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.

If you’re young and you can rush the passer, you get paid in the NFL. It’s really that simple.

So it’s no surprise that Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik is planning to slap a significant restricted free agent tender offer on Daniel Te’O-Nesheim, who filled in at defensive end for Adrian Clayborn and proved solid against the run and pass. Snatched by Dominik from the Eagles’ practice squad, Te’O-Nesheim is was the Eagles third-round pick in 2010, and recorded 40 tackles and four sacks in 14 starts for Clayborn.

Tampa Tribune beat writer Woody Cummings delivered news of the Bucs’ postseason approval of “Te’-O.”

Dominik indicated this week that he may offer Te’O-Nesheim a second-round tender – or maybe even a first-round tender – to ensure he retains a player who has proved to be a valuable member of the defensive line rotation.

Joe’s all good with this. Te’O stayed healthy and has a big motor. He’s just fine to rotate in, and he should have more upside at 25 years old.

Last year, a second-round tender paid $1.9 million. If the Bucs slap that tag on “Te’-O,”  another team would have to pay him at least that much and give the Bucs a second-round pick. Joe can’t imagine any team paying that high a ransom for a solid reserve.

Rockstar Bucs general manager Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano always say they’ll leave no stone unturned when it comes to considering improving their roster.

So it’s safe to assume the New Schiano Order will examine the possibility of the Jets’ reported willingness to trade cornerback Darrelle Revis. Assuming Revis recovers from his ACL injury, he’s a gargantuan upgrade from anything the Bucs have on the roster. The wounded stud corner has one year left on his contract at a flimsy $6 million, before he demands a ransom in free agency. Consider Eric Wright gobbled up $7.5 million last season, minus losing 25 percent of that for his drug suspension.

For Joe, the Bucs’ analysis of Revis must come down to how close they believe they are to making the playoffs and competing for a Super Bowl.

Joe suspects Dominik and Schiano see themselves as ready to add a few offseason pieces and win immediately, given all the emerging talent on the roster and a turning-point season lying ahead for Josh Freeman.

How much could the Jets really fetch for Revis coming off a knee injury and only signed for a year? Joe can’t imagine the price tag could be too steep. A second-round pick? A third-round pick and a backup offensive lineman, an area in which the Jets are sorely in need of depth?

Remember, Dominik has gone on record many times boasting about how his medical staff knows knees. Dominik took pride in how the team managed Cadillac Williams and Kellen Winslow, and brought back Arrelious Benn from an ACL in 2011, and scouted DaQuan Bowers’ troubles, among others.

If the Bucs determine Revis is healthy, Joe doesn’t think it would be farfetched to see the Bucs try and work a deal.

How many more games do the Bucs win last year with Revis on the field?

Thankfully, these eyesores otherwise known as tarps, like those used at Jags games, will not desecrate the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway any time soon.

Joe received e-mails from quite a few Bucs season ticket holders who were asked to move the location of their seats.

Said fans, and Joe, were scared. Why?

Joe was convinced Team Glazer had decided to break out those hideous-looking tarps to cover sections of seats in order for the seating capacity of the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway to be lowered as part of a cheap stunt to help games meet TV blackout plateaus set by the NFL  — selling 85 percent of non-premium seats.

Joe’s assumption, thankfully, was wrong. Jose Patino Girona, of the Tampa Tribune, spoke to Bucs officials and learned that, yes, fans are being moved, but those heinous tarps will not be used to block off any seats.

The change will impact about 400 seats. Team officials have been calling the owners of those season tickets and sent an email Tuesday to those they haven’t been able to reach.

Ford said the change is intended only to free up certain sections of the stadium to accommodate groups. The team has no plans to remove or cover seats to make it easier to sell out or reach the 85 percent attendance threshold that would avoid a blackout of home games, he said.

“In no way is this repurposing an indication that we will be removing or tarping seats,” Brian Ford, the team’s vice president of business administration, said in a prepared statement.

Thank goodness!

The first time Joe saw tarps used to block off sections was for Pirates games at the old Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. And they were a complete and total eyerake. Joe has been to a few Jags games and the tarps there are nearly as ugly.

Yes, the Rays use tarps in their upper deck. Just one of many things that makes the Fruitdome onerous.  

Joe applauds Team Glazer for not stooping to this level. A quarter-full stadium with tens of thousands of empty seats looks far better than those ugly-arse tarps. Yick!

Those tarps scream “bush league.”

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: Xavier Brewer
School: Clemson
Position: Cornerback/Safety
Size: 5-11, 190
Started: Three years
Captain: Yes, one year (only seniors eligible).
Have Bucs representatives spoken to him?: Yes.
Background: Fits the mold of what the Bucs want: A versatile guy who can play both safety and corner, a veteran starter who often faced athletes, whether it was against Florida State, Miami,  and Virginia Tech, or Clemson’s annual games against SEC schools including Auburn and South Carolina. In short, Brewer is battle-tested. Also, Brewer boasts that he grew up a Bucs fan.

Sales pitch to Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik: “You should draft me because of my understanding of the game. I have played safety. I have played corner. I have played nickel. I have played in dime packages. I’m going to help you in special teams. I will you all I have all the time. I have good speed, good skill, good speed, good quickness and can play any position in the secondary.”

Profile: Joe liked the way Brewer was a second skin on receivers in the East-West practices, especially guys who had a distinct size advantage on him. Brewer made bigger receivers work and he seemed to always find a way, an angle, a position, to make it difficult for receivers to gain an advantage, almost like boxing out in basketball. Even some receivers had six inches on Brewer and not only did Brewer not let that stop him, he found a way to either get the ball or jam the receiver up physically. In other words, Brewer has football smarts.

Against one of the better SEC teams this season, South Carolina, Brewer had such a good game he was named “ACC Defensive Back of the Week.” The Jacksonville native had a career-high 12 tackles, including nine individual tackles. He had three more tackles than his closest teammate. He also had two tackles for loss, a sack, a pick and three total passes defended. Brewer became the first Clemson player to record a sack and an interception in the same game since Rashard Hall did it against Boston College in 2009. In the Chicken Bowl in December against LSU, Brewer had six tackles, three of which were solo.

Cool thing about Brewer is, he never tried to hide from Joe how much of a Bucs fan he was as a kid.

“I always looked up to Ronde Barber,” Brewer said. “What a great opportunity it would be if the Bucs picked me to come and allow me to play to the best of my ability.”

Here are a couple of Brewer’s highlights facing South Carolina last fall.

Joe tracks every last word from Greg Schiano and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik, and based on numerous interviews and other sources, it’s clear the 2013 Bucs secondary is taking shape.

Dominik and/or Schiano have taken multiple opportunities to praise cornerbacks Danny Gorrer, E.J. Biggers and Leonard Johnson, plus Ronde Barber and Mark Barron have gotten all kinds of love, and rookie CB/S Keith Tandy got his share of kudos.

Joe’s also adding weed-free Ahmad Black to the love list after Dominik’s comments yesterday, via PewterReport.com.

“We were very happy with the way Ahmad Black played,” Dominik said. “He was a big part of why we won the Oakland game.”

The praise of Black takes Joe back to the alleged desire to have the best players on the field at all times. Last season, Joe believed it would have been wise to Barber playing more cornerback in order to give Black more plays. And Joe wonders whether that scenario might play out in 2013.

Anthony Gaitor, Myron Lewis, LeQuan Lewis, Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Sean Baker and Cody Grimm all seem to be likely castaways, though most (but definitely not Wright) likely will be among the 90 players coming to training camp.

If the Bucs add first- and second-tier free agent cornerbacks and, say, a second-round cornerback via the NFL Draft, Joe would expect they would join Biggers, Johnson and Gorrer on the opening day roster, alongside Barron, Barber, Black and Tandy, and possibly Grimm for the final season of his contract, if he can prove he’s healthy.

On paper, it should be a big improvement.

The reckless charge issued by former Raiders receiver Tim Brown, claiming that former coach Bill Callahan “sabotaged” the game and threw the Super Bowl to the Bucs, backed up by Jerry Rice on BSPN, brought both laughter and disgust to former Bucs great linebacker Derrick Brooks.

Brooks appeared with Joe’s good friend, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, of WDAE-AM 620 Wednesday, and didn’t hold back on what he thought about Brown’s irresponsible charges.

“We beat them!” Brooks said between guffaws.

Brooks’ took a more serious tone later when he admitted he and his Bucs teammates were offended by Brown’s words.

“No one gave us anything. No one, as far as I’m concerned, sabotaged anything,” Brooks said. “We went out and we earned that victory and we’re celebrating 10 years later. If you look at our offense, their defense didn’t stop our offense at all!”

The full interview can be heard by clicking the button below.

Well, well, well. It sure smells like Tim Brown’s lawyers told him, in a manner of speaking, “Shut the hell up.”

The former Raiders receiver, who has been spouting off the past few days that then-Raiders coach Bill Callahan “sabotaged” the Raiders gameplan — in common-speak, this is known as “throwing a game” — so Callahan could hand Chucky and the Bucs a Super Bowl win, is doing major league backpedaling today.

In an interview on “The Dull Patrick Show,” Brown now claims that then-Raiders owner Al Davis “likely” had Callahan change the Raiders gameplan, Brown now claims he never said Callahan “sabotaged” the Raiders!

Talk about talking out of both sides of your mouth!

Clearly, Brown’s lawyers got to him, thankfully. Brown has been spreading so much manure, and is now backtracking big time, Joe seriously thinks Brown should be tested for CTE. He’s crazier than Barrett Robbins.

Below is Brown’s full interview with Dull Patrick.

Back in the old days of 2005, before social media madness turned news coverage into real-time lunacy, Tim Brown spit out the same take on former Raiders head coach Bill Callahan playing to lose the Bucs-Raiders Super Bowl, so Brown said on the “Booger and Rich” show on 98.7 FM Tuesday afternoon.

Brown made it clear to co-hosts Rich Herrera and former Bucs defensive tackle Booger McFarland, a former teammate of Brown in Tampa, that the “sabotage” allegations against Callahan are nothing new and were those expressed by many Raiders in the locker room following the Bucs’ Super Bowl victory.

“The facts are the facts and I’m never going to back away from that,” Brown said. “I’ve been saying this since ’05, when I was on my FOX show when I first got out of the league I made these comments. So why there are coming out the way they are now, I have no idea, man. It is what it is. But I’m not going to back away from anything I’ve said. I’ve never done that.”

For Joe, Brown having said this years ago, assuming he’s being truthful, doesn’t make the claims any less stupid or troubling, though it would sort of punch a hole in the theory some have that Brown was trolling for headlines to advance his career and/or chances during next week’s Hall of Fame voting. Brown is a finalist for the 2013 Hall class.

Ahmad Black is inhaling and exhaling comfortably these days.

Hillsborough County Court documents reveal that the first-degree misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession Black was slapped with in late October following a Tampa traffic stop was dismissed Jan. 7.

In December, Black’s attorney filed motions to “suppress illegal stop” and suppress statements made to police by Black, in addition to a motion to dismiss the case.

Following a Jan. 7 meeting with Judge Eric Myers, an assistant state attorney, and Black and his two lawyers, Myers dumped the case.

Joe hopes Black celebrated responsibly. And hopefully, the only green he has his hands on next season is an Eagles jersey.

At a cost of roughly $6 million per season, Quincy Black has been one massively overpaid dude over the past two years. And Joe fully expects the Bucs to part ways with Black, or at least renegotiate his contract.

Black wasn’t missed significantly when he was lost for the season with a gruesome neck/nerve injury, which will send him to the surgeon’s table at the end of this month, so reported the Tampa Bay Times yesterday.

Angry Adam Hayward filled in admirably at strong side linebacker, though perhaps the stress of starting led to him shoving Bryan Cox on the Bucs sidelines, a heinous act that in Joe’s mind was swept under the rug faster than Joe tosses empty peanut shells at a Rays game.

Joe wishes Black well, but the good news is that ditching Black, even if he’s unable to play football in 2013, won’t cost the Bucs much and will open up even more money for them to go shopping when the free agency bell rings in March. The Times’ Stephen Holder explained.

The Bucs’ first concern is Black’s health, but eventually they might face business decisions. If Black isn’t likely to play in the foreseeable future and the Bucs release him, he would be eligible for $1 million in injury-protection pay in 2013. If his injury impacts his ability to play in 2014, the Bucs could be on the hook for $500,000 more. Those sums do not count against the salary cap.

Joe hopes Dakoda Watson can step up and fill in for Black, but Joe isn’t counting on that considering Watson couldn’t beat out Hayward last season.

The fact that former Raiders receivers Tim Brown and Jerry Rice claim that former Raiders coach Bill Callahan threw the Super Bowl against the Bucs is over the top in Joe’s eyes.

In a twisted way, Joe believes this is a case of sour grapes on steroids. Their egos are out of control, in that they had their collective arses whipped by the Bucs and they cannot deal with the reality. So they concoct one of the wildest stories in sports history.

If this is close to true, it’s the worst sports scandal since the 1919 Chicago Black Sox throwing the World Series.

Let’s think about this for a moment. Why in the world would Callahan think of doing something so preposterous? Brown claims Callahan hated coaching the Raiders and threw the game to help out his friend, Chucky.

So let’s pick this apart, shall we?

Callahan hated the Raiders so much he coached there for multiple years? Callahan, by winning one Super Bowl, would have secured solid work the rest of his life (i.e. Brian Billick, i.e. Barry Switzer). And the notion Callahan would toss such financial security away with the potential of getting caught and face legal action is so crazy, the next thing Joe is expecting is that Brown suggests Callahan has imaginary Facebook groupies.

Would Callahan change the gameplan without the blessing of meddling Raiders owner Al Davis? If this happened, Callahan would have been fired before the Super Bowl.

These claims by Brown, backed up by Rice, border on idiocy if not hallucinogenic mushrooms.

As Joe stated earlier this morning in a previous article, Joe demands that NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell launch an immediate investigation to either find out if there is any truth to what Brown claims, or to clear the name of Callahan, Chucky, the Buc,s as well as the NFL in general. These are serious, serious, potentially damaging allegations.

This also involves current coaches, including new Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman, who was Callahan’s offensive coordinator in the Super Bowl in question, and current Super Bowl and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff, all who were on Callahan’s offensive staff.

If no evidence if found to substantiate Brown’s claims, Joe strongly believes Brown should immediately lose his eligibility to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The brutal treatment Warren Sapp dished out to dozens of media members would in comparison to the potentially unjust damage Brown has done to The Shield.

Yesterday, both Tim Brown and Jerry Rice, two otherwise seemingly intelligent gents, made idiotic remarks claiming former Raiders coach Bill Callahan threw the Super Bowl to the Bucs because, per Brown, Callahan liked Chucky and hated the Raiders.

All day yesterday Callahan kept quiet but come towards midnight, he apparently had enough of his name being dragged through the mud and unloaded on Brown and the insane remarks, so reports Ed Werder of BSPN by way or Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.

“I am shocked, saddened and outraged by Tim Brown’s allegations and Jerry Rice’s support of those allegations,” Callahan said in a statement released to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. “To leave no doubt, I categorically and unequivocally deny the sum and substance of their allegation. To suggest otherwise, especially at this time when it involves the Super Bowl, is ludicrous and defamatory.

“Any suggestion that I would undermine the integrity of the sport that I love and dedicated my life to, or dishonor the commitment I made to our players, coaches and fans, is flat out wrong. I think it would be in the best interests of all including the game America loves that these allegations be retracted immediately.”

Bravo, bravo!

Joe thinks is it wise for NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell to launch an immediate investigation into this matter.

Let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment. Let’s just say Brown is right, even though it sounds as illogical as one can imagine. It’s not like we haven’t been inundated with illogical, unbelievable sports news of late.

If there is a hint of accuracy into what Brown (and Rice) claim, we are talking the worst sports crime since the Chicago Black Sox scandal.

With this nonsense floating just days before the Super Bowl, the NFL must protect its shield. It must protect its good name for advertisers, current and future, and for nothing else but the integrity of the game.

This investigation needs to be launched immediately in Joe’s eyes.

And if this clown Brown is proven to be lying, Joe believes he should lose his eligibility to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

If Callahan is correct, what Brown is doing to the Bucs and the NFL is no less than an outrage if not slander!

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: Branden Smith
School: Georgia
Position: Cornerback
Size: 5-11, 1753
Started: Three years
Captain: No
Have Bucs representatives spoken to him? No.
Background: In Joe’s eyes, Branden Smith may be one of the more underrated cornerbacks in the draft. Yes, he got busted with the hippie lettuce once in college, but the young man swore to Joe that is a mistake he has learned from and he doesn’t try to hide the fact he got pinched. Ashamed, but honest. Smith finished with 25 tackles this season on one of the best defensive teams in the nation, 18 of those tackles were solo. He has four interceptions on the college ranks, and did run the ball a few times on offense. The thing that intrigues Joe about Smith is that in the past, he has been assigned to cover Julio Jones and virtually every day in practice as a sophomore, had to guard A.J. Green not to mention had to go against one of the top pro-style quarterbacks in college football each day in practice, Aaron Murray. So before Smith has been drafted or signed, he already knows what it is like to defend against NFL-level talent.

Sales pitch to Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik: “I have speed, I have size, I can make play son the ball and the Bucs need cornerbacks. I’m the guy. I can do everything, offense, defense, special teams, anything to help the team win. I can play nickel, I can definitely play corner. When you are a corner, you our out on an island and all through high school and college, I have been on that island. I can handle the pressure.”

Profile: Smith isn’t the greatest against the run, which is a strike for him in Greg Schiano’s mindset. He wasn’t a captain for the Bulldogs, which is a strike in Dominik’s eyes. The guy is quick though and given how he has played against two of the NFL’s top receivers, and played against one of college football’s top quarterbacks, and has been solid in the nation’s top football conference, perhaps it is wise to take a flyer on the guy since the Bucs are so desperate for depth at cornerback.

“Playing in the SEC? It has helped me a lot. It’s one of the best conferences in college football. I am playing against the best every day. You have to bring you’re A-game every day in practice. It has helped me a whole lot. It helped me because I was playing against big receivers, small receivers, fast receivers. So, I have played against he best.

Aaron Murray? Going against him, he is smooth. There are a lot of good quarterback in the SEC but going against Aaron every day, that has helped me a lot. He is a good quarterback. He can make the big throws and the shorts throws. He has helped me a lot.”

Below is an example of Smith’s speed while playing wide receiver. In a plus for the Bucs, he already has the Benn’d Around down pat.

Former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon flatly stated Tim Brown’s suggestion that former Raiders coach Bill Callahan threw the Super Bowl against the Bucs is wrong.

Earlier, Joe brought word that former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown suggested former Raiders head coach Bill Callahan threw the Super Bowl against the Bucs because, Brown implied, Callahan was indebted to Chucky and didn’t want to coach the Raiders.

That is such a preposterous statement, Joe doesn’t know where to begin.

Today on his mid-day radio show, “The Blitz,” co-hosted with popular sports radio personality Adam Schein, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon took Brown to task for spreading nonsense and detailed why he thought the Bucs manhandled the Raiders to win the Super Bowl. And it had nothing to do with any coach forcing his team to lay down.

“I don’t’ know that the gameplan really changed. I think what happened was we talked about the best way to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and we thought that being physical and running the ball, but that was not who we were.

“We tried to run the football early on and we didn’t have much success.

“We didn’t change enough of our plays as far as verbiage at the line of scrimmage. It was a carryover from what Jon Gruden had as far as our run checks and Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks were calling out our runs. That took us out of our no huddle package a little bit. Then when we fell behind, we probably threw too much.

“You win together and you lose together and there was a culture and environment in Oakland at the time that was difficult to compete for championships and a struggle to win on Sundays and I think that is a struggle today. An attitude, an entitlement that we are the Oakland Raiders, the silver and black, all we have to do roll up on Sunday and we will beat you.

“Bill Callahan is a good football coach and a good man and I don’t think thing ever [would] intentionally ever [throw a game], based on a relationship with a former coach… we had too much invested.”

Gannon also said that Barrett Robbins, the Raiders starting center who went on a trip to Mexico and weirded out and was unable to play in the Super Bowl, was hardly the only Raiders to player to “party in Mexico” prior to kickoff.

To hear all of Gannon’s words, click on the yellow button below.

Joe’s heard the Internet chatter claiming free agent tight end Martellus Bennett, a beast of a blocking and receiving talent, won’t want to come to Tampa Bay now that the Bucs have hired John Garrett as quarterbacks coach. Garrett was Bennett’s tight ends coach for four underwhelming seasons in Dallas, before Bennett’s breakout season with the Giants in 2012.

Well, it seems this is a baloney take, to use one of Greg Schiano’s favorite words.

Speaking on 98.7 FM last night, longtime Cowboys beat writer Charean Williams said Bennett and Garrett were close on and off the field and the presence of Garrett on the Bucs, in fact, would be a potential attraction for Bennett.

And Williams took that a step further saying she personally knows Martellus Bennett, and his family and brother, Bucs soon-to-be free-agent brother Michael Bennett, and the two definitely want to play together in the NFL.

Do the Bucs re-sign aging, locker room leader Dallas Clark? Or do they look to make a splash with a guy like Martellus Bennett?

Joe thinks the Bucs’ biggest interest in Bennett might come for his reputation of being a punishing blocker, a label Giants GM Jerry Reese slapped on him. And that 6-6, 265-pound body, with 54 catches last year and familiarity with the Bucs’ style of offense, qualifies as a weapon upgrade for Josh Freeman.

Bennett also fits the rockstar general manager Mark Dominik preferred free agent mold. He’s a five-year veteran but still only 25 years old.

Tim Brown claims that then-Raiders coach Bill Callahan threw the Super Bowl so his friend Chucky and the Bucs would get all the glory and make NFL history.

This sports media business is getting downright crazy and Joe doesn’t know where it’s going to stop.

First, a thieving liar of a bike rider finally fesses up he’s a thieving liar, then an All-American linebacker from Notre Dame has a Facebook relationship with a chick (?) who apparently died of cancer, yet it turned out to be fake and later a Cowboys beat reporter goes on local airwaves, killed by soccertalk (!) if you can imagine such a thing, suggesting — unchallenged — that Chucky and Monte Kiffin were at odds in their final days with the Bucs and tried to make the bizarre comparison between Warren Sapp’s Hall of Fame election status to Joe Montana and Art Monk.

Huh?

It’s to the point Joe just wants to lift a bottle of Bushmills and see how much of the bottle Joe can kill in one swig.

The weird sports news continued when Tim Brown, who had a legendary career with the Bucs (sarcasm!), but is more famous for his long years with the Raiders, claims that the Bucs didn’t beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl, it’s  Raiders coach Bill Callahan who Pearl Harbored the Raiders chances and, in so many words, threw the game on purpose to help out his friend, Chucky.

This is what Brown tried to pedal on SiriusXM NFL Radio over the weekend, documented by creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, Mike Florio.

“We all called it sabotage . . . because Callahan and [Tampa Bay coach Jon] Gruden were good friends,” Brown said. “And Callahan had a big problem with the Raiders, you know, hated the Raiders. You know, only came because Gruden made him come. Literally walked off the field on us a couple of times during the season when he first got there, the first couple years. So really he had become someone who was part of the staff but we just didn’t pay him any attention. Gruden leaves, he becomes the head coach. . . . It’s hard to say that the guy sabotaged the Super Bowl. You know, can you really say that? That can be my opinion, but I can’t say for a fact that that’s what his plan was, to sabotage the Super Bowl. He hated the Raiders so much that he would sabotage the Super Bowl so his friend can win the Super Bowl. That’s hard to say, because you can’t prove it.

“But the facts are what they are, that less than 36 hours before the game we changed our game plan. And we go into that game absolutely knowing that we have no shot. That the only shot we had if Tampa Bay didn’t show up.”

Brown also claims this stunt by Callahan led Raiders starting center Barrett Robbins to go off the deep end in Mexico, leaving him unavailable for the Super Bowl.

This is no less than outrageous!

Let Joe get this straight: Callahan threw a Super Bowl — and to be forever remembered as a Super Bowl loser — all because he was buddy-buddy with Chucky?

And Callahan hated the Raiders so much he agreed to coach for Al Davis, not just one year, but for multiple years? Really?

Joe understands Brown may still be irked about losing a Super Bowl, but get a hold of yourself! Next thing you will know, Brown will try to say the Bucs should have kept one of the two McCown clowns to quarterback the team instead of Josh Freeman.

Why, this is almost enough for Joe to compare Sapp to Montana or Monk … or to hatch some story that Chucky and Kiffin got into a wrestling match in the locker room, or listen to local soccertalk on radio.

No, that’s not quite correct. Joe hasn’t grabbed the bottle of Bushmills. Yet. But Joe admits last night upon reading this story and hearing the wild stuff of local sports radio, he had to turn to his DVR recordings of 24 for solace.

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: Demontre Hurst
School: Oklahoma
Position: Cornerback
Size: 5-10, 183
Started: Three years
Captain: Yes
Have Bucs representatives spoken to him? Yes.
Background: Three-year starter, two-time second team All-Big XII. Hurst was fourth on the Sooners in tackles. In a loss to Notre Dame, which eventually played for the national title, Hurst had seven tackles, a sack and two pass break-ups. Finished senior season with 51 tackles, 43 of which were solo tackles.

Sales pitch to Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik:  I bring a lot of discipline and a lot of effort to the game. I really trust my ability to make plays. wherever the coaches put me at corner. I do my best to try to make the play. I may not be the biggest guy but I use my size to my advantage. I just try to make plays all over the field.

Profile: Hurst is strong against the run and can deliver a lick, traits that make Bucs coach Greg Schiano smile. Hurst has done his homework and knows the Bucs are in a dire need for cornerback depth and has targeted the Bucs as a team he is trying to impress.

Hurst touted his versatility to Joe last week.

“I can play nickel and corner and I am trying to work on those positions out here. I know in the league, you have to be versatile. That is what I am trying to do, use my versatility to my advantage. I played corner all four years in college and some nickel plays every now and then. I have learned that NFL teams are playing three corners a lot and I’m trying to take advantage of that.

“To be in this league, you have to tackle. Being a corner, when guys get to the outside you have to be able to bring them down. I am not the biggest guy in the world but I can tackle in the open field.”

Below is an example of how, as a junior, Hurst put receivers on the ground in a very unwelcome manner.

Saturday, Joe got a chance to talk with NFL Network draft guru and overall exceptional football analyst Mike Mayock after he worked the East-West Shrine game at the Fruitdome in St. Petersburg. Attired in a dapper 1920s Chicago gangster pinstripe suit, Mayock touched upon a few hot-button Bucs issues.

JoeBucsFan: What are your thoughts on the job done by Greg Schiano in his first year with the Bucs?

Mike Mayock: Coach Schiano, to me, did a nice job of changing the culture in that building. I think that is what had to happen. Now in Year-2, you have to build on some of that success and go from there.

Joe: Locally, a lot of fans and some radio types have been hounding Gerald McCoy as being soft, injury-prone and grossly overrated. This year, his first full year, he makes the Pro Bowl. Is this the type of player Bucs fans can expect to see or was this a fluke for McCoy?

Mayock: I had him rated ahead of [Detroit tackle Ndamukong] Suh because I thought he was a better pass rusher coming out of college — I thought they were the two best players that year. I think what you saw this past year is what he can be when healthy: dominant in both the run game and the pass game.

Joe: Josh Freeman is really catching heat locally for his meltdown the final month of the season when the Bucs had a clear shot at a playoff berth. When he is off he is really off. When he is on he is dynamite. Will Freeman ever be a top-tier quarterback that can lead the Bucs to the playoffs?

Mayock: I think you just said it. His inconsistencies are frustrating. When you get to the NFL level, inconsistencies cost you football games. With a good run game like they have with Doug Martin, with Vincent Jackson in town, I think they have to augment that offensive line to protect him. But he has to be a more consistent football player to win more games.

Joe: Freeman has had a rotating set of coaches with both his position coaches and offensive coordinators in his four years with the Bucs. Shouldn’t it be expected that he will be more consistent, more comfortable having a full offseason, and a second football season, to work with Mike Sullivan?

Mayock: Oh, yeah. I am a big believer in continuity. It’s partly about who your coordinators and who your coaches are but it is also about players who you play with and are surrounded with. He’s still a young quarterback. I thought his [first full season as a starter] he looked really good. I thought his second year was rough and this past year, he was both good and bad. We are at the point now where he needs to step up and become a more consistent player.