Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week In Review: Barber to FOX, Brown to Tampa, Donald Penn Drama

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The offseason is never an exciting time for fans, and it generally leads to nonsensical discussions, unnecessary panic, and overanalysis of small stories. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ fans, this offseason has had its fair share of stressful and confusing moments, but since the team did its work to improve upon a miserable pass defense and seemingly bring hope for an improved 2013 campaign as compared to 2012, there has been little else to talk about.

But this week brought us some drama, some hope, and some good news, so let’s take a look back at the week that was, and give some quick takes on the news that impacted the Buccaneers.

• Ronde Barber will join FOX Sports as an analyst for the upcoming season, in what is being reported as a “hybrid” role, meaning the former Buc defensive back will likely have gameday duties along with getting face time on FOX’s new FOX Sports 1 channel. This is encouraging, as he’ll get a chance to be a part of a new, up-and-coming sports network and get a chance to shine, rather than being an occasional SportsCenter fill in. It’s also interesting news, as his affiliation with the NFC’s network TV partner means that both he and John Lynch will likely be involved with Bucs games in the near future.
• If Matt Brown, a rookie out of Temple, turns out to be a contributor for the Buccaneers, fans in Tampa will be able to thank international travel and work regulations and the passport system. Brown went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, and opted to go to Canada to join the CFL. But issues with his passport kept him from being able to truly get started in the CFL, so he’ll instead come to Tampa. Brown was a dynamic kick and punt returner for the Owls, and will likely be putting pressure on Michael Smith for a role as a returner and running back on the 2013 roster.
• I prefer to avoid overly speculative negative things like this until more information is released, so I am sure this isn’t the first time you’ve heard about the situation regarding Donald Penn’s weight. But in case you missed out on all the drama, the recap goes like this: A fellow Buccaneers’ website reported that Donald Penn was not in compliance with the weight clauses in his contract, which caused Penn to erupt on Twitter, cursing out those involved in spreading this information. Pro Football Talk compiled the whole story here, and they point out that Buccaneers’ leadership, including Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano, are quite content with Penn’s fitness, and that while his weight has been an issue in the past, this year Penn is in compliance with his contract clauses.

As we continue through the offseason, we’ll be sure to keep you up to date with any breaking stories. With the beginning of June upon us, there will be more player movement now through the start of training camp, as teams work to build up the camp roster they want to see compete for the final spots for opening day.

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