttah. "It is good to have everybody young and everybody on the same page. We will grow up together and mature together in the league, and hopefully come together as a solid unit" - Buccaneers.com

This is the first time in a long time where the offensive line actually looks to be a concrete unit. Meaning there isnt John Doe being acquired and thrown into the line. Give this line a couple years to grow and we could have something real nice in Tampa...

Tampa Bay Buccaneer Rookies CB Aqib Talib, WR Dexter Jackson, OG/OT Jeremy Zuttah, DT Dre' Moore, QB Josh Johnson, LB Geno Hayes, and RB Cory Boyd will get to taste what its like to be part of an NFL Franchise this weekend when they take part in the Bucs Rookie Mini-Camp. The Rookies are not allowed to report permanently to their teams and the ongoing offseason training programs until the third full week of May.

This weekends Mini-Camp is also open to first year players, I'm assuming thats first year players in the league, therefore new players to the Bucs Organization like OC Jeff Faine and WR Antonio Bryant will not surface at One Buc Place over the weekend. RB Kenneth Darby, WR Chad Lucas and OT Dennis Roland will attend the weekends events. The rookies will arrive in Tampa today and get their first look at One Buccaneer Place. They will get physicals, meet the Bucs' football staff and sit down for a meeting with Head Coach Jon Gruden.

On Friday and Saturday the rookies will have a walk-through in the morning, a full-scale two-hour session in the afternoon, and camp will conclude with a morning practice on Sunday. Some of the non-draftee invites expected to attend this weekend consist of: DE Tommy Blake (TCU), DT Chris Bradwell (Troy), CB Elbert Mack (Troy), TE John Loyte (BC), WR Amarri Jackson (USF), OL Walter Walker (USF), OL Jared Carnes (USF), QB Sam Keller (Nebraska), and RB Clifton Smith (Fresno State). Man I'm happy to see Amarri Jackson get a shot, come on kid impress enough to get a contract.. Should be interesting.

Raise your hand if you already created new Bucs QB Josh Johnson via Madden on your Video Game system... Come on don't lie... I was dismayed when Jon Gruden took a Quarterback with that 5th Round Pick, but I was curious as to how the kid's 4.53 speed would play out on my PS2... I gotta say, yeah boy!!

Video Game characters aside, this guy has the make-up to be a very special Quarterback in Jon Gruden's system. I know, where have you heard that before. Gruden was quoted as saying in the off-season that he wanted a chance to draft a 1st round Quarterback. Well my man, with Grads and now JJ, that ought to add up to a 1st Round Quarterback.. Hopefully you can mold this guy. I know I look forward to it.

What makes Josh exciting? Probably his ability to make plays happen with his feet and his athletic ability to avoid the rush. He's a smart player who does a good job reading the defense and progressing through reads. Despite great legs, he looks for the pass first, and knows when to run with the ball.

I think he'll win over Bucs Fans with toughness, he's missed little time due to injury and he has a tremendous work ethic. He's a competitive player who wants to win, and knows how to win.

Here's New Era Scouting's take on Josh Johnson's Quarterbacking abilities:

Accuracy:
An accurate quarterback when throwing downfield and on the run. However, he struggles when throwing underneath patterns. Overall, he is pretty sound in this category.

Arm Strength:
A strong arm that allows him to fit the ball into tight windows. Can spread out the field, and will not hinder an offense with his arm. Puts great velocity on his throws.

Decision Making:
Tough to grade because of his competition, but he makes good decisions which is evident by his touchdown-to-interception ratio. A smart player, but he gets away with a lot of throws because of his lackluster competition.

Field Vision:
Does an excellent job going through progression and scanning the field. Realizes when to run the ball when there isn’t anything available. Does a good job spreading the ball out, and keeping his head up when scrambling.

Mechanics:
Struggles somewhat with footwork, and basically just needs to fine tweak his mechanics. Nonetheless, he is solid in this area.

Mobility:
Spectacular mobility. Can make things happen on a consistent basis with his legs, and has the ability to turn nothing into something with his legs. Can avoid the rush, scramble, and pick up 10 yards with his legs any given time.

Pocket Awareness:
Does a great job of feeling the rush and moving around in the pocket. Steps up into the pocket, and avoids the rush.

Additional Comments:
Johnson is a very intriguing prospect with a high ceiling. His level of competition makes him hard to grade, but Johnson undoubtedly has the physical skills to excel at the NFL level. His athletic ability is uncanny for the position, and he has the mental toughness and intelligence to be a special player in the NFL. However, Johnson will undergo a grace period during his transition to the NFL game.

If there was ever a perfect situation for Josh Johnson this is it. QB Jeff Garcia has this season with the Bucs, maybe a few more depending on his durability.. Johnson needs time to learn Gruden's offense, so long as Garcia is playing well.. JJ will have the time necessary to adjust to the NFL and its stellar competitive level. It's ridiculously early to predict his future, but you gotta like the kids abilities and its easy to see why Jon Gruden would stick his neck out there and draft, yet, another Quarterback

1st Round NFL Draft Pick and "NEW" Tampa Bay Buccaneer CB Aqib Talib was introduced to the Media today.. Be sure to listen to the audio below. The guy LOVES football, many NFL players do, but if you take anything away from Talib's press conference, its that he has a passion for this sport.

Talib on the meaning of his first name:
"It's a Muslim name," Talib said. "I know my first name means, 'the last to come.' I'm the youngest of four kids so my first name means the last to come. My last name means ... I don't know."

Gruden on the meaning of Talib's last name:
"His name means 'good corner,' I hope," Gruden said.

Talib on the impact of winning MVP of his team's Bowl Game:
"I didn't even realize I had won a trophy.. I woke up the next morning and they told me I had won a trophy. I was just excited to win that game"

Aqib on the being Drafted by the Buccaneers:
"It's just wonderful," Talib said. "It's a dream come true for me. It's an honor to be able to start my NFL career with this team, with this defense, to have a chance to be around Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks and guys like that. It's an honor for me. I'm excited to be a Buccaneer. It's been all smiles for me. I'm excited. I don't need no sleep, I don't need nothing. It's a dream come true. I don't want to wake up."

On his meeting with the Bucs prior to the Draft:
"After my visit I really was like, 'Man, I need to play for Coach Kiff. I want to come play for Coach Gruden.' Out of any visit I went on, this was the one I felt the best about. They didn't tell me, 'We're going to draft you,' or anything, but I just felt like this was the best situation for me when I left after my visit."

On his ability to learn early on:
"When I'm learning, I'm learning," said Talib. "I'm not talking, I'm taking notes and I'm learning. Until I've got a good grasp on what we're doing, I'm going to be quiet in that meeting room. But I think I'll fit right in pretty early. I'm a people person. I've never had a problem fitting in with a crowd."

Who is ready for football? My goodness, all this talk and its nearly four months away. It's hard to tell from a Press Conference what type of character Aqib has, but by all accounts he seems very polished, genuine, and eager to start his career. That's about all you can truly ask for...