TAMPA, Fla. -- Josh McCown is excited to have another opportunity to prove hes a No. 1 quarterback. The 34-year-old has been a backup for most of his career and will enter his 12th NFL season as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after signing a two-year, $10 million contract in free agency. The move reunites him with new Bucs coach Lovie Smith, who is overhauling a team that finished 4-12 in 2013, missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season. "I understand why people would say this is kind of surprising," McCown, whos joining his eighth team since entering the league as a third-round draft pick in 2002, said Thursday. "But in my familys world, this is kind of par for the course to have something relatively unusual happen," he added. "I really feel like I played my best ball last year and look forward to building on that." McCown, who turns 35 in July, started five games as a replacement for injured Chicago starter Jay Cutler last season, going 3-2 and finishing with 13 touchdown passes and one interception. Because he hasnt played a lot over a decade that includes stops with the Bears, Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Dolphins, 49ers and Panthers, the Bucs are counting on his body being a lot fresher than most quarterbacks his age. McCown played under Smith for two of the three seasons the quarterback spent in Chicago. Both are confident what hes learned as a long-time backup will be beneficial in settling into a role ahead of second-year pro Mike Glennon, who started 13 games for Tampa Bay as a rookie. "Josh is exactly what youre looking for in a leader to get that 4-12 taste out of our mouths," Smith said. McCown was joined at a news conference by new starting left tackle Anthony Collins, who agreed Thursday to a five-year, $30 million contract. The 28-year-old Collins replaces Donald Penn, who was released. Hes the sixth player to join the Bucs through free agency as Smith and new general manager Jason Licht reshape the roster. The team welcomed defensive end Michael Johnson, cornerback Alterraun Verner, defensive tackle Clinton McDonald and tight end Brandon Myers on Wednesday. "We talked a lot about defence (Wednesday), but (the NFLs) about scoring points," Smith said. "The game is more about offence these days. We feel like weve made strides." McCown started 13 games for the Cardinals in 2004, going 6-7 while throwing 11 TD passes and 10 interceptions. He was 2-7 in nine starts with the Raiders in 2007. Overall, hes 16-22 in 38 career starts. "The good thing is that Ive gone through an off-season as a starter when I was in Arizona, so I understand what comes with all those things," McCown said. Glennon was 4-9, taking over Tampa Bays offence after Josh Freeman struggled and subsequently was released. The third-round draft pick threw for 19 touchdowns and just nine interceptions as a rookie, but also was sacked 40 times while failing to demonstrate he was the teams clear-cut quarterback of the future. The signing of Collins, a part-time starter the past six seasons with Cincinnati, upgrades a porous offensive line that needs to do a better job protecting the quarterback. Like McCown, the 6-foot-7, 315-pound tackle is savoring the chance to show he can flourish as a full-time starter. "Im very ready," said Collins, who will step in for Penn, a 2011 Pro Bowl selection who had been scheduled to earn $7 million next season. "Patience is a virtue," Collins added. "Now is my time." Mark Stone Jersey . Will Venable and Ryan Ludwick drove in a run each for the Padres, who have taken six of their last seven contests and clinched their third straight series win after winning the first two in this set. Clayton Richard (4-9) allowed five hits and a pair of runs over seven innings, while fanning five. Tom Pyatt Jersey .J. -- After getting permission from his 7-year-old daughter, New York Giants offensive lineman David Diehl has retired after an 11-year career that included two Super Bowl championships. http://www.authenticsenatorspro.com/Mikk...enators-jersey/. -- Michael Frazier II scored 21 points, Dorian Finney-Smith added 11 and No. Daniel Alfredsson Jersey . Jimmy Howard made 44 saves and Henrik Zetterberg scored two goals, leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. Bobby Ryan Jersey .com) - Jimmie Johnson won Sundays AAA Texas 500 while championship contenders Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski as well as their teams were involved in a post-race fight on pit road after the two clashed in the closing laps at Texas Motor Speedway.ATLANTA -- Major League Soccer is closing in on a deal with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to bring an expansion franchise to Atlantas new downtown stadium. The team would likely begin play in 2017, when the $1 billion retractable roof stadium is set to open next to the Georgia Dome to provide a new home for the NFL Falcons. "Our discussions with Major League Soccer continue, but we do not have a final agreement at this time," Kim Shreckengost, the chief administrative officer for Blanks AMB Group, said Tuesday in an email to The Associated Press. "We hope to complete the agreement soon, at which time we will make a formal announcement." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that a new team will be announced April 16. "We are continuing discussions with Arthur Blank to bring a Major League Soccer expansion team to Atlanta," said Dan Courtemanche, a spokesman for MLS. "However, we have not finalized an agreement at this time." The MLS has long coveted the Atlanta market, the largest in the U.S. without a team, as it moves toward its goal of expanding to 24 franchises. The 19-team league has already announced expansion franchises in New York City and Orlando that are scheduled to begin play next season, in addition to a provisional franchise in Miami owned by a group that includes David Beckham. That team is contingent oon a deal for a new soccer-specific stadium in south Florida.dddddddddddd There are no such concerns in Atlanta, where the Falcons new stadium was designed to accommodate an MLS team, providing Blank with additional revenue streams for the elaborate facility. While most MLS teams are moving toward smaller stadiums that are built solely for soccer, the Atlanta franchise would follow the model of teams in Seattle and Vancouver, which play in larger facilities downsized to provide a more intimate setting. For instance, Vancouvers BC Place has a curtain system that blocks off the upper deck, reducing capacity from 54,000 to 21,000. Atlantas new stadium will likely have a similar capability. Atlanta had two franchises in the old North American Soccer League. The Chiefs won the leagues first championship in 1968 but folded after the 1973 season, having spent their final year known as the Apollos. The Chiefs returned to the NASL in 1979 when the Colorado Caribous moved to Atlanta. That incarnation lasted only three seasons, never drawing as many as 8,000 fans a game before folding due to heavy financial losses. Atlanta has a team in a new version of the NASL, a league that ranks below MLS on the U.S. soccer ladder. The Silverbacks play at a 7,500-seat stadium on the outskirts of the city and are apparently not involved in talks on the MLS expansion team. Authentic Bills JerseysDolphins Stitched JerseysCheap Patriots JerseysWholesale Jets JerseysWholesale Texans JerseysCheap Colts JerseysJaguars Jerseys StoreAuthentic Titans JerseysAuthentic Broncos JerseysAuthentic Chiefs JerseysCheap Raiders JerseysChargers Jerseys StoreCheap Ravens JerseysWholesale Bengals JerseysCheap Browns JerseysSteelers Jerseys StoreWholesale Cowboys JerseysWholesale Giants JerseysAuthentic Eagles JerseysCheap Redskins JerseysAuthentic Falcons JerseysPanthers Jerseys StoreWholesale Saints JerseysAuthentic Buccaneers JerseysWholesale Cardinals JerseysCheap 49ers JerseysSeahawks Jerseys StoreWholesale Rams JerseysWholesale Bears JerseysAuthentic Lions JerseysCheap Packers JerseysVikings Jerseys Store ' ' '