There’s no question that rockstar Bucs general manager Mark Dominik worked through the night scouring the overflowing NFL trash bin after yesterday’s leaguewide cuts.

Joe’s not about to sit here and predict any specific player acquisition, other than Dominik is sure to make at least a couple of plays and the Bucs seem certain to grab a linebacker very soon. There are only five on the roster.

Stephen Holder, of the St. Pete Times, offered up his take on Dominik’s cuts and next moves, some of which Joe disagrees with, such as this one on running backs.

RBs Allen Bradford/Mossis Madu: The Bucs kept sixth-round pick Bradford but released Madu, which seems a bit curious based on preseason performance. The Bucs have a group of backs who are very similar in that none of them possesses the quickness or elusiveness of Madu. LeGarrette Blount, Earnest Graham, Kregg Lumpkin and Bradford are all on the bigger side and run with power — not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Madu will be on the practice squad, which will give him additional opportunity to show his talents to the Bucs’ coaches. But, for now, the Bucs have opted to go without Madu’s skill set, which differs from the other backs who remain on the roster.

Madu had a nothing-special college career that included a drunk driving charge with a very high blood alcohol level. Dominik clearly has little, if any, interest in a scatback type, so Joe never saw any chance for Madu over Bradford. Feel free to read all of Holder’s thoughts by clicking through above.

Bradford, recruited to Southern California as a linebacker, was a special teams ace in college and seemed to embrace the role with the Bucs. John Lynch even gushed over his touchdown saving tackle and hustle in Washington.

This afternoon, the Glazer Family, which owns the Bucs, issued a release concerning the lone former Bucs player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Lee Roy Selmon.

From the very start, Lee Roy Selmon has been there for his team and community. Now, he and the whole Selmon family should know that our family and the entire Buccaneer organization is thinking of and praying for him.

For those waking from a deep sleep, Selmon suffered a stroke in his Tampa home Friday afternoon and, after initially thought to have passed, his brother Dewey and former teammate told the Tampa Tribune Saturday he was stable and improving.

As Joe stated before, if the power of well wishes can rally someone, then Selmon should get a lift from the massive amount of concern so many have for a man who means so much to the area.

CB D.J. Johnson also joined the Bucs secondary over Ahmad Black

Safety Ahmad Black learned the meaning of the “not for long” cliche in a big way today.

The Bucs kept rookie safety Devin Holland, undrafted out of McNeese State, and waived goodbye to Black, their 2011 fifth round pick and former Florida Gators standout and Lakeland High star.

That seems to be Holland’s third crushing blow of the preseason. The first two, on punt coverage against  Kansas City and New England, drew fines from NFL hatchetman Roger Goodell.

At least now Holland can afford those fines, which totalled $15,000, per figures on ProFootballTalk.com.

Joe wonders whether the Bucs’ brass considers Black a bust, or whether this Holland kid is just a gem of a find. Regardless, Black got a high ankle sprain at precisely the wrong time.

Versatile Alex Magee, who had two sacks for the Bucs last year, and sackless Kyle Moore were sent packing tonight, but defensive end George Johnson made the cut.

No, not the legendary NBA shot blocker, last year’s practice squad member out of Rutgers that had a great preseason and beat out a couple of guys with a lot of games under their belt. Joe wonders whether Alex Magee’s weed issues worked against him.

Joe has learned that Johnson and Raheem Morris share the same agent, which never hurts a young man’s chances. And Joe can attest there’s always an extra bond among Jersey guys like Raheem and Johnson. Here’s part of his bio from Buccaneers.com:

Johnson signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent on May 3 after impressing in the team’s rookie mini-camp on a tryout contract.  At Rutgers, the 6-4, 265-pound pass-rusher played in 38 games and compiled 132 tackles, 13 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, two interceptions and three passes defensed.  Though his collegiate career was hampered by a string of injuries, Johnson still peaked as a senior in 2009 with 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.

Johnson showed a great motor during the preseason, and Joe’s pleased to see the kid get a real shot. Now Johnson can pray Mark Dominik doesn”t go on a “second draft” shopping spree in the coming hours, which could put him out of a job.

It is official. The Bucs made their final cuts to get to the league-ordered 53-man roster.

There aren’t any real shocks here but a few surprises that made Joe raise an eyebrow.

Per Buccaneers.com, here are the victims: The highest-profile may be fifth round draft pick Ahmad Black.

RB Armando Allen
C Matt Allen
T Will Barker
S Ahmad Black
T Cory Brandon
QB Rudy Carpenter
G Thomas Claiborne
QB Jonathan Crompton
G Marc Dile (injury settlement)
WR Ed Gant
TE Daniel Hardy
S Dominique Harris
LB Brandon Heath
LB Simoni Lawrence
RB Mossis Madu
DE Alex Magee
LB Tyrone McKenzie
DE Kyle Moore
TE Nathan Overbay
WR Maurice Price (injury settlement)
TE Ryan Purvis
LB/FB Nick Reveiz
K Jacob Rogers
LB Derrell Smith
DT Al Woods

Purvis getting sliced is a bit of surprise and something tells Joe that Hardy may be a practice squad target.

Gant is a slight surprise only that Joe thought he did a fine job when called up. Joe was certain Preston Parker was on thin ice.

Updated just prior to 3 p.m. today, Tampa Tribune reporter Joey Johnston spoke with Lee Roy Selmon’s brother Dewey Selmon, also a former Bucs defensive lineman, and learned Lee Roy Selmon perhaps has turned the corner to improvement.

Lee Roy Selmon was struck down by a stroke Friday at his Tampa home.

Per Johnston, via Dewey Selmon, the lone Bucs player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is in stable condition.

A nursing supervisor listed Selmon, 56, in critical condition as of early this afternoon.

Dewey Selmon said he was told the first 48 hours following a stroke are important and a more definitive condition could be known by the conclusion of the weekend.

“Lee Roy knows that a lot of people care about him and are praying for him,” Dewey Selmon said. “He knows that.”

Also per Johnston, who quoted a former teammate who visited Selmon in the hospital, Selmon was responsive and could recognize family members.

There’s a lot of information in Johnston’s story so Joe suggests you click on the link.

Com’ on, Lee Roy. You’ve got a whole community (Tampa Bay) and a state (Oklahoma) pulling for you man.

Last year the Bucs offensive line seemed to get better as the season wore on, which was very strange.

Why strange? Because injuries decimated the line. Jeremy Trueblood was hurt late in the season and the Bucs had lost Davin Joseph. They also lost Jeff Faine. At times, the Bucs were down three starters.

Yet the team got better up front, which is virtually unheard of.

A lot of people believed the way backup tackle James Lee played ahead of Trueblood, that the young man had beaten out Trueblood for the starting gig at right tackle.

But thus far in preseason, Trueblood has regained his starting role and Jame Lee, playing as a backup left tackle and right tackle, is a shell of his 2010 self.

Some fans wondered if Lee would make the final roster cut he struggled so bad. But not to fear, says ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas. He believes Lee still has a shot of unseating Trueblood, so he mentioned in a recent BSPN NFC South chat.

Andrew Hawkins (WV)

Hey not sure if it went through because it froze up but who do you think should be starting – Trueblood or Lee? I know Trueblood is paid like a starter but I think Lee looks better out there.

Pat Yasinskas

Think they’ll give Trueblood first shot. If he struggles, then you could see a switch.

Yes, there was no question Lee had a rough preseason. But Joe believes part of that is he was playing the left side of the line. For whatever reason, some linemen just play better on one side of the ball; it fits there skill set sometimes.

Joe believes this may very well be the case with Lee. But the way he played in preseason, Trueblood likely would have to impersonate a turnstile for a few games for Lee to dethrone Trueblood.

Word circulated via social media yesterday that the Bucs had cut down to two quarterbacks, releasing Rudy Carpenter and Jonathan Crompton. The official team cut list will be released this evening.

But it seems the Bucs want Carpenter back — for the practice squad, so Twittered Bucs beat writer Anwar Richardson today.

@TBO_Buccaneers Anwar: #Bucs backup QB Rudy Carpenter has officially been released by Tampa Bay. Was offered a practice squad roster.

Joe imagines Carpenter would jump at the Bucs’ practice squad offer while still sniffing around hard for a real job. Any practice squad player essentially is a free agent.

Regardless, Micheal Spurlock is your No. 3 quarterback. Let’s pray he never sees the field.

Joe’ spent most of the morning feeling somber about what happened to Lee Roy Selmon. It really punched Joe in the gut and made him take pause.

For now, anyway, the Bucs don’t seem so important.

But as Joe starts thinking Bucs football again, Joe can’t get out of his head how little work Mason Foster has had and how much he’ll have to perform come Sept. 11. Think about it for a minute. No OTAs. No minicamp. Less hitting in training camp because of new NFL rules. Also, Foster only played 10 snaps in Kansas City and he got the night off against the Redskins on Thursday. In between, he played roughly one game combined against New England and Miami.

Dave Moore talked this week about teams coming after Bucs linebackers. How could they not? Quincy Black, himself, who Joe has never been sold on, also is new in his third-down mike linebacker role.

Plenty of teams have had success with a rookie in the middle of the defense. Jonathan Vilma, with two subpar linebackers around him, walked into the Jets as a rookie in 2004, under Herm Edwards’ Tampa 2 defense, and was a force. Of course, Vilma was a first-round pick and is having a borderline Hall of Fame caliber career.

Yeah, everyone knew Foster was a rookie taking over for Barrett Ruud. That’s old news. But now the reality of it all is staring Joe — and Matt Stafford — in the face. And it doesn’t feel good. Joe will be patient with the growing pains. Joe just hopes they don’t cost the Bucs a win or two.

Joe’s inside sources over at Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa, Port Richey Auto Plaza and Brandon Auto Mall have alerted him to incredible news.

Today through Labor Day each of these fine Ed Morse dealerships is offering its lowest lease prices of the year!! And that’s not just a line of baloney. These fantastic prices really won’t last. And Joe’s hearing that each location is going far, far above and beyond to meet customers’ budgets. … You get the picture.

This is no joke. If you’re looking for a car, truck or SUV, visit Ed Morse locations online or in person today. Or at least call to get the ball rolling. Click the links above or the image below to start shopping. You won’t be disappointed.

Update: 10:01 p.m. As part of an historic screwup, the St. Pete Times has withdrawn its report that Selmon passed away. Joe apologizes to those who were mis-led here.

Update: 7:35 p.m. The St. Pete Times reports that Selmon has died.

Joe’s media partners at WTSP-TV, Ch. 10 are reporting that Bucs legend Lee Roy Selmon had a stroke.

There’s really not much to say. This is a very sad moment.

Joe’s had a chance to talk to Selmon a couple of times, and Joe’s not sure there’s a more genuine guy with top-flight values.

Selmon sounded great on radio while on a bit of a media tour just this week. Unfortunately, he was in the public eye shooting down a false report that claimed he was part of a lawsuit against the NFL by former players. Joe can only imagine how being misrepresented so publicly must have weighed on a man of Selmon’s integrity.

Selmon is in Joe’s prayers.

Today we’ve learned that helping organize lockout practice and flying to Nebraska to watch film with Barrett Ruud doesn’t mean a hill of beans.

Tyrone McKenzie, who did those things this offseason, was cut today, so Twittered Bucs beat writer Anwar Richardson of TBO.com.

@TBO_Buccaneers: Anwar: #Bucs have released LB Tyrone McKenzie #NFL

Considering McKenzie won internal team honors for special teams last season, this comes as a surprise. Apparently, the Bucs see in McKenzie what Bill Belicheat did.

Update: 12:57 p.m. — Richardson, as well as Sirius NFL Radio, is reporting sackless Kyle Moore has been released. CBS Sports Radio also says DT John McCargot is gone, too.  Moore is no surprise, considering Adrian Clayborn, Da’Quan Bowers, Tim Crowder and Michael Bennett were locks at DE. Moore appeared to be coming on but his time has passed.  

Joe literally had to do a double-take when he heard the news. It is so stunning — yet true — all Bucs fans must tune in to listen, if not attempt to call.

For the few Bucs diehards who did not notice, the glorious college football season began last night, granted with a bunch of drek games. Tonight there is a decent game, potentially, and of course Saturday will be a full day-long slate of football with a pair of solid games scheduled for primetime.

It is truly the first Football Friday of this five-month long holiday season known as football season. Naturally, Joe’s good friend “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620 has a dynamite Friday show lined up, as he will have every Friday through the Super Bowl, highlighted each week by an hour-long visit from the great Chris Landry at 5 p.m.

"The Big Dog" Steve Duemig

But today, Landry, and perhaps “The Big Dog” himself, will be overshadowed.

Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer will be a guest of “The Big Dog’s” at 4;30 p.m., and plans to field calls from Bucs fans.

Joe doesn’t know where this will end. The usually reserved Glazer rarely makes public appearances. But just in the past few months, he has spoken to the “The Big Dog” live on the air, the first Joe heard Glazer do such a thing. He also was part of an owners’ roundtable with Stu Sternberg and Jeff Vinik that aired live on WDAE. And last week he appeared live on the Buccaneers Radio Network and on the Bucs television broadcast of the Dolphins-Bucs game, seen via another of Joe’s treasured media partners, WTSP-TV Channel 10.

Now Glazer will take calls from fans. What next? Joe half-expects to learn that Glazer will buy a round of cocktails for patrons next Friday night at The Venue.

For those chained to a computer, Glazer’s appearance can be heard via WDAE’s audio stream on the station’s website.

Click on through below to learn about The Blackout Tour. Not many seats left. Joe knows most people operate at the last minute, but that’s not going to fly for opening day.

When Joe makes a Bucs season prediction like this, he tries to answer as if a team of armed terrorists are before him demanding the correct answer with a knife to his throat.

In other words, Joe takes it seriously. So here goes:

The Bucs’ brass, from Bryan Glazer to Mark Dominik to Raheem Morris, is quick to compare the Bucs’ current construction of a “lasting contender” to the Father Dungy era. Even old school Bucs from that time like John Lynch and Warren Sapp have bought in — that the current plan replicates that of the glory years.

Well, history says that after the 1997 season, Year 2 of the Dungy era when those young Bucs went 10-6 and made the playoffs, the Bucs took a step back to 8-8 and a third-place finish in 1998. And that was with a slew of potential Hall of Famers on the roster and a smothering defense that came off allowing the fewest points in the NFC in ’97.

So what can be expected of the 2011 Bucs, likely the youngest team in the NFL once rosters are finalized soon?

While Joe will cheer and hope for a perfect Bucs season, Joe sees big question marks at linebacker, a team with a ton to prove in its rush defense and pass rush, questionable depth at the skill positions, plus two teams in the division that likely are still better than Tampa Bay. 

Thankfully, Josh Freeman is no Trent Dilfer, and Greg Olson is no Mike Shula, which means a hell of a lot. And the Bucs have plenty of playmakers, from Freeman, LeGarrette Blount, Kellen Winslow and Mike Williams, to Aqib Talib and Ronde Barber. But the Bucs don’t feel at all like a team ready to hit the next level up from the high standard of 10-6 set last year, much like their young counterparts in 1998, who needed one more year to win the division.

Coaching will be a big X-factor. Raheem worked miracles last year with an injury-ravaged roster and rookies and scrap-heap players. Joe doesn’t underestimate the ability of Raheem’s staff and leadership, especially with the addition of Keith Millard. Raheem deserved Coach of the Yearfor 2010, but the jury’s still out on his effectiveness as a defensive coordinator.

It’s painful to think of the Bucs taking a step back from 10-6 last year. But Joe suspects that’s where they’re headed.

Joe’s calling a 9-7 record for 2011. Maybe that’s good enough for the playoffs. It often is. The Bucs finish the season in Atlanta, in what should be an extraordinarily meaningful game.

Bucs wide receiver Ed Gant was one of those annual preseason wonders, a guy who has splash plays in training camp before throngs of overheated patrons and quickly becomes a fan favorite despite doing little in games.

In recent years, that man was Kareem Huggins, for example.

While fans clamored for Gant, the wide receiver position is deep for the Bucs. Gant, who prior to Thursday night had done little against teams with a different color jersey, changed all that against the Redskins.

Gant blew up last night, looked like a star, as much as one can look like a star playing against guys who will drive beer trucks and work as bouncers next weekend.

Gant was so special last night, Bucs fans were pretty much universal on Twitter: Preston Parker should be concerned. Prior to the game, Parker was seen as a bubble player and Gant pretty much an afterthought, perhaps a practice squad candidate.

Those positions flipped in a matter of hours.

But former Bucs linebacker Ryan Nece is not of the mind that Parker should be updating his resume. Speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network postgame show, along with co-host and Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski, Nece believed another Bucs receiver is now in danger of losing his job thanks to Gant blowing up.

That would be “Run Micheal Run” Spurlock.

Spurlock has made clutch plays for the Bucs as a receiver, but he is mostly known as a return man first, so Nece believes, a kickoff returner specifically. With the new rules this season having kickoffs from the 35-yard line, kickoff returners have pretty much been neutered, and this is why Nece believes Spurlock is the odd receiver out.

“Now with kickoffs this preseason, five of every six are touchbacks, so how valuable are kickoff returners now?” Nece asked.

Gant’s play “hurts Michael Spurlock,” Nece said.

It’s an interesting theory. If Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik values Spurlock more as a kickoff return man than a receiver, the NFL may very well have phased Spurlock out of a gig with the Bucs.

Joe was pleased to see Elbert Mack really come to play tonight and cap off a strong preseason. His final line had nine tackles and two passes defensed.

Mack signed a restricted free agent tender after the asinine lockout, so the Bucs were going to pay him for 2011 regardless, but Joe isn’t seeing Mack getting cut anytime soon because of his play.

As for Myron Lewis, this guy just can’t stay healthy. He left tonigh’ts game early with an ankle injury. Yeah, he had a couple of decent games at the end of 2010, but he missed a ton of time last season and more this year.

Cruel as it may be, staying healthy is part of the game, and Lewis can’t do it.

If any Bucs fans stayed up through the fourth quarter of the telecast on WTSP-TV Channel 10, they all but heard Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik pretty much rule out the Bucs keeping three quarterbacks on the active roster.

That didn’t stop Josh Freeman from lobbying for Carpenter to remain with the Bucs.

“First of all, Rudy is a great person,” Freeman said. “In the quarterback room, we all love Rudy. As far as a [being a] quarterback [goes], Rudy is a competitor. These coaches do a great job of bringing in guys that have a passion for winning the games and [who] play well. You saw it last week: Rudy goes out and wins the game. Rudy is a tough guy, a smart guy and we just love having him around.”

Given a chance to pimp himself on the Bucs radio network after the game, Carpenter declined, only speaking of team first.

“I think in games like this you just have to come out and battle and some good things will happen and some bad things will happen and you just hope you put your team in position to win,” Carpenter said.

Doubtful to be agent-driven speculation since it’s an injury matter, St. Pete Times beat writer Rick Stroud is reporting that Bucs rookie tight end Luke Stocker has a fractured hip.

Stroud took to the 1040 AM airwives this evening to explain on Primetime.

“I’ve been told by some folks over there, [Stocker] has kind of a small fracture in his hip,” Stroud said before tonight’s Bucs-Redskins game. “I think it’s healed to the extent it’s not going to be any worse” through the season.

If Stroud’s diagnosis is true, then it could make things interesting for the Bucs’ forthcoming roster decisions. Do you only keep three tight ends when one has chronic knee issues (Kellen Winslow) and another is playing through a fractured hip?

Joe imagines that Daniel Hardy will get the nod at No. 3 tight end. Beyond that, it’s just another interesting element to the final roster decisions.

Joe didn’t make enough of a fuss over Brian Price playing against Miami last week and flashing his trademark burst and coming out of the game healthy.

What a warrior this guy is to return from his horrific hamstring/pelvis surgery.

And there he was tonight getting the start and a pile of snaps against the Washington Redskins’ first-team offensive line. Price was disruptive and it seems he’ll be able to contribute legitimately this season.

Mark Dominik even took to the Ch. 10 airwaves to praise Price for playing about 30 snaps tonight and impressing.

Talk about competition at nose tackle.

Redskins 29, Bucs 24

If you care about the result of this rather meaningless game, it was a tough late loss for the Bucs after a big comeback.

That written, who cares?

Joe will have more on the events of the night later and tomorrow.

Unless Joe missed something, and Joe was looking closely, it seems that Frank Okam and Jeremy Zuttah got the night off.

Hmm, perhaps they’re starters now, since the starters didn’t play?

Okam as a starter is no surprise. He’s the healthiest nose tackle, and he’s been impressive. But has Zuttah gotten the nod over Ted Larsen, who was lousy the last two weeks and has a minor ankle injury?

 The Zuttah-Larsen question should be answered by Monday.