If the Bucs don’t have the best offensive line next year, Tampa Bay should have the most expensive.

The Bucs didn’t let Carl Nicks out of their grasp once he touched down at Tampa International Airport late last night and got their new left guard.

Nicks, per SiriusXM NFL Radio and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, will sign his contract with the Bucs today, once doctors give the thumbs-up on his physical this morning.

Beware the rubber glove, man.

On one hand Joe is sort of excited because the Bucs, barring injuries, should have zero excuse for not using their running backs. On the other hand, Nicks is a luxury. It wasn’t like the Bucs had a terrible offensive line last year.

The Bucs sorely need linebacker help, specifically in the middle. Now that Jeremy Zuttah will move to center and Jeff Faine’s contract will go bye-bye, could that money be used to lure a Curtis Lofton or a Stephen Tulloch to One Buc Place?

Surely, unless he restructures his contract, Faine has played his last snap for the Bucs.

SiriusXM NFL Radio is reporting Nicks will be the highest paid guard in the NFL in both guaranteed money and average cash per year. BSPN says it’s a five-year, $47.5 million deal. Co-host of The Opening Drive, former NFL defensive back Solomon Wilcots, believes the Bucs have evaluated their team and detertmined they can best help their porous defense by crafting a dominating running game.

Wilcots and Ross Tucker believe the table is now set to draft Trent Richardson.

For those unfamiliar with Nicks’ measurements, he checks in at 6-5, 343 pounds, complete with “sweet feet,” as the NFL Radio analysts have been raving about all month.

When Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik landed a top-flight wide receiver seconds after the gun sounded opening the free agent frenzy, Bucs fans were almost giddy in unison over the first solid wide receiver aquisition since Chucky’s days.

But the signing of Vincent Jackson brought to mind not a celebration for Joey Johnston of the Tampa Tribune, but perhaps the worst moment in Bucs history.

@JJohnstonTrib: For 2nd time, Bucs acquired guy named Vincent Jackson. First time was 1986. 1st overall pick. Went by his nickname – “Bo”

Yup. That would be Bo Jackson. The worst moment in Bucs history was when then miserly owner Hugh Culverhouse (and Bucs fans call Team Glazer “cheap,” ha!) wouldn’t re-sign Doug Williams; the freefall was quick and swift.

Four years later Jackson, a true beast of a running back, stood up Culverhouse, as if Jackson was Tuna Parcells himself.

It took the Bucs a full decade to recover from that debacle.

So please, for Joe’s sake, don’t call Vincent Jackson “Bo.” Please.

It’s inevitable that blubbering media types soon will float the ridiculous notion that Raheem Morris got screwed by the Bucs because they didn’t buy him Grade A free agents last year while Greg Schiano now has his bosses waving fists of cash around like an old man with a fat money clip at a strip joint.  

Yeah, Raheem really took it on the chin. Give Joe a break.

Raheem’s beloved players tuned him out and hung him out to dry. He proved to be a historically lousy defensive coordinator on top of that. The man also was consistently outcoached last season.

Sure, Raheem could have used free agent help. But Raheem didn’t need that to win six or seven games and save his job.

Just like his predecessor, Greg Schiano surely will be shown the door if he can’t compile respectable results after three seasons. This year’s free agent signings are meaningless without the Ws, and those need to come quickly. Yes, Joe falls into the camp that believes Raheem Morris had talent to work with, at least enough to win a few more games last year and not get seal-clubbed repeatedly to end the 2011 season.

Schiano, too, will have plenty of talented players. Now all he has to do is coach.

Joe hasn’t even swallowed his massive cup of java yet this morning and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik is already at it and the sun hasn’t risen yet!

Per Adam Schefter of BSPN, the Bucs got their cornerback, Lions defensive back Eric Wright.

@AdamSchefter: First deal of day is in: CB Eric Wright reached agreement with Tampa Bay, signing deal today.

Joe stands up and offers a standing ovation. The Bucs have a cornerback, which along with linebacker was sorely needed. For those wondering, yes, the Lions tried to re-sign Wright. He wasn’t a castoff.

Now if the Bucs grab Morris Claiborne in the draft, a responsible pick, the Bucs will have a stout secondary.

Sometimes, myths take on a life of their own.

Joe always found it amusing if not bewildering when Bucs fans would claim Team Glazer was cheap.

First, Joe knows cheap. He watched Bill Bidwill work his penny-pinching up close and very personal. Team Glazer is not Bidwill.

Second, Joe has yet to meet or learn of anyone who literally pays a couple of fellows (Chucky and Bruce Almighty, specifically) a lump sum of $20 million total to fish and play golf for a living.

Friends, that is not cheap. Not what Joe calls cheap.

So now, after fans all but stated they would storm One Buc Palace and “riot” for Team Glazer not playing Danny Snyder and run after free agents with an open checkbook, Team Glazer spoke before the local pen and mic club on the day Raheem Morris was jettisoned that money would not be an object when rebuilding the Bucs. These same Bucs fans, along with a couple of radio folks, stood by the same tired line that Team Glazer was cheap and Bucs rock star general manager was nothing more than a bag man for Team Glazer.

Well, Joe asks these same folks, now that Dominik coughed up the most cash for one player Wednesday, and seems to be on the verge of landing Carl Nicks among other players, how do you like Team Glazer and Dominik now that he has deviated from his goal of relying on the draft for building the team like the Packers and Steelers?

Yesterday, media outlets all across the country reported the professional demise of Dan Sileo, the former morning drive host on WDAE-AM 620 for many years.

Sileo, who briefly played for the Buccaneers, was fired from WDAE after referring on Monday to three potential Bucs free agents as “monkeys.”  The players in question are black.

Nobody who listened to Sileo should have been surprised by the comment, which is widely considered a racist insult. Sileo often said stupid things and often danced on a line of ethnic and racial commentary that many considered offensive.

Frankly, as a Bucs fan, Joe’s glad Sileo got canned swiftly. Joe can only imagine how a potential Bucs free agent might have reacted seeing headlines of Sileo’s “monkey” remarks and knowing that Sileo was still employed by the Bucs’ flagship radio station. Joe has to think, for some free agents, that could have been a red flag for coming to Tampa Bay.

Joe never had anything personal against Dan Sileo and off the air he seemed like a likeable fellow. That stated, no one for so many years has tortured local sports fans via a blowtorch’s airwaves like Sileo did in the mornings.

His inaccurate boasts were as legendary as they were pathetic. His obvious boredom talking about local teams as opposed to teams he grew up with in the northeast was more than irritating. His disdain for listeners was appalling. Whether it was his lies about his resume, both on and off the field, his penchant for not watching games, or brazenly manufacturing complete and utter fiction, most notably two years ago concerning Team Glazer – a significant business partner with Sileo’s ex-employer Clear Channel Radio, no less – Sileo had long, long ago overstayed his welcome.

Joe must confess: Years ago, the vapid morning wasteland on sports radio in the Tampa Bay market chased Joe to SiriusXM. Now hooked on the wide variety and number of options of top tier talent on satellite, Joe knows just from the feedback he gets from readers he is hardly the only one who threw in the towel on local morning drive time sports radio in recent years for SiriusXM.

Clear Channel now has an opportunity, and available talent, to regain that lost audience, whether it be Bobby Fenton or Steve White, or even Joe, to give local sports fans a fresh, welcome voice to wake up to, and tune in to weekday mornings.

Joe trusts that the powers that be at Clear Channel will make the most of this long-awaited window of opportunity. After all, it was the public’s airwaves Sileo abused to a pulp, not Clear Channel’s. Let’s hope Clear Channel regains the public’s trust.

It’s past midnight Tuesday night as Joe is typing this post. And wow, what a wrong day for Joe to upgrade from an obsolete Blackberry to a brand, spanking new Droid Razr Maxx (Joe wanted an iPhone but Verizon offered a much better deal on 4G phones).

When the gun sounded marking the opening of free agency, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik wasn’t wasting time, locking up wide receiver Vincent Jackson.

Now Joe knows from Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, via Saints offensive guard Carl Nicks’ agent, that Nicks landed in Tampa just moments ago. Imagine Dominik and new coach Greg Sciano sitting down to a table full of wings at Hooters to talk football and (hopefully) sign a pact, the same kind of sales pitch Chucky used to land Ken Dilger in what seems like a lifetime ago.

The way players are being signed in the wee hours of the morning, Joe wouldn’t be surprised if Nicks is a Bucs player before the sun rises this morning.

Now is the time to worry about the defense. There are still good linebackers are there for the taking. There are scant corners.

If the Bucs offense struggles next year provided Nicks joins the team, there will be no excuses with so many Benjamins invested in the line and a clear No. 1 wideout to stretch the field.

Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network suggested the Bucs may have to settle for Eric Wright if Mark Dominik plans on beefing up the Bucs cornerback position.

With the prospect of the Bucs starting the season down and/or out their four starters in the secondary from last year — not that last year’s starters reminded people of the Raiders secondary of the early 1980s — on paper what the Bucs could be looking at minus Ronde Barber, Cody Grimm, Aqib Talib and Sean Jones (who is not expected to return), well, Joe has seen chickenwire hold back water better.

Many Bucs fans were hoping Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik would land Cortland Finnegan, but he went to St. Louis.

Then there was the possibility of getting Carlos Rogers, who decided to stay with San Francisco.

Earlier this evening, BSPN reported Dallass, Kansas City and San Francisco were fighting over Brandon Carr. The Bucs were not mentioned.

So, as Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network suggested tonight, the cornerback-poor Bucs are likely left with Detroit’s Eric Wright for a solid starter if Dominik is still going to roll the free agency dice tonight.

Right now the pickings are slim at cornerback. Lombardi likened the rush of certain position players to a run on a position that goes on during the draft.

Joe hopes Dominik is leaving no rocks unturned in coming up with a corner. Soon.

Vincent Jackson can stretch the field with the best of them, and maybe, just maybe, he can get Bucs fans to stretch their entertainment dollars and gobble up Bucs tickets again.

We’re going to find out.

The 29-year-old Jackson — and his 17.5 yards per catch career average and three 1,000-yard seasons — is now a Buccaneer. It’s official.

Yeah, Jackson, has two drunk driving issues in his past, plus two years ago he was cruising around with expired tags and no license. Joe can hardly call these meaningless, but perhaps the Bucs can demand he use a Paradise Worldwide Transportation limo at all times?

So he’s not a model citizen, but he’s no sleazy Jerramy Stevens. Just catch the damn ball and stay healthy.

Joe’s most fired up for this signing because Jackson changes the entire Bucs offense and truly opens it up. Hopefully, first-time offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan knows what the hell he’s doing. The Bucs now have a very strong receiving corps. Put Mike Williams’ first two seasons in the NFL against the backdrop of league history, and they look pretty damn good. The guy is a mad talent who should thrive without defenses rolling coverages his way as a No. 1 receiver — and with an offensive coordinator that understands his strengths.

Joe’s raising an icy cold one for the Vincent Jackson signing.

Update 8:39 p.m.: BSPN authority Adam Schefter is reporting Jackson will get $26 million guaranteed as part of a five-year, $55 million deal.

Joe is wondering how rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and Team Glazer reportedly are ironing out gargantuan contract details with No. 1 wide receiver Vincent Jackson — a guy they haven’t even shook hands with yet at One Buc Palace.

It just seems like an extraordinary leap of faith for a front office that has largely shunned free agency in recent years. Joel Glazer even said a few years ago that relying on free agency can lead a team down a “dark path.” Now the Bucs are considering granting Jackson what’s got to be $30 million of guaranteed money before they really get to know him.

So Joe must consider how the Bucs have been doing their homework/investigation on Jackson over the past few months. And that brings Joe to Marty Schottenheimer interviewing for the Bucs head coaching job.

Did the Bucs really give old man Chokenheimer and the rest of the dead coaches society they interviewed a legitimate shot at the head coaching job? Nobody knows for sure, but it was widely speculated that the Bucs smartly were just bringing these guys in to soak up their vast knowledge of league players and coaches.

Schottenheimer, who Dominik worked with under in Kansas City years ago, drafted Vincent Jackson and was his coach during his first two seasons in San Diego. Surely Schottenheimer could share quite a bit about Jackson and could point the Bucs where they needed to go to find more information.

Joe has to think Schottenheimer helped make the Bucs brass comfortable about Jackson. Yeah, it’s just Joe speculating. But it seems a lot more plausible than the Bucs waving money at a guy they don’t really know, especially given some of the legal troubles in Jackson’s past.

UPDATE 6:22 p.m: Joe has reached out to a trusted source and there is no timetable available on Nicks’ visit. Could be tomorrow. Could be later in the week.

It seems the Bucs have won a small, early victory in the Battle of Carl Nicks.

The former Saints All-Pro guard will visit One Buc Palace, per Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times, via Twitter.

@HolderStephen: Confirmed: Carl Nicks has scheduled a visit to Tampa Bay. Bucs definitely in the thick of it.

Now that we know Nicks will arrive at One Buc Palace, Dominik and his henchmen need to do one thing and one thing only: he does not leave without his John Hancock on a contract.

Joe was under the impression, agreeing with many analysts claiming it wouldn’t happen, that the Bucs were done signing offensive linemen.

If the aforementioned is accurate, then there would be no need for Saints offensive guard Carl Nicks.

But word from Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network claims all the above is inaccurate. Per La Canfora’s Twitter account, the Bucs and Eagles are fighting over Nicks to visit their respective facilities first, thereby inking Nicks to a deal.

@JasonLaCanfora: Bucs and Eagles pushing to get Carl Nicks in their building first. Tampa lookin to use some of that big cap space quickly it seems!

If the Bucs do sign Nicks, Joe is certain of one thing:

Jeff Faine will thereby have played his last snap as the Bucs starting center.

Turns out SI.com was wrong. Read last paragraph.

Joe is going to preface this upfront: Joe has not been able to confirm this.

But in a free agent tracker on SI.com, it lists that Dixie Chicks middle linebacker Curtis Lofton has signed with the Bucs.

Again things are flying fast and furious and Joe has to tend to believe this only because it is SI.com (Sports Illustrated) and a publication of such renown would not pump out such pap if it was untrue.

Joe can only hope this is true. It’s a win-win: stealing a starter from a division foe and getting a starting middle linebacker.

UPDATE:  The SI.com tracker was corrected and Lofton is still free; unsigned. Below is the incriminating evidence from before.

Bucs fans are barely able to contain themselves with the thought of Vincent Jackson playing for the Bucs.

It appears that may just happen.

Per San Diego Union-Tribune Chargers beat writer Kevin Acee, the Bucs are about to wed themselves to Jackson.

‏@UTKevinAcee Told it’s not official yet, but certainly seems Tampa & V. Jackson have agreed to get married, which is what he wanted for so long in SD.

Nothing is official, but it sure smells like the Bucs are about to land what appears to be their No. 1 target.

Joe has a feeling he better break out the caffeine. Im May be a long, yet fun, night.

Those listening to Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski on WQYK-AM 1010 — and why wouldn’t you if you are a Bucs fan? — likely have heard how “The Commish” is hearing the Bucs have Cleveland fullback Peyton Hillis in their cross-hairs.

If Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik is of the mind to ink Hillis, this would be a curious choice.

Mind you the Bucs have LeGarrette Blount. The Browns’ stud, who seems perpetually perturbed about something when he’s not pondering life in the CIA, might not be an easy fit.

First, it’s likely Hillis will want if not demand the rock and the most playing time. If anyone on the Bucs roster deserves the rock it’s Blount (Joe is still flabbergasted that clueless former Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson gave Blount the ball a grand total of five times in last year’s season opener — FIVE!).

Now Joe’s not saying Hillis is not talented. He is, clearly. But how would he mesh with the Bucs? It’s pretty clear if Justin’s information is accurate, and he has solid sources from the inside, then the Bucs will plan on going with a running back by committee, something like what the Giants utilize.

So if Hillis does come to the Bucs, the Bucs will certainly have to address a speed back in the draft to balance the bruising type of running Blount and Hillis specialize in.

Signing Hillis would also pretty much mean that the Bucs won’t make the irresponsible mistake of drafting Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

FOXSports.com NFL writer/NFL Radio host Alex Marvez is Twittering that the Bucs will make a “strong push” for Falcons middle linebacker Curtis Lofton.

Here’s the Tweet:

Bucs fans have been caught up in free agent receivers, cornerbacks and more, but it would be wise to remember that Greg Schiano played linebacker in college and surely knows the value of a physical run stuffer in the center of a defense.

And if he forgot how valuable that is, then he surely remembered once he started watching film of the Bucs during the Raheem Morris era.

Lofton also is known as a strong locker room guy, something the young Bucs need to add. As Joe brought you last week, NFL personnel guru and former Jets linebackers coach Pat Kirwan rates Lofton as the 11th best free agent on the market.

So what did Josh Freeman tell Rich Gannon recently?

Speaking moments ago on Movin’ The Chains on SiriusXM NFL Radio, co-host Gannon said he “spent time with Freeman over the weekend,” and “I think [Freeman] realizes [the Bucs]  need help at wide receiver.

Gannon went on to say he believes Arrelious Benn is never going to be a top player.

“That’s an area they have to addresss. They’ve got to surround Josh Freeman with more talent at receiver, as well as running back,” Gannon said.

Gannon and co-host Adam Schein also made a reference to San Diego free agent running back Mike Tolbert appearing on their show yesterday and quickly mentioning Tampa Bay during a discussion of his free agency.

Interesting.

One of the most unique players in the NFL, 2012 Pro Bowl fullback Michael Robinson for the Seahawks, is one guy on Joe’s watch list when the free agency bell rings this afternoon.

Robinson is the former starting quarterback at Penn State when he led them to the Big Ten title in 2005. Then the guy came into the NFL and was placed at running back, before transforming himself into a stud fullback and a top special teams player.

With his ability to be a third quarterback, the Bucs landing this guy would almost be like adding a cross between Earnest Graham and Micheal Spurlock.

Speaking on The Opening Drive on SiriusXM NFL Radio this morning, the well spoken Robinson said he can handle third-down back assignments and there are “two or three heavy hitters” after him in free agency, referring to teams that will make a quick play for his services.

Given Greg Schiano’s connections to Penn State and he and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik’s focus on special teams, Joe would not be surprised if Robinson is wearing red and pewter.

Joe’s friends at WTSP-TV, Ch. 10 were out at the PGA Tournament opening festivities in Palm Harbor yesterday and caught up to Josh Freeman and Cody Grimm, who were playing in the Pro-Am tournament. Freeman looks like he’s dropped significant weight. Check out the video.

Free agency begins this afternoon and fantasy football types are so giddy they’ve nearly had to take off work.

(This may be the worst week for work production in the Tampa Bay area. First, there is free agency and workers will be refreshing constantly. Then there is the NCAA tournament. Also, the weather is perfect for spring training baseball. Forget about productivity this week.)

In recent years, the Bucs have been largely allergic to free agents, channeling Ted Thompson of the Packers who hasn’t signed a free agent in over three years. Sadly for Bucs rock star general manager, this method hasn’t matched Thompson’s results.

Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune is convinced the Bucs have changed their ways, or so they say. But if one is to read between the lines of Dominik’s words, it doesn’t mean Dominik is going to go all Danny Snyder with Team Glazer’s checkbook today.

With more than $42.7 million in available salary cap space, a roster full of holes and a fan base anxious to see the team’s owners renew their commitment to winning after hiring coach Greg Schiano, the Bucs have reason this free-agency season to be one of the market’s bigger players.

Whether they will depends largely on opportunity.

General manager Mark Dominik has vowed to be a more aggressive shopper this year than last year, when the Bucs’ biggest addition was punter Michael Koenen. He also said he won’t spend just to spend and will only take on players that address a need or fit into the Bucs’ scheme.

Joe is convinced Dominik will sign lesser players after the initial feeding frenzy is over, likely next week. Second-level guys that can start and produce. Even a guy with a white cane can see the Bucs need bodies.

Whether Dominik lands a home run signing today, time will tell.

There’s all kinds of stuff burning up Joe’s phone and email and Twitter account as the bell prepares to ring on free agency tomorrow afternoon. If Joe traded in rumors, he could have written a dozen posts this afternoon alone.

But one thing to take note of is a recent Twittering from Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski, of WQYK-AM 1010, who says he’s got a trusted source telling him Carl Nicks and Cortland Finnegan are front and center on the Bucs’ radar. Pawlowski elaborated a bit on his website, CommishOnline.com.

Now Joe’s a pal of The Commish, who worked on the Buccaneers Radio Network last season. Hell, Joe even shared an icy beverage with The Commish last week. So Joe feels comfortable sharing this, since The Commish does not throw around BS to see what sticks.

Joe’s all in favor of bringing on Nicks. You want to run the ball and be physical? That’s your guy, a gargantuan young All-Pro left guard. Those types almost never hit the free agent market.

And obviously, with no word on Ronde Barber, and Aqib Talib being, well, Aqib Talib, the Bucs are practically forced to buy a cornerback.

Day 1 will be interesting. Joe’s enjoying the drama.