Chucky’s old QB coach John Shoop (2004), a former Bears offensive coordinator (2001-2003), is the latest name to swirl around the Bucs and their many coaching vacancies.

Alex Marvez at FOXSports.com — does this guy have One Buc bugged? — recently Twittered that Shoop is interviewing with the Bucs today for the offensive coordinator gig.

At least Shoop lived and breathed quality NFL football with the Bears back in 2001, when Chicago went 13-3 with Jim Miller and Shane Matthews as QBs before losing to Philadelphia in the playoffs. Coaching under Dick Jauron, Joe suspects Shoop was no puppet for his defensive head coach. Shoop was fired after the Bears went 7-9 in 2003, when they tried to revive Kordell Stewart’s career — bad idea.

Does this mean Ron Turner is a no-go? Joe sure hopes so.

Hopefully Shoop believes the Benn’d around play is something that should only be seen at Mons Venus.

The creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the great Mike Florio, discusses the state of the Bucs in this NBCSports.com video. Florio offers a theory that the Bucs’ “chickens have come home to roost.”

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Joe never imagined he’d become so obsessed with Rutgers football.

Reason 1: The last time Joe was on the Rutgers main campus he left fleeing slow-footed dorm security following a brawl Joe didn’t instigate, though Joe did throw a couple of roundhouse rights. 

Reason 2: Rutgers football has improved drastically, but it hasn’t been exciting since Ray Lucas was making plays.

But alas, Joe is now, temporarily, obsessed with Rutgers football as well as Bucs football. So it’s very intriguing to Joe that recent Rutgers offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, Jr. is now the St. Louis Rams’ quarterbacks coach, so reported Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.

Cignetti, a former Saints and 49ers QB coach, was rumored to be on his way to Tampa Bay. Joe’s not going to assume the Bucs lost out on this guy, but that wouldn’t look good if they did. Joe certainly hopes Cignetti didn’t go to St. Louis because alleged Bucs offensive-coordinator-in-waiting Ron Turner didn’t want him.

As for a tight ends coach, per the Rutgers campus newspaper, The Daily Targum, Rutgers tight ends coach Brian Angelichio is likely to head to Tampa. Angelichio coached tight ends at the University of Pittsburgh before joining Rutgers. Prior to that he spent 10 coaching at Division III Ithaca Collage.

Joe wonders how Kellen Winslow would respond to that guy.

Bucs fans are growing restless with the deliberate method by which Greg Schiano has taken on the task of filling the Bucs’ coaching staff with credible men.

Fear not Bucs fans, you should not feel guilty. It seems eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune believes your fears have merit.

Tuesday, speaking on “Primetime” co-hosted by Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi on WHBO-AM 1040, Kaufman suggested the Bucs and Schiano in particular are up against a tight deadline to fill staff vacancies without repercussions to the team.

“I believe by the end of this week, [the Bucs] will have a complete offensive staff or a complete defensive staff or even more. Guys, the clock is ticking. People say, what’s the big deal? Well, it is. You have to send your guys down to Indy in a couple of weeks for that combine. You have to start making preparations. You want your coaches involved in free agency deliberations. There is a time factor here. I don’t think they have another month to put this thing together. It’s a little bit discouraging what has gone on so far. Not jumping the gun and saying this is going to be a terrible staff. I will be shocked, gentlemen — shocked — if the entire staff is made up of college coaches. Then the Bucs will merit criticism.

It doesn’t appear the Bucs will have all college coaches, as one of the names rumored to join the Bucs on the offensive side of the ball is the notorious Ron Turner, who frankly should have stayed in college.

Joe’s of the mind that if Turner is to be named offensive coordinator, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik should immediately get on the phone and call Jacksonville quarterback coach Greg Olson to ask (beg?) if he will return as the Bucs offensive coordinator.

Earlier today, Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com reported Bucs new coach Greg Schiano is nearly finished compiling his new staff.

One name that popped up is defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley. It seems like that is a done deal for Hafley to come to Tampa Bay. Bucs defensive back Larry Asante is Twittering that Hafley is indeed the Bucs’ new defensive backs coach.

Hafley comes from — wait for it — Rutgers! Prior to joining Schiano last season, Hafley worked for Dave Wannstedt at Pitt.

LeGarrette Blount doesn’t get too much time in front of the camera, so Joe wants to be sure you see this recent NFL.com/NFL Network interview of the Bucs’ beastly running back.

Just click on the link and the video will open.

You’ll see great NFL Films views of some of Blount’s runs, plus Blount clearly is excited by the thought of a head coach that is committed to running the football.

Joe hopes this isn’t true. Let Joe explain.

Alex Marvez, who is a very-well-plugged-in NFL type who writes for FoxSports.com and works for SiriusXM NFL Radio, just posted a report that new Bucs coach Greg Schiano has his staff just about set.

A source told FOXSports.com that Ron Turner and Bill Lazor are among the candidates being considered at offensive coordinator. Schiano also will be adding three of his former staff members at Rutgers University — Bob Fraser (linebackers), Brian Angelichio (tight ends) and Jeff Haley (assistant defensive backs coach).

This frightens Joe to his very bones. Ron Turner is a horrible quarterback coach and has — at best — an underwhelming resume as an offensive coordinator. Unless a guy’s name is “Mike Martz,” why in the world would anyone want a jettisoned Bears quarterback coach?

Currently, Turner’s career highlight is developing Kurt Kittner.

Oh, and he got run from Illinois for having a putrid offense as well.

Joe is crossing his fingers this report is inaccurate, if for no other reason than for Josh Freeman’s career.

Gerald McCoy has been awfully chatty of late about jettisoned Bucs coach Raheem Morris, which sheds more light into how and why the grotesque 10-game collapse took place.

Last week from Indianapolis Joe brought word, via “The Godfather,” Gil Brandt, that GMC told Brandt how he hopes new Bucs coach Greg Schiano is organized.

Now comes more GMC critique of his old coach, this time via popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, beer-chugging Peter King of Sports Illustrated, tucked away in his must-read “Monday Morning Quarterback” column, where King also wagged a finger — like Joe — warning GMC to stay away from that old hag Madonna.

I think that was a cringing moment, when Gerald McCoy, working for whatever that Chad Ochocinco channel is, got up at the Madonna press conference and asked her for some career advice. Ouch. But I hand it to McCoy for his honesty when I saw him during the week. I told him new Bucs coach Greg Schiano would bring hardline discipline and organization to Tampa Bay. “Good,” McCoy said. “We need it.” We saw that last year.

Man, things must have been a nightmare the way things are slowly seeping out of One Buc Palace and from Bucs players chattering about Morris to others.

Maybe Schiano’s organization can garner the Bucs a pair of wins this season no matter how many college coaches are on his staff.

No relation to the legendary big man who changed the NBA forever, Packers tight ends coach Ben McAdoo joins the growing list of coaches the Bucs were interested in but won’t be hiring.

Green Bay has exercised its right to deny the Bucs a shot at interviewing/hiring McAdoo for their offensive coordinator gig, so claims Jason La Canfora, of NFL.com.

Schiano recently lost out on his top choice for offensive coordinator when Arizona refused to let then-wide receivers coach John McNulty interview; McNulty eventually became the quarterbacks coach.

Schiano could end up having to hire a number of his former Rutgers staffers. The overall inexperience of former coach Raheem Morris’s staff was a big issue for Tampa and led to his eventual departure. Tampa began its coaching search by interviewing almost exclusively veteran NFL coaches with significant pro head coaching experience.

Clearly the Bucs are paying a price diving into the assistant coach search late in the game, and/or rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano are being incredibly thorough and deliberate.

McAdoo was in the mix to become the Packers new offensive coordinator, but Tom Clements was promoted into that gig late last week — another name the Bucs can cross off their list.

Joe realizes there are throngs of conspiracy aficionados out there convinced that Team Glazer and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik would rather be waterboarded than aggressively shop for free agents.

So with those tin-foil hat types in mind, Joe is calling attention to an in-depth look at NFC South free agency that published yesterday on Buccaneers.com. The 1000+ word piece is extremely well done, and focuses on who might stay or go from the Saints, Panthers and Falcons. Here’s a snippet:

DeCoud is another starter on the Atlanta defense who needs a new contract, and also another member of the Falcons’ 2008 draft class. That group also included Douglass and Biermann with later picks, and the ability of all four of those draftees to carve out important roles is partially why the team’s pending free agent class has so many prominent names. DeCoud is coming off a career-best four-interception season but both he and Sanders, a part-time starter the last three years, are free agents. The Falcons may have to choose between them, or they could dip into what appears to be a fairly deep pool of free agent safeties this year. 

Like the Saints (see below), the Falcons have two wide receivers both hitting free agency at the same time, though both are reserves behind entrenched starters Roddy White and Julio Jones. Both Douglas and Weems hold value for the Falcons, but in different ways. Douglas has improved his catch and yardage totals each of the last two years after missing 2009 due to injury, and last season he was a productive third receiver with 39 receptions for 498 yards. Weems hasn’t figured much into the passing game in his four seasons in Atlanta but is one of the league’s more dangerous punt and kickoff return men, and has been to the Pro Bowl. It might be difficult for the Falcons to get both of them back, particularly if they go hard after the likes of Grimes, Lofton, Gonzalez and Abraham.

Again, Joe found the piece to be excellent reading. (As for Weems, if the Bucs aren’t going to use Micheal Spurlock, and Preston Parker has fumbling issues, then Weems would be an exciting pickup.)

As for the Buccaneers’ official website exciting fans about free agency and offering a great education on the NFL’s version of March Madness, Joe wonders how some Bucs fans will interpret that.

Joe’s not so sure Arrelious Benn isn’t a stretch-the-field deep threat, but merely a victim of a maddening, subpar offensive coordinator.

That written, loads of Bucs observers believe the team needs a burner in the receiving corps to open up the field. Even Donald Penn playing general manager wants the Bucs to score a speedster on the flanks.

One wide reciever coming to the free agent market is 25-year-old Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham, and Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings says Manningham “fits the description” of the deep, vertical threat the Bucs need to finish off their receiving corps.

 “If Manningham can be that, then the Bucs have to have some interest in him,” Cummings said Monday on Primetime on WHBO-AM 1040. “If he’s on the market, they’ll have a lot of interest, I think. Yes, he’s the kind of guy that they would like to have. But you know there’s probably a dozen of those guys out there.”

One thing certain about Manningham is that he’ll be overpriced leaving the Giants following his Super Bowl heroics. There’s a lot to be said for performing under the game’s greatest pressure, but Manningham is hardly a Pro Bowl receiver.

If Joe had to choose, Joe would rather see the Bucs invest their free agent dollars on the defensive side of the ball and use the draft to focus on the offense.

Without immediate, established help and leadership arriving for their defensive front-7, Joe might go into convulsions. The thought of another season of getting gashed up the gut in the running game would be too much to bear.

The search through college football to add to new Bucs coach Greg Schiano’s staff continues. Schiano apparently put out bait for Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, but Quinn will stay put with the Gators, per longtime Gainesville Sun Gators beat writer/columnist Pat Dooley on Twitter.

@pat_dooley: According to my sources, UF DC Dan Quinn interviewed for Tampa Bay Bucs DC but turned it down.

Joe is hoping two things here:

1) Part of the delay (?) of grabbing assistants is the Bucs and Schiano are, in a term Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik used, exercising “due diligence.”

2) The Bucs plan to interview coaches on Bill Belicheat and Tom Coughlin’s staffs.

Quinn would have been an interesting hire as he has roughly 10 years of NFL experience, mostly as a defensive line coach.

As many of Joe’s regular readers know, Joe is addicted to SiriusXM NFL Radio. Perhaps the most in-depth X’s and O’s show on that channel is “Movin’ the Chains,” co-hosted by former NFL executive and NFL coach Pat Kirwan and former Bears defensive tackle and current FOX NFL analyst Tim Ryan.

For NFL fans more interested in strategy as opposed to ticket sales or how much money an owner spends, this is your show. It is no less than fascinating… riveting in fact.

Last offseason, it was Ryan who beat the drum about how the Bucs were making a grave mistake in letting Barrett Ruud walk. Ryan went on to say that if Ruud were to leave the Bucs, “the Bucs defense would collapse.”

How’d that analysis work out, huh?

Last week at Super Bowl Media Day, Joe had a chance to speak with Ryan, who was gracious enough to give Joe his time while at work during a commercial break. Ryan is not a member of the national chorus that has thus far given the Bucs a thumbs-up for hiring Greg Schiano. Color Ryan skeptical.

JoeBucsFan: Did the Bucs paint themselves in a corner waiting so long to hire a coach?

Tim Ryan: I don’t think so. I think they did their due diligence and talked to guys who have done it before and who have had success in this league. And they decided to go with the young guy, which is very interesting to me, especially when you look at [Schiano’s] track record in pro football. And he may be a great guy, and I will give him the benefit of the doubt. But there are going to be tremendous obstacles to say the least in my opinion trying to be competitive and win games in that division when you start looking at the Saints, you start looking at Carolina, look at Atlanta, the coaches on those teams not to mention who is going to coordinate his offense. He will probably have his mind on defense since he is a defensive guy. I know they are still trying to get John McNulty out of Arizona. They seem hellbent on at least pursing that as long as they can pursue it. I think there are a lot of questions marks left in Tampa after the hiring of Greg Schiano.

Joe: A lot of Bucs fans are concerned about his lack of NFL experience. Sure, he has been with good coaches. Yeah, he worked with Butch Davis. Yeah, he worked with Joe Paterno. Yeah, he worked with Dave Wannstedt, who is a good defensive coach. But he only has two seasons in the NFL and there is talk he’s going to bring a bunch of college guys in.

Ryan: Well, good luck with that and again, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and we will wait and see what happens. I have talked to a lot of guys who have been in this league a long time, and I have seen what this league is all about. This is a league that is won — everyone has athletes — you win with strategy, you win with a “what-if” list that is a mile deep. Pro football is a whole different animal. I have heard from a lot of guys that have been in the business for a long time and I say, “Your thoughts on the Schiano hire?” and they give me one name: Bobby Petrino. And when I hear that, that is what some of the people from the outside looking in kind of are thinking. I know he has promised to reattach to the fanbase. The only way to reattach to the fanbase and fill seats is to win games. So we will see what happens.

Joe: When you reference Petrino, what are you inferring?

Ryan: Just a college guy with limited NFL experience, when you are talking about college guys running both sides of the ball. We will wait see what happens with Butch Davis who can certainly coach defense. I have known him for years, he recruited me in high school. He’s an extension of Dave Wannstedt also from the Cowboys. [The Schiano hire] created for me more questions than buzz and excitement.

Like every other fan, Joe hears that the NFL is a copycat league.

And now that the Giants have won two of the last five Super Bowls, twice beating the offense-first Patriots, perhaps the Giants model will become the NFL’s hot new flavor.

Of course, the Bucs are not the Giants, but on the surface the Bucs do appear to be trying to build the Giants way.

Tom Coughlin is a discipline-first head coach who likes to pound the football and take shots downfield. Greg Schiano is that guy.

The Giants succeeded with a very young receiving corps, a first-round pick (Hakeem Nicks), a third-rounder (Mario Manningham) and an undrafted guy (Victor Cruz). Sounds familiar.

The Giants have stockpiled talent on the defensive line and built their 4-3 defense around what those guys can do. That sounds like what the Bucs are attempting, and Mark Dominik recently called Schiano a “4-3 fundamentalist.”

Despite the NFL’s statistically worst running game, the Giants use a punishing beast in the backfield to set up the passing game. The Bucs have their own beast.

And the Giants have a strong-armed quarterback that can make all the throws. The Bucs have one of those, as well.

Also, unlike their New York/New Jersey counterparts, the Giants tread very lightly in free agency. Quick, name the Giants’ big name free agents.

Now Joe knows full well that the Bucs should not be confused with the Giants; no way. But there definitely are similarities in the approach, and nobody can argue the Giants way isn’t working.

Predictably, NFL fans howled in protest about how so-and-so was not elected to the Hall of Fame Saturday, and how the outfit is a travesty, yet the same angry crowd often refused to explain who they would have eliminated (a maximum of five can be elected per year, not counting senior nominees), nor did they take to time to read how Eddie DeBartolo and Bill Parcells canceled each other out as did Andre Reed and Cris Carter.

Well, it’s going to get even  tougher for those denied to get in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as several Bucs will be eligible in the coming years, notes humorist Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune.

That’s right _ the men behind those great Tampa Bay Buccaneers teams and a Super Bowl win begin coming up for the Hall in 2013. The great Lee Roy Selmon, Hall of Fame class of 1995, is sure to get company _ but how much?

Next year, Warren Sapp and John Lynch will most likely be Hall finalists. In 2014, it will be Derrick Brooks and Tony Dungy. Assuming Jon Gruden doesn’t go back to coaching, he’ll be up for the Hall in 2014, too. And Ronde Barber should also be eligible five years after he retires in 2019 or 2029, whenever it is.

Just a guess from Joe, but Derrick Brooks gets in right away. Sapp might have to wait a while as may Lynch. Sadly, it’s difficult for cornerbacks to get in the Hall. Shoot, it took Roger Werhli forever to get elected. Joe doubts Simeon Rice will ever get elected.

And if Ronde Barber isn’t a Hall of Famer, Joe doesn’t know what a Hall of Famer looks like.

As all football fans wait for today’s Super Bowl, Joe brings you, courtesy of the NFL and its Internet partner Hulu.com, a Super Bowl nine years ago that Bucs fans had keen interest in: the NFL’s No. 1 defense vs. the NFL’s No. 1 offense. Defense wins championships.

Chucky-blaming, stone-hands, one-year-wonder, legendary blocking icon Michael Clayton is a happy man.

Joe would be too if he fleeced the Bucs for $10 million guaranteed back in 2009.

Clayton’s also on the New York Giants roster — injured reserve (not hurt while making a catch)– and he’s all giddy about what an impact he’s had as a mentor to his Giants teammates. In what really was a classic interview this week, Clayton sat down with Steve Duemig, of WDAE-AM 620, to talk about how great he is and how blessed he is. Pop a cold one and take a listen below.

Sadly, Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has his detractors. One just needs to read the comments on this site for evidence.

Joe always enjoyed his interaction with GMC and likes how open GMC is with fans. He’s a good dude.

That’s why Joe was aghast that this week GMC tried to become intimate with that disgusting old hag Madonna.

The NFL trotted that old bag out last week as the league sunk to a new level having her, ahem, perform at halftime of today’s Super Bowl, a halftime show Joe can assure you he will not watch one minute of.

Apparently, per the Associated Press, GMC wanted Madonna to express her affection with him, in a manner of words.

McCoy, working as a reporter for OCNN – Chad Ochocinco’s network – showed a lack of fear that would impress Bucs fans during the music legend’s Super Bowl news conference Thursday in Indianapolis.

He asked Madonna for a smooch, and was quickly shot down.

The back-and-forth began when a bold McCoy, sitting among hundreds of media members, told Madonna, “I’m only 23, but I love you.”

DUDE! There is sssooo much better talent out there to pick up — just walk through International Plaza on a Wednesday night — than this old untalented battle ax.

Joe never, ever understood this Modannoa phenomenon. So she wore a bra over her blouse. Big deal! With talent like that, one can get a gig working weeknights at The Oz in Clearwater.

Joe is no less than outraged that Van Halen, about to embark on a nationwide tour, isn’t playing halftime.The nerve of NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell to turn his back on David Lee Roth and the Van Halen troupe in favor of this over-aged businesswoman.

Juicy, giant mini Shorty Burgers from Pete & Shorty’s are the perfect way to go this weekend. Joe can barely contain himself thinking about these savory blessings of beef goodness.

And you can take home a giant box of 24 Shorty Burgers for only $20 now through Super Bowl Sunday!

Shorty Burgers are heaven in a cardboard box and a must for any party. Joe actually likes to just drive around with a box in the passenger seat. Call Pete & Shorty’s every day for this special through Feb. 5. Please watch the video.

Pete and Shorty’s Shorty Burgers 2-GO! from 3 Square Studios on Vimeo.

Stop the Super Bowl hype! The Bucs have a wide receivers coach. Joe is giddy with excitement.

Actually, Joe isn’t that excited, but it’s at least a morsel of coaching news to gulp down as Greg Schiano continues to work alone at One Buc Palace.

Per BSPN, former 49ers wide receiver and Rutgers receivers coach P.J. Fleck will be the new mentor for Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn and friends.

Just 31 years old, is Fleck a good hire? Geez, Joe has no clue — and neither do you.

Here’s what Raheem Morris said about the last receivers coach, Eric Yarber, who joined the team before the 2010 season. It’s a classic Raheem quote, including a take on Chucky’s old receivers coach, Richard Mann, so Joe wanted to share.

“He’s got a nice bounce about him on the practice field. He’s got a nice bounce about him in the meeting rooms. His meeting rooms are very entertaining,” Raheem said of Yarber. “He brings back, for me being a head coach, when you walk in that room it kind of gets you back into that feel when you’re a [defensive backs] coach. You get to that room and the guys are there and they’re joking around and they’re working. You’re able to talk to the guys and they’re able to communicate back with you. You’re able to communicate with those guys. You’re able to learn from some of the older guys in that room. He’s able to comment. He’s talking about his experience from his playing days. It’s real nice. It’s a breath fresh air, you know, from what we had. Richard Mann was kind of the opposite. He was a set old back, laid back teacher, a fundamentalist core. You know, and he had a lot of great attributes, as well. But it’s a nice vibe when you go into that room and you see the guys really vibing, and really having that kind of energy chasing them down.”

All that “vibing” and “entertaining” was just great in 2010, and then 2011 was, well, a different story.

Joe suspects Fleck wasn’t hired by Schiano to vibe and entertain, though maybe he will. Joe can only hope the new guy is a great teacher who can command respect instantly.

There were all sorts of reasons for Team Glazer to jettison Raheem Morris from the Bucs. The biggest reason was that as the season grew long, the Bucs looked more like a Division-II team than an NFL team.

Just thinking of the Bucs coughing up 42 points in 22 minutes makes Joe want to run for a bottle of Pepto Bismol. It may have been the worst display of defense Joe has ever seen in the NFL and any defensive starter short of Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers — who, despite being rookies, played like NFL’ers — should be lighting candles to give thanks for still being employed.

It was interesting when Joe learned, via “The Godfather,” Gil Brandt, that Gerald McCoy, upon learning of Greg Schiano’s hiring, stated, “I hope he is organized.”

ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas suggests GMC is just scraping the tip of the iceberg, as Yasinskas wrote in his weekly NFC South blog chat.

andy (hickory, nc)

pat, no offense, but how is schiano the new bucs coach the opposite of raheem? he has no nfl head coaching or coordinator experience, hes a defensive minded coach, hes young, he sounds just like raheem.

Pat Yasinskas

Andy, that doesn’t offend me in any way! But Schiano is a good bit older and much more mature than Raheem. He also has a proven record as a builder and a winner. Raheem truly was a nice guy. But I don’t think fans realized just how out of control things were on many levels. Schiano is known for running a tight ship. So they’re very different guys.

Joe has to wonder just how much more drama Schiano will tolerate from overrated Aqib Talib? Joe also wonders if Schiano will let Kellen Winslow coast through practices?

Now Joe understands Winslow’s knees can no longer handle the grueling day-to-day punishment of an NFL season. But not practicing each day may explain why Winslow, in the last game of the season, was running a wrong route that blew up a pass intended for Kregg Lumpkin.

Who knew the Bucs already have taken punches to the gut as they try to resurrect the franchise from the ugly depths it fell to during Raheem Morris’ final 10 weeks?

Joe was unaware the Bucs had screwed themselves in the past month. But veteran NFL scribe and Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer eye-RAH! Kaufman is adamant Tampa Bay has made serious mistakes.

“You have allowed Steve Spagnuolo to go to a division rival. Mr. Mike Nolan to go to a division rival, who’s just a notch below Spagnuolo in my opinion as a D-coordinator. Those are killer blows for an organization,” Kaufman told Steve Duemig on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday. “The Saints don’t need a good defense; they need an average defense and look out. And with Spagnuolo, working with a young Buc defensive line, I thought that would have been a great match.”

Kaufman went on to pound his claim that rockstar general manager Mark Dominik shares the same agent as Spagnuolo and something could have/should have been worked out. It was unclear whether Kaufman was referring to Spagnuolo becoming Bucs head coach or only defensive coordinator. Spagnuolo was hired by the Saints about a week before Greg Schiano took the Bucs’ reigns.

For Joe, Spagnuolo would have been a great coordinator hire by the Bucs, but Joe’s not seeing how that could have happened before a head coach was locked up.

Kaufman joins 40 or so other choice scribes today in voting for the Hall of Fame class of 2012. In that process, he’s the lone voice from the Tampa Bay area.  

Unfortunately, Kaufman said Warren Sapp’s poor relationship with media during his playing days — he didn’t talk to Kaufman for three years — will still be a factor when Sapp is eligible for induction next year.

Thougth he doesn’t hold any grudges, Kaufman said he’s talked to Hall voters recently who still carry an anti-Sapp torch and Sapp will have heavy competition in his class from “heavy names,” including Michael Strahan, Jonathan Ogden, Larry Allen. John Lynch also is eligible next year.