Antonio Bryant has officially gone from his couch to a near eight-figure income in 18 months. Joe should be so fortunate.

Joe is a man. Therefore Joe regularly watches NFL Network.

At 7 p.m. tonight, resident NFL.com and NFL Network know-it-all Adam Schefter announced the Bucs have named Antonio Bryant their franchise player. Bryant will cash a 2009 Lotto ticket worth likely just under $10 million

So the Bucs have officially done the smart thing, making Bryant happy in the short term, but forcing him to prove himself in 2009, in order to earn a longterm payday.

So now that leaves about $35 million in cap room.

Joe hopes the next loose end to tie up quickly is safety Jermaine Phillips, one of The Dream’s favorite students. The Bucs struggled mightily without him last year and can’t afford to let him go. 

It would be awfully sweet to keep him alongside Tanard Jackson for at least a few years. Sabby Piscatelli is not an equivalent replacement for Phillips.