New Bucs linebacker Lavonte David, who played for the same junior college as New York Giants and former USF defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, has made Joe’s good friend, “The Commish,” Justin Pawlowski’s night.

And Joe’s night as well.

The fact the Bucs were able to jump up into the second round and get David is outstanding. David is such a stud, Justin had David ranked as the No. 3 outside linebacker in the draft.

3. Lavonte David – Nebraska
6’1” – 233 lbs – 4.65
2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him:Instincts!!! David knows where the ballcarrier is going before the ballcarrier even gets the ball. He rarely bites on fakes and has an outstanding understanding of the game and his position. When he gets to the ball, he makes the tackle.

This David is simply a ballhawk. He was always around the ball and is outstanding in pass coverage and is not afraid to stick his nose into a fullback’s belly behind the line of scrimmage.

Here are some clips of new Bucs linebacker Lavonte David.

Eddie Van Halen is humbled. The rock star comes through again!

Joe is simply geeked about this. Joe is a Big Ten honk and watches Big Ten games religiously on The Big Ten Network. Joe first noticed David as the dude was a ballhawk, flying to the ball from sideline to sideline. Joe wrote about his desire for David back in December.

This is a freaking dynamite pick! For reasons unknown, David and other linebackers slipped and slipped and slipped until Dominik couldn’t wait any longer and pulled the trigger with the Texans in order to get David.

This is the third time in this draft, third time in two days, Dominik has traded up or down to get the man he wanted.

The cool thing about David, in addition to his talents, is that he was coached up by one of the better defensive coaches in the land, Bo Pelini.

Greg Schiano is on record saying he’s “got to have that guy,” that “bell cow” running back you can feed.

Now Schiano has LeGarrette Blount and Doug Martin in his barn, and Joe can’t wait to see the competition unfold. This should pose quite a challenge for the New Schiano World Order. And it’ll be quite a wake-up call for Blount, who hopefully realizes the competition starts immediately.

Damn, these two talented young backs could push themselves, with Earnest Byner up their asses, to incredible heights.

If these guys are busting butts to win a job, Bucs preseason football should be more entertaining than it’s been in years.

Joe believes both backs will be called upon this season, but Joe also believes Schiano truly wants his bell cow.

So who gets the bell? Loyal JoeBucsFan.com readers likely know who Joe wants to get the bell. But Joe’s most cheering for a fiesty slug-it-out competition.

New Bucs safety Mark Barron, left, and running back Doug Martin meet the press at One Buc Palace this afternoon.

So Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik came out with what many NFL experts call a coup, landing Alabama safety Mark Barron and Boise State running back Doug Martin as first round draft picks.

It’s a bit ironic that both Barron and Martin both made their bones in high school football on the opposite side of the ball.

Barron was an offensive star, though he was told he would be a natural fit someday as a defensive player.

“My coaches all told me I was a natural free safety,” Barron said at One Buc Palace Friday. “I played almost [exclusively] on offense.

“When I came out of high school I was listed as an ‘athlete.'”

Barron wasn’t certain which side of the ball he would play when colleges began recruiting him out of St. Paul’s Episcopal High School in Mobile, Ala. Once he decided he would play defense, Alabama, he said, seemed like a natural fit.

Martin too excelled on the other side of the ball. He was a linebacker while playing for St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, Calif.

“I wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school,” Martin said. “Boise was the first [Division-I] college to offer me. I didn’t know anything about Boise.”

And that included the blue turf.

Originally, Martin was a linebacker at Boise “until a running back got hurt,” Martin said.

Once he began as a Broncos running back, he never played linebacker again. Despite being a dangerous runner, Martin also logged quite a bit of time on special teams.

Joe thinks it’s kind of cool that the Bucs were able to purloin a couple of versatile athletes like Barron and Martin.

One reason the Bucs drafted Alabama safety Mark Barron was that he’s not afraid of physical contact. In fact, it may be one of his best traits.

For Barron, speaking at his introductory press conference from One Buc Palace, a blast on an opponent is two-fold, and no, neither reason for the hit has anything to do with getting on BSPN or CBS Sports Network or NBC Sports Network.

A big hit, he said, sends a message to both friend and foe.

“It gets people excited,” Barron said of the reaction among his teammates when he buries a ball carrier. “But it also makes a big statement [to opponents]. It means you mean business. It lets [opponents] know you are here to play.”

There hasn’t been a good nickname for a Bucs running back since “The A-Train,” Mike Alstott, the great Bucs fullback who Bucs fans still miss.

Well, Joe’s got the nickname for new Bucs running back Doug Martin, and no, Joe cannot take claim for it.

They call Martin, “The Muscle Hamster.”

“I got it from a friend,” Martin said at his introductory press conference at One Buc Palace. He seemed so embarrassed he wanted to hide behind his nameplate in front of him.

Martin said he was tagged with the nickname in college, mostly because of his physique and how he isn’t the tallest guy on the team.

Joe can say this, the guy has a chest that looks like an offensive tackle. Dude’s a barrel chest.

“I like being rumored to be everywhere. I mean that in the sense that I’m going to call and find out what it takes to get anywhere in this draft class. That’s just how I do it. So if I call and I check to the St. Louis Rams and say, ‘What is it going to take? What would you want to do if you want to move up?’ Or if I talk to the Cleveland Browns or the Minnesota Vikings, I just want to know what’s going on because I want to be able to value what trades are going for in the National Football League. We all have these point charts but sometimes they’re obsolete. What are things actually going for? So you have to stay involved in those. Now at the end of the day I’ll talk to [teams] and say, ‘hey, we’re not in on that.’ But I need to know going ahead. That I think is just the way you need to be prepared.” — Mark Dominik following the selection of Mark Barron. Dominik was asked about rumors he was looking to trade up.

Joe led with the above quote because it meshes with the contention today from popcorn-munching,coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, beer-chugging Peter King, of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, that Dominik was looking to trade up to No. 3 overall. King’s source is the Vikings head honcho.

Talked to Minnesota GM Rick Spielman after round one. He told me there was another team — Tampa Bay — interested in moving to No. 3. And before the round began, Spielman was in talks about swapping picks with Cleveland at four and Tampa Bay at five.

Cleveland had two picks in the fourth round (100 and 118 overall), the second pick acquired from Atlanta in the Julio Jones deal last draft day. The Browns also had two picks in the fifth round (139 and 160 overall), the second one part of the Brady Quinn deal with Denver two years ago. And the Browns had three seventh-round picks (211, 245, 247 overall), the final two compensatory picks awarded by the league.

Was Spielman bluffing? Would Tampa Bay have made the move up? I’m not so sure. But after the Browns lost Robert Griffin III to Washington because the Redskins made a better “final” offer for the second overall pick in March, you can be sure Cleveland wasn’t going to get caught short again.

Joe doesn’t think this is much of an X-file. If the Bucs really wanted to trade up, they could have outbid Cleveland. King’s not claiming the Bucs were in a bidding war.

Good luck finding anyone who will say anything negative about new Bucs safety Mark Barron.

John Lynch is raving about him. Mike Mayock’s already calling him a perennial Pro Bowler, (if there is a Pro Bowl anymore).

Speaking on WDAE-AM 620 this morning, even former Bucs QB Shaun King, a college football color analyst for NBC Sports Network and noted Bucs critic (and lover), joined in the love. And Perhaps King offered the biggest endorsement of all.

King agreed that Barron does everything well and said he watched every snap of Barron the last two seasons.

“He’s never had a bad game,” King said.

Joe enjoys all the hype, but Joe’s a realist. Joe will be happy if Barron stays healthy, stuffs the run and becomes a top-10 safety.

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Greg Schiano says Doug Martin can pass block. From a coach known for developing NFL-ready players at Rutgers, this makes Joe feel great.

On running back prospects that block, Schiano said, “there’s not a lot of them in college football.”

Schiano went on to say he sees some Ray Rice in Martin. “I do. I see a guy that is an incredible competitor and runs hard and plays hard,” he said.

Interesting back forth below between WDAE-AM 620 host Bobby Fenton and Senior NFL writer Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports. Cole thinks the Bucs thoroughly blew it by taking a safety over a cornerback, especially one in Morris Claiborne that’s widely considered can’t miss.

Take a listen.

The man channel, that’s NFL Network for you Outhouse Network slaves, is going wild over the Bucs’ moves on Day 1 of the draft.

In this video, the usually mild mannered Charlie Casserly gets his cardiologist nervous explaining why he gives the Bucs an A+. Then Kurt Warner says if he really has to pick a draft winner outside of the Bucs, then he’ll go with Minnesota.

Tis the season of optimism as the Bucs win another draft under rockstar general manager Mark Dominik. If only they didn’t play the game on the field.

Plenty of teams will trade up in the NFL Draft, and you can join them!!

Ed Morse Auto Plaza has truly stunning offers right now at the Suzuki, Buick, Mazda and GMC dealerships at 10133 U.S. 19 in Port Richey. The Buick Verano deal below is only one of the incredible offers.

Also, (and Joe will have more on this later) Joe has learned Ed Morse Auto Plaza is selling two brand NEW 2011 Suzukis at a stunningly inexpensive price AND throwing in FREE GAS for an entire year. Don’t hesitate to call manager Craig Blacklidge NOW and get the details. Joe can promise you these are truly unreal offers!

One reason the Bucs traded up to the 31st overall pick to get Doug Martin late last night was to grab the most value for their coveted running.

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik explained that the new labor agreement lets teams to sign first-round picks to five-year deals but second-rounders get four-year deals. That meant Martin came with added potential value.

Of course, that means nothing on the field, but that fifth year is a nice bonus if Martin pans out.

During Dominik’s post-Martin-pick news conference, he painted a picture of Martin as a complete back, including “short yardage” and “goal line.” Dominik said Martin graded “close” to Trent Richardson and no personnel executive around the NFL would call Martin a surprise pick in the first round.

The second of the Bucs first round picks last night, Boise State running back Doug Martin.

Now last night Joe was a little bit harsh on Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik for what Joe perceived to be a bungling of the opening hours of the draft.

In retrospect, it appears Dominik, rather than being played, played the first round just right.

Many Bucs fans were outraged Dominik didn’t win a bidding war with Cleveland to trade up for the third spot and draft Alabama running back Trent Richardson. Joe is not in this camp.

A few hours after the draft, if one is to take Dominik at his word, the Bucs had no interest in Richardson much less going Mike Ditka and trading a fistful of precious draft picks to move up.

“We had no interest in trading up,” Dominik said in his first press conference last night. To Joe this implies, “No interest in Richardson.”

With rumors rampant that Dominik and the Bucs were exploring trading up, this baited Cleveland into panicking and paying a way over-the-top price for a running back.

Now Joe thought Dominik was played by the Rams and Jerry Jones when — on face value — it appeared Dominik totally undersold a draft pick to the Jags, moving down two spots for only a fourth round pick. Then he could still get stud LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, only to see Rams, picking at No. 6, quickly trade the pick to a salivating Jones who quickly swooped in and grabbed Claiborne.

Joe was angry with how this shook out, not so much bummed that the Bucs drafted Alabama safety Mark Barron, but thinking what easily could have been with Claiborne.

Joe had a back-and-forth with an insider at One Buc Palace late last night and said source swore on a stack of Bibles that Barron indeed was the Bucs No. 1 target.

Joe started putting the pieces of the puzzle together and it makes sense.

Yesterday on WDAE-AM 620, Joe’s good friend “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, interviewed Bucs defensive end Adrian Clayborn who told Duemig before the draft got underway that Schiano’s No. 1 task with the defense, above all else, is to stop the run since the Bucs were so horrid at this last year.

If there is a knock on Claiborne, it would be that he’s not a crushing tackler. Barron is.

Also, Dominik knew for weeks about the status of his cornerbacks (who knows what Aqib Talib’s future entails?) but safety was a bigger hole with no Tanard Jackson and Cody Grimm yet to show he can survive a year on the field much less if he can return from a second consecutive season-ending leg injury.

And that fourth round pick Joe thought Dominik was taken by? Well, without that pick, the Bucs aren’t able to swoop in and startle the Giants, grabbing the second-best running back in the draft at the end of the first round, Doug Martin.

So in restrospect, rather than being played, Dominik was a player last night.

Respected NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock seemingly can’t contain his enthusiasm for the Bucs’ bounty in the first round of the draft last night.

Click here to see the video from NFL.com. “I think Tampa’s going to be a good football team!” Mayock shouts.

Joe’s going to roll with that thought right now. It feels great.

Joe thinks the Bucs will be pretty good, too. But so should be Carolina — Luke Kuechly alongside Jon Beason? Ugh. — Atlanta and New Orleans.

Joe wants to warmly thank the Bucs fans that packed Pete and Shorty’s in Pinellas Park last night for Joe’s draft party.

Damn, it was fun.

Bucs fans filled the bar and grill so much, Joe learned the staff called the owner in to help tend bar it was so busy.

Fans came to enjoy the draft and listen to Joe’s good friend and draft guru Justin Pawlowski do a live radio show on WQYK-AM 1010 where he frequently took questions from fans in attendance.

Former Bucs Steve White and Cosey Coleman provided analysis of the draft pick by pick. Also, Bucs fans were treated to the lovely Hooters Calendar girls as well. How much better could it get? Cold beer, good grub, constant football chatter with a couple of ex-Bucs, draft talk with Justin, and Hooters Calendar. That’s one helluva night.

(And no, Joe was not able to lure any ladies into the stretch limo from Paradise Worldwide Transportation waiting outside. That was for one of Joe’s readers — the limo, not the girls).

Joe wants to thank everyone that came out and to the sponsors of the evening: Pete and Shorty’s, Bud Light, the WQYK crew led by Justin, and a heartfelt thanks as well to Coleman and White, part of the Volunteer Army.

Don’t forget the draft party resumes at Pete & Shorty’s on Saturday!

Joe appreciates that Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan helped Eli Manning in New York and was a solid wide receivers coach there. However, the guy has never called plays in the NFL and that scares the hell out of Joe.

Perhaps Joe is still in shock by what Greg Olson delivered last year. (How Olson found NFL employment so fast Joe will never understand).

Anyway, in Joe’s mind the Bucs now have a complete offense ready to play at a playoff level in 2012.

There’s big time talent at quarterback and in the backfield. Joe’s a Luke Stocker fan and Kellen Winslow still has a year left in his knees. The offensive line should be tremendous. And the Bucs now have a true vertical threat making eight figures a year, plus Mike Williams in the right role and more talent in Arrelious Benn and Preston Parker.

It’s a complete win-now offense. It’s not the best offense in the NFL, but the Bucs have what it takes to be a top-10 offense, especially if they add a veteran versatile back to backup Doug Martin and LeGarrette Blount.

So that puts a ton of pressure squarely on Sullivan. The guy has no wiggle room to feel his way into calling plays and running an offensive staff. Sorry, but Joe’s cutting Sullivan no slack, not with this kind of talent. Hopefully he’s up to the challenge.

So Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik pulled off a steal late in the first round tonight landing Boise State running back Doug Martin. Below are highlights of Martin playing against an NFL-type defense against SEC East winner Georgia last season.

Wow!

The Bucs just traded back into the first round to score Denver’s 31st overall pick and grabbed Boise State running back Doug Martin. Joe is fired up! And the Bucs didn’t even get played. In fact, it seems like rockstar general manager Mark Dominik pulled off a coup, especially after seeing the Giants draft a running back with the 32nd pick and knowing the Rams were sniffing running backs ahead of the Bucs in the second round.

The Bucs moved up four slots by giving up the their second-rounder and only had to swap fourth-round picks with Denver. Maybe there was a method to the earlier trade-down madness, though Joe wouldn’t bet any cash on that.

Regardless, the Bucs got a powerful, versatile back, one they absolutely needed to be a pound-the-rock team under the new Schiano World Order.

Dominik spoke on WDAE-AM 620 after the selection and praised Martin for being a team captain at Boise State and a tremendous kid off the field. Interestingly, Dominik said Schiano has close relationships with the Boise State coaching staff and that was a factor in the pick.

“A three-down-type of back,” is how Dominik described Martin and said getting a second beast of a running back on the roster was a critical need.

Joe’s not big on drafting running backs so early, but the need was pressing and now dare Joe say the Bucs have no more holes on offense. On the defensive side of the ball, well, that’s another story.