Joe sees that the story linked below has gone viral on the interwebs today after good guy Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune got a hold of Bucs coach Greg Schiano and Schiano basically said Glennon could start for the Bucs this year.

But Schiano qualified his statement saying, “If he’s needed.”

Translation? Glennon starts if Freeman gets hurt or is Trent Dilfer-like miserable beyond words, which no one really expects, as Pompei wrote for National Football Post.

Schiano, who also recruited Flacco years ago, sees the comparisons. “Their body types are similar,” he said. “Joe is probably a little more mobile. Both are kind of deadpan guys, not screamers. They are kind of flat line that way, but in a good way. Intense competitors, both of them. Glennon has a heck of a lot of playing and production to do before he can compare to Joe in that way, but coming out of college there are some similarities.”

What will matter for Glennon moving forward isn’t how he compares to Flacco. It’s how he compares to Freeman. No one expects Glennon to beat out Freeman this year. But it’s not out of the question.

Schiano said he believes Glennon “can play quickly” if he is needed. “But our situation will be only if he’s needed,” he said. “Or if he wins the job. Look, I’m not against that. We have a starting quarterback. It’s not like we’re looking to find a starter. But competition is competition. Mike Glennon is a fierce competitor. I knew that when he was coming out of high school. Now being able to work with him a little, you can see it on the practice field.”

It’s the final paragraph of the quote above that has many abuzz on the interwebs. Even Pompei knows that Freeman will be the starter this year, barring injury or a complete and total meltdown by Freeman.

Look, the absolute best chance for the Bucs to have a winning season much less a playoff appearance is for Freeman to shine. He has all the toys he needs. It is now in his lap; no more excuses, no more pointing to bloated stats. Win games. Now. Period.

If the Bucs rely on Glennon this season, it’s a very good bet the Bucs are in a world of trouble.

And that philosophy is part of what has the Bucs all jacked up about the potential of fourth-round pick William Gholston.

The big defensive end is listed at 6-7, 285 pounds, and Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik thinks his college success rushing inside could translate well to the pro game, even if it doesn’t equal sacks. Dominik explained on a recent NFL.com podcast.

“Coach Schiano is a great head coach for a guy like Gholston,” Dominik said. “I think the versatility of him, too, is what’s going to make him become a better player and have a chance to be dressed and start playing more and more early in his career. I feel like he can certainly play left end. He can give you some snaps at right end, but he also did a good job at moving inside. And I think a big guy like that, that can be inside, can disrupt the passing game whether you’re sacking your quarterback or just getting your hands up and making the quarterback moving his launching point, even a half and inch to an inch ends up being a foot down the field. And so I think Gholston has a chance to do really do a lot of different things. And that’s what makes him attractive, and that’s why we’re excited we drafted him.”

Sure, Gholston’s got potential, but in a league that worships pass rushers, there’s not a huge likelihood of a great one slipping to the fourth-round out of a big program like Michigan State.

Gholston seems like a project a project-type investment that is more likely to pay dividends in 2014 and beyond.

Joe would love Gerald McCoy and the Bucs in the playoffs, but even with an improved secondary, there is much work to do for a playoff berth given how strong the NFC should be this fall.

With the revamped Bucs defensive backfield, the Bucs should have their strongest team since the flirtation with the playoffs in 2010, and quite possibly the Bucs could have their best team since Chucky roamed the sidelines and cursed at everyone.

Some national football types are smitten.

Saturday, beat writer eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune noted some think the Bucs are a playoff team because of a suddenly stacked roster, so he said on ”The End Zone,” co-hosted by Howard Balzer and Zig Fracassi, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

eye-RAH! Kaufman: There are a lot of Bucs fans down here thinking that this is a playoff team. And you know what? I’m not so sure they are wrong right now.

Howard Balzer: Well the thing was Ira, last year, at whatever point of the season it was, they were in position to at least be there in the playoff hunt and then, I think, they lost five in a row and the bottom just fell out and then [Josh] Freeman had a couple of bad games, a couple of four-interception games and all of a sudden the season ended badly. Obviously, they showed something there that first half of the season to get themselves into that [playoff hunt] and now they just have to be able to finish and be consistent the whole season.

Kaufman: No question. Greg Schiano had his share, guys, of growing pains in Year 1 after 11 years in the college circuit at Rutgers. They were missing two Pro Bowl guards. They have nine players guys – nine! – on this roster that have made the Pro Bowl. Now, one of them is [wide receiver] Steve Smith from the Giants and he is probably not going to make an impact this year but the others, Carl Nicks, David Joseph, Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, Gerald McCoy, [Dashon] Goldson, [Darrelle] Revis. There is talent here guys.

There is talent but Joe’s not talking playoffs. Not yet. Why? Just look at the NFC landscape.

The conference is as top-heavy and loaded as Joe can remember in this century. Only six teams qualify for the playoffs; four division winners and two wild cards.

San Francisco, Green Bay, Seattle, New York, Atlanta, Minnesota, Washington and New Orleans are teams Joe believes will be the strongest in the conference. Yes, the Bucs beat Minnesota last year, but it was the Vikings, not the Bucs, who played in January.

Then throw in a few teams with enough talent to challenge for a playoff spot, like Chicago, Dallas and Detroit (which has dangerous weapons), and it’s easy to see how the Bucs could be vastly improved but watching playoff games on the couch.

On paper, the Bucs sure are improved. But to expect a playoff berth, Joe isn’t going there. That’s too much of a leap to predict with the NFC so packed with strong teams.

Click on through below to learn more about the best deal in Tampa Bay sports, the No Excuses Tour to Tropicana Field. Find out how nearly 1,000 fans have enjoyed Rays games since 2011.

Actually, Joe is doing what he always does, delivering what Joe finds interesting. And what Glennon may or may not have to offer once the pads come on in July is interesting, especially since rockstar general manager Mark Dominik confirmed that Glennon will have a huge workload come August.

Glennon joined Movin’ The Chains on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday and was asked to explain where he needs work by co-host Tim Ryan.

“Right now, I mean obviously, it’s about learning this new system,” Glennon said. “That’s the No. 1 thing on my mind right now is to learn our system and what we’re trying to accomplish as an offense. And then once I’m able to do that, when it comes to the football side of execution, I think I just need to continue to get more accurate, to be more consistent, and then finally develop more foot speed and my overall athletic ability.”

It was interesting to Joe that Glennon mentioned improving his athleticism. Glennon is no young rookie; he’ll turn 24 during this season. Of course, he can improve his physical ability, but Joe’s not sure how much is realistic unless Glennon was in a situation at North Carolina State where he wasn’t focusing on it.

Regardless, Glennon is not the athlete Freeman is. It feels like ancient history, but there was a time (2010) when Freeman was the league’s No. 2 rusher at QB and a guy who could win a game with his body.

Watch and wager on the Preakness Stakes and soak in the amazing live greyhound racing action, highlighted by the Gold Trophy Stakes tonight. And the Derby Lane poker room? Well, it’s the best around and open 24/7 on weekends.

Joe, however, has heard from multiple sources that Schiano and Freeman are actually tight and respect each other very much.

Freeman addressed his relationship with the Bucs head coach yesterday on the WDAE-AM 620  ”Sports Page” show.

“Actually, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Coach Schiano’s office [this offseason], talking with him around the facility,” Freeman said. “Just, you know, getting to know him better, talking about aspirations, what we’re trying to do with this team, you know, the direction.  I actually feel like my relationship with coach Schiano is probably the best of any coach. I got to know him extremely well.

.

“Like with anybody, the more you get to know them, the more you find out what they’re about, their morals, just what they stand for. And you know Coach Schiano is all about doing things the right way. It’s been an awesome relationship.”

Does Joe really have to be graphic about the Bucs’ horrifying pass defense last year? The second-worst in NFL history?

For Joe, watching that pass defense was like re-experiencing the nuns that taught him in grade school: a period of Joe’s life he tries to purge from his memory, often with the help of Joe’s good friend, Mr. Alcohol.

So when Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik went on SiriusXM NFL Radio recently and spoke openly about upgrading the secondary, he wasn’t joking. It’s possible the Bucs have gone from the worst secondary to potentially the best.

For this reason, Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News gives the Bucs an “A” grade for their offseason transactions.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Grade: A

Best addition: S Dashon Goldson

So the Bucs finally did trade for Revis, but given the concern about his knee, the secondary move that deserves more love is the signing of Goldson away from the 49ers. He does everything at safety and is the perfect complement to another hard hitter in run support, Mark Barron. The Bucs aggressively addressed their huge secondary need with a home run.

On paper, it sure looks like the Bucs did a complete 180 with the secondary, including the drafting of Johnthan Banks in the second round.

For this reason in particular, Joe is intrigued to see how the Bucs defend the pass come September.

“Hi-C” has been a regular at FanFest in past years, and he’s still working hard on various charitable community projects. FOX-13 caught up with Copeland about a free football camp he’s having today in Spring Hill. All the info. is here.

Plenty of observers, however, think he could be on the field quickly.

Twice during his ESPN.com live chat today, NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas wrote that Bucs fans should expect to see Glennon if Josh Freeman gets off to a rough start in 2013.

Joe knows all this blubbering about Freeman comes down to what kind of standards/expectations Greg Schiano has set for Freeman.

If Schiano expects consistency and greatness from Freeman, then history says there’s a solid shot he’ll be let down. Perhaps all Schiano wants is no mistakes as he pounds Doug Martin and moves the chains, playing the kind of football he talked about craving this time last year.

As for Glennon, Joe really hopes not to see him outside of preseason. That likely would mean the Bucs are in trouble, though again it comes back to Schiano’s expectations for Freeman.

Joe could envision a scenario where even if the Bucs are winning, Schiano gives Glennon a start to replace a struggling Freeman, assuming Schiano liked what he saw from Glennon’s big preseason workload. He can always go back to Freeman if it doesn’t work out. Schiano had no problem shuffling QBs at Rutgers, so there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t consider it at the NFL level.

Whether you need a limo in St. Pete, or a classy executive SUV in New Tampa, or perhaps a sweet Tampa party bus, you must turn to Joe’s friends at Paradise Worldwide Transportation. Joe loves these guys! And you can feel good about supporting a quality local company!

Paradise offers limo service not just in Tampa and across the Tampa Bay area, but throughout the country and in various parts of the world. One call to Paradise takes care of ALL your airport transfers for your next trip. Or you can even use Paradise to take your mom to and from the airport in, say, Chicago, so you’re sure she’s safe and sound.

But first things first. Score that amazing Tampa limo experience this weekend. It’s always worth it.