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TAMPA, Fla. – I just arrived out at One Buccaneer Place and the Bucs already are on the practice field.

I’m heading out there and taking roll will be my first task. Just want to make sure no one else has been traded or released overnight.

I’ll be back after practice and interviews. Coach Greg Schiano is scheduled to talk after the workout and I’m pretty sure we’ll hear his logic behind trading away veteran tight end Kellen Winslow and signing Dallas Clark as his replacement.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are out on the practice field for an organized team activity -- in other words, they’re practicing.

I’m here at One Buccaneer Place. I’m heading out to the practice field now. We’ll see what’s going on and the media will have access to coach Greg Schiano and some players after things finish.

I’ll be back with notes and observations after the practice and interviews are over.

Time for a look at the top Tuesday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

• The NFL Players Association's grievance against the NFL in the Saints’ bounty situation will be heard Wednesday by an arbitrator. If that doesn’t work, the Louisiana Legislature has passed a resolution to ask the NFL to lighten the penalties against the Saints.
• The Saints’ staff came away from rookie camp particularly impressed with the performances of receiver Nick Toon, a fourth-round pick, and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, a third-round pick.
• At least one person believes the Carolina Panthers found a huge steal in undrafted BYU offensive tackle Matt Reynolds.
• The Falcons continue to shuffle their personnel department after Les Snead left to become general manager in St. Louis and took along a couple members of the scouting department. The Falcons have promoted Lionel Vital to associate director of player personnel. The Falcons also promoted scouts Bob Kronenberg and Anthony Robinson.
• We all know the Panthers were horrible on special teams last season. Joseph Person has an overview of all the things the Panthers have done to try to improve in that area.
• The Buccaneers are ready to begin the most intense phase of their offseason workouts. They’ll be on the field a bit later Tuesday morning and I’ll be heading out to One Buccaneer Place to provide some observations.
• Tampa Bay kicker Connor Barth, who has been carrying the franchise tag, tweeted Monday night that he was on his way to Tampa and planned to join his teammates Tuesday. That’s a pretty strong sign Barth may have agreed to a long-term deal or, at very least, plans to sign his franchise tag.

TAMPA, Fla. -- I just arrived at One Buccaneer Place, where I’ll be stationed for Thursday night’s draft.

I’m not sure about this, but it looked like LeGarrette Blount giving Trent Richardson a tour of the facility from a distance and a source just called from Charlotte and said Luke Kuechly and Jerry Richardson were having dinner together. Just kidding. Kuechly and (Trent) Richardson are in New York and we'll find out where they end up soon enough.

Anyway, we’ll start our Countdown Live chat at 7 p.m. ET.

Some other notes that will help you follow the draft. Check out Draft Tracker, which is our Insider pick-by-pick coverage. You can talk about your favorite team’s pick by going to the Team Talk page. And you can listen to ESPN Radio coverage by clicking here.

This should be one of the more entertaining days of the offseason.

The NFL draft starts Thursday night and here’s the game plan. I plan to head out to One Buccaneer Place in the early evening to get settled in.

You’ll be able to chat with the eight division bloggers and others in Countdown Live, starting at 7 p.m. ET. The draft starts an hour later.

I’ll be with you steadily until Tampa Bay makes its pick at No. 5 overall. I then will provide a quick analysis of the pick on the NFC South blog. Soon after that, there will be media access to coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik and a conference call with whichever player the Bucs take.

The Carolina Panthers will be making their pick at No. 9 and I’ll provide a similar quick analysis on what they do. Then, I’ll get to work on a more in-depth column on whatever turns out to be the NFC South highlight of the night.

We’ll do it all over again Friday night, complete with another edition of Countdown Live. On Saturday, the draft resumes at noon and we’ll weigh in with quick analysis in the final rounds and also will have a draft wrap-up, soon after everything ends.

We will not have our usual NFC South chat Friday afternoon because we’ll have plenty of time to chat in Countdown Live on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

And I’ll be around all day Thursday. I’ll hit you with some stuff to help you get ready for the draft and will weigh in on any news that breaks throughout the day.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Thursday will be one of the more unique days of the offseason. Three of the NFC South’s general managers are scheduled to meet with local media to discuss next week’s NFL draft.

Don’t get too excited. I’ve seen Carolina’s Marty Hurney, Atlanta’s Thomas Dimitroff and Tampa Bay’s Mark Dominik go through these meetings before. They’ll be polite and discuss the draft in general terms, but they’re going to say as little as possible when asked about their actual draft plans. It’s understandable because they’re in a competitive business.

I’m out at One Buccaneer Place to catch Dominik and I’ll also listen in as Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano speaks after wrapping up his first minicamp. I also am expecting to do a phone interview with Dimitroff later this afternoon. I’ll also monitor what Hurney has to say and let you know if there are any highlights.

I’ll also be on high alert in case we get any news on possible player suspensions stemming from the Saints’ bounty program. There haven’t been any strong indications if they’re coming Thursday, but it’s been widely reported the NFL is supposed to act before the draft, so something should be coming soon.

Also, our weekly NFC South chat is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Friday. I’ll post a reminder Friday morning and include the link to get you into the chat.

Finally, some fun news. I’ll be making the choices for Tampa Bay and Carolina as all eight division bloggers take part in a mock draft Monday. The good news is, this will be an interactive mock draft and you can join in and chat as we go through the process. I’ll get you full details as we get closer to Monday.

TAMPA, Fla. – The few times he’s spoken publicly since taking over as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Greg Schiano has emphasized that he’s giving all of his players a clean slate.

That’s all true, but it appears he also is sending a message to his players, they’re gone as soon as that slate gets messy.

General manager Mark Dominik was vague when announcing Tuesday morning that safety Tanard Jackson was being released. Dominik said that Jackson, who was coming back from a shoulder injury, was released after failing a physical.

Dominik also emphasized that there were no indications that Jackson, who previously was suspended for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, had failed any new drug test or that any disciplinary action was coming from the NFL.

“What’s important to us as an organization is the growth of our football players,’’ Dominik said. “And how they handle on and off the field to become the best Buccaneer possible. That’s what we’re looking for.’’

I think it’s pretty easy to read between the lines on this one. Although the Bucs started their offseason program and Jackson had been attending, he hadn’t made a good early impression on Schiano. Injured players were allowed into One Buccaneer Place for rehabilitation throughout the offseason. I’m guessing Jackson wasn’t showing up regularly for that or wasn’t putting a great deal of effort into his rehabilitation.

This move seems to be a big departure from the philosophy of former coach Raheem Morris. The Bucs had numerous off-field issues, including problems with Jackson and cornerback Aqib Talib, but Morris always seemed willing to bring troubled players back.

Schiano seems to be following a one-strike policy and I don’t think the Jackson move will be the last. Talib has a trial on an assault charge in Texas in June. Talib could face prison time or a suspension by the NFL. Even if Talib is cleared, I think the message already has been sent by Schiano that there can’t be any more off-field problems.

Talent and athletic ability no longer are going to be enough to keep a payer on Tampa Bay’s roster. Jackson is proof of that. He easily was Tampa Bay’s best safety.

The Bucs have starter Cody Grimm returning from injury. They also have young safeties Larry Asante, Ahmad Black and Devin Holland. There also has been speculation that veteran cornerback Ronde Barber could move to safety.

But the Bucs almost certainly will look for more safety help in the draft or free agency.

Jackson had been scheduled to count $2.95 million against this year’s salary cap. By releasing Jackson, the Bucs will free up $2.75 million in salary cap space, but they do have to absorb a $200,000 roster bonus that was paid to Jackson on the first day of the league year in March.

TAMPA, Fla. -- We’ve got news breaking all around the NFC South on Tuesday morning.

I’m out at One Buccaneer Place, where Tampa Bay general manager Mark Domink just said the team is releasing safety Tanard Jackson. Dominik said Jackson, who was recovering from a shoulder injury, failed a physical. Jackson previously served a one-year suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, but Dominik emphasized he wasn’t aware of any new failed drug tests or discipline coming from the league office.

Elsewhere, Chris Mortensen reports that Bill Parcells is unlikely to step in as the coach of the New Orleans Saints. Adam Schefter reports Carolina’s Steve Smith has agreed to a three-year contract extension.

I’ll be back shortly with analysis of all three news developments.

TAMPA, Fla. -- I’m at One Buccaneer Place, which suddenly has become the epicenter of the NFL world.

In just a few minutes, the Bucs are going to roll out free-agent pickups Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks and Eric Wright for a news conference. General manager Mark Dominik and coach Greg Schiano are also scheduled to talk.

Schiano’s presence is pretty significant. This will be the first time he’s met with the media since the news conference to announce his hiring.

I’ll be back with what they have to say in a bit.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t waste much time celebrating their acquisition of prized wide receiver Vincent Jackson on Tuesday night.

They didn’t have time because they had to get to the airport to pick up New Orleans guard Carl Nicks. The Bucs are expected to go hard after Nicks, who did receive an offer from the Saints that he termed "respectable." But the fact that Nicks was willing to fly to Tampa late Tuesday night for a Wednesday visit at One Buccaneer Place is a pretty strong indication that Tampa Bay has given signs it may be willing to make Nicks the league’s highest-paid guard.

The Bucs still have plenty of cap room and the fact that Jackson jumped to Tampa Bay so quickly could be a sign that it’s about to become a destination spot for free agents. The fact that Florida doesn’t have a state income tax is also a selling point, but giving free agents the impression that new coach Greg Schiano is on the verge of turning the franchise around makes the Bucs even more attractive.

Landing Nicks after Jackson would be a huge coup for the Buccaneers. Jackson was viewed by almost everyone as the top receiver in free agency. Nicks is viewed by many as the premier guard in the league.

Jackson is 29 and Nicks is 26, so it’s pretty obvious the Bucs are targeting free agents that are still in their prime. That wasn’t always the path taken back when the Bucs last were a strong player in free agency. Former coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen often signed players in their 30s and the results were mixed.

That’s one reason the franchise adopted a policy of building through the draft under current general manager Mark Dominik. That philosophy is still in place. But, after sitting still in free agency last year and going 4-12, the Bucs realized they need to supplement what they build through the draft with some free agents.

TAMPA, Fla. -- I’m out at One Buccaneer Place where Butch Davis will be meeting with the media in just a bit.

Davis was hired previously as a special assistant to coach Greg Schiano and this will be his first meeting with the media. I’m curious to hear how Davis describes his role and what he’ll be doing.

Davis and Schiano have history. Davis was the head coach at the University of Miami when Schiano was defensive coordinator there.

Davis went on to coach the Cleveland Browns and the University of North Carolina. I’ll be back to fill you in on what Davis has to say.

Mike Sullivan was more than comfortable as quarterbacks coach of the New York Giants. He had Eli Manning and a hand in winning a Super Bowl trophy. So why was he willing to give all that up to become offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

“I will be honest with you, it was the attraction to work with a special talent like Josh Freeman,’’ Sullivan said Wednesday as he formally was introduced to the media at One Buccaneer Place.

Yeah, Freeman’s not coming off a special season. Nobody with the Buccaneers is. They went 4-12 and that’s why Raheem Morris and the previous coaching staff are gone. That’s why it’s got to be refreshing to the ownership, front office and fans to hear the man that’s going to direct the offense speak so highly of the quarterback that already is in place.

To this point, Freeman’s career has been marked by one flare shooting to the sky and another coming back to earth. After throwing 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 2010 while in his first full season as a starter, Freeman threw 16 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 2011.

Sure, Freeman deserves some of the blame for what went wrong last year. He made some poor decisions and poor throws. But talk to personnel people around the league and they’ll tell Tampa Bay’s offensive problems had more to do with the supporting cast and coaching. Those same people will tell you Freeman, who turned 24 in January, remains an enormous talent with plenty of upside.

Sullivan is obviously going to have a big say in whatever Tampa Bay’s offense does going forward and he’s starting off by putting plenty of faith in Freeman.

“I think everyone knows it is a quarterback-driven league,’’ Sullivan said. “No matter how you slice it -- and, ultimately, defense wins championships -- but you have to get a quarterback. I think a lot of things you look at with a guy like Josh Freeman -- the skill set he possesses, the youth, the ability, the size and the strength -- there is an awful lot there and I am chomping at the bit to work with.’’

Let's take a look at the Sunday headlines from around the NFC South.

It’s almost a certainty the Atlanta Falcons will be looking for a left tackle. Sam Baker has not worked out and could be released and Will Svitek might be better off as a backup. The expectations are that Marcus McNeil will be released by San Diego and he could be a good fit for the Falcons if healthy. McNeil has had some neck problems, but is one of the best in the game when he is healthy. The Falcons need to make serious upgrades to their pass blocking and it would be hard for the team get an elite left tackle in the draft because they are without a first-round pick.

The Panthers will host the defending Super Bowl champions for the second straight season. They hosted Green Bay last season and the New York Giants are scheduled to play at Bank of America Stadium in 2012.

The Bucs looked at several candidates, including some they weren’t allowed to interview, before hiring Mike Sullivan as the offensive coordinator. As it turns out, they might have landed the perfect fit. As Stephen Holder points out, there’s a feeling inside One Buccaneer Place that getting quarterback Josh Freeman back on track is critical for the franchise. Working with Eli Manning the last two seasons, Sullivan has shown he can get positive results from a quarterback.

UCLA coach Jim Mora has been recruiting heavily in the Georgia area. He seems proud to remind recruits that he was the Atlanta coach the last time the Falcons won a playoff game. He might want to leave out the fact the Falcons were an incredibly unstable franchise throughout his tenure and much of that had to do with Mora’s up-and-down demeanor.

Saints defensive tackle Tom Johnson feels confident enough about his future with the Saints that he went ahead and recently bought a house in New Orleans. Probably a good move. After struggling with an early-season injury, Johnson worked his way into the rotation and seemed to score points with the coaching staff. Sedrick Ellis is a lock to stay in that rotation, but veterans Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin are not. Both are potential free agents and there is no guarantee the Saints want them back.

Tampa Bay veteran cornerback Ronde Barber, who is a free agent and also could choose to retire, said he hasn’t made any decision about what he wants to do in 2012.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The show on the stage was impressive on every level.

The moment Greg Schiano started talking, you got the sense the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had more order, direction and control than at any point in the past three years. Schiano said all the right things and said them the right way. I’ve seen some introductory speeches for coaches through the years.

I’ve seen Sam Wyche trying to play cheerleader on the back of a flat-bed truck outside the old Tampa Stadium, Tony Dungy very dryly talking about what he’d bring to the Bucs (before any of us realized the depth of the man) and John Fox trying way too hard, and not really succeeding, to instantly win over the Carolina fans and media.

Schiano did none of that. He just let it flow naturally and everything he said was perfect.

But the most impressive show I saw was taking place about 30 yards away from where Schiano stood. That’s where a young man sat silently. He sat completely upright and seemed to be listening intently to everything his new coach said.

That man was Josh Freeman. There’s little doubt Schiano’s hiring will be a big point in Buccaneers’ history -- for better or worse. Schiano’s got a huge job ahead of him and he might have the skills to succeed.

But Freeman is still the most important person in One Buccaneer Place. He is the quarterback. He now is Schiano’s quarterback. If things are going to turn around for the Buccaneers after a disastrous 4-12 final season by Raheem Morris, Freeman might have to play an even bigger role than Schiano.

Freeman is an enormous talent with all sorts of leadership intangibles. The only problem is Morris, his staff and Freeman’s supporting cast came dangerously close to ruining him last season. Freeman threw 22 interceptions last season, after throwing only six in a very promising 2010 campaign.

This kid is too good a talent and a person to ruin. If Schiano is going to succeed, he needs to get Freeman back on track.

Perhaps the best news of the day was that the quarterback and the coach already are on the same page. Freeman was in Kansas City on Thursday when he got the call from general manager Mark Dominik, alerting him that Schiano had been hired.

Freeman did exactly what you would expect a good leader to do. He went and bought a plane ticket to Tampa. In Freeman’s eyes, he had to be there.

“First day, first press conference and I really wanted the opportunity to meet coach Schiano and show him that I’m here and I’m ready to go,’’ Freeman said.

The coach and the quarterback met before the news conference. Freeman, who publicly supported Morris to the bitter end, came away impressed.

“I love his direction,’’ Freeman said. “He’s a very passionate coach and I’m really excited to have the opportunity to play for him.’’

As he introduced Schiano, Dominik used words like “structured," “organized" and “disciplined." As he spoke about himself, Schiano revealed one of his main mottos “Trust, belief and accountability’’.

As Schiano went on about his “TBA" formula, I took a look back over my shoulder at Freeman. There seemed to be a gleam in his eyes, even more of a gleam than when Schiano mentioned that his offensive philosophy includes taking shots down field.

Every quarterback wants to hear a coach say he wants to take shots down field. But more than getting to throw some deep passes, I think Freeman needs, and wants, the “TBA’’.

Freeman was a leader for the Bucs in 2010. He was a leader as he organized offseason workouts last spring and summer during the lockout. He went into last season as a leader. I don’t think Freeman ever stopped trying to be that leader.

I think he simply got dragged down by the total lack of leadership and direction from the previous coaching staff. A lot of players ran wild and there was no accountability and not nearly enough leadership from other corners of the locker room. The Bucs were a ship out of control.

There’s no question the Bucs need control and discipline.

“There is going to be a Buccaneer way and they are going to be Buccaneer men,’’ Schiano said.

Schiano’s going to run things a lot different than Morris. That’s a good thing for Freeman, who is a guy that believes in structure and order. He’ll get that now and he might even get some improvements in his supporting cast.

The Bucs now have a coach that just might put them in a position where they have a chance to succeed. More importantly, they’ve got a leader who is totally on the same page as the coach and that could take them a long way.

“That’s the only way to have success in this league is to have people buying in with the trust, belief and accountability,’’ Freeman said. “There’s really no other way. Everybody’s got to be full tilt from Day One. The direction Coach Schiano s going to take this team in is going to be great and it’s exciting.’’

We’ve got a little bit of good news and some bad news.

First, the good news. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will hold an introductory press conference for new coach Greg Schiano on Friday afternoon. I plan to be out at One Buccaneer Place to bring you all the highlights.

Now, the bad news. The press conference will be held at the same time we usually do our Friday NFC South chat. We’re going to cancel the chat this Friday, but we’ll pick it up again soon.