Bucs icon and preseason game analyst John Lynch has spilled the beans: retired Bucs left tackle Paul Gruber is the next inductee into the Bucs Ring of Honor.

The Buccaneers are scheduled to make an official announcement tomorrow, but Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune talked to Lynch, who expressed his approval of the pick.

Gruber spent his entire 12-year career with the Bucs, playing left tackle for them from 1988 to 1999. He was a three-time All-Pro selection but spent most of his career playing in relative anonymity.

“He was a guy that really didn’t like being in the limelight very much, but it’s good now that he’s finally going to be in the limelight,” Lynch said. “I’m really happy for him. He really deserves this.”

Joe believes Gruber fully deserves the honor. However, Gruber getting in this year is interesting and surely makes it hard to predict where Team Glazer will go with the Ring next season. There are still deserving older Bucs like Doug Williams and Ricky Bell, plus Hardy Nickerson and all the glory-years Bucs. And Malcolm Glazer surely would be a deserving choice.

Congrats to Gruber, who suffered and thrived through so many years of orange woe before the Bucs made the playoffs in 1997, his 10th season.

Joe could watch Bucs receivers P.J. Fleck coach all day long. This guy would be a celebrity if the Bucs ever embraced Hard Knocks.

Fleck, a former 49ers receiver and Rutgers coach, is animated, energetic, loud, and he’s a hands-on guy, whether it’s repetitively covering receivers or getting in their faces. He works everyone hard — praise or hounding. And at 31 and fit, he sure looks like he can run with these guys.

Joe spent a lot of time watching Fleck work with receivers today at One Buc Palace, and here are some observations:

Preston Parker routinely was praised all day, except for a play during a drill late in practice that had Fleck covering Parker who dropped a tough pass. Parker jogged back to his teammates and Fleck got on him for not picking up the ball he dropped. He made Parker come back and pick it up off the turf.

Clearly to Joe, Fleck was working Mike Williams harder than the other guys. A lot of extra help and focus seemed to be on Williams, who was not happy when he dropped a roughly 10-yard  pass with Fleck covering him in drill that featured tight coverage.

Dezmon Briscoe got his share of Fleck love, but also found his wrath. “Don’t take the easy way out,” Fleck barked at Briscoe after his turn in a drill to break press coverage at the line of scrimmage.

Tiquan Underwood earned some praise, and Fleck was hard on Sammie Stroughter, who seemed to struggle in the press-coverage drill.

Ed [Gant] was a favorite target of Fleck. Gant had a bad drop and lost track of his feet on a 1-on-1 drill that saw him catch a pass in the flat. “Be aware of where you’re at. That was out of bounds. Chin. Chin. Chin,” Fleck screamed.

Gant repeatedly got the “chin,” referring to where to tuck the ball after the catch. And there was more grilling of Gant on post-catch details. At one point Fleck screamed at Gant “the fastest way to the end zone is that way,” pointing out how Gant should have made a sharper cut after a catch in a drill with no defense around. That was a moment that made Joe laugh, but it was a telling moment illustrating how Team Schiano is on every last detail.

Fleck didn’t have much for Vincent Jackson today, but that could be because the guy is so silky smooth in every thing he does, there’s nothing to say.

Update: The luxury bus is staying for the postgame concert on June 17. We’ve had many sellouts this season, so don’t wait too long.

The sizzling Rays are back home next week. So it’s time to have more fun going to Rays games and save money.

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Joe was on the front lines today, watching intently as the Bucs participated in their latest OTA of the spring.

(Yes, despite the summer-like weather, it is still technically spring for a couple of weeks).

* Offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan gets hands-on and intense working with receivers.

* Bucs coach Greg Schiano personally conducts what appears to be a linebackers drill to practice coverage and stuffing holes. Upside down trash cans represented gaps.

* Rookie wide receiver Ahmad Lewis made a nice move on old veteran Ronde Barber by sprinting right at him forcing Barber to quickly backpedal. Then, Lewis cut hard to his right over the middle getting good separation.

* Vincent Jackson sliced through the secondary, all the while biting the football.

* Once again, Michael Smith gets practice time with the first team, once catching a swing pass to the left side, quickly racing through the defense.

* Schiano could be heard telling players as they ran between stations, “Run like you have the ball!”

* Schiano likes detail in running his offense. “Start at the 31-yard line and go to the building.”

* There was a Dezmon Briscoe sighting!

It was great to see Bucs’ first-round pick Doug Martin back on the field working hard with his running back mates today. It was the most work he’s seen yet in an OTA.

Martin, aka Muscle Hampster, has been nursing a pulled hamstring that he told Joe is now at “95 percent.”

Martin raved about running backs coach Earnest Byner after practice. “The stuff that he’s feeding us running backs, I wish I had it in high school,” Martin said.

The leader of the New Schiano Order also was pleased to see Martin back on the field. Schiano said he already can feel the “vision” of Martin. That’s the stuff you “can’t teach,” Schiano said of his possible bell cow back.

One of the more intriguing comments from Greg Schiano after OTA practice at One Buc Palace today was in response to questions about Mason Foster.

Schiano wanted to make it clear that Foster isn’t necessarily the Bucs’ starting middle linebacker.

“I still don’t know, to be frank with you,” Schiano said.

The leader of the New Schiano Order had previously mentioned that he’s still “mixing and matching” at linebacker to determine what’s best, noting that there’s so much “nickel” played in the NFL, which only requires two linebackers on the field.

Of course, Schiano may just be playing everything very close to the vest, as are his players. Joe got a laugh when Mason Foster, who has shaved off his flowing locks, told a reporter that the mike linebacker role in the Schiano defense was “the same” as in the Raheem regime.

The fancy lightning detection equipment at One Buc Palace just went off after 11:30 a.m., which brought Greg Schiano to bark “to the locker room” and his Buccaneer Men followed in a sprint. 

As Joe waits out the delay, Joe wants to share a recent sighting of LeGarrette Blount working directly in front of Preston Parker as the lead blocker sort of speak on kickoff returns. Schiano zeroed in during this drill on that position, and the head coach was all over Blount on his technique and approach, running out to about the 25 yard line to show Blount where he erred and to coach him up.

Running back hopeful Robert Hughes was next up in that role in front of Parker, and Schiano was effusive with his praise for Hughes’ blocking and then turned to Blount and barked, “Did you see that?”

Next up was undrafted rookie De’Anthony Curtis in front of Sammie Stroughter. Schiano was visibly upset with Curtis’ blocking, jumping up and slapping his leg, and as the team was running off for a brief break, Schiano called out, “Come here Curtis. I’ll tell you what you did wrong.”

Joe’s got plenty more from practice, so check back through the day.

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Joe sees the Bucs signed free agent defensive end Wallace Gilberry yesterday and Joe is forced to take notice.

No, the 27-year-old Gilberry is not a superstar.

However, he had seven sacks in 2010 for the Chiefs as a 3-4 defensive end playing part-time in 16 games. For Joe, any young guy not to far out of a strong season like that has to be taken seriously. Gilberry had a dropoff in 2011 for the Chiefs, but he wasn’t injured and didn’t miss a game over the past three seasons, so it’s not like the Bucs are getting damaged goods.

Joe found this Gilberry analysis from Arrowhead Addict most intriguing.

Gilberry was kind of a victim of unfortunate circumstances. He was picked up by the Herm Edwards regime when the Chiefs were still running a 4-3 defense. The next season, however, Herm Edwards was gone and so was the 4-3 defense. Gilberry was kind of a fish out of water in the 3-4. He wasn’t quite fast enough to play OLB and was too small to handle the run at DE.

Despite all that, Gilberry managed 7 sacks in 2010, which was second highest on the team. He did so as a sub-package pass rusher. He also added 4.5 sacks during the dismal 2009 season.

In 2011, however, Gilberry took a step back. In 2011 he saw his role diminish significantly and he only registered ten tackles and 2.5 sacks. Part of this may have been that Gilberry added some weight for the 2011 season in an attempt to be a better fit in KC’s 3-4 scheme.

Personally, I thought the Chiefs should have tried to trade Gilberry to a 4-3 team following the 2010 season. I feel like they could have gotten upwards of a 4th round pick for him. After last season, however, his stock was lowered.

I expect big things from Wallace in Tampa Bay. Don’t be surprised if he joins Jason Babin as a former Chief who hits hit big elsewhere.

So maybe Gilberry really is a solid 4-3 end who was stuck in the wrong system and made the most of it. Joe can dream, right? The Bucs are aching for defensive line depth since the loss of Da’Quan Bowers.

Undrafted after a first-team All-SEC season at Alabama in 2007, Gilberry clearly has put in the work to prove himself and overachieved. The Bucs are banking on that continuing.

It’s time to fire up a fun debate again. Coming Wednesday is the unveiling of the latest inductee to the Bucs Ring of Honor.

Of course, the Bucs have loads of deserving names to join the ranks of John McKay, Lee Roy Selmon and Jimmy Giles in the Ring.

Personally, Joe hopes the Bucs stay old school and have picked either Ricky Bell or Doug Williams, to take another step to restore the old Krewe of Honor. For those unfamiliar, the Krewe of Honor with McKay, Williams, Selmon and Bell, was part of the old Tampa Stadium but was demolished with the structure in 1997.

Of course, the Bucs could honor Williams and Bell in later years and energize loads of fans by inducting a Buccaneer from the Dungy-Gruden glory years.

Hardy Nickerson Day?

It’ll be interesting to see what direction the Bucs go.

Joe wrote a lot about Greg Schiano’s interview with Mike Florio of PFT Live on Friday, but now the full interview is available from NBC Sports. If you’re not listening to Joe hosting the noon to 3 p.m. slot on 1010 AM today, then here’s another entertainment option for you.

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

Ever wanted to argue with Joe about the Bucs or anything else in the sports world?

Well, today is your chance to do just that. From noon to 3 p.m., the voices of Joe will be fully caffeinated and lathered up for high-energy debate while they take hold of the CBS Sports Radio 1010 AM airwaves filling in for Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski.

Joe fully expects to go very deep into the most pressing debates swirling around the Bucs offseason, and Joe will let loose on the Rays and plenty of other matters of interest to sports fans.

Joe’s got quality guests lined up, and Joe expects to deliver an exhilirating and entertaining sports radio experience.

Don’t be a stranger. Listen live at 1010sports.com, and dial in at (888) 404-1010. Text the show at 44010.

Anyone watching the NFL Draft has noticed the rather romantic embraces many draft picks give Roger Goodell, and how the commishioner can’t seem to get a enough touching.

Perhaps this relatively new phenomenon is just a ratings ploy by Goodell, an effort to get people talking and watching after a name is called, versus running to the fridge for more beer or heading out to take the dog for a quick squirt.

Regardless, Goodell was asked about the intimate hugs last week by Sports Business Daily during an interesting and wide-sweeping interview. He credited Gerald McCoy for getting the ball rolling in 2010.

Q: What’s up with the NFL draft hugs? They’re getting uncomfortably long.
Goodell: It’s funny. I meet with all the draft-eligible players the day before. They always ask: what’s that moment like? These kids have been dreaming about this and working towards this. This is their moment. They’ve finally made it into the NFL. There was no surprise for Andrew [Luck]. He knew the Colts were taking him but when he walked out on the stage it was that moment of achievement and triumph. For me, to be part of that, is a cool thing. But these guys, they wrap you up. The first guys that did it to me was Gerald McCoy a few years ago. He hit me so hard I thought I was going off the stage.

Joe certainly hopes this is not how McCoy is remembered when the annals of Bucs history are written.

Two years ago Josh Freeman was the talk of the NFL. The Bucs quarterback put up astounding numbers, specifically his touchdown-to-interception ratio that was an otherworldly 25 touchdowns to six interceptions.

Freeman was so good, he nearly led the Bucs to the playoffs, as the Bucs lost out in a tiebreaker to the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers.

Last year expected almost as much from Freeman (which, in retrospect, was unrealistic), Freeman regressed terribly.

Joe believes there were many factors in Freeman’s step backwards. The Bucs coaching staff, for reasons incomprehensible, decided to ignore the rushing attack and put all the pressure on Freeman’s shoulders.

When Kellen Winslow became more distraction than asset and teams figured out how to double- and triple-team Mike Williams, the result was Freeman’s 22 interceptions.

Now there is a valid question Bucs fans may have: Is Freeman the quarterback we witnessed in 2010 or the quarterback we witnessed in 2011?

Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik believes it is the former, so reports Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

Freeman’s dedication to improving on last year’s disappointing 16-touchdown, 22-interception effort is very encouraging, Dominik said during the Sneaker Soiree roundtable.

“He’s an extremely competitive person and this offseason, all on his own, he’s already lost 15 pounds,” Dominik said. “He looks like a different person.

“And even though he’s still a baby in the NFL, he knows that life in the NFL can be short and so he’s done everything he can to devote himself not only to being a better football player but to learning the new system. I’m very encouraged that he takes his job that seriously.”

Well, just judging by what Joe has seen of the Bucs practicing — and Joe hasn’t been able to get much of a look at Freeman yet — the signs for a rebound are there.

There is no question under the New Schiano Order that Greg Schiano is determined to run the ball, just the opposite of last year’s offensive coordinator Greg Olson.

Further, the Bucs have acquired help for LeGarrette Blount by drafting Muscle Hamster Doug Martin and scatback Michael Smith.

Besides, it’s not that difficult to improve on 22 interceptions.

A fan seemingly preparing for the ouster of rockstar general manager Mark Dominik fired a question off to ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas about the job security of the Bucs’ big cheese during a live chat Friday.

Apparently, this fan doesn’t believe the bold assumption floated by Tampa Bay Times writer Stephen Holder that Dominik has already been stripped of much of his power, and neither does Yasinskas, based on his response.

Jared (Tampa): Pat, lets kick this chat off early…Do you think if we do not see key drafted players have a strong season for the Buccaneers Mark Dominik will still be with us this time next year? Who are the players that need to have strong seasons besides Freeman and Clayborn?

Pat Yasinskas: If they have a bad record, yeah, he could be on the hot seat. But I think you’ll see some progress from the Bucs this year. I’d throw Gerald McCoy (if he stays healthy) into that category on your second question. And I think this year’s first three draft picks also will make pretty instant impacts.

Sure, Dominik could be in hot water if the Bucs don’t show progress in 2012, but for Joe this is more of the talent-vs.-performance debate. Clearly Dominik has made bad moves, but he’s also had top-shelf calls on his watch. Joe’s mindset during and after last season was the Bucs were most vicitimized by coaching gone terribly wrong than anything else. You can’t open 4-2 with wins over two playoff teams and then blame the GM for a historic collapse.

That written, after four seasons, 2009-2012, Dominik surely will have a much more complete record on which to be judged.

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Expect new Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan to run an offense similar to the Giants'.

Joe is asked this question often, mostly on Twitter:

What kind of defense will Greg Schiano run?

Nobody short of Schiano really knows. Every time he is asked this question, he gives some evasive answer such as, “We will run some four-man fronts and some three-man fronts.”

Translation: Wait until September to see.

The question Joe cannot remember any fan asking him yet is, “What kind of an offense will Greg Schiano run?”

Well, it will be a run-first offense for sure, since the Bucs loaded up on running backs in the draft and added Carl Nicks. Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune is of the mind that the Bucs will run Mike Sullivan’s offense, which will be a version of the New York Giants, offense. That’s what Cummings detailed in a TBO Bucs Q&A.

Q: Coach Schiano impresses me by trying to instill work ethics back in the Bucs. His selection of experienced ex-pro assistants and his style are impressive. My concern is his ability to develop a pro-caliber offense. The Rutgers offense was mediocre by college standards and the jump to the NFL is a concern. Can Schiano make the leap scheme-wise?

Al, Belleview

A: Well, the Bucs aren’t going to run Schiano’s offense. They’re going to run his defense and Mike Sullivan’s offense. We’re still not sure what Sullivan’s offense will look like but the word we have from the players we’ve talked to, including QB Josh Freeman, is that it will look a lot like what the New York Giants have been running lately. That makes sense since Sullivan came from the Giants, where he was receivers coach and then quarterbacks coach. That offense has won two Super Bowls so it must be rather effective. It’s primarily a rush-oriented attack that takes shots down the field, which is definitely what Schiano wants.

— Roy Cummings

While the Giants do like to the throw the ball downfield, it’s a run-first offense, even with Eli Manning at quarterback. The Giants have thrown two- and three-headed running back monsters at defenses.

This tells Joe right there that not just Muscle Hamster and LeGarrette Blount will get plenty of work, but scatback Michael Smith could see plenty of touches.

Joe thinks about the Bucs’ 2012 linebacker corps and instantly becomes nervous and edgy. Lavonte David has big-time potential, but he’s a rookie. Mason Foster has a lot to prove in all phases of his game, and Quincy Black is, well, Quincy Black.

It would be an absolute stunner if those three guys aren’t starting, so that’s Joe’s feeling about them at this point. Joe really has no confidence and simply hopes the unit can rise up this season and become a middle-of-the-pack NFL linebacking corps.

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik, however, says he’s “comfortable and optimistic” when it comes to Bucs linebackers, so he told the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, Thursday on WDAE-AM 620.

Dominik painted a picture of David working hard to earn first-team status, reiterated that Foster led all NFL rookies in tackles last year while the Bucs put an incredible load on his plate for a rookie, and Dominik said Quincy Black has moved over to “his natural position” and “we’re expecting that he should play a good SAM position.”

Joe hopes Dominik is on the money, but Joe can’t bring himself to be “optimistic” about the 2012 linebackers as a unit, not without an iron clad guarantee that Gerald McCoy shows up to work every day and plays like a No. 3 overall pick. Every other position? Sure, Joe can easily be optimistic.

The leader of the New Schiano Order took to the Tropicana Field mound to toss out the first pitch at the Rays-Orioles game tonight. Sadly, reports on the Rays official website claim Greg Schiano threw a screamer that went far over guest catcher Joe Maddon’s head and to the backstop.

Earlier in the day on Pro Football Talk Live, Schiano said he was “going to throw my high cutter and see if it won’t come down over the plate.” Apparently, Schiano’s mechanics were off.

Joe was a bit surprised Schiano didn’t don a Rays jersey or at least a Rays hat for the festivities, as Raheem Morris and other Bucs players have done previously when bestowed the same honor.

As you can see in the photo, Schiano stuck with his Bucs polo.

Update: SOLD OUT for June 2 and June 3. The luxury bus is staying for the postgame concert on June 17.

The Rays are back home this weekend. So it’s time to have more fun going to Rays games and save money.

Get your butt on the No Excuses Tour chauffeured luxury bus to Tropicana Field, courtesy of Paradise Worldwide Transportation and Lee Roy Selmon’s.

You get to ride in style — with beer and food in hand — and get dropped off right at the gate!!

Click on through to grab a seat, and get all the details at NoExcusesTour.com.

Don’t flush your gas and parking money down the toilet. More than 700 fans have enjoyed the Tour. Get on board!

Don’t look for the New Schiano Order appearing on Hard Knocks in future seasons. Greg Schiano explained his feelings during an interview today with Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk Live on NBCSports.com.

The Bucs head coach prefers to keep things as tight-lipped as possible.

“I personally am not a big fan of it,” Schiano said about the realities of a team being on Hard Knocks.

“I’m kind of more of a private guy. I look at my family and the Buccaneer family as kind of the same.”

The relaxed interview was a good peek inside Schiano, and it’s pretty clear Schiano won’t be coming out with any “race to 10” slogans anytime soon.

Asked to detail what would represent success for the Bucs in 2012, Schiano said his managerial focus is getting the most out of everyone daily and he doesn’t focus on end results.  Schiano said his approach starts daily with himself, and then moves to everyone around him and holding everyone accountable.

It’s “wasted time” and “wasted energy,” Schiano said, to worry about the Bucs’ potential record.

“I peform for an audience of one, and it’s no one down here,” Schiano said, seemingly referring to a Higher Power and not team ownership.

Asked about struggling attendance in Tampa, Schiano says a major key to filling the stadium is “giving the community what they’re asking for.” He went on to explain he always tries to remember that fans want and expect an entertaining product.

If/when audio of the interview becomes available, Joe will serve it up here later.

Keen readers of Joe know how, though he is also a baseball fan, Joe has nearly been driven away from the sport by the stat geeks.

Stats, when used with reason, can sometimes be enlightening. But the glut of made-up acronyms — all borne out of fantasy baseball — is mind-numbing if not distracting. The nonsense a couple of Sundays ago on a Rays TV broadcast where viewers were hit over the head with this statistical graffiti was worse than nuns belting students over the head with a pointer over an algebra lesson.

Joe had to turn the sound down and turn the radio on for relief.

Joe learned a long time ago, in high school in fact, that anyone can concoct any statistic they wanted to prove just about any premise.

Again, a stat can shed light on a subject when used correctly. This brings Joe to Greg Olson.

Joe had railed all last season, and still pounds his fist on the bar, about how underutilized LeGarrette Blount was last year. Yeah, Olson came up with all sorts of excuses not to give him the ball short of Mars is behind the moon.

But it wasn’t just Blount, it was the entire rushing attack. In a story on how the Bucs want to really run the ball this season, eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune unearthed a statistic so unnerving to Joe, he almost spit his coffee on his keyboard.

Schiano’s predecessor, Raheem Morris, also stressed physicality, but the Bucs ran the ball only 346 times in 2011, the fewest rushing attempts in franchise history during a non-strike season.

Facepalm!

This little nugget right there may have been a major cause of why the Bucs tailspinned into their grotesque 10-game losing streak.

Josh Freeman was struggling. Mike Williams was struggling. Kellen Winslow was struggling. You had a guy in the backfield who averaged five yards a carry the previous season and a line built for run-blocking, but damn the torpedoes, we’re throwing the ball, boys!

Sure, the Bucs were behind often so they had to throw the ball, Joe gets that. Notice this record was not set in 2009 when the Bucs won a grand total of three games, were behind terribly in most of those games, and had no rushing attack to speak of.

And people wonder why Olson was fired?