Many have questioned the Bucs' conservative approach to this offseason, particularly some of you frustrated fans.

Well, after a rare conversation this afternoon with executive vice president Joel Glazer, it's clear the philosophy the team is employing begins at the top.

Glazer emphasized several times the franchise's intention to "build through the draft" and use free agency in small doses to augment the core of the team. Glazer also repeated something we've told you recently: the plan is to reward the young productive players with extensions rather than spend on outsiders. And he correctly stated that the teams who spend the most often are not the clubs that have on-field success.

Glazer also thinks that relying heavily on free agency can disrupt the locker room, as high-priced players must mesh with the existing nucleus. And the team -- and particularly Glazer and his brothers -- is leery of handing out large signing bonuses because of their potential impact on the salary cap in future years. In a moment of complete honesty, I think Glazer would admit that a big consideration there is that the cash comes directly out of his family's pockets -- as opposed to base salaries which are largely covered by revenue sharing from the league's television contracts. 

This isn't sexy, and Glazer acknowledged as much. But this is the way it's going to be with this team, for better or worse. Whether it's effective will be determined on the field this fall.