Despite the swirling legal battles and the distinct possibility of the lockout carrying through next season, the NFL preseason schedule was released yesterday. The NFL is going forward with planning for the season like nothing was wrong, so that if negotiations are resolved in time for the season, they're not rushing to finalize details all within a very short time period.
The Buccaneers received a fun preseason schedule, as they are scheduled for a nationally broadcast game early in the preseason against the Kansas City Chiefs. Their full schedule is included below:
Aug. 12 - Tampa Bay at Kansas City (FOX, 8 PM)
Aug. 20 - New England at Tampa Bay
Aug. 27 - Miami at Tampa Bay
Sept. 1 - Tampa Bay at Washington
The Bucs will face the Dolphins in a Battle For Florida, and the game against the Patriots should be competitive and exciting (at least, as exciting as preseason games can be). The league has said they'll need at least six weeks to prepare for these games, in the event the lockout carries that long, so here's hoping the NFL and NFLPA reach an agreement well before then.
For the full NFL preseason schedule, including a list of all nationally televised games, see the NFL Preseason Schedule page at SB Nation.com.