Joe is a summer kind of guy. It cannot get too hot for Joe. In fact, you will never hear Joe whine about the heat. Winter sucks. Summer is the opposite: Fun, water, beach, cold beer, scantily-clad, well-tanned frauleins and a harbinger of the coming football season.

What the heck is there not to like?

The Fourth of July is like Christmas, Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day all rolled into one for Joe. Brats, chicken, copious amounts of alcohol, the beach and fireworks makes Joe feel like a little kid.

Joe hopes all of you enjoy Uncle Sam’s birthday today. Joe knows Curly’s ready to throw down some brews.

Joe has a whole lot of Warren Sapp quotes stashed away that he has yet to use, so the rest of this month, Joe will try to have a Sapp nugget or two as Sapp nears his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

Sapp cherishes the fact he won a ring with the Bucs. Though growing up a Cowboys fan outside of Orlando, he knew just how terrible the Bucs had been after watching the Bucs at their pinnacle, before he and Derrick Brooks and John Lynch turned the chumps into champs.

“It means more to me that we built this from the ground up,” Sapp said about the 2003 Super Bowl champions. “I was at home when the Bucs played that rainstorm game against the Rams. I remember waiting for my brother to get off the bus to tell him, ‘They lost!’ I couldn’t wait.

“You talk about a Florida boy growing up loving this game and understanding what it was for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. My first game [at the old Sombrero], the 24-17 [1979 playoff] game versus the Eagles was my first game ever. Ricky Bell was my guy. That’s why I wanted to put him in the Ring of Honor.”

As just about every Bucs fans knows, Sapp, the second Bucs player to make Canton, watched the first Bucs player to make Canton, Lee Roy Selmon, beat the Eagles that sunny day.

Joe thinks it is cool that Sapp was all too aware of how far the Bucs had fallen not long after that Eagles playoff win, and how far back he helped bring the Bucs.

Farther, in fact, than Selmon did.

When the Bucs played under Raheem Morris, things around One Buc Palace were somewhat easy-going, relaxed for the Bucs.

In some cases, that’s a good thing. For the Bucs, it proved disastrous as the heinous 2011 record demonstrated, including the final weeks of the season where the team clearly packed it in and couldn’t wait to jump on a plane after the belt-whipping administered by the Dixie Chicks to end the campaign.

In comes Greg Schiano, the polar opposite of Morris, to lay down the law, instill the New Schiano Order and hold players accountable for toeing the line.

In retrospect, Schiano said in a podcast on NFL.com, the transition from the party atmosphere under Morris wasn’t that difficult for most players (sans Sgt. Winslow).

“To tell you the truth, at that point, things had gone kind of rough and the season ended poorly for them,” Schiano said of taking over the Bucs. “Guys were looking for a change. Now, I don’t know if they were looking for that big of a change.

“As we got going guys really did a great job of buying in and working extremely hard. We had a tremendous strength coach in Jay Butler and that was the first thing they were exposed to and it was a lot different. I think one of the things that the guys saw over time was the benefits of hard work and structure and all of that stuff. That it does pay off. As they get more and more familiar, they don’t have to keep it so tight either. So it goes both ways.”

So when Schiano said earlier this spring that he was going to back off a bit on the Bucs, he really meant it. He already has his stamp on the Bucs. Players now know what to expect from him, and Schiano knows what to expect from his players.

During OTAs and minicamp, Joe noticed there was less hollering from Schiano and, as the Bucs coach even noted, there was more monitoring of assistants.

Only time will tell if Schiano needs to be more forceful or if pulling back is the right thing.

When Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune, vacationing at home, killing time golfing, gardening and watching his moribund Cubs, heard Bucs coach Greg Schiano give Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman a vote of confidence this week on NFL Network, it came as no surprise to him though it seemed to surprise others.

This was one Bucs topic discussed when Cummings appeared on “The Fabulous Sports Babe Show” Tuesday night on WHFS-FM 98.7.

Fabulous Sports Babe: What about Schiano saying “We have only one quarterback?”

Woody Cummings: They have, like, five on the roster or four on the roster. You know what, I am not surprised by that I think he really – I have to be honest. I think he really misjudged the way that whole situation was going to be taken when he first said, “I just don’t know about Josh, I don’t know if he is our guy,” at the end of the season last year. I think he mischaracterized or misjudged just how that was going to be taken by the media and the fans and ever since, he has been trying to come off that statement. I thought he did it at the combine, he said basically the same thing. “Look, we went back and looked at the tape and think Josh Freeman is our guy.” I know they drafted Mike Glennon because they have to have somebody back there to develop just in case he isn’t the guy and proven to be not.

I am not surprised. It is a variation of a theme. It is the same thing he said at the combine. “We think Josh Freeman is our quarterback and we think he can take us where we want to go” which I assume it is a Super Bowl. He has been saying that, and variations of it, ever since. He said it after the draft. He said it at minicamp. He said it at OTAs. Now he said it again to the NFL Network. So every time he is asked the same question he gives the same answer which, you know what, I applaud him for consistency.

I just hope he is right. I just hope Josh Freeman proves he is the quarterback. I hope Josh Freeman, for his sake and the Bucs sake, goes out and proves to everybody, “Yeah, I was the quarterback all along here.”

It is almost like Schiano has been backtracking ever since he demanded competition at quarterback in his 2012 season-ending press conference. Like he let the back door open and a pesky gecko got through and Schiano’s been chasing the evasive reptile ever since.

Joe has written this time and again: the best chance for the Bucs to make the postseason is if Freeman has a good year, not if Mike Glennon is learning on the job.

Yes, Joe knows the Bucs’ marketing department is hardly engaged in communication with team trainers, doctors and Greg Schiano. But still, Joe can’t help but read between the graphics of the Bucs’ online ad campaign for the home-opener against the Saints.

Rehabilitating Darrelle Revis is the featured player in the latest ads pitching ticket sales for the game. So it seems the entire organization is confident Revis’ blown and repaired knee will be ready for action — even though he hasn’t strapped on pads in nine months.

“That’s what we’re banking on,” Schiano said of Revis’ opening-day return on NFL Network Monday. “If I’m a bettin’ man, he’s going to be ready.”

Joe’s banking on Revis, as well. Though Joe will feel better about Revis’ prospects after he’s seen a little live action.

Letdown cornerback Eric Wright has been keeping an eye on the $1-million-per-game savior of the Bucs defense, Darrelle Revis, and Wright loves the work ethic he’s seeing from No. 24.

Wright shared his thoughts on Revis’ dedication in one of his blog postings.

Of course, the other acquisition for the secondary this offseason was Darrelle Revis, and though he didn’t participate in OTAs on the field with us, he was down there at the facilities with us, putting in the time rehabbing and even extra time, trying to do everything he can to be ready to go when it’s time to go. He’s a true professional, and I don’t think any of us are worried about his recovery process. He has his timeline, and he’s going to be ready when he’s ready.

You can see the focus and the determination in the way he’s attacking his rehab and the way he approaches the game. I think he’s done a heck of a job of staying in the books and trying to make sure that he picks up the defense as much as he can even though he’s not on the field. That’s a hard thing to do, but he’s one of those guys that can do it.

Wright went on to talk about how Revis already is vocal and leading in the film room.

On NFL Network Monday, Greg Schiano repeated his admiration for Revis’ work ethic, saying again that he’s never seen anyone work on rehab like E.J. Biggers’ replacement.

Today, Joe will fantasize about Revis indeed being 100 percent physically for opening day at the Meadowlands. Mentally, it seems, he’s already there.

All the blitzes the Bucs used last year sure didn’t help out Mark Barron and the Bucs’ secondary.

Does Joe really need to remind you how Godawful the Bucs secondary was last year?

You know, the kind that got lit up worse than a Fourth of July roman candle against the Giants? The same lot that came but a mere 14 yard short of setting the NFL record for most yards puked up in an NFL season?

It was enough for Joe to throw an $8 cold beer on the field, and Joe wasn’t even drinking during Bucs games. Joe can only imagine how many glasses saloon owners had to replace last year.

Well, one could argue a reason for the garish amount of yards given up through the air was the amount of blitzes called, largely to no avail. BSPN believes the Bucs were one of the worst blitzing teams in the NFL last season.

Last season, no team blitzed its defensive backs more than the Dolphins, who did it 124 times for 8 sacks. The Bucs and Packers are the only other teams who sent their DBs at least 120 times last season but Green Bay experienced the most success out of the 3 with 14 sacks, tying the Broncos for the league-lead when utilizing the tactic.

Well, one could argue the Bucs got fried badly by all the blitzes. Part of the reason the Bucs blitzed so much could be twofold: Bucs coach Greg Schiano knew his secondary was a sieve and hoped to cover the stench by blitzing, and that the Bucs, once again, were woeful at putting heat on the quarterback and needed to bring in extra bodies to try to disrupt opposing quarterbacks.

If, as Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik believes, the Bucs can get pressure from Da’Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn from the edges, and with a revamped secondary led by Robin and Batman, perhaps the Bucs will dial down all the blitzes this season.

Greg Schiano told a nationwide audience of the lofty goals he has for Adrian Clayborn

Greg Schiano has something in common with former Bucs captain Jeff Faine. And no, it’s not that Schiano likes Saltines and anchovies. 

Both are smitten with Adrian Clayborn. Schiano said on NFL Network yesterday he believes  Clayborn can bounce back from injury with a Pro Bowl season.

“When we got there and evaluated, ‘this guy’s going to be a great player for us,'” Schiano said of studying Clayborn before the 2012 season.

“And we still feel that way. He’s rehabbed, and he’s back, and he’ll be ready. If he can kind of do what Gerald McCoy did, you know Gerald came back and played a full season healthy and was a Pro Bowler. We feel A.C. can do that.”

Also yesterday, Faine, who was pounded mightily on these here pages for his lousy loyalty during the 2011 lockout, told JP Peterson on WDAE-AM 620 that Clayborn is a “man-child” standout who should be improved, even coming off a major injury. 

“Clayborn, even though I was only there for his rookie season, I am extremely, extremely impressed with him. And I believe that he’s just going to become better and better and better,” Faine said. “He’s one of those guys that’s just a man-child playing out there on the edge. He’s a little different. He’s not going to out-athlete from the standpoint of running around you, but he’s going run right over you. And he’s got the speed to get the corner if you bear down on him too hard.”

While Faine’s endorsement doesn’t mean much, it’s crystal clear the Bucs’ braintrust believes Clayborn is a stud-in-waiting. It’s all part of the Bowers-Clayborn, no-Bennett dice roll of 2013. (You can catch the entire Faine interview below.)

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In his countdown to training camp listing of the top 25 players in the NFC South, ESPN blogger Pat Yasinskas continues with the latest Bucs player to make the list, and that would be Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy at No. 15.

What he did in 2012: McCoy had 30 tackles, five sacks and one forced fumble as he made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. He also was a major reason why Tampa Bay had the league’s top-rated run defense.

Why he’s No. 15 in 2013: McCoy showed last season that he can be a dominant defensive tackle when he’s able to stay healthy, something that was a problem in his first two seasons. But, now that McCoy has had a taste of success, I expect his career to keep progressing. With McCoy, Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers, the Bucs have a lot of early draft picks invested in their defensive line. There’s a feeling within the organization that the defensive line is ready to blossom into something special. If that happens, it will be largely because McCoy has taken his game to another level.

In just his third season in the NFL, GMC is the unquestioned leader among the defensive linemen and perhaps the defense as a whole.

Joe will never forget GMC telling him this spring about how he is always available to help a rookie. Joe is paraphrasing here, McCoy said if a rookie is on the Bucs that means the coaches believe he can help the team win so therefor GMC will do whatever it takes to help that player become the best he could be.

That is a leader in Joe’s eyes.

The only thing that will hold GMC back from being dominant is his health. Last year may be just a taste of what is to come.

Joe knows one reason many Bucs fans are less than giddy over Josh Freeman is thus far he is what his college stats purported him to be: inconsistent.

Well, the numbers crunchers at Football Outsiders decided to do something called “DVOA,” which to Joe is akin to some worthless, empty made-up baseball stat like OBG-YN.

(The stat geek have all but hijacked baseball and done their best to chase Joe away from the game  but thankfully, Joe has found a way to ignore them so Joe can enjoy the sport. Joe learned way back in high school one can concoct any statistic to prove whatever point you want to make.)

These Football Outsiders nerds were trying to figure out which quarterback is the best/worst at throwing the long pass, they accidentally found out that Freeman is, well, inconsistent.

Outside of Jackson coming in last year, there hasn’t much turnover in Freeman’s offense. Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, and Kellen Winslow were constants in 2010 and 2011. Winslow declined heavily and Dallas Clark wasn’t the answer — is Freeman’s large drop in Short DVOA since 2010 all because he has no tight end? Williams said that part of the problem in 2012 was that receivers didn’t know when to break their routes off. Is that something that gets fixed?

That’s the kind of straw-grasping that Freeman’s advanced stats leave you to make. When he’s been below average in DVOA, he’s been below average on all downs. When he’s above average in DVOA, he’s above average on all downs. His red-zone DVOA follows a rollercoaster pattern (which is true for most quarterbacks, to be honest). I know we have a few hardcore Bucs fans here. What theories do you have about what has happened to Freeman since 2010?

Based on what I’ve seen and researched of him, I can see why head coach and haircut watch-setter Greg Schiano is peeing down both legs when it comes to Freeman. It’s been four years, and Freeman’s main trait as a quarterback is that nobody knows what to expect him to be in four years.

Joe would suggest there hasn’t been much consistent with Freeman prior to last year, other than disc-spinning Sgt. Winslow, which may explain why Freeman was always forcing balls to Sgt. Winslow.

In his first four years in the NFL, Freeman had three different coordinators and three different quarterback coaches. That’s not exactly consistent in Joe’s eyes.

But Rivers McCown, the author of the piece, does make a point that in the past four years, it’s hard to judge what Freeman will be in the next four years. It is this reason why popular sports radio and television personality Adam Schein proclaimed last mid-season that he trusted Christian Ponder over Freeman. And, voila, with two solid games to close the 2012 season (against two playoff teams), Ponder got the Vikings into the playoffs where Freeman, with the Bucs in position to make a playoff run, disappeared.

Joe really believes Freeman will improve this year. He’s got another year with offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, another year with Vincent Jackson and another year with Doug Martin — consistency with both personnel and coaches for a change. That can only be a good thing.

Will Freeman be a Pro Bowl player? Joe’s not going there yet. But he should be better. Which, in turn, should make the Bucs better.

Union-first Jeff Faine, the former Bucs captain and center who tried to sell fans that NFL players would be driven to eating Saltines and anchovies as a result of the 2011 lockout, still keeps close tabs on the Bucs.

Yesterday, Faine told JP Peterson of WDAE-AM 620 that he was in touch with Josh Freeman this week and remains connected to his buddies on the team.

Peterson hit Faine with all kinds of questions on the New Schiano Order Bucs, and Faine was upbeat about most things Bucs, including Freeman.

But Faine was down on the loss of Michael Bennett.

“I think it was a big mistake letting Michael Bennett get out of there,” Faine said. He’s a guy that I believe that’s very, very, as highly rated as he is within Tampa, leaguewide I think he’s a very, very underrated player.”

Yes, Bennett was damaged goods with a bad shoulder. But recent word out of Seattle (Bennett’s new team) says Bennett played all of last season with the injury and should be as good or better this season.

Regardless, the Bucs made a judgment call letting Bennett’s nine sacks and run-stuffing prowess walk, banking on DaQuan Bowers and rather flimsy DE depth. It’s a call that will be scrutinized all season long.

Josh Freeman is the guy. He’s the man. In fact, Greg Schiano says he only has one quarterback.

Schiano not only made that crystal clear on NFL Network last night. He also said with certainty that Freeman’s going to do “big things” and have a “big year.”

“Who’s your quarterback?” Schiano was asked by Total Access host Andrew Siciliano.

“I only got one, it’s Josh Freeman,” Schiano said.

Of course, Schiano could change his mind and decide he has two quarterbacks if Freeman is inconsistent and the Bucs don’t win more than they lose.  

Schiano went on to say rookie QB Mike Glennon will be a “a tremendous quarterback in his time.” But that time isn’t now.

“[Freeman] had a really good spring. I mean a really good spring,” Schiano said. “I think it’s really coming together. You know being in this system for the second year now and hearing the things over again after being able to study it. I’m really encouraged. … We’re looking forward to big things. Josh’s going to have a big year.”

Hopefully, if given the chance to start at strongside linebacker this season, Dekoda Watson can make many a quarterback eat grass.

Yes, much was made last year of the near-historic NFL worst pass defense of the Bucs, where wide receivers ran free as if they were running cone drills. It was no less than an insult to Bucs fans.

Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik loaded up on secondary help in the offseason, essentially obtaining three new starters. But now the front seven, which played so well against the run last year, may have the most question marks on the team.

The Walter Football people seem very down on the Bucs’ front seven in their 2013 season preview.

It’s clear that the Buccaneers’ secondary will be much better than it was last year. However, it may not make that much of a difference if the defensive line can’t pressure the quarterback. The aforementioned Bennett had nine sacks in 2012, which was a third of the team’s overall total. The defensive end who had the most sacks after that was Daniel Te’o-Nesheim with four, but he’s just a situational rusher. The starters at the position will be Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers, chosen in the first and second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, respectively. Both have injury concerns, unfortunately. Clayborn is coming off a torn ACL, while Bowers always seems to be dealing with some sort of malady. He’s two years removed from a knee injury and he tore his Achilles last season.

Gerald McCoy had the most sacks last year of any returning player (5). A major disruptive force in the interior of the defensive line, McCoy is one of the reasons Tampa Bay was so stout versus the rush in 2012. Having said that, the other reasons were Bennett and Miller, who both moved on, as mentioned earlier. Gary Gibson will be asked to start in Miller’s place, which has disaster written all over it. Perhaps fourth-round rookie Akeem Spence can claim the job.

The defensive line will get overwhelmed at times, which will put even more stress on a pretty pedestrian linebacking corps. The only player in that group who performed well last season was second-round Lavonte David, who was an all-around stud. However, Mason Foster continued to struggle in the middle, where he’s completely out of place. The strongside linebacker last year was Quincy Black, but he was released. Adam Heyward, who was barely on the field in 2012, will take his spot if he can beat out Jonathan Casillas.

Joe somewhat agrees. Few, if any, raged over Dominik letting Bennett and Miller go as Joe did, especially for the price, until Joe learned the duo were damaged goods. In retrospect, it made all the sense in the world.

But strongside linebacker is a huge concern here. The reason Black was released is because he has nerve damage to his shoulder and his football career is likely history. With solid coaching last year, Black actually played pretty well.

When it’s July and the Bucs still are not sure who will start at strongside backer, that’s not a good thing. Then you look at the three candidates, including Dekoda Watson (who Joe likes but is really untested), released Saints veteran Jonathan Casillas and hanger-on Adam Hayward, who couldn’t crack the starting lineup even when the Bucs had the worst linebacker unit in the league. This doesn’t help Joe sleep well at night.

If Bucs defensive assistant Bryan Cox (Joe believes Cox and Bob Bostad are the best Bucs assistants) is again able to get the front seven to play strong football like he did last year, this guy just may be a defensive coordinator assistant somewhere next year.

Greg Schiano is 17+ months into his regime and he’s still teaching Buccaneer Man 101 to his team.

Perhaps the country club ways of the Raheem Morris era remain a pesky stain on the team fabric? Or perhaps Schiano has so many details to impart he hasn’t gotten to everything yet?

Regardless, Schiano is still “changing culture,” so he said on NFL Network last night. Here is the exchange:

Andrew Siciliano: How much of your job was changing culture?

Greg Schiano: A lot of it was changing culture, for sure. I mean anytime there’s change, there’s usually a change for a reason. And when they hire you, you have to do it your way. You have to do it within your personality, your beliefs. And that’s what we did. And, you know, I think what happened over time guys started to understand better what we’re all about. I feel really good right now.

Siciliano: How long did it take?

Schiano: I think it’s still happening. I think we’re well down the path now. But I think it is still happening. Initially, that first couple of months, you know, the guys had to figure out who we were. Then we get into training camp and they really started to understand it. I think they found as they learned more about us, they saw that, you know, it wasn’t all (pauses) it did let up as soon as they understood what we were looking for. This spring was great. Guys were awesome. They performed at a high level and we were ready to work. We let’em have their time by themselves, and that’s working out well.

It’s interesting that Schiano acknowledged that “it did let up,” referring to the tough, if not maniacal, discipline and rules of the New Schiano Order. This spring, many Buccaneers laughed off the suggestion that Schiano would ease up a bit this season in that area.

As for Schiano still “changing culture,” Joe sure hopes that process is over by opening day. He shouldn’t need more time.

The Bucs have invested massive amounts of Team Glazer cash into their veteran, star-studded offensive line, and y0u better believe Greg Schiano wants to see them stay healthy, blow open holes for a bruising ground attack, and give Josh Freeman eons on time in play-action.

That was the plan last season, but injuries killed it.

Tonight on NFL Network, Schiano gave a seven-minute interview and was perhaps most upbeat and dialed in when the subject of the Bucs offensive line came up. Schiano said how much his staff entered 2012 relying on the unit but never saw it materialize after Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks were lost to injury.

This season, the O-line must dominate, Schiano said. “That’s really got to be, it has to be big strength of ours because we have some good skill, but, as you know more than anybody, you need to give them time to operate.”

Schiano went on to rave about former Bears 2011 first-round pick Gabe Carimi, the tackle out of Wisconsin who has been banged up through his first two seasons.

Schiano said he’s seen enough to believe the Bucs might have pulled an offseason steal of a deal.

“You know we only had [Carimi] for a couple of days there at the end of [spring practices] but boy, I’m excited,” Schiano said. “Gabe did some really good things in the three days he practiced with us. Just visiting with him, he’s kinda on the same page. So we’re excited by the addition there.”

Damn, it would be amazing if Carimi proves worthy of his draft status and the rest of the Bucs’ offensive line stays healthy. Doug Martin could have 250 carries by midseason, which likely would mean a lot of Ws for the New Schiano Order.

There are big offensive linemen, and then there’s the human armoire, Bucs guard Carl Nicks, an All-World manbeast with the Saints before rockstar general manager Mark Dominik signed him to a fat deal a year ago.

Joe can only think of Andre The Giant when looking for one who compares to Nicks’ almost inhuman stature.

Nicks was superb for Tampa Bay while battling a heinous toe injury that cut his 2012 season short and sent him under a surgeon’s knife.

Though Nicks had been honored by his peers previously, Nicks did not appear on the recent Top-100 feature on NFL Network, a ranking of players based on fellow players’ votes. However, Nicks showed up this afternoon on a new ProFootballTalk.com Top-100 list voted on by 50+ NFL media types, including two Tampa-area locals, former Buccaneers Anthony Becht and Shaun King, one of three quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to the NFC title game.

Nos. 76 – 100 were released today.

76 Tony Romo, quarterback, Cowboys
77 Doug Martin, running back, Buccaneers
78 Frank Gore, running back, 49ers
79 Carl Nicks, guard, Buccaneers
80 Maurice Jones-Drew, running back, Jaguars
81 Vernon Davis, tight end, 49ers
82 Evan Mathis, guard, Eagles
83 Alfred Morris, running back, Redskins
84 Joe Haden, cornerback, Browns
85 C.J. Spiller, running back, Bills
86 Calais Campbell, defensive end, Cardinals
87 Matthew Stafford, quarterback, Lions
88 Antonio Cromartie, cornerback, Jets
89 Jason Peters, offensive tackle, Eagles
90 Jordan Gross, offensive tackle, Panthers
91 Mike Pouncey, center, Dolphins
92 Mike Wallace, receiver, Dolphins
93 Reggie Wayne, receiver, Colts
94 Ed Reed, safety, Ravens
95 Henry Melton, defensive tackle, Bears
96 Lance Briggs, linebacker, Bears
97 Steve Smith, receiver, Panthers
98 Antoine Winfield, cornerback, Seahawks
99 Max Unger, center, Seahawks
100 Matt Forte, running back, Bears

Joe’s glad Nicks was remembered. He deserves the accolade. And if he comes back to the Bucs healthy (Nicks did not participate in offseason practices), then Joe’s confident the Bucs will run the football more than most fans envision. And why not?

As for the rest of this list, Joe’s getting the feeling that the Bucs might not get a lot of love from the assembled media if Doug Martin is only ranked 77th. We’ll see. The next 25 are released July 8.

One name that Joe found interesting was Antoine Winfield. The former Vikings cornerback was a free agent for a month before signing with Seattle in April. That’s an awfully long time for someone ranked that highly to be NFL homeless. Apparently, the Bucs saw no use for Winfield’s stature and experience, preferring to rely on a rookie and Eric Wright.

A major question mark this season is Greg Schiano’s ability to take the necessary steps to become an NFL winner and a guy who can outcoach Saints hitman head coach Sean Payton and Falcons chief Mike Smith.

Smith’s stunning 56-24 regular-season record represents one of the standout coaching jobs in NFL history. Payton is a stud, as well, with a 62-34 regular-season mark and a Super Bowl ring with New Orleans.

If Schiano can’t outcoach those guys, then what are the Bucs’ chances of Super Bowl glory in the coming years? Slim.

An encouraging thing about Schiano is his obsession with details and not being outworked. Those are traits of a champion, but Schiano needs to prove he can win. Being a winner is the ultimate intangible in any sport, and it’s not like Schiano’s Big East record at Rutgers inspires loads of confidence in his ability to go deep in the NFL postseason dance.

This spring, Dave Wannstedt, the new Bucs special teams coach and part of Schiano’s large assembly of experienced coaches and advisors, said Schiano has been a relentless detail man since Wannstedt hired him to coach Bears defensive backs in 1996.

“[Schiano] was in charge of our third-down package on defense working with the secondary. And when it was time to talk third-down defense, it was the most detail. He did not have a “T” not crossed and an “I” not dotted,” Wannstedt said. “It was his first year coming from Penn State, obviously, first year in the NFL And it didn’t take him long before the players realized, ‘this guy knows what he’s doing. He’s not going to put you in a situation where you’re going to be surprised by anything.’ There was no question that, you know, that he was going to be successful.”

Joe’s optimistic Schiano can reach the level of his successful NFC South comrades, given his commitment to details and a tight ship. But Joe’s most uplifted by the New Schiano Order adapting in the 2012 season finale to shock a stout Falcons team and avoid closing last season with a six-game losing streak.

That was real hope, tangible hope that Schiano can be a champion.

No amount of Scope can rid the bitter taste in Joe’s mouth when he remembers the sadistic Bucs pass defense last year.

Scores of new flatscreens were bought throughout the Tampa Bay area last fall after Bucs fans threw remotes and beer bottles at their TV screens as the Bucs secondary was roasted worse than Georgia peanuts time and time again.

At times, the Bucs would have been better off playing with three folding chairs in a nickel formation. At least a receiver potentially could have tripped over a folding chair.

The hidden culprit in that unholy mess was a virtual non-existent pass rush, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Stroud documents how Bucs coach Greg Schiano plans to build a defensive front that has been void of anyone registering double-digit sacks since Simeon Rice in 2005.

In particular, Stroud points to the major gamble Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik has taken banking on largely untested Da’Quan Bowers to fill the void left by departed sack leader Michael Bennett.

As a rookie, he was limited while the Bucs waited for his knee, injured while at Clemson, to gain strength. Last season it was the Achilles torn in May. If Bowers can stay out of the trainer’s room, he can make an impact with his natural pass rush skills. He has added significant upper-body strength while getting into better shape. The problem is Bowers has never been counted on as an every-down player. He must learn to cope with nagging injuries and be more stout against the run.

“He has not played any consistent amount,” coach Greg Schiano said. “So if he wants to become anything more than just a situational pass rusher, he’s got to grind through it. He’s got to go through the pain of being an every-down player.”

Joe believes Stroud hit a bulls-eye. Look, Bowers is a great guy and has loads of talent. The problem is — and Bowers will admit this — he needs to stay on the field. He has yet to play a full season due to various ailments. It seems even Schiano is pushing Bowers to play through the bumps and bruises (though no one can play through a blown Achilles).

If Bowers cannot play a full season or is unable to record, say, eight sacks, then the dice rolled in letting Bennett walk, even though he is damaged goods, likely will be a gamble lost for 2013.

It’s July and this is the month, with just over three weeks until the Bucs hold their first training camp practice, in which football fans are bombed with projections, predictions and why certain scribes think teams will stink and others will soar.

The numbers crunchers at Rotoworld.com are not exactly pulling a curvy Rachel Watson and leading cheers for the Bucs. The culprit for the Bucs’ demise, so types Patrick Daugherty, is that he believes Josh Freeman is a low-rung, signalcaller in the NFL.

Slow Closer: Josh Freeman

Coach Greg Schiano is holding Freeman’s feet to the fire this offseason, routinely putting him on blast while passing up multiple opportunities to guarantee him the starting job. Perhaps it’s because Freeman fell apart down the stretch in 2012, tossing 10 interceptions to only six touchdowns over Tampa’s final five games. Freeman averaged just 6.23 yards per attempt over his final 209 passes, which would have been the worst in the league if extrapolated over the entire season. That means Freeman must “prove it” in 2013, both to Schiano and fantasy owners.

Well, first off, the only fantasy Joe gives a damn about is the aforementioned buxom Ms. Watson showing up at Joe’s front door, shivering from a Florida summer downpour looking for warmth and comforting.

Let Joe repeat this again: There is no quarterback controversy. Freeman is the Bucs’ starter. Period. If fans want to debate Freeman’s merits or drawbacks, that’s a different animal. The braintrust at One Buc Palace unanimously calls Freeman the starting quarterback on opening day. Period. There is no debating this issue, short of Freeman getting injured.

Now does Freeman need to improve? Darn right he does. As Joe has also written, when the Bucs needed Freeman the most last year down the stretch, when a playoff berth was still in reach, Freeman vanished. That simply cannot happen again if Freeman expects to be franchised or re-signed by the Bucs. His 6-15 career record against winning teams doesn’t cut it in the NFL.

No. 5 has all the toys any NFL quarterback could ask for. Now it’s time to utilize those weapons. With a second season under Mike Sullivan and a second season with Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin, there is no reason not to expect Freeman to improve.

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