Joe might have heard the most spirited defense of Josh Freeman in history this afternoon.

Esteemed Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings joined host Justin Pawlowski of 98.7 FM for a pre-draft discussion and wanted to stifle any Freeman bashers in their tracks, and those yearning to draft Freeman’s eventual replacement in the coming hours.

Cummings balked at the notion that Freeman isn’t a successful quarterback with a huge upside yet to be revealed. While talking about drafting quarterbacks, Pawlowski asked Cummings if he’d rather have Andrew Luck or Freeman.

“I don’t want Andrew Luck. I want Josh Freeman,” Cummings exclaimed.

Cummings cited Luck’s 18 interceptions last season (Freeman had 17) and Luck’s limited experience compared to Freeman’s, saying fans and some in the media proverbially would “hang” Freeman for tossing the number of picks Luck did.

Cummings said the perception of Freeman was hurt by the Bucs defense and by those who are quick to blame Freeman. He noted Tampa Bay’s ninth-ranked offense and Freeman’s midseason stretch of greatness last year.

Joe can’t deliver such spirited support of Freeman. All Joe knows is that Freeman is an inconsistent and talented veteran who is 24-32 as a starter.

Regardless, the table is set with everything Freeman needs to win, including a second year with the same menu — from the same kitchen. For Joe, there’s not much to say. Just win, Freeman.

Sandwiched in between Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey breaking his leg during the 2007 season and Martellus Bennett having a strong year with Big Blue last year, the Giants won a couple of Super Bowls without much of a focus at the tight end position — on the field or financially.

The Bucs offense under Mike Sullivan has a load of similarities to the Giants’, and right now the Bucs have ditched surehanded veteran Dallas Clark in favor of Luke Stocker and Tom Crabtree, unproven guys with 46 catches combined over five total years in the NFL.

So legions of Bucs fans are wondering whether in the hours-away NFL Draft whether the Bucs will invest in a tight end or let Stocker and Crabtree prove themselves.

Joe’s unsure what the Bucs will and should do.

If the Bucs aren’t going to use the tight end much, and plan to run the ball more with a healthy Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph, then why invest in a tight end? In that scenario, why not let Stocker have a defining year in this his third season?

On the other hand, a dangerous tight end would complete the offense. But Josh Freeman certainly already has more toys than most, and the Bucs were the ninth-ranked offense in the NFL last season.

The more Joe thinks about it, the more Joe wouldn’t mind having Clark back.

Former Bucs defensive tackle Booger McFarland dropped in on “The Tim Brando Show” this week to talk to host Tim Brando about how much Darrelle Revis helps the Bucs’ secondary in this CBS Sports Network video. The Revis talk begins at the 2:54 mark.

If pass rushing specialist Tank Carradine slips to the second round as Mike Mayock suggests, should the Bucs take a chance?

Yes, Joe touched on this before, but he further scoured Mike Mayock’s lone and only NFL mock draft which was released last night. By the looks of things, there are some really decent players falling out of the first round.

(Everyone else doing mock drafts can just stop now. When Mayock releases his, mocking has come to a halt.)

They include defensive end Tank Carradine, defensive tackles Kawann Short and Johnathan Hankins, as well as cornerbacks Blidi Wreh-Wilson, B.W. Webb and the Mississippi State boys Johnthan Banks and Darius Sray.

While Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik has stated he has ammunition to trade back up in the first round, but Joe asks, “Why?”

Now Joe has learned the Bucs love how deep the cornerback talent is through three rounds. If, say, Carradine slips to the second round, it may make more sense for Dominik to grab a guy who has a chance to be a beastly pass rusher. We all know Dominik likes to gamble with second-round picks.

The way Joe is looking at it, there may be so many good players at positions the Bucs need in the second round, Dominik could just stay pat.

It’s been about a year since Tampa Bay Times beat writer Stephen Holder proclaimed Greg Schiano’s “autonomy,” which was “granted by the Glazers” (per Holder), and called Schiano one of the most powerful head coaches in the NFL.

Joe wrote back then that Holder’s take appeared to be baloney. Joe has since studied various nuances of Schiano’s relationship with rockstar general manager Mark Dominik, and Joe still believes Holder was off the mark and Dominik is calling the final draft-day shots while working very closely with Schiano.

Here’s Schiano’s recent comment about Dominik to NBC Sports Network:

“He gets a ton of credit [for the Revis signing]. He did a great job. You know, the thing that I love about our relationship is we communicate constantly throughout the day. And it’s been that way since the day I took the job. And I think that’s why it’s workin’. And, you know, I saw his level of patience throughout this thing, you know, sitting there in the office just he and I and him on the phone. You know, I give him a lot of credit of hanging in there and being patient and he did a great job. It takes a whole group of people to have a successful organization and I’m blessed that Mark’s our GM.”

Schiano’s loving comments reminded Joe of the head coach’s words last June, when Schiano said the following without being asked about Dominik during an interview on Mad Dog Radio.

“There’s no doubt there’s really two learning processes. First you need to learn your own personnel and the team you take over, and then as we got into free agency first then the draft, but I think where I’ve been blessed is our general manager Mark Dominik has been great in getting me up to speed. You know he and Dennis Hickey, who is the head of player personnel, have just been, you know, spoon feeding me since the day I took the job with video and write-ups and certainly I’m willing to put the time in. It’s been a really good relationship. We’ve been able to really build a consensus on who are the guys we need to target.

One of the things that’s just paramount to us is guys who love the game of football. That’s what’s going to work with us. I know my personality. I know how we do things. That passion to play the game, when the business side is done and all the financials are decided, the guy just loves to go out and play and practice. That’s critical to us.”

Schiano also has described in other interviews how he took a watch-and-learn approach during last year’s draft and was busy building a coaching staff and a regime during last offseason rather than giving full attention to the draft.

Last week, it was also made clear to Joe and others in the media by a ranking insider at One Buc Palace that it was Dominik driving the bus on the Revis trade.

Look, Joe knows Schiano has his finger on the pulse of everything, and rightfully so, but Joe fully believes the Bucs will enter tonight’s draft with a full Schiano-Dominik consensus on their draft board with Dominik making the final calls and deciding on any trades up or down.

Given what the Bucs accomplished in the first three rounds of last year’s draft — and Schiano’s apparent trust and love of the Bucs’ first three picks of 2011 — Joe can’t imagine much is going to change.

“Here’s the deal, Greg. The draft war room stays at 72 degrees. I can’t play great poker when I’m cold.”

The current draft guru of all draft gurus, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, who actually played safety in the NFL, has laid out his one and only and much-awaited mock draft of 2013.

Joe scanned it furiously last night to see how many cornerbacks Mayock had coming off the board in the first round. The total was four, including Dee Milliner (No. 10, Titans), D.J. Hayden (No. 24, Colts), Xavier Rhodes (No. 29, Patriots), Desmond Trufant (No. 30, Falcons).

Joe was jacked up to see the corners because the Bucs remain desperate for short term and long term help at the position. (On that note, why the hell is Ronde Barber still leaving the Bucs hanging before draft day?)

There’s lots of hope/excitement surrounding the chance rockstar general manager Mark Dominik moving up from the 43rd overall pick (second round) and into tonight’s first round. The benefit is two-fold: you grab a better prospect and get to sign him to a five-year deal, versus four years for second round picks and below.

Joe would be shocked if the Falcons traded with the rival Bucs, but Bill Belicheat is always a possibility. Perhaps the Bucs could return the Patriots’ fourth-round pick (Aqib Talib) and give up the No. 43 overall pick and swap third round picks to move up?

On the flip side, Joe wouldn’t be surprise to see Dominik, in fact, look to move down tomorrow in the second round and possibly score another third-round pick.

So much will come down to how the cornerbacks move off the board. The Bucs are in need, and how they rank the entire cornerbacks class is a military secret.

(This is a repost of a previously published article Joe will use as an annual tradition for the morning of the first day of the NFL draft.)

Joe’s going to go slightly personal here, a rare, albeit tiny window into Joe’s background on this holiest of high football holidays.

Joe got hooked on the draft as a kid from an alien-like voice that floated through the night air from a city Joe finally visited for the first time last fall.

Growing up as a kid, there were two people who turned Joe into the football freak he is today. One was Joe’s high school football coach, a guy who played for a virtual who’s who of football coaches: John Madden, Tom Landry, Gene Stallings and Lou Holtz. It kills Joe how much he has forgotten about football from a man unknown by 99.99999 percent of the populace. Joe remembers covering his first NFL training camp warmly. There, grizzled Stallings was head coach and vividly remembered Joe’s high school coach playing for him. After learning Joe played for one of his proteges, Stallings treated Joe like one of his family members.

The second source fueling Joe’s unwavering football fetish originated from an unlikely location: a Brooklyn apartment.

Joe first heard of Joel Buchsbaum on a blowtorch radio station out of St. Louis, KMOX. There, each Monday night (only prior to Monday Night Football broadcasts), and Sunday nights (during baseball season), Buchsbaum, the original draftnik, would talk to strangers throughout the Midwest, giving listeners knowledge on college football players and the NFL that to this day, Joe finds unmatched — not even by Mike Mayock, not even by Mel Kiper, not even by Pat Kirwan.

People would call the show and ask Buchsbaum about (pick a player), and often before the caller finished his question, Buchsbaum would interrupt and begin rattling off the talents of said player.

Pleasantries were not a forte of Buchsbaum. He was not rude, not even close, but he was very short and impatient with rambling callers.

To this day Joe remembers some guy asking Buchsbaum about (name of the player long ago forgotten), who the caller claimed was a starting cornerback at Utah. Buchsbaum, in his nasally, thick Brooklyn accent, corrected the caller almost immediately. No, the player is not from Utah, Buchsbaum said, but from Utah State. And in fact he was a backup cornerback.

This did not stop Buchsbaum from launching into why the player was not starting and why coaches thought he had some promise.

Mind you this was long before the days of laptops so Buchsbaum couldn’t have Googled the player’s name in five seconds to pull up his information.

It was unreal what this guy knew. And in Joe’s circle of fellow football friends, guys who rarely if ever listened to an AM station, Buchsbaum had their attention. He was like the Rain Man.

Fast forward maybe 15 years and the Sporting News decided to find out who was the best draftnik. They researched Buchsbaum, Mel Kiper and a third guy Joe had not heard of before and still can’t remember. The Sporting News broke down each man’s final mock draft through four rounds for three consecutive years.

Buchsbaum won not only the race but he had more correct picks each year.

Buchsbaum, a recluse, died 11 years ago. In a perverted way Joe was jealous of the guy. All he did was study football, read football, write football, talk football and work his many NFL inside sources, which included at the top of the list, Bill Belicheat, who tried to hire Buchsbaum but was spurned with each offer.

So as Day 1 of the draft is here, and in a few hours or so we find out if the Bucs trade back into the first round, Joe can’t help but remember Buchsbaum and that unforgettable voice.

Here’s a nugget from acclaimed football scribe, and a friend of Buchsbaum, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Did you know Buchsbaum was on ESPN when the network first televised the draft? He looked like such a nerd. I imagine the network executives didn’t like the way he looked or sounded, so they hired Mel “Ki-pa.”

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe decided to dig up Buchsbaum’s breakdown of Tom Brady coming out of Michigan and with the “positives,” Buchsbaum nailed the analysis.

Positives: Good height to see the field. Very poised and composed. Smart and alert. Can read coverages. Good accuracy and touch. Produces in big spots and big games. Has some Brian Griese in him and is a gamer. Generally plays within himself. Team leader.

Negatives: Poor build. Very skinny and narrow. Ended the ’99 season weighing 195 pounds and still looks like a rail at 211. Looks a little frail and lacks great physical stature and strength. Can get pushed down more easily than you’d like. Lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush. Lacks a really strong arm. Can’t drive the ball down the field and does not throw a really tight spiral. System-type player who can get exposed if he must ad-lib and do things on his own.

Summary: Is not what you’re looking for in terms of physical stature, strength, arm strength, and mobility but he has the intangibles and production and showed great Griese-like improvement as a senior. Could make it in the right system but is not for everyone.

Urban legend is that Belicheat, one of the few friends Buchsbaum had, took a flyer on Brady based on Buchsbaum’s recommendation. Belicheat since has acknowledged he would annually go over his draft board with Buchsbaum in the hours leading to the draft.

Joe will raise a bottle of beer tonight for Buchsbaum… after the draft and when Joe is finished banging out story after story.

Here and here and here are some cool stories about Buchsbaum.

Former Bucs QB Jeff Carlson

**This post got lost a bit in the Darrelle Revis hoopla on Sunday morning, so Joe’s tossing it up here again. Enjoy.

Former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson (1990 & 1991) writes The QB Blast column here at JoeBucsFan.com. Joe loves when Carlson fires away. Carlson is often seen as a football color analyst on Bright House Sports Network, and he trains quarterbacks of all ages locally via his company, America’s Best Quarterback. Plus, he’s a really cool dude.

By JEFF CARLSON
JoeBucsFan.com

This year’s draft does not offer an Andrew Luck, RGIII or Russell Wilson, quarterbacks with the ability to come in and start on Day 1. The Buccaneers don’t have that Day 1 need, but developing a QB for the future should be a priority even though Freeman is still very young, a third- or fourth-round pick used on a quarterback with promise is prudent.

Whether Josh Freeman has the best season of his life this year and earns a big multi-year contract or doesn’t, having another up-and-coming player ready to go is in the Bucs’ best interest for multiple reasons.

The Dallas Cowboys just rewarded Tony Romo with an unbelievable contract extension ($108 million, $55M guaranteed, $25M signing bonus). That’s for a guy that has led his team exactly nowhere and was on the verge of losing his second head coach under his leadership of the team.

I wrote before last season that if the Cowboys had another year of futility, it should be Romo’s last season in Dallas. They struggled again yet gave him one of the richest extensions in history, mainly because Jerry Jones did not do his due diligence to develop another young QB like they had in Romo behind Drew Bledsoe under Bill Parcells,. That left Jones without options and now they have mortgaged their future against a good regular season QB who can’t seem to lead them to anything that matters.

I don’t want to see the Bucs make that decision with Freeman because they don’t have the foresight to develop the depth of their roster at the most important position.

Landry is the right fit for the Bucs for a variety of reasons, writes former Bucs QB Jeff Carlson

Of this year’s group, I came away most impressed by Oklahoma’s Landry Jones. He has the best mechanics and pro-style potential and very well could be available to the Bucs when they should invest in the quarterback position.

Better ball protection was his biggest issue, but he owns the best balance in the draft and can learn to throw the ball away a little bit better and work on his pocket movement as well. He has a lot of starting experience and he fits the Bucs’ style better than the rest of this year’s hopeful signal-callers.

Florida State’s EJ Manuel would probably be my next choice based on potential upside. I would probably bore JoeBucsFan readers with analysis of his spotty and inconsistent mechanics and what he should do to improve them, but Manuel is big, mobile and also has an awful lot of experience on his resume.

E.J. Manuel’s mechanics need work

Freeman has 108 million reasons to hope he can take a couple of steps up and lead the Bucs into the playoffs in 2013, –while he keeps Landry Jones on the bench learning the ropes of the NFL game all season long.

The panel of Pro Football Talk on TV, Erik Kuselias, Ross Tucker, Shaun King and the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the great Mike Florio, discuss how Darrelle Revis will work out for the Bucs in this NBC Sports video.

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

The Kregg Lumpkin Experience was among the dark days of Buccaneer football.

Please don’t ask Joe to rehash that. So Joe’s confident the Bucs are not going to dare leave their running back cupboard poorly stocked in 2013, especially when they’ve invested a king’s ransom along their offensive line and they lack a quarterback who can put the team on his back week in and week out.

That would be foolish and short-sighted.

This is why Joe finds all the local and national speculation about LeGarrette Blount getting traded during the NFL draft rather silly.

Blount, with one year left on his contract, has little trade value. Heck, most starting running backs don’t have trade value, and Blount’s a backup. It’s just not a position that carries a load of value in NFL circles because great running backs often can be developed after coming out of the draft’s later rounds and off the street.

Maybe, miraculously, rockstar general manager Mark Dominik could nab a fifth-round pick for Blount. But would that be worth it?

If Doug Martin gets hurt, do Bucs fans really want Brian Leonard and/or captain inactive Michael Smith carrying the load? Or an undrafted rookie or late-round pick? This is supposed to be a playoff-ready team.

Again, Joe knows Greg Schiano wants to pound the rock relentlessly if his Pro Bowl guards Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph come back strong. And anyone paying attention knows Blount could do serious damage if thrust into an opportunity. Why would Schiano want to ditch good insurance on Martin?

Joe will be stunned if the Bucs trade Blount in favor of a lesser backup or a little-known rookie.

Joe has a hunch a number of Bucs fans have been virtually sleepless this week. With Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik landing star cornerback Darrelle Revis and the NFL draft just a few hours away, these are exciting times.

But there is one man out there throwing the proverbial wet blanket on people. That would be prickly Pete Prisco of CBS Sports. The scourge of Twitter, Prisco is adamant Dominik may have made a terrible rush to grab Revis, and went on “Booger and Rich” on WHFS-FM this week to explain why he doesn’t like the deal.

“I don’t. Look, it’s not like I don’t if Revis is the pre-injury Revis, then it is a heck of a deal. That’s the uncertainty. We don’t know. They can talk about they looked at his knee, they studied his knee. Doctors did everything they could to check out his knee. But until you can get on a football field and plant and turn and cut and run, nobody has any idea if he is the same player,” Prisco said.

“Now it is possible he can be the same player? Absolutely it is possible. It is possible he is not the same player? Yes it is. And if he is not the same player, then it is a bad deal. If he is, then it is a good deal. Me? I’m not taking that risk.

“I think Mark Dominik has done a nice job in Tampa, just not this move.”

Now Joe can’t argue with Prisco. He makes valid points and this scared Joe before the trade. Seeing what Dominik (didn’t) give up in return for Revis calmed Joe considerably.

Joe would have to admit a hobbled Revis is likely better than a healthy Myron Lewis. So all would not be lost if Revis were not 100 percent.

“The entire offseason, I’ve been in constant communication with coach on football-related issues, life-related things. Coach and I have a great relationship. Every now and again people would call and say, ‘What’s up with your coach?’ We know how it is and it’s something that I’m not too concerned about. I’m living it and I know how it is.” — Josh Freeman, asked about speculation that he and Greg Schiano have a bad relationship. (Transcription via WTSP-TV).

CBS Sports senior NFL writer Pete Prisco, and others in the media, have said repeatedly that Greg Schiano and Josh Freeman have a strained relationship.

Frankly, Joe doesn’t buy it and Joe finds the whole premise ridiculous.

In addition to yesterday’s Freeman quote above, Joe doesn’t see any need for Freeman and Schiano to be all huggy and tight. It just doesn’t matter, nor is it important. It’s not like Schiano is Chucky or Sean Peyton calling plays and completely up the ass of the offense.

All Freeman and Schiano need is mutual respect. And Joe’s very confident that exists. Listening to Freeman communicate over the years, Joe can say that he’s the ultimate company man. Hell, Schiano (over two offseasons) has yet to bring in any viable competition for Freeman. That’s hardly a head coach that has a problem with his QB.

Now if Freeman keeps throwing away games, and the Bucs play well around him, then Joe could surely see Schiano advising Team Glazer and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik that he wants a new QB so the team can have a shot at a Super Bowl.

Even if that happens, Joe still would doubt that Schiano and Freeman would have a bad relationship in 2013. It’s not like Schiano is going to yank Freeman in favor of Dan Orlovsky or a rookie. If Schiano sours on Freeman, it’ll be because Freeman earned it on the field.

You know you want a steaming, hot plate for only $6.99! Click here or below for your nearest Original Hooters location.

Newly minted Bucs cornerback Darrelle Revis discusses his trade to Tampa Bay from the New York Jets with his sports radio nemesis, “The Pope,” Mike Francesa of WFAN-AM in this YES Network video.

Is Logan Ryan the next Buccaneer Man?

Look, Joe would wager a reasonable amount of cash on the Bucs drafting a cornerback on Friday. They really almost have to.

The Bucs’ cornerback depth is suspect, plus Eric Wright and Darrelle Revis are coming off injuries and Wright, if successful in 2013, will command a massive payday the Bucs would unlikely cough up in 2014.

So what corner might the Bucs draft?

Well, Joe found it interesting that former Rutgers stud cornerback Logan Ryan, projected to be a second- or third-round pick just so happened to train this offseason in Arizona with Revis, so he told NJ.com

“I feel like I’m training with one of the best defensive back coaches in the country in Will Sullivan and this is where Darrelle Revis is rehabbing. I’m learning a lot from him, just being around him every day and picking his brain. So I have that and the guy who trains Darrelle Revis, among many other great defensive backs, working with me.”

Ryan’s known for being extremely physical and a sure tackler, and he seems like the prototype Buccaneer Man, given his Schiano-Rutgers connection and his success in the classroom. Ryan’s primary measurables (5-11, 191, 4.56 40-yard dash), won’t wow anyone to much, but he was healthy and very productive in college. Will Revis endorse him?

Joe also heard an interview recently with weed-friendly, former LSU star cornerback Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu on 98.7 FM. Mathieu, still just 20 years old, also talked about how Revis was in touch with him regularly to offer support and counseling.

It’s telling — in a good way — how Revis is eager to reach out and lead outside his own locker room.

“The Pope,” Mike Francesa of WFAN-AM in New York, gives his windy, rambling take on the Bucs landing Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis in this YES Network video.

This week, general Mark Dominik reminded fans there are now eight young Pro Bowlers on the Bucs roster.

Joe’s really enjoyed the win-now attitude pulsating through the Tampa Bay area since Darrelle Revis drained the green blood from his veins and joined Tampa Bay.

Joe can’t find a Bucs fan talking about the future; it’s all about pounding the Jets on opening day and marching toward a winning season and a playoff berth.

Hell, even rockstar general manager Mark Dominik got into it by reminding Bucs fans this week there are now eight Pro Bowlers on the roster. For those counting, that’s Dashon Goldson, Darrelle Revis, Gerald McCoy, Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, Carl Nicks, Davin Joseph and Donald Penn.

And only one of those guys is 30 years old! (Jackson turned 30 in January.)

Imagine having eight young Pro Bowl veterans on a roster, plus emerging stars like Mike Williams and Lavonte David, and not having a winning ball club. Joe wouldn’t want to be a head coach who has to face ownership after that.

There’s a mountain of pressure on the New Schiano Order to produce. It doesn’t matter that it’s only the second season of Greg Schiano’s regime. Dominik has dropped a load of talent in Schiano’s lap, and hopefully more to come in the draft. Dominik, too, is under a heat lamp. NFL general managers rarely survive three consecutive losing seasons.

This is all good for Bucs fans, who have been yearning for a season to legitimately expect greatness from their team.

News of Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis in Tampa over the weekend for a physical and an eventual trade made waves in the area not seen outside of a tropical storm.

Well, the rumblings are now being felt in other areas of the NFC South. Tuesday, Dixie Chicks star quarterback “Matty Ice,” Matt Ryan, appeared on NFL Network and was asked about Revis on the Bucs.

Let’s just say Revis now has the full attention of Matty Ice.

“He is a great player, he really is,” Ryan said. “He is one of the best if not the best in the NFL. He will make our jobs even tougher. [The Bucs] already have a solid defense. The addition of Darrelle makes them even tougher. It’s a good pickup. Makes our division even tougher.”

As Joe has written previously, the one player that Drew Brees and Cam Newton and Matty Ice are going to learn so much about that they can recite their high school stats in their sleep will be Eric Wright.

If Revis is remotely the player he was before his ACL injury, quarterbacks are not going to throw to his side. Rather, they are going to pick on Wright. If Brees or Newton or Ryan put up 35 passes against the Bucs, Joe is confident you can lay a week’s paycheck that 15 of those passes are going to be thrown at Wright.

As part of his media blitz upon landing in Tampa Bay, new Bucs cornerback Darrelle Revis spent a few minutes with Joe’s good friend, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620. At times while playing in New York, Revis was unfairly labeled as not being a team guy. Duemig asked Revis to clear up this notion.

“A lot of people thought you were a locker room cancer,” Duemig said. “I talked to enough people where I don’t think that at all. Can you address that?”

“There is really nothing to address,” Revis said. “I was one of the leaders on the team on the New York Jets. To me, that is just he-say, they-say, she-say, whoever-say. I never asked to leave the Jets. The Jets got something in return for this, too. It’s a new chapter for everybody, the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Everybody I think is happy in this. I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m happy to be a part of Bucs Nation. I’m happy to be a Buccaneer.”

Revis also talked about the NFC South, his new division.

“I did my research on this division and I played against this division a couple of years ago,” Revis said. “It is tough and one of the best [divisions] as far as passing attack teams. There are so many guys that are all-stars and playmakers on their teams [in the NFC South]. The big part as I looked at is the team Tampa has here. I think Tampa is awesome. They had a good team here before me. I am just a piece of the puzzle. I will try to do everything I can , and my teammates I am sure will to, to help us win games.”

To hear the entire interview, click the arrow below.

CBSSports.com columnist Mike Freeman explains to Tim Brando, host of The Tim Brando Show on CBS Sports Network, how much he respects Darrelle Revis and why the Bucs got a steal last weekend.

Draft junkies drooled over University of Texas receiver and Olympic runner Marquise Goodwin ripping off a 4.27 second 40-yard dash in February at the NFL Scouting Combine. And Goodwin is projected to take his skill set to the NFL in the third round of this week’s draft.

Former Bucs quarterback and current NBC Sports Network NFL analyst Shaun King wants the Bucs to pounce on Goodwin if he’s available in the Round 3, so King said on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday.

“He’s very Tavon Austin–like, but one thing this team has not had is a dynamic special teams presence. So I would like us to come out of this draft with a guy who can return punts, who can return kicks, that is a threat,” King said.

Joe is just not confident the Bucs would use Goodwin enough to justify the pick.

The New Schiano Order soured in a hurry on the 4.3 speed of rookie Michael Smith last year.  Captain of the inactive list, Smith was drafted in the seventh round and was the opening day kickoff return man but never saw the field again.

Goodwin did not return punts at Texas and was strong but not spectacular on kickoffs — 13 kickoff returns for 327 yards and no touchdowns in 2012.

As far as Goodwin’s potential role in the Bucs offense, Joe’s just not envisioning the Bucs getting creative to let a small receiver like Goodwin (5-9) have an impact. Joe would rather see the Bucs invest in a tight end that has the speed to get open up the seam and change a defense.

Despite all the hoopla over at One Buc Palace this week over the trade by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik to land star cornerback Darrelle Revis, the mystery of Ronde Barber continues.

Barber has met at least twice with Bucs officials since the end of the season, and he’s transforming into the Tampa Bay area’s version of Brett Favre. In the latter years of Favre’s career, the star quarterback played cat and mouse with the Packers and Vikings, unable seemingly to decide if he wanted to hang up his cleats or continue to play football.

Appearing with the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on Mad Dog Radio yesterday, heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio, eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune seemed to get the idea that Revis’ acquisition may signal the end of Barber’s career.

The Bucs’ secondary “looks a lot better because they got Revis,” Kaufman told Russo. “You watched him up close and personal. You know that he is a difference maker.  So all of a sudden the secondary doesn’t look so bad. [Dashon] Goldson is a good payer from San Francisco. He’s a big hitter across the middle. [Mark] Barron struggles in coverage but he is a big hitter. Look, they still need a corner.

“We don’t know about Ronde. We don’t know if this is more likely or less likely if Barber comes back for Season 17. The Bucs are a better team. That might intrigue Barber, but Chris, he will have to play a marginal role. He can play nickel and dime. I don’t know if he wants to go out that way. We have to find out about Barber but when you get a Revis, your secondary all of a sudden got better.”

Now Joe asked Bucs coach Greg Schiano if the team had a deadline when they needed to hear from Barber, yay or nay, on his return. Schiano stressed there was no immediate deadline but at some point (as training camp nears) the team may have to move on.

Remember this was before the Bucs got Revis. It’s pretty clear that as of right now, your Bucs starting secondary will be Revis, Barron, Goldson and Eric Wright. The Bucs got Barber to move to safety for a reason last season.

Would Barber want to be a second-stringer for his final NFL season? Joe confesses he is not sure. Revis said yesterday he would look forward to playing with Barber. He may not get the chance.