Joe Benigno, Bob Raissman and Tim Smith discuss the Darrelle Revis trade from the Jets to the Bucs in this SNY video.

Thinking/hoping the Bucs might not have their hearts and minds all-in with Eric Wright on the cornerback island opposite Darrelle Revis?

Well, former Bucs great and current coordinator of pro scouting Shelton Quarles says the Bucs are counting on Wright heavily. Joe believes Quarles’ words are the most candid admission to date that the New Schiano Order not only wants Wright around but believes plans to rely on him.

Speaking on WDAE-AM 620 this morning, the usually close-to-the-vest Quarles said Revis’ arrival puts Wright in the spotlight.

“It means the other guys will have many opportunities to get some picks. So we’re hoping that [Eric] Wright performs really well for us this year. We know he will. He has the talent, and we get some more interceptions,” Quarles said.

Joe gets the chills at the thought of the Bucs relying on Wright. Joe will feel a lot better if Ronde Barber returns and the Bucs draft a cornerback in the second round.

You can catch the entire interview below. Quarles also dives into how impressed he is by Revis off the field.

Father Dungy is cautiously optimistic about the Bucs acquiring Darrelle Revis

Two years ago, legions of Bucs fans were on their knees praying that Team Glazer would give bags of cash to former Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. You remember him, the guy widely considered the best cornerback in football.

But don’t worry, says iconic Father Dungy, Revis is no Nnamdi, and he shouldn’t be a bust in Tampa unless his recovering knee doesn’t recover.

It’s all about Revis’ style matching what the Bucs want to do, Dungy said, and “to get their money’s worth,” the Bucs would be wise to play to Revis’ strength in press coverage.

“You saw that with Nnamdi, he went from a man-to-man bump and run in Oakland and everybody said, ‘Oh, Philadelphia’s got the best corner out there.’ And they put him in a different style that he wasn’t used to and it didn’t work,” Dungy said on 98.7 FM yesterday.

Dungy went on to say he believes the primary reason for the Revis deal was for the Bucs to match up in their division while still playing their “high-pressure” defensive style. Dungy said the Bucs want to play “nine against nine” and put their best corners on islands against Nos. 1 and 2 receivers “and feel like they can take them away.”

Dungy also cautioned that there’s still no guarantee with Revis and fans shouldn’t be surprised if Revis has an adjustment period adapting to the Buccaneer Way versus what he was used to — and successful with — in New York.

As part of his massive media blitz in the wake of landing star cornerback Darrelle Revis, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik spoke with the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the great Mike Florio, in this NBC video.

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

Click the chicken wing below for your nearest Original Hooters location. It’s a great place to spot Joe hard at work on a Tuesday evening.

The Bucs scored Darrelle Revis for one main reason. That was available Team Glazer cash, says former Jets personnel executive and linebackers coach Pat Kirwan.

It’s a reason rockstar general manager Mark Dominik won’t talk about directly, Kirwan explained yesterday on his radio show heard on Sirius XM NFL Radio.

“They have the salary cap space to do these kinds of things. And I said it all spring, ‘money is power.’ You walked into this with $32.8 million of [salary cap] space,” Kirwan said. “They gotta spend some money anyway. Most teams couldn’t do this. Now Mark [Dominik] wouldn’t say those things.”

Kirwan went on to say “logic drove the Bucs to this decision” because the best two cornerbacks in the draft wouldn’t have been there for Tampa Bay at No. 13 overall. (Joe knows many believe there are only two corners worthy of first-round grades come Thursday night.)

Joe must call Kirwan out just a bit, though. Two weeks ago, Kirwan explained why Revis would never get paid anywhere close to $1 million a game. Guess money really is power, Pat.

Here are Kirwan’s thoughts on the Bucs and Revis.

Adam Schein

Yesterday, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik was on a massive media blitz talking about landing star cornerback Darrelle Revis. Appearing on all sorts of national and local shows is consistent with Dominik’s rock star status, and one was a spot on “Schein on Sports,” hosted by popular sports radio personality Adam Schein on Mad Dog Radio, heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio.

Dominik talked about how trade talks with Jets general manager John Idzik first began at the NFL owners meetings in Arizona last month and were a rollercoaster ride since.

“Chronologially, [trade talks] accelerated at the end of last week,” Dominik said. “We came to a verbal agreement and then drew up trade papers over the weekend. It is something we have been talking back and forth. Sometimes we would go for weeks without talking.

“I thought it was too important not to stay on top of it. [Revis is] too big of a player and too much of a need for us” to let him slip away.

To hear the rest of the interview, click the link below.

Dominik also said there is no concern that Revis, coming off ACL reconstructive surgery, will be sidelined when the Bucs open the season at the Jets this September.

Look who tossed out the first pitch at last night’s Yankees-Rays game at Tropicana Field. Not the most manly delivery from Darrelle Revis, but a breaking ball over the plate nonetheless. Video via YES Network.

Revis says Vincent Jackson is LeBron James in cleats

The lone resident of Revis Island spoke with the local chapter of the pen and mic club to talk about all sorts of things football yesterday, after appearing at a press conference to introduce Bucs fans to their newest star.

Darrelle Revis knows playing in the NFC South will be tough, but he said practices will be tougher than games.

“You have to understand my background. I came from a high school [Aliquippa] that is used to winning championships in Pennsylvania,” Revis said. “Just some names that played there, Mike Ditka, Tony Dorsett, Ty Law. I am about winning. That is all it is about.

“Any day a receiver is out on Revis Island, it’s not a good day for that receiver. The NFC South, oh, I know. I have played against this [division] in the past. Drew Brees is awesome. Atlanta’s passing attack is awesome. Cam and Steve Smith have a good connection. It is fun, it is going to be fun for our secondary. Not just me, but for our secondary. It’s a team effort.”

Revis truly believes that battling Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams each day in practice will get him more than ready to face Julio Jones or Roddy White or Marques Colston or Smith on Sundays.

“VJ [Jackson] and Mike Williams, they will make me a lot better,” Revis said. “Practice will be the hardest. I think the games will be the easiest for all of us. And for Josh [Freeman] as well. We will try to challenge him too. He has some big weapons with Mike and Vj but it will be fun.

“People who know me, and I think this is why I am here, I get after it. I know VJ don’t mess around either. Practices are going to be fun. VJ is not easy to cover. He is basically LeBron James playing wide receiver. It is going to be fun.”

Joe just loved Revis’ attitude that practice will bring out the best in him. Talk about a leader! It is guys like Revis and Jackson who show the younger guys what it takes to be among the NFL’s best.

Joe’s pretty sure the Bucs will draft a corner later this week. Who better for a rookie to learn from than a passionate, driven stud like Revis?

“Mark, let’s skip the late-round QB and go with a Big East linebacker.”

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik has wanted no part of competition for Josh Freeman since Freeman was drafted.

Last year, Greg Schiano wanted nothing to do with competition for Freeman, either. Backup Dan Orlovsky got no work with the first team. And, well, journeyman Orlovsky was the only backup.

But now it seems the Bucs’ philosophy might be moving in the other direction. Greg Schiano said he wanted competition for Freeman in January, then Schiano backpedaled, then he reiterated, then he backpedaled, then he performed some sort of medley of wanting competition but not needing it specifically at QB, only as a core belief. Joe’s really enjoyed all the competition theater (and dancing) — while the Bucs have done nothing at QB other than effectively squeeze Orlovsky into a pay cut.

Today at One Buc Palace, Dominik was asked about drafting a QB and said the Packers have served themselves well drafting several late-round quarterbacks over the years, so perhaps that’s a wise approach.

Specifically, Dominik said he’d be happy to draft a QB this year “if it’s not forced,” meaning as long as the guy fits the Bucs’ draft-board rankings and predraft plans.

Of course, as Dominik knows well, in the modern NFL, teams reach for quarterbacks all the time, and QBs are overvalued.

The Bucs’ decision on whether to draft a QB comes probably down to whether they want one or not. Joe’s not convinced the New Schiano Order has any interest. There’s just no evidence to support it.

Greg Schiano already was calling for a double-digit sack season for Da’Quan Bowers. Now rockstar general manager Mark Dominik is talking about Darrelle Revis leading to a significant increase in Buccaneers sacks.

Hmm, will the New Schiano Order issue a revised sack prediction for Bowers?

Speaking this afternoon to the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, Dominik explained how Revis will cause elite quarterbacks to “pause” at times because of his presence in the secondary.

And that “pause,” per Dominik, will lead to sacks.

Joe’s having a little fun wondering about the revised Bowers sack total. But Dominik’s comments illustrate that the greatest question marks on the Bucs defense now revolve around the pass rush. The Bucs (for now) have a lot riding on unproven defensive ends with weak depth along the entire D-line.

There were all kinds of happy Bucs feelings flowing from Darrelle Revis today. First, at his introductory news conference, Revis talked about deciding to come to Tampa Bay because of all the great players on the roster and, in his opinion, the Bucs already were a playoff team without him.

Revis later lit up with love when he joined Steve Duemig for a one-on-one on WDAE-AM 620. Duemig asked Revis about the attraction of his former college head coach at the University of Pittsburgh, Dave Wannstedt, who now coaches Bucs special teams.

“It’s awesome,” Revis said. “It’s reuniting with [Wannstedt], coach [Jeff] Hafley as well, Definitely awesome.”

Hafley was Revis’ position coach at Pitt and now is a Bucs assistant defensive backs coach.

Revis also added that he enjoyed playing against Greg Schiano’s teams at Rutgers and there was a mutual respect there. He and Schiano, per Revis, were “just talking about family and the [Tampa Bay] area nothing about football,” when Schiano picked up Revis at a Tampa airport on Sunday.

Revis also revealed that he’s a Florida resident already, living somewhere on the east coast.

Mark Dominik talked about how Darrelle Revis has freed the Bucs in the NFL Draft. Joe’s not buying that completely.

Darrelle Revis will not just impact the Bucs on the field, says rockstar general manager Mark Dominik, Revis has helped the Bucs in the 2013 draft, even though the Bucs coughed up the No. 13 overall pick.

“It doesn’t hold you as hostage to a cornerback,” Dominik said of the Revis signing. “It actually expands our draft board.”

Now Joe considers this quality spin. Of course, the Bucs are still hurting for cornerbacks, especially considering Revis and Eric Wright are coming off season-ending injuries and the Bucs have little behind them.

Dominik says being held hostage in the draft “causes mistakes.” Joe agrees. Of course, the return of Ronde Barber in the next few days would really free the Bucs from pigeonholing the Bucs in the draft.

Dominik went on to say 2013 is a “deep corner draft” with “depth through the middle rounds.”

Defensive tackle also is a deep position per league executives, Dominik said.

Dominik said he’s already shopping the No. 43 overall pick in the second round.

Joe will bring you much more from Dominik’s predraft news conference.

Video of new Bucs cornerback Darrelle Revis shows the former Jets stud seeming very subdued, soft-spoken, almost shy. But that was not the same Revis Joe met when Revis had a sitdown with the local pen and mic club in the Bucs’ media work room this afternoon.

It was as if Joe was watching and listening to antoher man. Revis was engaging, outgoing, funny, and most of all, passionate about winning football games.

“I’m all about winning,” Revis said.

And being physical. Revis noted that the kind of secondary Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik has built this offseason is a stern warning to opposing wide receivers: Cross our paths at your own peril.

“We are going to try to play intimidating,” Revis said. “If you get off my island, [safeties Dashon] Goldson and [Mark] Barron are right there, too, and if you come across the middle, you will get tattooed.”

Now that right there just gets Joe worked up for football in the middle of April.

Joe has a hunch that Dominik isn’t finished adding a cornerback. Something tells Joe the contrast to this season’s secondary and last year’s heinous display of pass defense will be virtually a night-and-day difference.

New Bucs cornerback Darrelle Revis dropped a bombshell a few minutes ago while having a sitdown with Gotham reporters who are at One Buc Palace to cover the Jets’ angle of the trade that brought the best NFL cornerback to Tampa Bay.

(Yes, Revis just had a sitdown with the local scribes and Joe will bring you tidbits from that session, of course.)

Per Tom Crean Bob Glauber of Newsday, Revis last week was told by Jets general manager John Idzik he wasn’t going anywhere, so Crean Glauber Twittered.

@BobGlauber: Just finished sit-down w/ Revis, who essentially said that Jets GM John Idzik told him last week he’d remain with Jets

What does this tell Joe? This is yet another source that reinforces Joe’s information that said this trade was near dead in the water as recently as last Thursday when, per Joe’s information, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik told Idzik that if a trade wasn’t completed by Tuesday (tomorrow), Dominik would walk away from negotiations and turn the page towards drafting a cornerback.

Darrelle Revis faced a gaggle of media at One Buc Palace this afternoon, but he’ll go toe to toe with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, around 3:15 p.m. on WDAE-AM 620.

Those chained to a computer can listen live via the link above.

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik’s pre-draft news conference also will be carried live by WDAE-AM 620, kicking off at 3 p.m.

Joe has written time and time again that, in the early years of the 21st Century with the economic structure of the NFL, sellouts and marginal ticket sales of a few thousand are virtually irrelevant given the river of revenue the NFL receives from TV contracts and countless other sources.

This doesn’t stop Bucs fans from grumbling about ticket sales at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. For reasons that stump Joe continually, the Tampa Bay area sure gets an erection over attendance talk, a subject Joe finds painfully insipid.

A few vocal Bucs fans have pointed to the Bucs grabbing Jets star corner Darrelle Revis as a ploy to sell a few more tickets to Bucs games.

Asked about this today in Revis’ introduction as the newest Bucs player, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik flatly denied this. Dominik was adamant that selling tickets was never factored in when the Bucs were in negotiations with the Jets over Revis, or when the organization decided to pursue Revis.

“Winning sells tickets,” Dominik said.

Generally, that is true. But the American sports landscape has changed in recent years. There is way too much evidence that the growing trend is for fans to watch games on TV, not at a stadium.

Yes, winning sells tickets. But as we are in the second decade of a fresh century, Joe wonders just how much winning really results in rear ends in seats.

Revis met the media today and had a lot to say, but he didn’t want to talk about his health.  Greg Schiano and Mark Dominik also weighed in on all things Revis.

The Bucs’ $16 million man opened up to the local media this afternoon and told Bucs fans that he’s just an fancy accessory to a playoff team.

Revis was asked whether his acquisition would lead the Bucs to the playoffs. And Revis replied, “I think they were a playoff team even before me being a part of Buc Nation.”

It was an answer that backed up Revis’ earlier talking about how an attraction of the New Schiano Order was all the stud players already in place at various positions.

Revis was rather mellow but cocky throughout the news conference, talking about his greatness and saying coming to the Bucs was “a great move on my part.”

Revis made it clear he didn’t want to talk about his health, and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik grabbed the reigns at one point on a medical question. Dominik was quick to say he’s very sure Revis is healthy.

“We flew in our top doctors,” Dominik. “We feel very confident or we wouldn’t have done this.”

Greg Schiano said he’ll be working closely with Revis on developing a plan to best use him — on and off an island. “This isn’t a rookie out of college.” Schiano said.

Schiano also said the decision to bring in Revis was a joint move by he and Dominik. “We both felt strongly that this was the best thing for the football team, otherwise we wouldn’t have [brought the deal] to the Glazer family,” Schiano said.

Dominik said a big part of making the trade was the crapshoot nature of having the No. 13 overall pick in the NFL Draft versus an established All-Pro.

“It’s still a draft. … You win in this league with your starters and your stars,” Dominik said. “This was an opportunity to add an elite player at a position of much need for our team. … This is a known commodity that we strongly believe in, and that’s why we pulled the trigger.”

Warren Sapp says there’s a capital “I” in Revis, and No. 99 doesn’t like that for his beloved Bucs.

Speaking to eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, Sapp says Darrelle Revis isn’t bleeding pewter and red.

“He’s selfish and he’s never been a team player,” Sapp said. “We didn’t win the championship that way. Derrick Brooks and I always cared more about the team than ourselves.”

These are very harsh words from Sapp. Revis seems to have had thorough respect from his Jets teammates and coaches. Yeah, if Sapp is one of those guys that doesn’t believe in contract holdouts and business negotiation tactics, then Revis is sure to be on his crap list after two contract squabbles with the Jets.

And Mr. Sapp, didn’t Derrick Brooks pull a holdout stunt with two years remaining on his contract?

Joe’s not going to judge Revis on his business beefs with the Jets. The guy brings his A-game to the field and to the negotiating table. Joe’s ok with that.

Host Brian Custer, former Jets quarterback Ray Lucas and popular sports radio personality Adam Schein discuss the Bucs’ acquisition of star cornerback Darrelle Revis in this SNY video.

Former Bucs and Eagles guard Ian Beckles told a story today of Jon Gruden, then a boy wonder Eagles offensive coordinator, sitting in a meeting room going wild on a chalkboard to make sure his Philly offense understood they were not to throw the ball in the direction of Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders.

Beckles’ point was that the arrival of Darrelle Revis means teams truly will have to gameplan for the Bucs’ defense again, and the Bucs, for the first time, have a shutdown cornerback that will make various phases of the defense more effective.

Delivering his takes on WDAE-AM 620 this morning, Beckles also chatted with former Bucs quarterback Shaun King on the Revis deal.

King, one of three QBs to lead the Bucs to the NFC Championship game, agreed with Revis’ potential impact, but King said he’s confident Revis won’t get the Deion treatment out of the gate in the NFC South.

King said Revis coming off a knee injury combined with the elite level of quarterback play in the division will lead to the Bucs’ rivals testing Revis and making him prove himself.

Joe agrees with King on that point. Joe would actually be surprised if Drew Brees, in the Bucs’ home opener, didn’t go after Revis early. Hopefully, Revis proves he’s worth $1 million a game, or at least half that much.

So the Bucs filled a major hole in their roster, cornerback, with one of the game’s best, Darrelle Revis.

Bucs fans have been crying for Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, pleading, begging, for him to do something about one of the worst secondaries mankind ever laid eyes on.

So how did Dominik respond? He acquired arguably the best safety in the NFL in Dashon Goldson and followed that up with Revis. Not a bad one-two punch, eh?

So now, Bucs fans will understandably begin redirected their attention to inconsistent Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman. At times, Freeman makes one’s jaw drop with sick, sick throws, threading needles for six points. Other times, Freeman’s play results in facepalms across the Tampa Bay area.

Defensive holes have been filled, with more help to come via the draft. The offense, well, it will be healthy up front and Freeman has plenty of toys to play with, including two Pro Bowl skill position players and a third on the cusp.

The Bucs are on the verge of maybe playing a game or two in January. For the Bucs to take that next step, so too must Freeman.