Greg Schiano prides himself on being a teacher and having a staff of teachers, and he speaks lovingly of developing players and building through the draft. So Joe’s wondering whether Schiano, rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and secondary coach Ron Cooper are relatively content with the safeties on the roster right now.

Perhaps cutting Tanard Jackson, a guy that was hurt and couldn’t be counted on anyway, feels like a huge relief and a huge opportunity to Schiano and friends.

The current safties are:

Larry Asante: a Dominik practice squad pickup entering his third season who at least flashed some good things with the Bucs
Ahmad Black: a Dominik draftee who was hurt through his 2011 rookie preseason and landed on the practice squad
Devin Holland: undrafted free agent coming off injured reserve after making the Bucs roster as a special teams ace last year
Cody Grimm: The man’s a wolf — and talented. Who wouldn’t be excited to have him, even if he can’t stay healthy?

Of course, Joe knows the Bucs will add bodies at safety, but Joe’s not expecting anyone too exciting in 2012. At some point, the Bucs are going to have to prove they can develop defensive players, and as an organization they’re probably damn eager to do it.

The safety position is scary, but at least Ronde Barber’s around and potentially could move into that role. At linebacker, things are just as scary, if not more, and there is no such potential savior on the roster.

You can watch the NFL Draft at home, or you can let loose your inner football fan in a big way at Joe’s opening night draft party at Pete & Shorty’s in Pinellas Park. Here are 7 reasons to be there:

1) Dream atmosphere for the draft-lover – In addition to the smell of beer and beef in the air, NFL Draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski will be there breaking down the draft live through most of the party via 1010 AM and the Pete & Shorty’s PA system. You’ll also be able to watch the draft on the stunning TV viewing at Pete & Shorty’s — NFL Network and BSPN. They have it all — indoors and outdoors. You can also get all multimedia with their top-shelf WiFi.

Look for Joe and former Bucs defensive end Steve White to be there and pop-in with The Commish on the air through the night. Joe also will be announcing more special guests associated with your beloved Bucs.

2) Cold affordable beer, full liquor and great meat products – Joe can’t say enough about the pork tenderloin sandwiches and Shorty Burgers and more at Pete & Shorty’s. Pork shank anyone? Yeah, they have salads and veggies for the healthy types.

Bud Light is sponsoring the party and there will be great drink specials flowing. Stay tuned for more on those.

3) Bud Light girls – What’s a party without girls? Even if they’re getting paid to be there and wear naughty yet tasteful outfits.

4) Uninhibited draft fun – While Joe doesn’t endorse mayhem and violence, Joe and Pete & Shorty’s fully expect fans to stand up and cheer, boo, belch, etc. A good Trent Richardson-Morris Claiborne argument or two is sure to break out.

5) Jersey giveaways – There’s probably some communist law that says Joe can’t say what jerseys will be given away, but Joe’s got three good ones to dish out, plus the hard to find 2XL Sabby Piscitelli model. (Goat not included).

6) Easy parking. No need to rush. — All kinds of free, legal overflow parking at Pete & Shorty’s. It’s all common parking areas in the CVS parking lot and plaza next door. Also, Pete & Shorty’s will stay open until midnight, or later if the crowd wants to keep the party going.

7) Joe’s going to be doing it all over again on Saturday (Rounds 4-7) on a somewhat smaller scale.

As an analyst on the NFL Network’s popular Playbook show, former 12-year offensive lineman Brian Baldinger has access to every inch and angle of NFL game film. And he doesn’t like what he sees from Gerald McCoy.

This morning on The Ron and Ian Show on WDAE-AM 620, co-host Ian Beckles asked Baldinger how many Bucs games he watched in 2011 and what he thought of the Bucs’ defense. Baldinger replied that he watched every Bucs game and he singled out three players: Adrian Clayborn, DaQuan Bowers and Gerald McCoy.

Clayborn was showered with love by Baldinger as the only defensive standout. But Baldinger said he didn’t think Bowers “knew how to play” and he questioned McCoy’s “consistent effort” and blasted his technique, saying he “plays high” and needs to get his pad level down.

Loyal listeners of Beckles know Baldinger found a welcoming audience with those criticisms of McCoy.

Joe wouldn’t give McCoy poor on-field grades for 2011. However, a player always gets an F when he’s not on the field, and McCoy has find a way to stay healthy. In terms of the Bucs’ Super Bowl aspirations, McCoy is worthless if he can only play half a season every year.

While the press release from the Bucs announcing Tanard Jackson’s release specified Jackson’s contract was “terminated” due to a “failed physical,” it seems there may have been at least one other reason that led the Bucs to part ways with Jackson.

Last week when the team gathered to meet their new coaching staff and to start to learn “The Greg Schiano Way,” Jackson was no where to be found at One Buc Palace.

That’s the word from Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune, who spoke with Jackson and Twittered out that Jackson was not in Florida last week while his teammates were.

@RCummingsTrib: Jackson says he didn’t make it to first week of offseason workout program. Also says he wasn’t told that played a part in his release.

In Joe’s eyes, for a law-and-order kind of dude that Schiano is, blowing off the first week of offseason workouts — even if they were voluntary — is pretty much a spit in the eye to Schiano.

For a guy like Jackson, one bong hit away from saying bye-bye to the NFL and who, after his first game back, played horribly, not trying to start off on the right foot with your new coach, well, that is pretty close to insubordination.

Yeah, Jackson said that he was rehabbing his shoulder, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times‘ Twitter feed. OK, Joe gets that. But short of some voodoo potion, what exactly was being done to Jackson’s shoulder in New Orleans that couldn’t have been taken care of at One Buc Palace?

@RCummingsTrib: Bucs have released S Tanard Jackson, failed physical.

Joe is not going to speculate what part of the physical Jackson failed. Unless that is released, and per HIPAA laws likely cannot be, there is no way to know short of what Jackson states.

Jackson was down to his last strike after being suspended twice for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. One more failed test, and he will be banned from the NFL for life.

This move weakens an already weak secondary. Ronde Barber likely is in his last year. Aqib Talib likely is in his last year if he plays at all. Cody Grimm is trying to recover from a second season-ending leg injury in as many years.

Secondary must be addressed in the draft by the Bucs, and probably early in the draft.

BSPN’s Todd McShay goes into the film room to study Morris Claiborne.

The signing of defensive tackle Amobi Okoye sure gives the Bucs some depth — some would argue much needed depth — on the defensive line.

Speaking about the move Sunday afternoon on SiriusXM NFL Radio, former Cowboys player personnel director Gil Brandt, the architect of the famed Cowboys teams of the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, loved the move for the Bucs and likened the move by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik to those of Al Davis.

Okoye, a former first round pick who was selected at the ripe age of 19, is the kind of player Brandt said Davis would have signed as well.

Brandt noted that Davis, the brainchild behind the Raiders, loved to pick up former first round draft picks who, for whatever reason, washed up with their original teams.

More often than not, Davis was able to squeeze a few more years out of these players, if not turn around their careers, Brandt said. This is why the Raiders were often looked upon as a last outpost for many players.

“If you looked at the roster of the Oakland Raiders over the years, it was always stacked with guys who were picked high in the draft,” Brandt said. “The Raiders took them and developed them. They stole a guy from us named Todd Christensen. Al knew he had upside.

“What I’m trying to say is you take [Okoye] now and hope the original team was right [in their draft evaluation] and hope that he realizes that maybe he has to work a little harder or get in better shape.”

Brandt was of the opinion that Okoye still has much gas left in the tank. Brandt believes that Okoye, coming out at 19, hurt himself. He said Okoye had a decent rookie year with the Texans and for whatever reason, slid backwards and then got lost in the wash when Houston converted to a three-man front.

Joe can only imagine the depth of the about-face inside One Buc Palace over the past eight days, since players were formally introduced to Greg Schiano and his staff.

The contrast to the Raheem regime has to be stark.

Schiano’s schooling everyone on the new Buccaneer Way and how discipline will go down. Military Mike Sullivan is leading the offense while loyal lieutenant Bill Sheridan teaches the Schiano defense. All happening while Bucs success operative Butch Davis stares everyone down in silence.

Joe can’t wait to see how this all translates on the field.

 But off the field, the impact of Schiano already is reverberating. DaQuan Bowers took to his 76,000+ Twitter followers yesterday to announce that his new head coach is in his head in a big way.

@DaQuanBowers91– Schiano hit home in our little meeting today made me rethink about somethings ……Sept cant get here fast enuff lol

Of course, there’s always a chance Schiano simply just recommended a new pregame meal to Bowers, but Joe suspects this all runs a hell of a lot deeper than calorie counts and choices of carbohydrates. Especially coming from Bowers, who’s an introspective musician type to start with.

Joe keeps hearing in his head Ronde Barber’s laugh last week when the Bucs icon talked about the tighter ship now in place at One Buc Palace. That snicker measured something very significant.

Twittering with his followers today, Tampa Bay Times Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud busted out a line Joe can’t ignore.

Stroud floated that offensive tackle Matt Kalil could be in play for the Bucs with the fifth overall pick and then a Bucs fan fired back that he would like that because the Bucs could then dump Jeremy Trueblood. Stroud responded with the following:

@NFLStroud – @boss1sarge – This may shock you, but Kalil would play left tackle.

Now Joe was taken back because Joe considers Stroud’s comment absurd. Why would the Bucs possibly want to displace Donald Penn, a Pro Bowl caliber tackle in his prime? Is that how to be “all about No. 5?”

Making this more absurd to Joe was Bill Polian’s take on offensive tackles today on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Polian gave extraordinary detail about how offensive tackles struggle in their rookie season, “even Anthony Munoz.” Polian went on to explain that he and Bill Parcells are guys that like to draft two guys in one draft that can play left tackle when the team need is there, just to help ensure a team isn’t exposed at that position.

Regardless, Joe would be surprised if the Bucs draft Kalil, and even more stunned if he played left tackle in 2012, barring a draft-day trade of Penn.

Joe wants to see you have more fun going to Rays games and save money.

So get your butt on the No Excuses Tour chauffeured luxury bus to Tropicana Field, courtesy of Paradise Worldwide Transportation and Lee Roy Selmon’s. You get to ride in style — with beer and food in hand — and get dropped off right at the gate.

Click on through to grab a seat for April Rays games, and get all the details at NoExcusesTour.com. Don’t flush your gas and parking money down the toilet.

The architect of the Buffalo and Carolina and Indianapolis Super Bowl teams, Bill Polian, left the Colts this year and has found a home on SiriusXM NFL Radio. And Joe’s enjoying every minute of it. Wow! What a joy for hardcore football fans.

Today, Polian joined host Adam Schein on The Blitz and talked all things NFL Draft.

First, Polian said he shares a philosophy with Tony Dungy that claims top picks in the draft should only go to elite quarterbacks, guys who can sack the quarterback or score touchdowns, or an elite corner.

Polian went on to say Matt Kalil absolutely is not the Vikings automatic choice with the third overall pick in 2012.

Polian said the Vikings should look to trade down because there are two more elite tackle prospects available later in the first round. The Vikings, if they have health concerns about Adrian Peterson, Polian said, also would be wise to draft Trent Richardson. He called Richardson, Andrew Luck and RGIII the only “can’t-miss” prospects in the draft.

Polian said Richardson’s obvious skills, including NFL-readiness in blocking, are special, but it’s his “toughness and competitive fire and will to win” that sets him apart. Richardson is Maurice Jones-Drew with “more wiggle and shake,” Polian said.

Now what if Richardson and Morris Claiborne are gone when the Bucs go on the clock with the fifth overall pick? Would the Bucs draft Kalil or reach a little and grab stud Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly?

Polian says if a team sees a player as a perfect fit and a guy they need and can play 10 years, then it’s not a reach. It’s a smart move and one he would always applaud. Polian reminded listeners that it’s about winning football games not winning the draft.

While Joe loves the Amobi Okoye signing by the Bucs the other day, Joe has to wonder why Okoye wanted to come to Tampa Bay with reportedly widespread demand for his services across the NFL.

Okoye, 24, is coming off a four-sack season in Chicago that saw him play in every game and be on the field for more than half the Bears’ snaps. One would think he might shy away from coming to the Bucs, where young, premier draft picks Brian Price and Gerald McCoy surely are the guys the organization wants to snatch starting jobs at defensive tackle and be successful in them.

So given all the reports that McCoy will be 100 percent healthy before training camp, Joe has to wonder whether the Okoye signing is a signal that all may not be rosy with Price’s health. Keep in mind the signing came after players returned to One Buc Palace last week.

Yeah, the Bucs desperately needed quality defensive tackle depth, but Joe still can’t wrap his head around Okoye wanting to be a Buccaneer without strong odds that he’ll get a lot of playing time, which would mean playing ahead of Price. Especially considering that Okoye, who graduated college at 19, is known to be a super-genius.

It’s possible the Bucs put the most money on the table, or Okoye fell in love in love with the organization, but Joe suspects there’s more to it than that.

The past couple of weeks haven’t been pleasant for former Bucs great Warren Sapp.

The future Hall of Fame defensive tackle found himself embroiled in a national controversy when he fingered Jeremy Shockey, perhaps wrongly, as a whistleblower in the Saints bounty scandal.

Then, news was released that Sapp had filed for bankruptcy, owing millions of dollars to various creditors, including the IRS and child support payments.

Hours later, word leaked that Sapp, who hasn’t been on NFL Network in recent days, likely will not be retained by NFL Network when his contract expires in August. The thought is he’s gone, in part, because of the Shockey controversy, which some believe violated federal statutes protecting whistleblowers.

Not a good last couple of weeks.

Now, Joe has learned that Sapp is changing his Twitter handle. On face value, this may be nothing at all. But consider his Twitter handle was “@QBKilla.” Not exactly politically correct in this current world of the NFL as we know it.

When pundits, fans and very likely NFL warden commissioner Rogeer Goodell were left blanched by the Gregg William audio of him encouraging his Saints troops to maim various 49ers offensive stars, touting a Twitter handle that glorifies destroying quarterbacks may not be kosher any longer for an NFL employee.

So now if you go to that handle, Sapp admits he is shutting it down.

@QBKilla: Changed my handle to @WarrenSapp

This makes Joe wonder if Sapp, trying to win back favor with suits in the NFL and the NFL Network, decided to go PC and change his handle, to show he is sensitive to the changing NFL standards and does not advocate violence against signal-callers.

The timing of Sapp’s move is very curious indeed.

Joe has made his feelings well known about who Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik should draft with the fifth overall pick.

That would be LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. With Ronde Barber surely playing his final season with the Bucs and troubled Aqib Talib in the final year of his contract, there will be a massive hole(s) at cornerback (yes, Joe knows Dominik signed Eric Wright).

Facing Drew Brees, Matty Ice and Cam Newton six times a year, that’s like playing with fire not having a competent secondary, almost begging for six losses before the season kicks off.

It seems Pat Yasinskas of ESPN is of the same mind. Answering a query from a reader in a recent NFC South chat, Yasinskas too believes Claiborne is a must-get.

Jaryd (Ashland, Va): I think it is absurd all the people clamoring for Trent Richardson to be a Buccaneer when there are more pressing needs in the Secondary and with the Linebackers…You will be able to find a very good complement for Blount in a later round. None of the best teams in the league are powered by a dominate running back but a running back by committee approach.

Pat Yasinskas: No argument here. I say take Claiborne at No. 5. You can always get a running back a little later.

If the Bucs had a solid secondary (much less just a below average linebacker unit), Joe could somehow be persuaded to draft Trent Richardson.

Problem is, the Bucs have massive holes on defense in a division with potent if not lethal offenses. The Bucs simply do not have the luxury of drafting for any offensive position with the fifth overall pick much less a running back when history demonstrates clearly there is much better bang for the buck grabbing a running back later in the draft.

Besides, the Bucs already have a running back. His name is LeGarrette Blount.

Uncertain whether Gerald McCoy can play a full season, whether Brian Price can recover from a painful, awful hip procedure, and if Roy Miller can ever become an solid player, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik apparently believed defensive tackle is a weakness on the team.

Thus, Dominik has signed Bears defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, so reports NFL analyst Adam Caplan.

@caplannfl: The #Buccaneers and DT Amobi Okoye agreed to a one-year, two mill deal, his agents Darin Morgan and Ian Greengross confirmed. … $700k of Okoye’s deal is guaranteed. He’ll give them an inside pass rusher in nickel situations. … If all are healthy (big if), the #Buccaneers could wind up having the best DT rotation in the NFL this season.

Yes, if all four defensive tackles are healthy — a major if — depth should be of no concern at tackle.

It also may be why Dominik hasn’t fallen over himself to get an inside linebacker.

Entering his sixth NFL season, Okoye turns just 25 in June and was a former first round pick of the Texans. Last season, he started one game for the Bears, played in every game for Chicago, and recorded four sacks. Per NationalFootballPost.com, Okoye was second on the Bears in playing time for interior linemen and was on the field for 55 percent of defensive snaps.

What a great signing for the good guys. Joe has to wonder if Dominik found a way to get a positive assessment of Okoye from Rod Marinelli, the iconic former Bucs coach now the Bears defensive coordinator.

Okoye is no Pro Bowler, but the Bucs were desperate for quality depth along the interior D-line. Price and McCoy have been hurt more than they’ve been healthy, and Miller and Frank Okam have a lot to prove.

Joe will sleep a little easier tonight, though Joe’s recurring linebacker nightmare is likely to surface.

Yes, Joe knows he’s been harsh on the Bucs linebackers since the grotesque 10-game losing streak, which proved fatal for then-Bucs defensive coordinator/head coach Raheem Morris.

For good reason, the Bucs linebackers were terrible and the worst linebacker unit in the NFL.

But Joe has given middle linebacker Mason Foster a mulligan. The poor guy received no help on either side of him and when defensive tackle Gerald McCoy went down with a season-ending injury, it just got worse for the guy.

Throw in the fact he played out of position, was a rookie, was forced to call assignments and had no offseason to speak of, it was a recipe for disaster from the word “go.”

And it was a disaster.

Foster’s name came up in a Twitter discussion by Andy Benoit of the New York Times. Benoit believes — as do Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan of SiriusXM NFL Radio — that the loss of Ruud was the reason why the Bucs collapsed last year and that Foster being lost in space did not help matters (despite Benoit referring to Ruud as “terrible.”)

@Andy_Benoit: As some have pointed out, Bucs D dropped off after losing Ruud. 1 reason for that: Mason Foster, remarkably, was a worse MLB than Ruud. … Signging a veteran ILB would make sense for Bucs, but that also doesn’t quite fit their M.O. SOMETHING needs to be done at that spot, though

Yes, “something” needs to be done in the worst way. It doesn’t appear the Bucs are going to re-sign Geno Hayes. That leaves a hole in the starting unit right there.

The fact Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik has been unable (thus far) to land an inside linebacker suggests to Joe this will be a target in the draft.

Or, Dominik is waiting for the “second draft,” when teams make cuts after the draft.

Just an incredible slate of live greyhound racing on tap at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg tonight. Wow! And the weather’s going to be perfect! Plus everything is always perfect at Tampa Bay’s best poker room and at the stunning Derby Club buffet. Of course, the Derby Club Lounge and Gallery Club Lounge are more options to enjoy.

Just for being there, FIVE lucky patrons will win $500. Make a great night — into the wee hours — at Derby Lane.

Joe’s really grown weary of the relentless LeGarrette Blount bashing and doubting running rampant among Bucs fans and many in the media.

One thing that really gnaws away at Joe is that it seems everyone is sooooo quick to embrace the notion that Josh Freeman will bounce back to top form in 2012. But somehow, the concept that LeGarrette Blount will boune back to his stunning 2011 form, let alone improve with his first legitimate offseason and a new running backs coach, is somehow inconceivable to so many Bucs fans and pundits.

Why?

Now Joe likes Freeman and believes he’ll bounce back on some level this season. Don’t misunderstand Joe. However, we’ve often heard of Freeman’s great work ethic and how the Bucs needed to put more talent around him. Even rockstar general manager Mark Dominik has offered up those two comments. But it’s funny how nobody mentions how adding a true No. 1 receiver, the best guard in football and better coaches, might bring Blount back to 2010 form.

NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas’ live chat on ESPN.com is what set Joe off this morning. There’s all kinds of takes on Blount in there, including Yasinskas saying, “I think it’s pretty obvious and will become more obvious going forward what Schiano thinks of Blount. I think there will be significant moves at RB for Tampa Bay.”

Joe’s just shaking his head. And Joe’s going to lift a cold beer tonight hoping the Bucs draft Morris Claiborne.

Whenever Joe thinks of Barrett Ruud, Joe thinks of the simple yet poignant breakdown that former Bucs defensive end Steve White told Joe a couple of years ago. “Guys with 100 tackles every year don’t suck.”

Perhaps the Bucs learned a little of that lesson last year.

Regardless, Ruud is no longer unemployed after an injury-plagued season in Tennessee that saw him start and play in nine games, record 57 tackles and mentor rookie MLB Colin McCarthy. The Seahawks snatched Ruud up yesterday.

Not that Joe would have wanted to see Ruud back in a Bucs uniform, but the must stunning aspect to the Bucs offseason has to be lack of action on the linebacker front.

Joe’s wondering if the new Bucs coaching staff thinks they have a somewhat hidden gem in Dakoda Watson.

Former Bucs great and future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp is not doing so well these days.

Per TMZ.com, Sapp has filed for bankruptcy in Florida. In short, Sapp owes a boatload of cash to a lot of people, and his assets won’t cover the costs.

According to the docs, Sapp owes more than $6.7 million to various creditors … including hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support payments and alimony to at least 4 different baby mamas.

Among the debts, Sapp says he owes $853k to the IRS for 2006 and another $89k for 2010. Sapp says he also owes $2,858 in medical bills for “Corrective Speech and Language Therapy.”

Well, the speech therapy can likely be written off as a business expense so long as Sapp keeps his NFL Network gig that pays him just over $500,000 a year.

However, Sapp’s contract with NFL Network runs out this summer. Given the fracas over Sapp incorrectly outing Jeremy Shockey as a whistleblower, which could be against federal statutes, Sapp may not be back with NFL Network.

Some of the assets Sapp listed in the court papers include:

• 240 pairs of Jordan sneakers and sandals
• Large Nude women painting
• Lion skin rug (female – lioness)

Also, Sapp claims he has lost his Super Bowl ring as well as the championship ring he earned with the Hurricanes.

This is just sad all around, especially the kids who are not getting their financial support.