When Joe wrote about Mike Williams sniffing a new contract yesterday, Joe figured Williams might score an extension in the three-year, $15-million range. Williams’ paltry rookie contract — fourth-round picks don’t earn much — expires after the 2013 season.

But it seems more cash will be in the sights of Williams and his agent. Contract guru Evan Silva, of ProFootballTalk.com, writes today that Williams should be expensive.

Jackson makes $11 million a year. Williams should target Robert Meachem’s $6.5 million annual average as a baseline in negotiations. He’ll probably aim for $7 million a year or more.

The national chatter about Williams comes on the heels of Woody Cummings’ Tampa Tribune report today that says the Bucs’ and Williams have started negotiating a new deal.

Joe hopes the two sides can hammer out a deal. Williams has earned it. However, Joe wonders whether the Bucs might target a receiver in the NFL Draft, if they can’t get Williams’ signature this offseason. Arrelious Benn and Tiquan Underwood also will hit unrestricted free agency after next season.

Yes, Joe was at Super Bowl Media Day Tuesday. Here’s a handful of photos Joe took. And trust Joe, not only are more photos to come, so are loads of interviews Joe did with many NFL media movers and shakers and former players and coaches, one of which has a Super Bowl ring.

A look at the Superdome and nearby hotels, decked out for the Super Bowl.

A veteran’s memorial stands outside the Superdome.

Sigh.

In case anyone needed to be reminded, it was Media Day.

What it looks like from the other side of the cameras on the NFL Network set.

Niners guard Joe Looney is ready for Sunday.

An E! Network reporter tries to do a dance routine. Ravens players didn’t seem willing to join in.

See, NFL players, succumbing to an interview isn’t that bad.

God bless all the Latin networks.

Katherine Webb, Miss Alabama and significant other of A.J. McCarron, pays rapt attention to the words of Garrett Celek.

The great Artie Lange interviews Bruce Miller.

Someone is having way too much fun in her job.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is back in that mob scene. Somewhere.

Joe’s good friend, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, of WDAE-AM 620, broadcasts live from radio row at the Super Bowl media center.

Sometimes, the non-traditional media questions can make someone scream!

Wherever Katherine Webb went, a crowd followed. And why not?

Allie LaForce, of CBS Sports Network, seems amused by royalty from a Spanish-speaking network.

Joe wasn’t only male in the building drawn to Ines Sainz’s, ahem, feature.

Some reporters have pointed questions for certain players.

The one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo of SiriusXM Radio shares a laugh with Rich Eisen of the NFL Network.

Where is the voice of reason, Phil Mushnick?

The downtown Hyatt, directly across the street from the Super Dome, which had all its windows blown out during Hurricane Katrina.

Pat Kirwan, left, and Tim Ryan, co-hosts of one of the greatest radio shows in the free world, “Movin’ the Chains,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, pay attention to what a guest has to say at radio row.

Okmin, the FOX sideline reporter, shared with Joe her insider interactions with Ronde Barber, Greg Schiano and Josh Freeman.

Joe’s swirling around Super Bowl media day talking to players, coaches, agents and various NFL media types. Joe looks forward to sharing their takes on the Bucs in the coming days and weeks. Below is Joe’s interview with veteran FOX sideline cougar Laura Okmin, who has been working Bucs games for years. She shared interesting behind-the-scenes takes on Greg Schiano, Ronde Barber and Josh Freeman, who Okmin claims was distracted during the Raheem Morris era. 

JoeBucsFan.com. You have a relationship with Ronde Barber? Do you think he’ll return for another season?

Laura Okmin: As much as I think I get sometimes a good sense of Ronde, I would have said when they let Raheem go that Ronde wouldn’t have come back. So In other words, don’t listen to me at all. But I think he’s coming back for another year. It would be one thing if he didn’t add much and he was just being used for leadership and a presence in the locker.  But I think he was used a whole lot more than that this year.  I think the way that he’s playing and always saying he’s enjoying this new role, he always says, about mentoring these kids. I’d surprised if he didn’t come back.

Joe: And he was productive. He almost made a Pro Bowl at a new position at 37 years old.

Okmin: That was what was so cool about watching him, is seeing him in a different position. One of the great things, I asked him about that, ‘what’s the hardest thing?’ I loved what he said. He said, “I get so excited to load the box. Anytime I get up there I just want to get in. That’s the hardest thing for me. I worried I’m going to tip off what we’re doing because I’m so excited to get in there.” So I loved that. At 37 you’re still excited about what you’re doing that you’re scared about tipping off the other team.

Joe: What was your impression of Greg Schiano?

Okmin: I’ll tell you what. I was so pleasantly surprised. Before the first game we did with him, I had never met him. I just knew the reputation, that he was a tough guy, and picturing sort of the Belichick vibe. Tough to know and a little more, you know, a wall up. We did a production meeting with Schiano and we all walked out of that room kind of looking at each other saying, “Wow. What was that? What a great guy?” And all the players talk so much, No. 1 about liking him, but also about everything he says about loving each other like a family and about trusting each other. And that surprised me, too, that it wasn’t just Xs and Os, which we know what a disciplinarian he is and what a tactician he is, but how much he cares about his guys and they really seemed to respond to it for much of the year.

Joe: Do you think Josh Freeman he will ever turn the corner?

Okmin: Yeah, I hope so. I think it’ll be nice to see him with some consistency next year and another offseason with this new season. I was just so impressed with Josh this year in terms of how much he’s changed mentality-wise. He’ll be the first to say he got a little caught up, not being a quarterback, but what you get from being a quarterback. And the weight that he lost and more of the makeover he did on the inside, how serious he’s taking it. So I know how hard he’s going to work this offseason. I know how much he’s going to put into it. I saw a different hunger in him this year and a different frustration with the turnovers and with the losing. I root for that kid on and off the field.

The local TV ratings for the Pro Bowl are telling

Tampa Bay Lightning opening night set a team TV-ratings record earlier this month. Sun Sports went ga-ga over the 2.8 rating (roughly an average of 50,000 households watching throughout out the broadcast.)

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays are among Major League Baseball’s most watched teams — on television. The average Rays game in 2012 pulled a 4.9 rating (about 88,000 households), in the upper third of all MLB teams.

So what about the Pro Bowl? Was Joe only among a handful in town watching on Sunday, the first Pro Bowl Joe’s seen in many years?

No chance.

Joe reached out to the good folks at WFLA-TV, Ch. 8 to request the local Nielsen TV ratings for Sunday night’s Pro Bowl on NBC. The game scored a 5.3 rating in the Tampa Bay market, surprisingly down about 5 percent from 2012, considering this year’s event had three Buccaneers in the game, though it was head-to-head against a Lightning game. Ratings among adults 25-54 were up 10 percent from 2012.

Joe might have to start calling Tampa “TV Town.” We just love watching TV around these parts.

Joe also wanted share the Pro Bowl ratings to shut up the legions of fans who claim the Pro Bowl is worthless and nobody cares. In fact, lots of people care, and the game — with strong ratings locally around the country — is worth a pile of advertising cash to the NFL.

“You are a Buccaneer Man, Demar, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t replaceable.”

Joe thought one of the better units of the Bucs was the offensive line. Let’s think about it: Most teams, losing two All-Pro guards early in the season, losing a starting right tackle to injury (who was later Wally Pipp’ed) and having a starting center move to a new position to fill a hole, would be in deep trouble.

Joe thought offensive line coach Bob Bostad was fantastic. Bostad, in Joe’s eyes, was tied for first with Bryan Cox in production from an assistant coach.

But the numbers crunchers at ProFootballFocus.com aren’t as convinced. They winced at the Bucs’ blocking and ranked the Bucs in the bottom half of NFL squads, so wrote Khaled Elsayed.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stud: He’s not an elite left tackle as some would have you believe, but Donald Penn (+15.0) isn’t the type to let you down often — especially when the cameras are focused on him.

Dud: The Bucs never figured that Jamon Meredith (-9.4) would be required to start. Injury meant that he had to, unfortunately, and he was the weak link in pass protection while offering little in the run game.

Summary: They spent an awful lot of money on guards, yet injuries meant that Davin Joseph missed the entire year and Carl Nicks was limited to 455 snaps. The good news is both should be back next year, while they seem to have realized starting Jeremy Trueblood wasn’t a good idea. Demar Dotson played like a starter.

Joe can’t really quibble with this analysis. Donald Penn, when faced with challenges, is as good as it gets in pass blocking. Jamon Meredith will not be starting next season.

But this analysis also reinforces Gil Brandt’s belief that the Bucs will draft a right tackle in the first round. Demar Dotson was OK in pass blocking but needed a lot of work on rush blocking.

With the Muscle Hamster, Doug Martin, about to tear things up, Joe senses Greg Schiano would prefer a roadgrader at right tackle as opposed to a pass-blocking specialist.

Yes, Joe is in the Big Easy, for his annual trek to cover Super Bowl Media Day, which is today — a long day. Joe will send a photo or two when Media Day is about to start and hopefully post interviews as the day progresses, in addition to his steady feed of everything Bucs.

Joe will have a full photo gallery later in the week.

A few tidbits from Joe’s first day in New Orleans:

*People can be douchebags. The moment Joe walked to baggage claim, he noticed former NFL great and current FOX and SiriusXM personality Eddie George walking toward Joe, as the former Titans great running back had just retrieved his bag(s). Joe was about to pull out his phone and ask George for an interview when some joker, who appeared about 35, almost tackled George asking for an autograph. The stranger apparently wanted George to sign what appeared to Joe to be an NFL pylon. It was shaped like an end zone pylon and was fluorescent orange.

Why anyone would carry a pylon into an airport, Joe isn’t quite sure.

George, smiling and doing his best to be polite, told the gentleman (cough, cough) that he had to catch a ride and couldn’t sign. This did not deter said autograph seeker. The guy just hounded George relentlessly and would not take “no,” for an answer. Said guy even rubbed up against George and kept saying, “C’mon man, c’mon,” and kept coming up with various reasons why George should sign the pylon.

All the while George, with iPod earbuds on, wearing a big smile, kept saying he had to catch a ride. The autograph seeker followed George from baggage claim all the way to George’s hotel shuttle, just hounding him for an autograph, in his face!

Joe didn’t think of it at the time but Joe wondered if this was done on purpose, hoping George would snap, punch the autograph seeker so said person could sue George? Or, maybe it was an ambush set up by TMZ?

Either way, if any of us had a child that acted like that, the youngster would have been spanked. This was an adult!

No wonder athletes hate signing autographs!

*Outside of Vic the Brick, who works Los Angeles radio, Joe did not see another celebrity Monday, though he thought he may have seen a few football players (49ers/Ravens) out on Bourbon Street.

Funny thing is, about 100 feet from the Ravens hotel, sits Harrahs Casino. You don’t think the Ravens have that place crawling with security?

*Coming from the airport, Joes shuttle was cut off by the Ravens’ team buses. They had a massive police escort replete with dozens of motorcycles and several squad cars. Joe thought at first it may have been President Obama.

*Of course, Joe made his pilgrimage to The Gumbo Shop. The chicken andouille gumbo was spectacular, the red beans and rice were rich if not thick and the bread pudding with whiskey left Joe speechless.

My God, does this town know how to cook!

*Joe later walked up and down Bourbon Street and honestly, forgot just how much fun this town is. Really, it was made for hosting a Super Bowl!

It is so cool to walk down Bourbon Street and hear the street filled with live music from the many bars and haunts. Just pick some music you like and walk in, no cover! Doesn’t matter if it is jazz, blues or hard rock. What a wonderful city!

Bourbon Street has way too many temptations and lures that can wreak havoc on a partier and Joe has been a willing victim (?) before. Not last night. Joe had to get up at 5 a.m. to begin covering Media Day.

Leave it to Keyshawn Johnson to put a fresh spin on the recent Super Bowl “sabotage” accusation Tim Brown leveled at his former Raiders head coach, Bill Callahan, claiming Callahan changed his gameplan at the last minute in an effort to spurn the Raiders organization and hand the 2003 Super Bowl to old friend Jon Gruden and the Bucs.

Speaking on ESPN Radio to Mike Tirico this weekend, Johnson said it’s ex-Raiders who own a lot of the responsibility for their poor showing because they never insisted on changing their calls to surprise the Bucs’ defense.

“The players are just as stupid as the head coach,” Johnson said.

College football-ignorant, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, beer-chugging Peter King, of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, surprisingly came out today in his popular Monday column and claimed there’s no way those champion Bucs knew what plays the Raiders called, even though that take is completely contrary to Bucs history, as told by Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and others.

Mike Florio, curator and guru of ProFootballTalk.com, politely discredited King earlier today on that point.

The game broadcast, however, contained strong evidence to the contrary.

Tampa Bay safety John Lynch wore a microphone, and he plainly can be heard telling former Bucs defensive backs coach Mike Tomlin after the Raiders fell behind 20-3 late in the first half, “Mike, every play they’ve run, we ran in practice.  It’s unreal.”

Said Tomlin, “I know.”

Whatever the reason, the Buccaneers’ dominance was enough, we’re told, to prompt Raiders receiver Jerry Rice to rip the microphone he was wearing during the game from his pads and flush it down a toilet at halftime.

Florio speculates that the Callahan controversy will heat up again if media types (perhaps Joe?) ask Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh about it tomorrow at Super Bowl media day. Harbaugh was on that Raiders staff.

Joe remains surprised, especially given all the BS still floating around about this topic, that Roger Goodell hasn’t launched a formal investigation. How the hell can the integrity of a Super Bowl be seriously questioned — by Jerry Rice and Tim Brown of all people — and the commissioner sits quietly in the shadows?

Johnson went on to jokingly say he was surprised Chucky hadn’t weighed publicly in on this topic. As a result, Johnson said he was going to ask Chucky at the Super Bowl, “How much did you pay the guy?” referring to Chucky possibly being in on the Callahan sabotage.

Mike Williams is a first-round talent and a top producer earning fourth-round-draft-pick money.

The Bucs drafted Williams 101st overall in 2010, and he has since been one of the NFL’s best bargains, with 193 catches and 23 touchdowns through his first three seasons while earning less than $2 million total during that time.

Williams could walk after the 2013 season as an unrestricted free agent, if the Bucs don’t lock him up first or slap a franchise tag on him worth more than $11 million for 2014. (That ain’t happening.)

A potential Josh Freeman contract extension has grabbed headlines, but one for Williams is, perhaps, more important.

Interestingly, Williams fired of a Twitter message last night that was very random, but perhaps very telling.

@MikeBuc19 – Make me a Buccaneer for life!!!!

Maybe the Bucs and Williams are talking about a contract extension. Joe doesn’t know, but surely Williams is deserving.  And the Bucs could potentially save money by getting that done now. If Williams repeats his 2012 production next season, he’ll have a long list of suitors waving bags of money at him.

Consider Mario Manningham got a two-year, $7.4 million contract in free agency last offseason. And Williams is a better receiver. Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik also guaranteed blocking icon Michael Clayton $10 million before the 2009 offseason. And certainly, Williams has accomplished more than Clayton did before that payday.

Like anyone who follows the Bucs, former Bucs quarterback Shaun King knows the Bucs need a cornerback worse than Joe needs a cold beer on a steamy Florida July Friday afternoon.

But that doesn’t mean King believes Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik should back up the Brinks truck to the Jets front offices to lure Darrelle Revis and his healing ACL tear to Tampa Bay. King — one of only three quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to an NFC Championship game — explained last week on the “Ron and Ian Show,” heard locally on WDAE-AM 620.

“If I am the Tampa Bay Bucs, I pass on Darrelle Revis,” King said. “Not only are you going to have to give up a lot to get him, it is going to be under the estimation you are going to pay him as one of the top football players. He wants quarterback money. He threatened to hold out last year. I would pass. I would be hesitant not only for what I have to give up but what I would have to pay him going forward for him to be a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“He wants to get paid. You can’t knock him for that. But he wants to be paid one of the top players in the game. Maybe before the injury the deserved it.”

King also spoke of Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner, one of the top cornerbacks in the draft and King seemed to suggest buyer beware with Milliner, who could be a reach at No. 13.

“Milliner is a good player,” King said. “He has already been a physical corner, been good against the run and got better on pass coverage as the season went on. I think he is the best corner in the draft but I would grade him below” several others drafted last year.

This seems to back up what Joe has heard from NFL insiders. While one scouting source told Joe cornerbacks are “three rounds deep,” there isn’t an elite, top shelf, lockdown corner in the draft.

Thus, teams will get more quality by picking a cornerback in the second or third round as opposed to reaching in the first round.

Very fun NFL Network interview linked right here with Doug Martin from the Pro Bowl.

It’s highlights include Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk tells Martin he’s watched a lot of film on him and will tutor him off-camera, and Martin gets into the perception of Greg Schiano. “The media distorts images,” Martin said while acknowledging that “toes on the line” is a very real phenomenon.

Joe watched the Pro Bowl yesterday (for the first time in years) and came away very impressed. Guys played as hard as can be expected — there was real hitting and real blood spouting — and Martin was on the receiving end of one of the game’s better highlights. Here it is.

Gerald McCoy played his first full season in 2012, which led to a Pro Bowl appearance. Staying healthy in 2013 will go a long way to helping not just the line, but the secondary as well.

Joe is already being peppered with questions about who the Bucs will pick in the first round in April’s draft. Joe sort of chuckles when he gets these missives on Twitter.

In a polite way, Joe tries to tell the questioners that it is still January and the draft is 1/4 of a year away, three months. A lot will change before then.

But Joe does tell the same fans that — and it is nothing more than a hunch — if there is a talented pass rusher available at No. 13, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik just may pull the trigger on said defensive lineman.

History shows how much Dominik coverts defensive linemen.

Sure, the Bucs could lose Michael Bennett to free agency. A franchise tag is a bit expensive for Bennett’s numbers. And the Bucs could also lose tackle Roy Miller, but Joe doubts that will happen.

One reason why the Bucs’ defensive line, though improved greatly since 2011, has trouble pressuring quarterbacks is because the Bucs’ defensive line seems to always be dinged up, as pointed out by Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

If it’s not Gerald McCoy, it is Adrian Clayborn and if it’s not Clayborn who is hurt it is Da’Quan Bowers.

McCoy, Bowers and Clayborn each missed time the past two seasons, which Dominik considers one of the biggest reasons the Bucs fell short of the playoffs this year.

“We never had those four players playing together at the same time – ever,” he said. “And whether that’s us being snakebit or whatever, it’s still an important thing that just didn’t happen.”

If Bennett returns to the fold and he, GMC, Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers are all healthy, it could be living nightmare for quarterbacks.

And as we all know, a pass rush is the best medicine for a woeful secondary.

Joe thinks it’s very premature to guess who the Bucs are picking in the first round. Re-signing Bennett may just eliminate one position Dominik will select at No. 13.

It’s no coincidence that an executive vice president of the NFL is publicly talking about building smaller stadiums that are geared toward driving high-profit beer sales, attracting young fans, spiking demand for tickets and capturing the entire NFL Sunday experience often enjoyed at home.

Eric Grubman, who heads NFL business operations, explained to the L.A. Times that smaller is the future.

The next generation of NFL stadiums could be markedly different than the ones we now know, Grubman said. He envisions smaller and more intimate venues, possibly more like basketball arenas, with standing-room-only clubs at the corners.

“What if a new stadium we built wasn’t 70,000, but it was 40,000 seats with 20,000 standing room?” he said. “But the standing room was in a bar-type environment with three sides of screens, and one side where you see the field. Completely connected. And in those three sides of screens, you not only got every piece of NFL content, including replays, Red Zone [Channel], and analysis, but you got every other piece of news and sports content that you would like to have if you were at home.

“Now you have the game, the bar and social setting, and you have the content. What’s that ticket worth? What’s that environment feel like to a young person? Where do you want to be? Do you want to be in that seat, or do you want to be in that pavilion?”

Whether it’s player safety, business opportunities, or adjustments to the game itself, Grubman said, the key for the NFL is to be vigilant and bold in its thinking.

“When you’re watched and followed by 200 million people,” he said, “little things can become big things, and when you mishandle those little things, they become giant.”

This should reinforce to Bucs fans that lagging attendance and blackouts is a leaguewide problem, not just a Tampa Bay thing. Of course, any fan who watches games in other cities, from Carolina to Oakland and others, sees plenty of empty seats regularly.

It’s significant that a league executive is talking about smaller stadiums, especially at a high-attention time before the Super Bowl.

Across the Tampa Bay region, there’s a lot of fresh talk and news surrounding the Tampa Bay Rays potentially building a new stadium in Tampa. But with 15 years in the can for the Raymond James Stadium, a stadium that’s now out of the Super Bowl rotation and somewhat outdated, Joe thinks it’ll be much sooner rather than later that new-stadium chatter or serious renovation talk is considered for the Bucs’ home turf.

When the Pro Bowl kicks off at 7 p.m. tonight, Joe knows there are still plenty of Bucs fans who will be wondering what voters Gerald McCoy paid off to get him there.

But thinking, sober Bucs fans know better than to doubt the validity of McCoy’s honor.

Could McCoy be a better player? Absolutely. Is McCoy worthy of the Pro Bowl? Joe will let Falcons head coach Mike Smith explain, via a new feature from Woody Cummings, of The Tampa Tribune.

Falcons coach Mike Smith, who like Rivera has the chore of game-planning twice a year for McCoy, has a nickname for players who consistently impact plays: Game Wreckers. Smith used the term repeatedly in talking about McCoy during a break in Senior Bowl workouts last week in Mobile, Ala.

“He’s the type of defensive tackle you would definitely call a game-wrecker, and as such he’s the type you have to make sure you have a specific game plan for,” Smith said. “He’s just so good at disrupting your plays. We have a number of them on film, both against the run and against the pass.

“He just creates so many issues for you, whether it’s forcing a back to start and stop and redirect or affecting the quarterback. What he does is slow everything down and disrupt things so that the linebackers and the other second-level players can come in and finish off the plays.”

Panthers coach Ron Rivera also goes into explaining McCoy’s value in the feature story. Joe heard the comments from opposing coaches all season — McCoy is a menace more times than not.

Now the real mystery was what McCoy was doing holding Doug Martin over his head at the Pro Bowl (see previous post below). That question is answered in this fun Hawaii video below from NewsChannel 8, whosecured footage of “The Dini” treating the Bucs’ rookie stud like a toy.

Yes, that’s Gerald McCoy carrying Doug Martin. … What happens in Hawaii, stays in Hawaii.

Joe would love to inject Raheem Morris and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik with truth serum and demand to know who they wanted more on opening day of the 2010 draft: Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy?

Suh went to the Lions with the No. 2 overall pick, and McCoy came to Tampa at No. 3. For some reason, McCoy felt the need to explain there is no bad blood between the two defensive tackles in this Buccaneers.com video from Pro Bowl practice in Hawaii. McCoy grabs the microphone and runs down Suh for a chat.

They get all affectionate and McCoy claims, “we’re takin’ over the league.”

Joe hopes McCoy is predicting the future. If McCoy gets another notch better next season, the entire Bucs defense will be impacted positively.

Joe remembers the San Francisco 49ers, in the early Bill Walsh days, were in a similar position as the Bucs, where there was such a void in the secondary, Walsh drafted four defensive backs in the Niners’ first five picks.

Three of those rookies (Ronnie Lott, the good Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson) started right away and helped the Niners win their first Super Bowl.

But it is rare that loading up so early on one position works. Based on that information, the Custodian of Canton, eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, cautions Bucs fans not to expect Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik to pull a similar stunt.

Q: Do you think with the extra fourth-round pick that Tampa rolls the dice and picks up three cornerbacks in the first three rounds? One of them could also play safety in case Ronde Barber retires!

— George Hicks, Alba, Texas

A: I can’t see the Bucs using their first three draft picks on defensive backs. That strategy rarely works and the Bucs have other pressing needs like tight end, right tackle and along the defensive line. There’s no question the secondary needs a significant upgrade, but focusing exclusively on cornerback in the premium rounds of the draft is risky business. The Bucs will know whether Ronde Barber is returning before they start the draft, and you are correct in suggesting that decision will play a role in their overall strategy.

— eye-RAH! Kaufman

eye-RAH! is correct. The Bucs, though in need of corners, aren’t going to go nuts using half their picks on cornerbacks. That just isn’t going to happen.

If the Bucs trade down and land, say, Xavier Rhodes out of Florida State, that doesn’t mean the Bucs are going to go on a run of defensive backs.

Joe can see Dominik drafting two corners, no more.

Joe spoke with five prospects last week at the East-West Shrine practices and game that could be targets of the Bucs, three cornerbacks, one safety and one linebacker. The Bucs have a pattern for prospects: multiple years as a starter, played for a big-time program or conference, and served as a team captain. The Bucs rarely deviate from this pattern. Some have met all three qualifications for a Bucs draftee; some have not.

Name: Nick Moody
School: Florida State
Position: Linebacker
Size: 6-2, 237
Started: Three years
Captain: Yes.
Have Bucs representatives spoken to him?: Yes.
Background: A versatile player who is built like a Roman gladiator, Moody was a three-year starter who appeared in every game for the Seminoles as a redshirt freshman. Moody was a safety and this past year moved to outside linebacker. At safety, he was sort of a John Lynch-type player in that he made opposing ballcarriers pay with punishing hits. That may have been why the Seminoles tried him out at linebacker his senior year with modest success. But it is that versatility that raises the eyebrows of NFL scouts, including the Bucs who have talked to Moody. His sophomore season was his best mainly because he was injury-free and had 44 solo tackles. In the last four games of the 2010 season against Maryland, Florida, Virginia Tech and South Carolina Moody racked up 40 tackles.
Sales pitch to Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik: “I bring a lot of athleticism to the position, I am physical and I am willing to learn and I love playing the game. Linebacker or safety, I don’t care. I can play either one. I just want to be in the NFL.”
Profile: Though from Pennsylvania, Moody grew up a Bucs fan and if he were granted a wish, it would be the Bucs who draft him. “I would love it. There is a tradition of FSU linebackers here but on top of that, I love the Tampa Bay Bucs. I would be proud to be a Buc.” Moody is an absolute rock of a physical specimen; chiseled. It is that blend of physicality and speed which makes NFL scouts take notice. It is his ability to be able to play linebacker and safety that Moody claims would be perfect for the NFL game. “Versatility is important. When you look at tight ends, they do so many multiple things. They can go wide, they can run receiver routes and you see a lot of that as the game has become more of a passing game now.”

Below is a clip of how Moody laid wood to people when he was a sophomore.

Newcomers around here may have realized that Joe never sleeps when it comes to the Bucs. JoeBucsFan.com is a 24/7 operation. No matter the day or month, Joe hammers away.

Loyal readers know Joe makes his annual trek to media day and assorted events to gather all kinds of Bucs-related interviews and news, snap photos of talented ladies, and mingle with various movers and shakers in the world of the NFL. Joe enjoys such travels, and Joe gets all sorts of juicy insider perspective and info. (unfortunately, much of the good stuff is off the record).

This year is no exception, Joe will embark for New Orleans on Monday. Beer and fantastic food will be consumed in mass quantities.

Joe thanks you for your patronage. Readership continues to grow around here, and Joe pledges to press on in his quest to make you the most informed and entertained Bucs fans on earth.

Joe actually was interested in watching the Pro Bowl on Sunday, but now Joe is a bit freaked out by the thought of seeing Muscle Hampster, Doug Martin, getting put in unfamiliar positions, which could raise the possibility of an injury to the Bucs’ franchise running back.

Rookies at the Pro Bowl play plenty of special teams, and Martin explained to Buccaneers.com that he was practicing there this week and it was all new to him.

Please, football gods, please don’t let Martin bust up his neck making a tackle or blow out his knee getting clipped on the punt return team.

The legendary player personnel man of the old Cowboys teams (1960 to 1988), Gil Brandt, still grinds away as a draft guru and player analyst for NFL.com, and he hosts an excellent show on SiriusXM NFL Radio. The man was on the cutting edge of scouting for years.

So it was very troubling yesterday when Brandt pumped out a written ranking and analysis of NFL quarterbacks under 30 years old. (Jay Cutler was not included because he turns 30 before the 2013 season).

Brandt stuck Josh Freeman at the bottom of his “C” level tier at No. 14, and if you consider all the NFL starters 30 years old or older, it’s clear that Brandt believes Freeman’s inconsistency and 24-32 career record as a Bucs starter can not be brushed off. Freeman even checks in below Alex Smith and Ryan Tannehill. The horror!

11) Alex Smith, 28, San Francisco 49ers

Smith was playing well in 2012 before a concussion sent him to the sideline, clearing the way for Kaepernick to take over. The comparatively older Smith is better than advertised as a player, but there are still question marks about him. Would he have been able to bring the Niners back from a 17-0 deficit in Atlanta last Sunday? Like I alluded to above, it’s highly questionable.

12) Ryan Tannehill, 24, Miami Dolphins

Tannehill has the size, arm strength and athletic ability to eventually jump into Group B. It will help if the Dolphins can surround him with a more talented cast. He’ll also benefit — more than any other player in Group C — from having a year of experience under his belt.

13) Andy Dalton, 25, Cincinnati Bengals

Dalton is a very solid, hard-working player who most likely won’t win much on his own. He did take Cincinnati to the playoffs his first two seasons in the league, but he seems to need the help of an outstanding supporting cast to get anywhere.

14) Josh Freeman, 25, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After a great 2010 and an awful 2011, Freeman was inconsistent in 2012. He did lose weight last offseason, and it seemed to give him a boost in the early going … before he fell back late. He possesses everything needed to do the job; why does he run so hot and cold?

Here’s the full list:

Aaron Rodgers
Matt Ryan
Joe Flacco
Colin Kaepernick
Russell Wilson
Cam Newton
Robert Griffin III
Matthew Stafford
Sam Bradford
Alex Smith
Ryan Tannehill
Andy Dalton
Josh Freeman
Jake Locker
Christian Ponder
Blaine Gabbert
Brandon Weeden
Matt Flynn

Joe doesn’t agree with the list. Joe would have a seizure if the Bucs traded Freeman for Alex Smith or Ryan Tannehill.

However, Brandt’s evaluation does make Joe wonder what other NFL personnel types think of Freeman and how that might factor into any future Freeman-Bucs contract talks. Regardless, Freeman truly is in a make-or-break year. He’s run out of excuses.

OK, so we learned All-World cornerback Darrelle Revis of the Jets may be on the trading block. It makes all the sense in the world for the Jets. Revis is a free agent after the 2013 season and has a clause in his contract he cannot be franchised.

So if the Jets are going to get something for him they may as well trade him rather than watching him walk away Scot free.

Now that brings up the Bucs, who are desperate for a cornerback like a man stranded in a desert with scant water. Even if the Bucs drafted a corner in the first round, it takes a year or two for a drafted corner to reach his potential. Revis is one of the best. Now.

OK, so Revis is coming off a knee injury which is scary and actually gives Joe pause. But as former Raiders Super Bowl quarterback Rich Gannon, who co-hosts “The Blitz” on NFL Radio with popular sports radio personality Adam Schein, said Thursday morning that any team interested in Revis will certainly work him out and at that time it will be very clear if Revis’ knee is healthy or not.

Joe is all for getting Revis, provided the price is right. But Joe would pretty much demand the Bucs sign Revis to a long-term contract first. Renting him at this point is a joke. The Bucs are not one player away from a Super Bowl. This isn’t like trading for Chucky when a Super Bowl window is about closed. For a Super Bowl window to be open, a team first must at least take a snap in a playoff game. The Bucs right now have no Super Bowl window.

Trading, say, next year’s first round pick, a second pick (any year) and/or the fourth pick from the Patriots for cabbie-slugging, Adderall-popping, helmet-wielding Aqib Talib is OK with Joe, again, provided Revis signs a long-term pact. Keep this year’s first round pick. If the Bucs trade for Revis, the Bucs could also trade down in the first round and recoup one of the spent picks and still get another first-round corner to pair with Revis for the foreseeable future.

As Schein said Thursday, “Should be the Bucs be interested in Darrelle Revis? Of course. Should they make a play for Revis? You damned right.”

Joe agrees, only if the price is right and only if Revis agrees to a contract extension. No contract extension, no Revis, that simple.

Look, Joe knows Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik covets draft picks more than Joe covets the warm embrace of Rachel Watson. So Joe cannot believe Dominik would trade a first-round pick just to rent a player for one year where there are still so many areas that need an upgrade. Such a move would be reckless.

Joe spoke with five prospects last week at the East-West Shrine practices and game that could be targets of the Bucs, three cornerbacks, one safety and one linebacker. The Bucs have a pattern for prospects: multiple years as a starter, played for a big-time program or conference, and served as a team captain. The Bucs rarely deviate from this pattern. Some have met all three qualifications for a Bucs draftee; some have not.

Name: Terry Hawthorne
School: Illinois
Position: Cornerback
Size: 6-1, 193
Started: Three years
Captain: Yes.
Have Bucs representatives spoken to him?: Yes.
Background: A physical corner with good size, who also returns kicks, Hawthorne was impressive to Joe at practices in that when he played close to the line, receivers often found themselves on the ground before they could start their routes, which in Joe’s eyes is the best cornerback defense: put the receiver on the ground. “I am pretty big, aggressive corner that loves to get up there and I get a chance to get my hands on you at the line, it will be a busted route for you,” Hawthorne said.
Sales pitch to Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik: “I am a guy with great character and a guy with a great passion for the game and just love to get out there and help out my teammates.”
Profile: Hawthorne comes from Bucs front seven coach Bryan Cox’s hometown, East St. Louis, Ill., which if anyone has ever been there, knows that the goal isn’t bonding with expatriates, but to get the hell out. Just doing that is impressive. Hawthorne was hurt much of his junior year after drilling a Wisconsin ballcarrier, missed a game and probably wasn’t the same since. In 44 career games and 26 starts for the Fighting Illini, Hawthorne had 163 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, a sack, six interceptions and two pick-sixes. Probably had his best game this season against undefeated Ohio State when Hawthorne had 10 tackles, including career-highs in solos (nine) and tackles for loss (two), recorded his first career sack and had a career-best six kickoff returns for a career-high 158 yards, including a career-long 45-yarder. Hawthorne also played some nickel and his a self-professed filmroom junkie.

Below are some highlights of Hawthorne against Ohio State this year. Joe likes how Hawthorne can shed blocks.

Tuesday night, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik spoke with Alex Marvez, co-host of “Late Hits,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, to discuss the state of the Bucs. Included in the topics were Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy and how the Bucs haven’t talked to Ronde Barber about his immediate future. Oh, and in case Bucs fans were unaware, Josh Freeman is 24 (just turned 25, actually).

Alex Marvez: Your team showed some good improvement in the first year of Greg Schiano. Obviously, you fell short of where you want to be. You finished the season not quite where you want to be. How do you look back at the 2012 season?

Mark Dominik: I thought there was a lot of progress in our football team. Our record was not where we want it to be Alex, we finished the season 7-9 but there were a lot of bright spots. No. 1 team against the run, standout performances by some young guys and some veterans stepped up. Set some offensive records in rushing and receiving. Doug Martin came in and had a great season, capped off the Senior Bowl from last year. It is all about wins and losses and we are not quite where we want to be.

Marvez: I am glad you brought up The Muscle Hamster, Mr. Doug Martin, who is headed to the Pro Bowl, he was an alternate and Frank Gore is now going to the Super Bowl. Take us back here to the Senior Bowl last year. You obviously scouted him extensively before the Senior Bowl. What did he do that caught your eye here last year to form that opinion of him?

Dominik: Well a lot of it was his practice and his effort. All the pieces we had, like you said, going into the Senior Bowl, just like Lavonte David here last year. This is a really important event and we got two great football players from this event who started all 16 games for us last year and we look forward to this event. Hopefully we can have the same success. Those two players are really who we are building around for our future.

Marvez: Mark, I know you had to put a lot of [digits] on a check to get Vincent Jackson to come to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the San Diego Chargers. I think he was worth every penny, what an outstanding season. Talk about what you learned about this man and how he joined your team, what he brought to the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Dominik: Vincent was quickly a captain of our football team. An outstanding human being, both on and off the football field. Really immersed himself into the Tampa Bay area and got involved with the military as well. He has been a great mentor for our young players like Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn. He has helped the entire offense grow and he is a phenomenal football player when you think about all the passes he caught and he averaged almost 20 yards every time he touched the football. He has been a great weapon for Josh Freeman and that is why we put those two together. We are excited about Josh being 24 and all that he is doing and you match him up with a massive playmaker, and Mike Williams came off a big season so we are excited about what we have going on with our offense in Tampa. I think we will get everything going together. The NFL is tough but the NFC South is certainly tough and we have our work cut out for us.

Marvez: Josh had an incredible stretch at one point during the season and then dipped off a little bit toward the end, I know you had injuries on the offensive line and some other issues. How would you assess the positives and the potential negatives in the 2012 season for Josh?

Dominik: I thought Josh actually had — he set club records for passing in a single season and he is our all-time touchdown passing leader in Tampa Bay history being only 24 years old. There are a lot of positives I have for Josh going into the 2013 season and into the future. Again, he is going 24 years old. We are excited. Sure, he went through some tough spots during the season but our team did too. All flowed together really well. We finished the season on a high note when we played a really good football team [Dixie Chicks] that day and that was important. We finished a couple of drives and stopped a couple of drives at the end and that is important. We missed out on some wins because we didn’t finish. We finished the season with a win and hopefully we can build on that for the 2013 season.

Marvez: Ronde Barber seems ageless. Playing at a high level. What is his status on the 2013 season? Have you had a chance to talk to him yet as a staff to see what his future holds?

Dominik: We haven’t. We haven’t had the chance to sit down with Ronde yet but we probably will sometime in early February and we will sit down with Greg, myself and Ronde and try to figure out what he wants to do and we will go from there. He played at another high level this year making the transition to safety and I think people tend to forget he is 185 pounds and he hasn’t missed a start in 215 consecutive games. It’s an incredible stat. It is a testament to who he is and how he keeps his body in condition so to be mentioned as an alternate to the pro bowl with a position change is really impressive what this guy has done in his football career.

Marvez: Love to see the development of Gerald McCoy, he’s a great young man and has finally been able to stay healthy and show what he can do. What did you see from him in 2012?

Dominik: Lot of disruption again for us. He set a career high in sacks for us which, I know he can continue to build upon. In terms of negative yards, he was the driving force in why we were so strong against the run. We just have to improve again on the pass but Gerald was really disruptive big man. He’s 6-5 and 305 pounds. He can really get upfield. He has great getoff. When you look at our defense, if we can get all of our guys healthy for next year, especially on that defensive front, I am excited about all of our defensive players.