Not sure what to make of this one, but we're hearing rumblings linking the Bucs to Chicago free agent linebacker Lance Briggs.

The Bucs have begun their pursuit of a couple of free agent running backs.

New Orleans' Aaron Stecker received a phone call after midnight this morning from Jon Gruden and running backs coach Rich Bisaccia, expressing their interest in the 32-year old veteran. Stecker spent his first four seasons with the Bucs before joining the Saints in 2004. No visit has been scheduled and other teams also have inquired about him, but Stecker figures to remain an option until the Bucs make a decision at running back.

We're not even 12 hours into the signing period, but already news is developing all across the league.

• Despite talk to the contrary, Demarrio Williams will not be coming to Tampa.
• Jimmy Wilkerson has scheduled a visit to Tampa. Wilkerson is a DE from Kansas City. Not exactly Justin Smith, but we'll see.
• Aaron Stecker is a possibility for coming back to the Bucs, but the team wants to explore other options first.
• The Bucs are in talks right now to bring San Diego CB Drayton Florence in for a visit. Dollar for dollar, this would be a better value than Asante Samuel.
• The Bucs have also been in contact with Jacques Reeves (CB, Dallas) and Niko Koutouvides (LB, Seattle)
• I have heard mixed reports on D.J. Hackett. The latest is that the Bucs aren't as high on him as everyone once thought.
• The Bucs are interested in John Gilmore (TE, Chicago) to take Anthony Becht's place as a blocking tight end.

(There's a lot of news coming through, so I'll just update this entry when I learn something new instead of creating a new one. New stuff at the top.)