With all the talk about DJax's lack of production. Here's a couple quotes directly from Rookie Returner Dexter Jackson and his Head Coach Jon Gruden:

DJax on playing Sunday:

"I'll be back there on punts and kicks this week," said Jackson. "As long as I produce I'll be back there, so I'm going to try and make the best of it. It is a lot different with the speed of the game. I'm trying to get used to the new schemes that we have, and just try to trust it and break some out." - Pewter Report

Did Gruden clear him to declare himself a starter this weekend? Nobody wants to see Gruden's temper flare up again. The speed of the game has clearly been a source of frustration for DJax. He can no longer play cat and mouse by moving east and west on the field. The defense is too fast in the NFL. The sooner he figures that out the better.

DJax on Gruden pulling him last week against the Bears:

"Coach Gruden felt like he wanted to try some other people out," said Jackson. "Basically, it adds fuel to my fire. We are all here to win, so he is going to put the best person out there to help us do it." - Pewter Report

DJax on his learning curve:

"The first three weeks have been a learning lesson for me," said Jackson. "It is about watching tape and finding the big holes. They come down hard, but the way we block our schemes we can get our blocks and open up some alleyways for us" - Pewter Report

Gruden on potentially benching his Rookie Returner:

"There's a lot of speculation about that," Gruden said. "No, I'm not really thinking about that. We'll have some other guys that will contribute. Whether Dexter does it exclusively or not will be something we decide when the ball is kicked Sunday afternoon. He's a big part of our plans, and we have some other guys. You've seen Ike [Hilliard] back there. You've seen [Michael] Clayton back there. You might see somebody else. We're going to do it on a situational basis, and we'll have a plan for each return." - Pewter Report

It's good that Gruden feels the speculation out there, its an indication that the Beat Writers and/or the fan base is getting its concerns across to him. Not that he gives a lick, but its cool to see that he at least acknowledges it. I'm praying DJax takes the initial kickoff and returns it for big time yardage. He's got incredible speed and when he gets space he makes things exciting. Hilliard and Clayton need to focus on receiving the ball.

The Pewter Report has a poll up asking fans whether they would bench Dexter Jackson now. The results thus far? 70% of the 760+ voters elected for the Bucs to bench Dexter Jackson. Incredible. All of this talk is based solely on his Draft Status. The return game has been non-existent for the Bucs FOREVER and has never been given the attention that DJax and his 2nd round Draft selection has endured. In a way thats good as ALL Bucs issues are being addressed, but its also a bit premature to bench a Rookie after three games. Michael Clayton's gotten three years... Come on DJax silence the critics!!!

Heading into the off-season, the Return Unit amongst other things (WIDE RECEIVER!) was the one aspect of the Buccaneers personnel the fan base sorely wanted an upgrade for. That upgrade (or so we thought) came in the form of Appalachian State product Dexter Jackson. He was taken in the 2nd Round of the NFL Draft. Many (including yours truly) expected the Bucs to draft California product Desean Jackson, in the 1st Round of the Draft. The Bucs opted for Kansas CB Aqib Talib in the 1st Round and lost out on Desean in the 2nd Round as the Eagles chose him several picks ahead of the Bucs.

We’re only three games into the 2008 season and folks are already questioning DJax’s value and whether the Bucs reached extensively on Draft Day to get the Div-IAA FCS speedster. These questions arose in the Pre-Season as well, but were put to rest when DJax returned an 83 yard punt for touchdown in the final Pre-Season game against the Houston Texans. I’ve been in DJax’s corner since day one, but it’s hard to argue with the critics thus far when you look at the numbers:

The sample size is so small that one very good Punt Return of 30 yards or more would probably vault the Bucs return unit into at least the middle of the road per NFL standards. Plus there have only been five returns for touchdown in the entire NFL thus far through the season, so again it’s early. Although I’m not ready to give up on the kid, the coaching staff has already proved to have a short leash by subbing him for foot draggers in Ike Hilliard and Michael Clayton. Although slow, both receivers pick up yardage as they hit the seams without any regard for the contact that awaits them. To DJax’s credit he wasn’t a Kick Returner in college. He was a Wide Receiver and a Punt Returner; Wide Receiver first though and so there’s going to be a learning curve he has to overcome. Here’s Gruden on that learning curve and why he chose to sub in Clayton against the Bears:

"It's new to him," Gruden said. "Obviously, he didn't have the greatest footing, for whatever the reasons were. We have a guy standing there in Clayton who was really feeling it, and I like the way he played. (I said) 'Get back there and do this, man. Take one back.' He was decisive and physical in the hole and, if you're going to play the Chicago Bears, you better take it north and south and keep your feet. That's the reason we made the change." – from Stephen Holder of the St. Pete Times

Gruden on wanting more from the Return Unit:

"I want to see a lot more, to be honest with you. We've worked at it. We had some excitement in the preseason. We had a potential game-breaking play in New Orleans. We've been kind of quiet. But then again, we have to keep working. There's a lot of areas we'd like to pick up, and that's one of them." – from Stephen Holder of the St. Pete Times

Gruden alluded to not using Michael Clayton again in the return game this weekend as he wants him to focus on receiving so Dexter hasn’t lost complete confidence from his Coaching staff, but if the next three games mimic his first three games, the Rookie might find himself on the bench. I still can’t grasp why Gruden won’t try him out in the slot. He looked good in the limited chances he got in the Pre-Season. The worst he can do is drop balls ala Michael Clayton or fumble a reception ala Maurice Stovall. The best he could do is light the world on fire, why not attempt to see if he can achieve some type of middle of the road success in there?

The Pre-Season is officially over and the Bucs went (3-1). Saturday the Bucs have to trim 22 players off their roster. Good Luck Gruden & Company

As for the Quarterbacks, Griese did NOT play so that should tell you everything you need to know about the Back-up situation.

I would be shocked if this wasn't Chris Simms very last game in a Bucs jersey. He threw a pass that ricocheted off Dan Buenning and was intercepted. Chris you are a tough son of a gun and although you were rough to watch at times, I thoroughly enjoyed rooting you on..

Patrick Chukwurah was brought in mid-week and he looked fantastic tonight against the Texans JV Squad...

I wonder if Gruden runs Michael Bennett so much partly because Bennett wanted to play more last season and so Gruden is obliging him here in the Pre-Season in the event that Earnest Graham lights the world on fire and doesnt allow Bennett to see the field during the regular season..

The Defense looked fantastic tonight, the coaching staff really has its hands full. I didnt think the Receivers got enough looks to better any of their cases. I also didnt think Clifton Smith helped his chances of making the squad.

Sabby Piscitelli did get HURT during this game. The early prognosis was a sprained knee, but we'll have to wait and hear about the x-rays. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully this kid catches a break. He missed all of last season with an injury and has looked great throughout the Pre-Season and even tonight prior to his injury.

Believe it or not Dre Moore cam alive in the second half pressuring the Quarterback and batting a ball at the line of scrimmage. He's been said to start out slow in a system (as he did in College) and then he eventually breaks out as he 'Gets it'... I'm not sure if the Bucs will wait around, but he did look good tonight.

Shame on me for mentioning it, but I didnt think QB Josh Johnson looked good tonight. He lobbed a couple floaters that were off target and for a guy who was said to be so accurate he reminded me a bit of Shaun King (collective shudder). Obviously he's young so no big deal, but i bet Brian Clark wishes he was on the money with his pass to the endzone.

Man oh man, K Matt Bryant. He's struggled this Pre-Season and did tonight missing two field goals (granted one was for 53 yards). Never fear as the man hit his final three attempts and that should carry him to the season with a bit of confidence.

We're a week away from the Season Opener against the New Orleans Saints, if the regular season effort is anything like the Pre-Season efforts, we've got a good team on our hands and a potentially explosive one if you know who gets used more, as he did tonight. Alright here's to the regular season!!

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune recently relayed a couple Jon Gruden Quotes that I thought I would bring to your attention:

Which 53 guys to keep on the roster:

"The big thing is, we’ve got to keep the right 53 guys – not necessarily the best 53 players but the right 53"... - Tampa Tribune

Should be interesting to see which fringe players make it and don’t make it: RB/PR Clifton Smith, CB Elbert Mack, DT Dre Moore, WR Brian Clark etc

Whether position coaches fight to keep players on the team:

"Yeah, there’s some of that. Rich Bisaccia, he’s obviously fighting to keep guys that can help him cover and return kicks. Bruce Allen and the scouting department have their say, obviously. So everybody’s got a say in this matter and at the end of the day"... - Tampa Tribune

It’s funny that Gruden mentions Rich Bisaccia and the Return Team, there appears to be more chatter about that unit than in recent years, which is funny because they actually have more talent than they’ve ever had, so where’s the tough decision? Dexter Jackson, Clifton Smith, and Michael Spurlock and call it a day!

The status of FB B.J. Askew:

"He’ll be back on the field Monday. I just talked to B.J. before practice; he’s doing extremely well and the great thing about this injury is he’ll be 100 percent, I believe, ready to go for the regular season. It’s been awkward"... - Tampa Tribune

I would think Askew along with Galloway would sit out Thursday for fear of re-injuring themselves in a meaningless Pre-Season game.

If he and his staff anticipate signing other players released across the league:

"I hope so. Our scouts are looking at everybody else’s rosters just like we’re looking at our own. There are going to be players that are released that we might think could help us, and we won’t hesitate to bring those guys in. That’s all part"... - Tampa Tribune

This part of the off-season really amazes me, not only do they have to scour their own roster with a fine toothed comb, they are also keeping tabs on players with other teams.. Rough job, ha!

Joey Galloway’s Status:

"Yeah, he is an option to play. He looked good today and we’re encouraged to have him back. He ran some good routes, showed good quickness in and out of his breaks and"... - Tampa Tribune

I’ve got a bad feeling about Galloway and his ability to produce all season. I hope I’m wrong…

If he’s seen what he wants to see from the Return Unit:

"No, heck no. I realize we haven’t schemed anything, we haven’t put in any strategic returns. [It’s been] a lot of man-blocking returns, trying to see who has a knack for getting their head on a swivel and athletically breaking down in space and sustaining a block. Some guys have done well, some guys have not done well. That will be an area, once we isolate who the players are on the team, we can put in a strategic return and get good at it, and that’s what we always do." - Tampa Tribune

This is the most insane thing of the Pre-Season. Did anybody see how disgusting the Return team was last Pre-Season and throughout the season? Ike Hilliard was back returning punts!! Our third down possession receiver. Dexter Jackson, Clifton Smith, and Michel Spurlock have looked FANTASTIC over previous returners we’ve had back there, Michael Pittman!?!? DJax has a 10+ yard return average on Punts and he hasn’t come close to fumbling or bobbling a catch. The same can be said for Spurlock and Smith. If you watched Saturday’s game against the Jags I could see where you would desire more from the Kick Returning Unit, but all in all the Return Team has look vastly improved.

Discusses DJax’s learning curve:

"He’s learning everything really. These guys are coming from all angles, a little bit faster than they did at Appalachian – no disrespect to anybody. Yeah, he’s doing a good job of securing the ball and making good decisions. He’s caught the ball well here on the field so we feel good about that." - Tampa Tribune

Again, writers are coming out with pieces questioning the Drafting of Dexter Jackson and going almost as far to call him a bust. Are you SERIOUS? The guy has gotten TWO Offensive touches, he turned them into gains of 11 and 9 yards. On his Punt Returns that were playable he’s gained 11 yards twice and 15 yards once. His Kick Returns leave a lot to be desired, but even he would tell you that. The guy will get it. He can only do so much with the opportunities he’s given. Even so he’s leaps and bounds better than what the Bucs have fielded before him (Hilliard, Pittman, Jones). Not to mention it’s the Pre-Season, I guarentee the Bucs have pre-designed wrinkles for him in the offense and if not, it wont be the first time this organization has misused a player (Greg White, Gaines Adams, Keenan McCardell, etc). I wish they’d take the kid gloves off him before writers claim he’s a bust. He was a Wide Receiver 1st and then a return man 2nd at Appy State…

Quarterbacks: Jeff Garcia finally started a Pre-Season Game. He played into the 2nd quarter. He threw two interceptions and one touchdown. To sum up Garcia's night, he looked extremely rusty early on. The first interception was more WR Maurice Stovall's fault as he slipped and fell while breaking his route and the Jaguars Reggie Nelson jumped the route and caught Garcia's pass. The 2nd interception was all on Garcia however. After a nice drive down to the 10 yard line, Garcia under threw a pass in the End Zone to WR Michael Clayton that the Jaguars Reggie Nelson again intercepted. Despite those early miscues Garcia did orchestrate a touchdown drive and rebounded well. Having return from a calf injury, Garcia is easily our most mobile QB and with that he will unequivocally be the starting QB regardless of the back-ups performances.

Speaking of back-ups: Brian Griese came in for Garcia. He looked the same as he's looked all Pre-Season. The master of dinking here and dunking there. He did try a 15+ yard pass to Stovall, but he over threw him. Through 3 games Griese has definitely proved he is worthy of the #2 spot behind Garcia. He doesnt get sacked often and protects the football. Luke McCown: He had a 29 yard run and a touchdown pass to Chad Lucas. He looked pretty good on the night, but as usual he got sacked. It's like he takes forever to do the 5 step drop that Garcia skips through flawlessly. With that said McCown is going no where. He will be this teams third string QB. Chris Simms DID NOT PLAY IN THE GAME. He will clearly be cut, possibly Tuesday when the Bucs are expected to make a couple roster cuts. Did the Bucs handle the Simms situation correctly this off-season? Probably not, but Simms screwed himself when he missed the OTA's. Sheesh... Josh Johnson: He DID NOT PLAY either. You could tell Gruden wanted to get a good look at the players he may have to cut and/or retain.

Runningbacks: RB Earnest Graham: man, to me, Graham has just not looked good. The line hasnt given him much either, but his yards per carry is not looking good. I don't know whats up with Mr. August, but he better pick it up in the Regular Season, because the Bucs are loaded at RB. RB Warrick Dunn: Got several opportunities and he really didnt look that much better than Graham. Dunn is a veteran so i'm not the least bit worried about him. RB Michael Bennett: He's got to be the most improved player on the Buccaneers. He looks quick and powerful. He hits the gaps, lowers his head, and keeps his feet moving. Graham might want to look in his rear view, because there's a Bennett Mack-Truck trying to pass him...

Wide Receivers: WR Michael Clayton: He actually had a decent game. He dropped a ball early on, but he did have to extend his body into a traffic to catch the low pass from Garcia. He good Wide Receiver would have caught the ball, but i digress. Clayton as usual made some key blocks in the run game and ended up catching a touchdown pass from Garcia. WR Antonio Bryant: He DID NOT PLAY, apparently he had fluid removed from his sore knees (who knew) and was in street clothes the entire game. He may or may not play Thursday against the Texans. My guess is he will, if anything to test his knees, but he's expected to be okay. It was odd not to see him out there though. WR Dexter Jackson: Dexter had 2 kick returns for 32 yards and one punt return for 13 yards. He didnt have a single Reception again. His lack of offensive touches is really frustrating as he was a WIDE RECEIVER FIRST at Appalachian State and then a RETURN MAN SECOND. Folks talk about his lack of size, but Steve Smith and Chad Johnson are small as well. He should definitely return kickoffs and punts for the Bucs this season no questions asked. We'll see. WR’s Spurlock, Warren, Stovall, Clark, Lucas, and Smith: All of these guys had fairly good games except for Paris Warren. I don't think I saw him on the field once and i know he didnt register any catches. He's surely headed for the scout team. The Bucs have some tough decisions ahead. I would find any way to keep Clifton Smith, the guy is electrifying and finds ways to keep a play moving (spin move, juke move, lower shoulder). The guy is a football player period. Hilliard dropped a ball early and stopped a route that nearly had Garcia picked off for a third time, but he redeemed himself with several nice catches. Maurice Stovall also looked really good tonight, gaining yards after the catch. If only he could do it consistently. I was actually proud of the Wide Receiving Unit in this game.

Tight Ends: Smith, Gilmore, and Stevens each had one catch each. For a team that features a bunch of two wide receiver sets, the Tight Ends really dont get utilized as much as you would expect them too.

Offensive Line: The Offensive Line looked really good. Jeremy Zuttah played the run perfectly and outside of one or two busted plays, he looked really good in pass coverage; even pancaking a defender twice on one play. The depth on the line continues to be a concern, as McCown got sacked and Anthony Davis had two penalties called against him. All in all, they played really well.

Defense:

The Buccaneers defense is a true joy to watch. The Jaguars had the two turnovers and you got a sense the game was about to be put out of reach and then Veteran CB Ronde Barber jumps a route and intercepts a pass putting a halt to the Jaguars momentum. Sabby Piscitelli had an INT that was given back due to a penalty on the play. Jimmy Wilkerson continues to impress recording a sack. Gaines Adams was in the backfield on several plays disrupting things which was nice to see. Even Chris Hovan got in the act and contributed a sack. I would say the run defense continues to scare me. J-Ville's Fred Taylor was really running where he wanted to (26 yards on 7 carries). Maurice Jones-Drew sprained his ankle early on, so we didnt get to see how the Bucs handled a scat back. The defense looked great though. The Jaguars got 3 interceptions, a fumble, and a Matt Bryant missed field goal and only won by 6 points. The defense had several 4th down stops and just looked electric out there. The defense is such a staple, if the offense was even half of what the defense has been over the years we would have a dynasty on our hands. Amazing..

Injuries: CB Marcus Hamilton and CB Sammy Davis collided on a play in the 4th quarter. Hamilton limped off the field with busted ribs. Davis wasnt so lucky, he hurt his neck pretty bad and was carted off the field on a stretcher. He has movement in his extremities and is expected to recover, but for a team that has been plagued by injuries; it was a pretty grim scene seeing the entire team surrounding Davis in prayer on the field. Another CB Phillip Buchanon also tweaked his hamstring/groin? I'm not sure what the injury was but he came out of the game early and did not go back in...

For a team that had minimal penalties and turnovers in its first two pre-season games; yesterdays game was bound to happen i guess. If I'm a Jaguars fan I'm not exactly encouraged by the performance I saw. Like I said the Bucs had 4 turnovers and were 11 yards away from winning the ball game. The Bucs play again Thursday against the Houston Texans, but as is customary, I don't expect many regulars to see playing time. Should be interesting to see if Garcia plays at all...

...UPDATE...

The folks over at IGN.com have already rated Madden '09 for the Playstation 3 and drum roll ... drum roll ... They gave the effort an 8.8! That's not exactly hop in my car and immediately grab the title worthy, but it is 4 tenths of a point better than what NCAA Football got.. I get paid Thursday so I'll let you know what I think after the weekend (that's if the wife allows me to make the purchase).

The Alstott cover is courtesy of: Custom Sports Covers. Speaking of Mike Alstott; during the October 19th game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Bucs plan to honor the A-Train. The game is a Nationally-Televised Sunday Night game. The Bucs plan to issue commemorative tickets and an Alstott Gate giveaway. Should be special.

Going into Last Season our Wide Receiving Corps was one of the (if not the) weakest in the league.. Fast forward to present day and that verbage continues to ring true as evidence by the Bucs bringing in not one, not two, but three more Wide Receivers to audition for starting jobs... This is getting ridiculous

The Bucs have invited old man Eric Moulds, old man Eddie Kennison, and no-name Bryan Gilmore to become Tampa Bay Buc Wide Receivers... eh. This doesnt bode well for the current guys on the roster. Dexter Jackson will certainly bring some excitement to the table, but who else will show up? Clayton? Stovall? Bryant? At least Galloway and Hilliard will come to play

It's insanely early, but bringing in these three guys for looks doesnt exude confidence in one's current corps of Receivers, yikes...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rookie WR Dexter Jackson has finally made it to the big leagues. This past Saturday, the 2nd Round NFL Draft Pick took time out of his day to do a photo shoot for Donruss and Upper Deck trading card companies (What happened to Topps?). He was among several other NFL Draft Picks: Darren McFadden (Oakland), Matt Ryan (Atlanta), Jake Long (Miami), and DeSean Jackson (Philly) etc etc...

For DJax this was a surreal moment:

"It's crazy," said Tampa Bay receiver Dexter Jackson. "Just awhile ago we were in college uniforms, now we're in NFL uniforms. We're all happy to be here. It kind of sinks in when we're all together, seeing us all in different uniforms." - Frank Tadych of NFL.com

I don't know about you, but I'm happy to see DJax flying diving through the air for football card photos. I know Gruden's happy. Jackson missed a bit of time during the teams Rookie Mini-Camp, but should be raring to go during this weeks continuation of OTAs...

The guys from the Pewter Report relay a good handful of Quotes from Head Coach Jon Gruden and recently drafted WR Dexter Jackson:

Gruden on DJax:

Gruden on DJax's Returning Ability:

DJax on his Draft Stock Rising:

DJax on his Return ability:

I know its incredibly early, but Gruden hinted to using DJax strictly as a returner early on and then slowly increasing his role within the offense via Wide Receiving. I think thats great. We need Jacksons game breaking speed in the return game more so than within the offense. Don't get me wrong, he should have a fairly prominent role at least by the bye week, but early on it wont hurt for him to focus on returning the ball and learning the offense. Great, Great Draft Pick. It probably wasnt their 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd option, but never-the-less, DJax is a playmaker and will be an asset on this team...