#buccaneers rants

New Post has been published on http://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/buccaneers-signed-former-seahawks-dt-j-francis-release-davon-coleman/

#Buccaneers have signed former Seahawks DT A.J. Francis; Release Davon Coleman

Buccaneers have signed former Maryland DT A.J. Francis

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Tuesday that they have signed DT A.J. Francis to a contract. The Buccaneers also waived DL Davon Coleman.

He was originally signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Francis played college football at Maryland.

New Post has been published on http://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/buccaneers-made-several-moves-week-bottom-roster/

#Buccaneers made several moves this week to the bottom of their roster

Former USF WR Andre Davis has been signed by the Buccaneers

According to Greg Auman of Tampa Bay Times is reporting the Buccaneers made several moves to the bottom of their roster.  According to Auman, the Bucs re-signed former South Florida wide out Andre Davis, as well as DT Travis Britz, LB Micah Awe and OL Kelby Johnson. 

The team released LB Tyson Coleman, TE Tim Brown and DT Jontavius Morris. 

New Post has been published on http://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/buccaneers-have-re-signed-wr-russell-shepard-and-de-jacquies-smith/

#Buccaneers have re-signed WR Russell Shepard and DE Jacquies Smith

Buccaneers have tendered the contract of WR Russell Shepard

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially re-signed restricted free agent WR Russell Shepard to a one-year contract on Monday. The Bucs also re-signed exclusive rights DE Jacquies Smith.

Russell Shepard was a quarterback at Louisiana State University and transititioned to the wide receiver position as a senior.  He has since been doing a wonderful job as a wide out for the Buccaneers. 

The Buccaneers picked Smith up off waivers from the Buffalo Bills in September of 2014 and he was in the starting lineup by just after midseason, eventually ranking second on the team with 6.5 sacks. Last year, Smith missed four games and parts of seven others but still contributed seven sacks to once again finish second on the Bucs’ defense. In two seasons and 27 games, he has amassed 39 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, 23 quarterback pressures, three passes defensed, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

New Post has been published on http://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/buccaneers-re-signed-rfa-bradley-mcdougald-erfa-ls-andrew-depaola/

#Buccaneers re-signed RFA Bradley McDougald and ERFA LS Andrew DePaola

Buccaneers have re-signed DB Bradley McDougald

The Buccaneers announced Tuesday that they’ve re-signed restricted free agent S Bradley McDougald to a one-year contract. The Bucs also re-signed excursive rights free agent LS Andrew DePaola.

McDougald, a fourth-year safety, became a restricted free agent (RFA) when that offer was extended and technically had until April 22 to seek a contract from another team, with the Buccaneers retaining a right-of-first refusal. Like the majority of RFAs, however, McDougald chose to sign the tender offer, which becomes his contract for the 2016 season. That decision puts him on a path to become, potentially, anunrestricted free agent next offseason.

DePaola, on the other hand, was an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) after he also received a qualifying offer from the team. As such, the team’s incumbent long-snapper could only negotiate with the Buccaneers and was thus even more certain to remain with the team in 2016.

New Post has been published on http://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/buccaneers-qb-jameis-winston-says-take-pay-cut-play-jalen-ramsey/

#Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston says he would take a pay cut to play with Jalen Ramsey

Buccaneers quarterback is lobbying for his former teammate Jalen Ramsey

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is very serious about his love for Jalen Ramsey, and the former Florida State Star, said he would even take a pay cut to play with Ramsey again.

“We (FSU) definitely have the best player in the world in Jalen Ramsey,” Winston recently said, according to Pewter Report. “People talk about his position. But Jalen is the best cornerback, safety … I will take a pay cut to play with him again. He has a fierce mentality. And the best thing about him is he is a Seminole! I have already shot (Bucs GM Jason Licht) some texts.”

“He can do anything he wants to do really,” Winston said. “He’s so talented in (so) many ways. He can be a lockdown corner for you like a Richard Sherman, or he could be a safety-corner hybrid like Charles Woodson. This guy is very talented and has a lot of ability.”

While Jameis could not actually take a pay cut because he is in his rookie deal, it is a signing endorsement to the best defensive player in the entire draft.

New Post has been published on http://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/buccaneers-have-re-signed-safety-chris-conte/

#Buccaneers have re-signed safety Chris Conte

Buccaneers safety Chris Conte could be brought back

Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed Chris Conte according to Roy Cummings.

Conte, 27, has played out his rookie contract with the Bears before signing a one-year deal with the Buccaneers last year. Conte was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.

New Post has been published on http://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/buccaneers-hosting-de-charles-johnson-today/

Buccaneers are hosting DE Charles Johnson today

Carolina Panthers former defensive end is in Tampa today meeting with the Buccaneers

Today the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hosting defensive end Charles Johnson today according to their website.

Johnson played his first nine seasons with the Panthers and has 63.5 career sacks, but he was heading into the final seasons of a lucrative six-year contract signed in 2011 before his release.

Injuries limited the 29-year-old Johnson to nine games and one sack in 2015, but he had averaged 10.5 sacks over the previous five campaigns. From 2010-14, only four players recorded more sacks than the former third-round pick out of Georgia: DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen, Cameron Wake and J.J. Watt.

The Buccaneers could use a good veteran pass rusher and Johnson would probably love to play the team that drafted him and cut him twice a year.

New Post has been published on http://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/buccaneers-placed-low-tender-wr-russell-shepard/

Buccaneers have placed a low tender on WR Russell Shepard

Buccaneers have tendered the contract of WR Russell Shepard

Today the Tampa Bay Buccaneers retained wide receiver Russell Shepard by placing a low tender on him.

Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) | Twitter 9 mins ago – View on Twitter

#Bucs put the low tender ($1.671M) on WR Russell Shepard.

Shepard was considered the best quarterback in the nation in 2009 by Rivals.com, and was heavily recruited as a quarterback.  Shepard selected LSU and would eventually convert to a wide receiver.