For the first time Joe can remember, famed NFL insider and all around good guy Chris Mortensen of ESPN took a few moments to talk football and the Bucs with Joe at the NFL Scouting combine.

JoeBucsFan: Last year the Bucs went, in a manner of speaking, from worst to first. A year ago they had the worst rush defense and in the first year of the New Schiano Order had the best rush defense, really only adding one player, Lavonte David. Was the turnaround in the rush defense just a sign that the new coaches had a clue to what they were doing?

Chris Mortensen: Yeah, I mean, it was also another year for a lot of those guys. Obviously David is a pretty good player. Listen, it is guys maturing, guys understanding what the league is all about and coaches developing those players. We’ve always said part of the draft is you evaluate a player, you select a player and then you develop that player. So, they were in the middle of that process. I don’t know if that is on the previous coaching staff or that it really was better coaching this year in terms of technique and schematically. Obviously, in the pass defense, it has to get better.

Joe: To your point about players getting another season under their belt, Gerald McCoy, his third year in the league and finally a full season healthy, showed why Mark Dominik drafted him third overall.

Mortensen: Oh, yeah. Gerald was one of the great revelations this year. OK, now we know what you were talking about so much a couple of years ago here in fact. Here was the guy we saw and projected and if you remember the argument was, ‘who was the best defensive lineman, Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy?’ I think Suh had the most underrated year…

Joe: Oh, really?

Mortensen: … Yeah, Suh actually had an outstanding year, an All-Pro kind of year, but we didn’t recognize that because of all the controversy swirling around him. But we know Gerald McCoy stepped up his game.

Joe: About the pass defense, not so much about the Bucs but about the NFL as a whole. Have offenses really leapfrogged defenses that much of late that there are so many teams so desperate for that shutdown cornerback? Or is it just the fact that kids down in high school would rather be receivers than cornerbacks so the pool of decent cornerbacks in the college ranks is already thin to begin with?

Mortensen: Corners are just wide receivers who couldn’t catch the ball (laughs). No, listen, the spread offenses, you are having to cover three and four receivers now. And now, most tight ends are really just big wide receivers. That’s why this draft, being a safety draft [with guys] who can cover tight ends is pretty good. The other thing is, the fact the corners are at a disadvantage because of the rules and the application of the rules. It is designed for offenses to thrive. The league wants the ball in the air. That is why the Super Bowl ended on a controversial play because they didn’t throw a flag. They are throwing flags in the regular season.

Joe: About Greg Schiano, would you consider his first year a success? Because for the longest time, a college coach going to the NFL was taboo.

Mortensen: To me it me it has always been about, did the guy have some NFL experience? Greg had been in the NFL, sure, limited experience but he had been exposed to the NFL. So I would say that is one thing you look at. When you look at Greg Schiano, did he rub some people the wrong way? Yeah. Does he care? No! And he shouldn’t care. He has to run his program his way. It is a way a lot of guys have been successful with. The Belichick way. The Tom Coughlin way. The Parcells way you might say. He has an idea what he wants and what he demands. I think he proved for the most part he was pretty competitive and you expect the Bucs to get better. So Greg is a smart guy and, listen, it is funny. I mentioned this league is set up for the offense to have so much success but he still understands it is a physical game. The Bucs teams under Greg Schiano will be physical.

It was all over the Twitterverse when popular sports radio personality Adam Schein, co-host of “The Blitz” with former Super Bowl quarterback Rich Gannon on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Twittered and spoke on the air yesterday about how two NFL GM’s told him the best possible landing spot for Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was in Tampa Bay.

Yes, with the salary cap space, the dire need of cornerbacks, and draft picks to pay off a ransom to the Jets in a trade for Revis, on paper, the Bucs seem like the perfect spot for Revis to play next year.

But hold up! Gannon suggested there is a significant roadblock in the Bucs trying to acquire Revis.

The roadblock? Josh Freeman.

“There is talent there,” Gannon said of the Bucs. “But they have to get better at the corners. You look at Darrelle Revis, they have the money to spend in Tampa. I guess if you are Revis, you have to say to yourself, ‘Do I believe in Josh Freeman? Do I really believe with Josh Freeman we can win and we can win big with this type of quarterback?’

“Is he the quarterback he was [in 2010] or is he the player he was last year when he didn’t play his best football and of course the accuracy and the completion percentage and the decision-making and interceptions continued to haunt Josh Freeman.”

It is an interesting thought. Revis, who is entering the final, could refuse to sign a new contract and bolt from his (potential) new team after one season. He has a clause in his contract that he cannot be franchised.

Revis wants to play for a contender. The Jets are far from that right now.

Yes, Josh Freeman nearly led the Bucs to a playoff berth in 2010 when the Bucs were robbed of said playoff berth on a phantom offensive interference call on Sgt. Winslow against the Lions. That took points off the board in a game that went to overtime where the Lions upset the Bucs. The Bucs finished tied with Green Bay but lost the playoff berth in a tiebreaker. The Packers eventually won the Super Bowl.

Since, Freeman, to be polite, has been inconsistent at best

So the chance of the Bucs having Revis long-term may just come down to one question: Does Revis trust Freeman?

Leave it to Adam Schein to get Bucs fans all worked into a lather on Twitter.

The popular sports radio personality, in his final week of co-hosting “The Blitz” with Rich Gannon on SiriusXM NFL Radio, did a bit of homework today and for Bucs fans, it was as if Schein announced Santa Claus was about to park his sleigh, replete with reindeer, atop One Buc Palace.

While discussing the future of Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, Schein threw this juicy nugget out on Twitter in the midst of his show:

@AdamSchein: I asked 2 NFL GMs via text what is the best and most realistic fit for Revis. Both had interesting same answer. Tampa.

While this would be a bold move by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, Joe is of the belief the Bucs could get more by spending less, in other words, forget about Revis, who is coming off an ACL injury.

Dominik potentially could sign Derek Cox and Dashon Goldson and still be able to keep the Bucs’ draft picks.

Pat Kirwan, who co-hosts “Movin the Chains,” along with Tim Ryan, also exclusively heard on SiriusXM NFL Radio, said yesterday Revis was “the most untradeable player” in the NFL given how much ransom it would take to pry him away from the Jets; Revis has but one year left on his massive contract and he cannot be franchised due to a clause in that contract, and no one knows if he can come back 100 percent from his ACL injury.

Unless Revis agreed to a contract prior to a trade, and the draft pick(s) is conditional, there is no way Joe would touch Revis. Trading draft picks for Revis and having him walk away after one year is basically throwing draft picks away.

And, no, Joe is not convinced the Bucs are just one shutdown corner away from making a Super Bowl run. If Revis was the final piece to a puzzle of playing in February, Joe would have a different take on this potential trade.

Just six days from free agency, everyone who bleeds pewter and red is now dialed in to what the Bucs might do to fix the worst stable of cornerbacks in history.

One name off the radar is Chris Gamble, who is expected to be cut by the Panthers because of his $10 million and change salary cap hit for 2013.

Gamble churned out an somewhat impressive nine-year career in Carolina as a starter, before missing most of last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

His strong cover skills are well documented, and he turns 30 this season.

For Joe, this is a guy the Bucs likely could get darn cheap and have him compete for a starting gig and provide depth. If he can regain his health, he could be a steal, plus he knows the division and could provide veteran mentorship in the locker room.

Unlike the Adderall Twins, Aqib Talib and Eric Wright, Gamble appears to have a squeaky clean history.

The emergence today of the win-now Falcons as a team legitimately interested in trading for stud Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, per NFL.com, has Joe wondering whether that will prompt the Buccaneers to ramp up their interest in Revis, if they’re not salivating already.

Just recently, a good source told Joe that rockstar general manager Mark Dominik is always dialed in on the movements of his division competition and eager to thwart them. The source was referring to the likelihood of Dominik going after soon-to-be free agent Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes, but Joe would think the logic would apply equally to Revis and the Falcons.

As Joe’s written before, Revis seems tailor-made for the New Schiano Order defense, played for Greg Schiano confidant/mentor Dave Wannstedt in college, and the Bucs are historically desperate for cornerbacks. But Revis is coming off ACL surgery and wants a new fat contract starting in 2014. Joe has no problem whatsoever trading for him, but the price tag simply can’t be that high.

Know someone who doesn’t Bucs like graybeard cornerback/safety Ronde Barber? Well, if you do, that person may be the only soul who does.

Barber, who Joe believes should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday, is the definition of class. Great football player, good guy, outstanding teammate — he’s got it all.

Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski, “The Commish,” the noted local NFL draft guru who can be heard weekday mornings with co-host Gary Shelton on WHFS-FM 98.7, is as much of a Barber fan as the next Bucs partisan. He worships Barber for who he is and all that he has meant to the Bucs over the course of three decades.

But in a recent podcast on his station’s website, Pawlowski walked the tightrope of what others may perceive as heresy when he suggested Barber, who Justin believes will make an announcement by the end of the week on his immediate future, might actually help the Bucs defense by retiring.

“So many people want to blame the corners. Yes, the corners on this team were atrocious. They were bad. They will be improved this offseason But it is not just corners that lead to a poor secondary, that leads to one of the worst pass defenses in NFL history. There is a safety back there as well,” Pawlowski said.

“You drafted Mark Barron for a reason and the reason you drafted Mark Barron wasn’t to have him play center field for you. That is not his strength. It sounds asinine to me that you would draft a player for his certain ability and then put him in position for him not to use that ability.

“They have to find a center fielder that is good in pass coverage and make plays as a ballhawk.”

Pawlowski’s point is that Barber was playing run-protection, his strength, but that put Barron out on an island where he was both exposed and out of position, which stunted his growth.

Barron struggled in pass coverage during the second half of the season. Joe attributed that to hitting the rookie wall.

It is an interesting theory Pawlowski has and not an indictment on Barber.

Perhaps in mere hours, we could learn Barber’s future — if any — with the Bucs. Though as Joe reported earlier today, Barber has yet to have his annual sit-down with Greg Schiano and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik. Though Joe’s confident reservations have already been made at a pricey Tampa steak joint to discuss football and Barber’s future while breaking bread.

 

Yes, Joe would love — love — for the Bucs to finally win their first postseason game in over a decade come January 2014.

A good offseason could do the trick, of course.

A couple of solid decisions in free agency and the draft, and the Bucs, who were in a playoff chase at the dawn of Thanksgiving (even with the most wretched pass defense Joe has ever laid eyes on), should push themselves into the postseason. Last year’s toe-stubbing with a 6-4 record also happened without a healthy defensive front, which weakened the team’s ability to breathe on a quarterback, plus a battered offensive line.

It would seem the Bucs are on the verge of making the playoffs. But Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times suggests the Bucs are also on the verge of something else, a bloodletting at One Buc Palace.

Jones minces no words claiming Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik’s head could be on a platter if the team’s offseason moves in the next six weeks prove fruitless.

Mark Dominik’s job is at stake

No one needs a good offseason, and thus a good 2013, more than Dominik. If there’s a line forming at the chopping block, Dominik is first. Despite solid draft picks (Freeman, Gerald McCoy, Mike Williams, Mark Barron, Doug Martin and Lavonte David) and shrewd free-agent spending last year (Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks), Dominik is judged by wins and losses and playoff appearances.

Bottom line: the Bucs are 24-40 since Dominik has been GM.

But here’s the thing: I’m not sure who is making the call these days over at One Buc Place, Dominik or Schiano? It’s hard to imagine that Schiano doesn’t have his fingerprints on everything the Bucs do. In fact, he might have a complete grip on the Bucs’ future, determining who stays and who goes.

Joe firmly believes Dominik’s job is not in jeopardy. Generally, general managers are allowed two head coaching hires to turn things around. Greg Schiano is Dominik’s first.

No, Dominik didn’t hire Raheem Morris. How is Joe so sure? Well, in the summer of 2009, Dominik was interviewed on SiriusXM NFL Radio on “Movin’ the Chains,” co-hosted by Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan. Dominik was asked what his impressions were when he learned Chucky and Bruce Almighty were jettisoned on a Friday night. Dominik — Joe is paraphrasing here — gasped audibly and said, oh, I thought I was gone!

So let’s think about this. When Dominik heard his boss, Bruce Almighty, and the Bucs head coach, Chucky, were launched, he thought he was part of the purge, and in roughly 16 hours he goes out and hires a coach? Really?

Look, Joe knows Bryan Glazer stated last year that he and his brother “trust” Dominik because they have had a working relationship for quite a few years.

The Bucs are on the cusp of a postseason berth. Joe firmly believes that. So unless Dominik goes out and hires a bunch of Eric Wright and Myron Lewis clones, and the Bucs get worse or go 4-12 or something like that, Joe just cannot see a purge on the horizon.

The free-agency bell rings in seven days and legions of Bucs fans are waiting to learn the fate of Bucs icon Ronde Barber. Will he return for his 17th season with Tampa Bay and extend his NFL ironman streak?

There is no answer. Joe has learned that the annual sit-down between Barber and the Bucs’ brass has yet to happen but will soon. Barber also has not indicated a desire to retire. Joe’s been monitoring Tiki Barber’s national radio and Tiki has implied Barber is eager to meet. Is that a sign he wants to keep playing?

Joe will have an X’s and O’s take on Barber later this morning, which might shock some fans and could be a key to how the Bucs approach Barber at their meeting.

Joe is starting to run out of analogies to explain the Bucs’ needs for cornerbacks. Really, being just a handful of yards from owning the worst pass defense in NFL history really says it all.

So cornerbacks was a major topic of conversation when Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune dropped a phone call to chat with “The Fabulous Sports Babe,” heard on WHFS-FM 98.7 last night.

Cummings seems convinced Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik is going to take a hard look at former Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson.

“Like everybody, you really got to think that cornerback is really on the top of their list. The real key is if there is anyone in free agency that they want,” Cummings said. “I think the Falcons, in freeing up a lot of their money Friday [cutting three players including Robinson], I think means [the Falcons] are going to throw money at Brent Grimes to try to bring him back.

“Dunta Robinson is a guy I am certain the Bucs will at least look into. I feel pretty strongly that is a guy they could sign if they like what they can see.

“I think anyone you pick up in free agency you are probably going to have to give them a three- or four-year contract. I think they would look at it as a guy who can fill in for the next two or three years and kind of stem the tide a little bit and improve that spot and that allows them to develop a cornerback they may pick up in the middle to late rounds in the draft. That is one objective. That makes some sense.

“Pretty sure if they get one starting cornerback in free agency, they will try to get another starting cornerback in the draft.”

This is sort of what Joe wrote yesterday. It would not be a shock if the Bucs sign two corners and draft one, or just sign one corner as a starter, draft two with one of the two slotted to start right away, and then the second corner would develop into an eventual starter.

If the Bucs are to seriously consider themselves a playoff contender, they simply must overhaul their gaggle of cornerbacks.

Joe’s always eager to embrace the small fish in the Bucs blogosphere, especially when Joe is approached in a dignified manner. So Joe is pleased to pass on that the folks at TheBayCave.com claim Josh Freeman’s new agent says he and the Bucs have not only begun contract talks but “the Bucs have shown us they are willing to get a deal done.”

You can click above to read more from agent Erik Burkhardt, who delivered the quotes.

A couple of weeks ago Freeman changed his representation, which Joe didn’t write about because agent-type stuff bores Joe to tears, unless it involves oily Drew Rosenhaus or good guy Ralph Cindrich.

Does Joe believe the Bucs are willing to extend Freeman’s contract? Sure, just not for near the cash Freeman is seeking.

As Derrick Brooks reminded us earlier, it’s the time of year not to believe anything from agents and teams.

No. 55 weighed in on the Bucs’ offseason moves at defensive line.

Joe wrote weeks ago about the wacky smoke screens flying around the NFL silly season, and those smoky plumes are in full bloom right now.

Bucs icon Derrick Brooks emphasized that point on WDAE-AM 620 recently with host Steve Duemig. No. 55 advises fans not to buy any of the spin their hearing, especially from the Bucs, and to make no assumptions on the Bucs’ defensive line

“At this time of the year, who can you believe? Nobody,” Brooks said. “Everbody don’t want you to be on their trail. If they can leave a line of crumbs, they’re gonna lead you with a line of crumbs going into a dead end. No one wants to be figured out. No one wants to be predictable. And that’s one thing that I can say about the Bucs the past few years, even when it comes to the draft, what’s predictable about them is they don’t want to be predictable. And they don’t want to be put in a corner or boxed. They want to explore all options. I think you put the approach to their free agents in the same box. They very well could have a deal done for Roy [Miller] and don’t want no one else to know about it. And vice versa, if they like a player you may not even know. I would simply say whatever you’re hearing take it for what it is, hearsay. … Saying you like a player in August or October, is very different than saying you like a player in February or the beginning or March.”

Interestingly, Brooks said the Bucs’ defensive line clearly is in need of an upgrade. “It was not good enough. It was not winning football,” Brooks said.

The Bucs’ plan for the D-line will be unveiled when the free agency bell rings, Brooks said, but perhaps simply the comeback of Adrian Clayborn and improved health of DaQuan Bowers is what the organization views as the upgrade, and adding a free agent defensive end not named Michael Bennett.

Brooks speculated that Bennett may be “outpriced” for the left defensive end position on the Bucs roster given the presence of Bowers. “The cold, hard reality of the NFL,” Brooks called it.

Well, “The Stat Society” is at it again. The numbers crunchers at Pro Football Focus fired up their spreadsheets and recently offered a list of “overvalued” and “undervalued” players broken down by team.

One really jumped off the page. The Pro Football Focus gang listed the 10 most “overvalued” quarterbacks in the NFL and Bucs starting quarterback Josh Freeman is among them, types film junkie Khaled Elsayed.

7. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2012 Cap Hit: $8.5m
2012 Performance Based Value: $4.4m
Value Differential: -$4.2m

You see why the Bucs aren’t exactly endorsing Josh Freeman as their long-term option at quarterback. When they needed him to step up and carry the team he just couldn’t get the job done and his performance in the second half of the season was alarming to say the least, throwing 12 picks in the final seven games. With a weapon like Vincent Jackson, he really doesn’t have any excuses for not doing more.

Other quarterbacks on that list include Michael Vick, Philip Rivers, Kevin Kolb, Mark Sanchez and Matt Cassel.

The lukewarm patting on the back of Freeman just after the season by Greg Schiano, and his delayed mea culpa some two months later, surely tells Joe that Freeman’s make or break year is this season.

Yeah, he could return as Joe suspects. But if Freeman has another uneven, unclutch year, the Bucs are not going to break the bank for him.

Joe also suspects Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik will get more toys for Freeman in the coming weeks. With more toys, a second year in Mike Sullivan’s offense, and a healthy front line, it will all be set up for Freeman to shine.

Over the weekend, Joe was somewhat appalled to see this headline from the Tampa Bay Times, “Unlikely Bucs Spending Spree In Free Agency.” Joe’s not buying it.

First, if the Bucs don’t score two starting-caliber cornerbacks in free agency, then rockstar general manager Mark Dominik essentially will be telling the world that he’s planning to draft a cornerback and count on him to start in 2013. Joe sees that as an extremely risky move in this draft, and very risky for any team trying to win the NFC South.

Can the Bucs get a corner at a good value in this draft? Absolutely. But they shouldn’t rely on that corner out of the gate. Joe would be surprised if Greg Schiano wants to trust a rookie before he even sees him in spring practice.

But what if the Bucs do only nab one cornerback in free agency? If that’s the case, then surely that lone cornerback signing is going to be a very highly paid, best-in-class kind of guy. And he will cost a fortune and be signed on opening day of free agency, in eight days. How could the Bucs not pay for the best cornerback available if they’re going to put a rookie on the other side of the field?

Also, the Bucs are working on trying to re-sign Michael Bennett. If he signs, he will be one of the highest paid guys of the free-agency season. If not, the Bucs will have to replace him with a proven pass rusher (motivated, versatile John Abraham would be an intriguing stop-gap), and that guy will cost big money, too.

So out of the gate, that puts the Bucs at scoring at least two big-money free agents. Therefore, Joe has no idea why the Tampa Bay Times wants us all to believe Dominik won’t be throwing around bags of Team Glazer’s cash next week.

Throw in the fact that the Bucs are $30 million or so under the salary cap, plus another $10 million or so under when Eric Wright and Quincy Black are cut, and the fact that teams have to spend a high percentage of their available money, and it’s a no-brainer that the Bucs will be strong spenders in free agency.

As Joe’s written previously, the notion of preparing for future contracts of Josh Freeman and Gerald McCoy, doesn’t add up.

The great mystery surrounding the 2013 Bucs is how Schiano and Dominik evaluated the team since January. If they feel they Bucs are ready to contend with their roster, which now features plenty of veterans, then there’s no reason not to go all-in on free agency. The new culture was established last season. The offense is built to win now. There’s no reason to wait.

Yes, Joe will keep banging the drum that the Bucs need to add cornerbacks until Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik fills the barren Bucs’ cornerback roster with people who can at least pretend they are NFL starters.

So after hard-working FoxSports.com columnist Peter Schrager finished interviewing scores of players at the NFL Combine — Joe always saw him front row, typing quotes from players as they took to a podium for the entire weekend — Schrager gauged who he thinks the Bucs will take at No. 13.

That would be Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Desmond Trufant, cornerback, Washington

Tampa Bay hit the jackpot with its first three draft picks a season ago, nailing home runs with Mark Barron, Doug Martin and Lavonte David. Trufant’s got the right blood lines — one brother plays for the Seahawks, the other plays for the Jets — and the production at the college level to be worthy of a Top 15 pick. A lock-down guy, he was a star at the Senior Bowl and ran an eye-popping 4.31 40 at the Combine. This is higher than a lot of other mock drafts will list him, but I don’t think Trufant escapes the Top 20.

Yes, this is higher than most mockers have Trufant. He may be a reach at No. 13. But Joe loves this pick. He certainly has the bloodlines and the guy has the athletic skills.

It will be hard to trade down in this draft, as few teams will want to waste picks by trading up since it is such a deep draft at so many positions and short of super stud players.

Maybe, just maybe, Dominik repeats what he did last year and trades up from the second round into the late first round to nab Trufant?

The numbers crunchers over at Pro Football Focus are trying to figure out just which Bucs were a bargain last season and which were overpaid for their services.

So it didn’t come really as a shock to Joe when they deemed Michael Bennett the No. 2 most undervalued player on the Tampa Bay roster, so claims Nathan Jahnke.

2. Michael Bennett, Defensive End

If there is one thing that Bennett does well, it is making tackles for losses. In 2012 he had 13, which was second-most among all defensive linemen, behind J.J. Watt, and in 2011 he tied for the most with 10. In 2012 he improved on his pass rushing as well with nine sacks, 14 hits and 48 hurries, making him one of the most well rounded edge defenders in football. This offseason we fully expect him to get paid as such.

2012 Cap Hit: $2.7m
2012 Performance Based Value: $10.6m
Value Differential: +$7.9m

There is no question Bennett was a bargain last year but he’s not a bargain to get franchised. Is Bennett work $1 million a sack? That’s a pretty steep price for a guy that had good, not great numbers, though Joe wouldn’t be shocked to see a defensive-needy team overpay for Bennett once the free agency dinner bell rings March 12, a week from tomorrow.

It’s interesting to note that Pro Football Focus lists both Bucs free agent treasures from last winter, Carl Nicks and Vincent Jackson, as overvalued. In Joe’s eyes, Nicks’ rating is completely unfair since he missed most of the season with an injury.

Not shocking to Joe that Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman also made the overvalued list.

Joe often wakes from a nap or a deep sleep in a cold sweat after a nightmare in which the Bucs’ version of Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson, the Adderall Twins, are still starting at cornerback in 2013.

That’s very unlikely to happen, thankfully, but that means the Bucs are beyond desperate for cornerbacks. The Bucs corners were dismal last year; Joe wouldn’t be bothered one iota if Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik pulled a Bill Walsh and drafted four cornerbacks next month in the draft.

Joe’s going to guess Dominik drafts two corners and signs as least one corner in free agency. Joe’s good friend and draft guru, “The Commish,” Justin Pawlowski, has been putting in the research, calling his contacts and doing the math, and he believes Jaguars cornerback and free agent Derek Cox will be wearing pewter and red this season.

With all of those players mentioned in a very deep free agent corner class this year, I believe, from the rumblings I’ve heard, the Bucs’ top corner target in free agency this year could be Derek Cox of the Jaguars.

Cox, 26, is one of the best cornerbacks that not many people know about. Cox has a nice blend of size (6’1” 195 lbs) and speed (4.39) and is very good in press and man coverage.

The Bucs new defensive backs coach, Tony Oden, spent 2012 with the Jaguars and knows the type of player Cox can be.

Pawlowski, however, points out that Cox was often hurt, a fact Joe dove into a couple of weeks ago. The Bucs need a guy who they can count on.

Given the Bucs’ need for corners, and Oden’s experience with Cox, Joe believes Pawlowski is on to something here. And even if he cannot play a full season, Cox likely be an upgrade over Eric Wright and, to be honest, a lamppost is an upgrade from Aqib Talib.

Bill Polian

During the NFL Combine, Joe had the honor to talk to one of the greatest general managers the NFL has ever known, Bill Polian. For those unaware, Polian built the Buffalo Bills juggernaut that went to four straight Super Bowls, was the original general manager of the Carolina Panthers when they made an NFC Championship in their second year, and led the Indianapolis Colts, who were a perennial playoff team under his lording. Polian now works for ESPN and SiriusXM NFL Radio as an NFL analyst. Polian explained to Joe, among other things, why the calculator crowd will never appreciate Bucs defensive tackle Roy Miller.

JoeBucsFan: Recently, Tim Ryan of SiriusXM NFL Radio told me that the problem with the Bucs’ pass rush wasn’t so much the defensive line, but the abject inability of the cornerbacks to cover anyone. He had said in the Bucs games he studied, quarterbacks often got rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds and that unless a defensive lineman was completely unblocked, they had no chance to get heat on the quarterback because receivers were virtually uncovered from the moment the ball was snapped. Is there any validity to that?

Bill Polian: Sure, it is the old chicken-and-the-egg. The best pass defense is a good pass rush and the injuries that they had, which were significant, the pass rush wasn’t there. Yeah. The whole premise of a 4-3 defense essentially is that those four guys in passing situations can get to the passer. Hurry him, move him off his spot – you don’t have to sack him. You just have to hurry him, move him off his spot and rush the throw. Make the throw not 100 percent on target and you get yourself a win for the defense. If you can’t rush the passer, and by the way the hardest people to find in this game are pass rushers …

Joe: Really, more so than corners?

Polian: … More so than corners — way more so than corners, yes. God only makes so many of them. So, if you don’t have those people because of injuries, which was the case, you are at a very serious disadvantage.

Joe: Now Roy Miller, the Bucs tackle. If you talk to Bucs coaches and front office people, they just rave about him. Fans don’t see it that way. They point to his lack of stats and say, “Oh, he doesn’t have enough stats, he doesn’t have enough tackles.” What is your impression? The Bucs say he is doing exactly what they ask him to do which is keep heat off of Gerald McCoy, who had a fantastic season.

Polian: Yes he did, and you are exactly right. The whole thing works in concert. The whole problem with the rising of the stat society is that people think they can measure everything. But this game is the most coordinated and complicated game in the world. Unless you have the ability to go back to the All-22 and run it back continually and understand what you are looking at — which the vast majority of stat people do not — the stats mean absolutely nothing. The coaches are right. They know what they are asking a player to do. The only question in their minds is, “Is he doing it correctly?” Greg Schiano is among the hardest graders in all of sports, in any sport. He is very demanding, very precise. I am certain that they grade that way and I am also certain that explanation that you gave [about Miller] is correct. It is a coordinated effort among the four rushers. It is a coordinated effort among the four or seven guys up front when they are playing the run. You have to fill the right gaps; you have to read the right keys. You have to do the right things. That doesn’t show up in stats.

Joe: Lavonte David may have been the steal of the draft, when the Bucs traded up from the third round to get him. Peter King says he is the new-age linebacker in that he can do just about anything. He can rush; he can clearly tackle so well, he is sideline-to-sideline. Talk about that; is he sort of revolutionizing football at outside linebacker?

Polian: He is if you play the kind of defense which the Bucs play, which is an attacking defense. If you play a two-gap, static defense the way the Niners play – static is the wrong word. If you play a physical stop-the-offense-on-the-line-of-scrimmage and then run to the ball, then no. [David’s] deal is running to the ball, attacking, movement in space. The Bucs linebackers play similarly to the way we played here, which is flow to the football. Lavonte David is perfect for that. I’m not so sure he could transfer to a power 34 like the Niners play.

Many suits and eggheads in the American education system believe the higher the teacher-to-student radio is, or in other words, the lower the class size, the better it is for the student.

If that is the case, then the Bucs have the best education system in the NFL.

As documented recently by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (damn, Joe is still typing “St. Petersburg Times” by mistake), probably no team in NFL history has had a bigger coaching staff.

Including Schiano, the Bucs have 24 members on their staff for 2013, or nearly one for every two players on the 53-man roster. Roughly half of those assistants have worked for or with Schiano, many at Rutgers. Still others have crossed paths with him during his career.

What Stroud later pointed out jumped off the computer screen for Joe. If offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan gets a head coaching gig (he was in the running with the recently-filled Bears gig) or if the defensive backfield woes continue under Bill Sheridan, Schiano likely has their successors already on staff in John McNulty and Dave Wannstedt.

At the NFL Combine, when Joe asked Schiano whether Wannstedt’s significant experience on the defensive side of the ball were being wasted as just a special teams coordinator, Schiano was emphatic that Wannstedt would have his hands full in his current title.

Perhaps that could change down the road?

To help pass the time on this gloomy, chilly March Sunday afternoon, Joe brings you via WFLA-TV Channel 8, a video of Bucs cheerleaders tryouts. Enjoy!

Could the Bucs use a slot receiver? Darn right. Could the Bucs use a speedy guy to stretch the field in addition to Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson? Sure. Could the Bucs use a solid return guy (if they continue to keep Michael Smith on the bench for no good reason)? Hell, yes!

So when Joe hears Bucs fans pine for Minnesota receiver/problem child Percy Harvin, Joe says, “Hell, no!”

This seems to be the sentiment of Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune as he discusses the probability of Harvin coming to the Bucs in a Bucs TBO Q&A.

Q. I may be biased because I am a huge Florida Gator fan, but if Percy Harvin could be had for a 2nd and 4th round draft pick, why would the Bucs not pull the trigger? Drafting is a hard process that no one can say they have completely mastered. Who is to say that those picks will pan out well, but if you traded the picks for Harvin you know what you are getting. You are getting one of the most explosive players the NFL has ever seen. I would love to see Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams on the outside with Percy tearing up the slot. Its not going to happen because of the Bucs draft and develop policy, but we need to win and get Freeman some threats, NOW.

Andrew Athans

Arnold, MD

A. I can think of a couple of reasons why the Bucs wouldn’t pull the trigger on such a deal. First off, Harvin is threatening to sit out if he doesn’t get a new contract. That’s a problem you don’t want to buy into. Second, he does have a history of injury issues and the Bucs will want to make sure he’s well past those before taking a chance on him. Finally, there may be a better option available once free agency starts. Let’s see what happened with Wes Welker. I think he is someone the Bucs may look to target this year, because he’s bring some sure hands and some valuable veteran experience to the team. I agree that Harvin is a dynamic player, but if you’re going to give up two draft picks, including a second-rounder, for him, you better be sure he’s not only the best player money can buy but the most reliable.

Woody Cummings

In no uncertain terms, Harvin is a headache, real and implied. He’s not dependable, physically or mentally.

Would Joe love to have a guy of his talents on the field? Sure. But the baggage Joe — and Bucs coach Greg Schiano — can do without.

Look, if the Bucs unloaded a constant distraction like cabbie-slugging, pistol-whipping, helmet-wielding, Adderall-popping, granny-hassling Aqib Talib, if Sgt. Winslow wouldn’t toe the line, what makes anyone think Schiano will stomach Harvin and his constant drama?

No, Harvin is not a Buccaneer Man.

There are so many positions the Bucs could pick at No. 13, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik could barely go wrong.

Defensive end, offensive tackle, cornerback, safety, inside linebacker, tight end, outside linebacker, Joe could make an argument for either of those positions in the first round. But drafting a defensive tackle would not be one of them.

That didn’t stop Russ Lande of National Football Post from predicting Dominik will nab Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei with their first pick.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah, Senior: Gerald McCoy is an elite talent on the verge of becoming a star, but with the Buccaneers seemingly ready to let fellow defensive tackle Roy Miller leave as a free agent opposing offenses would be able to focus on him. They decide to gamble that Lotulelei’s heart issue is not going to have a long term effect on his career and grab him to play next to McCoy.

Joe would fall flat on his back if Dominik picked a defensive tackle at No. 13. That’s not a need position. At all.

Yes, Roy Miller is a free agent. But what Miller is asked to do — and he does it well — is to eat up blockers, which enable both Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David to run free.

There are not a lot of 43 defenses that ask a defensive tackle to do what the Bucs ask of Miller. So his services are extremely limited on the free agent market.

If Dominik drafts a tackle at No. 13, that tells Joe Greg Schiano is completely overhauling his defense and Joe frankly doesn’t expect him to do that. Find some cornerbacks, you know, just a couple of average cornerbacks, and you have a solid defense.

There are far more uncertainties at defensive end than at defensive tackle. Will Michael Bennett be back? Can Da’Quan Bowers stay healthy for a year? Can Bowers stay out of a New York cage? Can Adrian Clayborn rebound from an ugly knee injury?

That is why Joe would expect a shivering Rachel Watson to show up at his door tonight in search of warmth and comforting before Dominik drafts a defensive tackle with the thirteenth pick.

Former Bucs defensive end Steve White (1996-2001) looks at the Bucs’ cupboard of cornerbacks and doesn’t see anything enticing.

In fact, White recently told Tom Krasniqi, of WDAE-AM 620, that it’s such a weak stable of corners that he wouldn’t feel comfortable releasing substance-abusing Eric Wright, a player White barely considers good.

“If [Wright’s] a guy that you can keep on your team, maybe reduce his salary or something like that, you keep him. Because like I said, you look on our roster, (laughs) it’s slim pickins, man,” White said. “The next best guy is Biggers. He’s a free agent, too. And then you got [Leonard] Johnson, I guess, who had some ups and downs this year. But you look on our roster, man, we need three good corners to be honest with you. We’ve got maybe one with Eric Wright right now. Even if you go out and get one off of free agency, that still only gives you two. It would be easy if we had other guys who I really felt comfortable on the roster already at corner to say, ‘Yeah, we let Eric Wright go.’ I just don’t feel like we’re in that position right now to have the luxury to let him go.”

White also said he would target Jaguars cornerback Derek Cox when the free-agency bell rings in 10 days, and he doesn’t believe Dee Milliner will be on the draft board when the Bucs’ number is called in April.

Joe would have a real hard time stomaching a Wright return. He’s not good enough, and his drug troubles gave the Bucs an opening to ditch his bloated contract without ramifications. They should take it.

The Bucs can buy a couple of starters in free agency, draft a cornerback, and re-sign Biggers and keep Johnson. There’s also a guy named Barber, who hopefully returns, that’s been known to play a little corner.