So what the heck are the Bucs actually doing on the field at the IMG Academies?

Well, aside from the obvious drills and position work, Josh Freeman said they ran “40 scripted 7-on-7” plays yesterday. And some were repeated if they didn’t go well, so he told the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, on WDAE-AM 620 Tuesday afternoon.

Among the other interesting nuggets Freeman shared, were that some guys were already complaining about two-a-day practices. No surprise there.

Freeman said today the Bucs will do some red zone work. And Freeman said while Raheem Morris might believe second-year players will be most affected by missing OTAs, he’s not worried.

Freeman said he and his soon to be second year offensive players have put in so much work that he believes they’ll be ready to roll at a high level.

Freeman, who’s not one to single out players, said Mike Williams looks like “a complete animal” while referencing his conditioning and sharpness.

Joe loved the sound of that. The more Joe thinks about it, the more Joe’s realizing how critical Williams is to the offense. The Bucs can’t afford to have him take even a quarter step back.

Davin Joseph is good people. He could big league damned near anyone, and not because he’s bigger than most people.

If one were to see Joseph at the mall or walking down the sidewalk, he’s more apt to stop and talk then give someone the brush off.

Though he’s a South Florida kinda guy (despite playing for Oklahoma), the Tampa Bay area is his adopted home. The free agent right guard would love to retire a Bucs player. But more often than not, that’s a wildly naive thought in today’s NFL.

That’s why when discussing his uncertain status for the 2011 season, Joseph gets visibly depressed.

“You know (sighs), gosh it’s tough,” Joseph said during a break in Day 1 of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp at the IMG Academies in Bradenton. “If you ask me what I want to do versus what is going to happen is two different scenarios.

“I want to stay. But, I have to do what’s best for me and my family. That is the hard part about free agency. You built something here. You love the players and you love the coaches. You love the community. But at the end of the day, it’s a tough decision to make. Hopefully, everything will make sense to stay here.”

While some may suggest the defense would crumble without fellow free agent linebacker Barrett Ruud, Joe cannot emphasize how important it is to have a deep offensive line. That showed last year when three Bucs starters on the offensive line went down with an injury, including Joseph.

Joseph is a solid player if not a Pro Bowl player. A smart player. A good guy.

This is the kind of guy a team should keep, playing on such an important element of a football squad.

Like virtually every person in the Tampa Bay region that calls himself a sportswriter, Joe was at the IMG Academy for the first day of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp, replete with classroom sessions, weight training and the dreaded two-a-days.

Joe could hardly find a player that was hating life, though Gerald McCoy did admit he was struggling with the Florida heat compared to the California heat he was battling throughout the offseason.

The players Joe spoke with generally seemed excited to be back with their teammates and to be on a football field again, albeit in shorts and T-shirts and using IMG football coaches rather than Raheem Morris and his staff.

Two things struck Joe: How players not thought to be leaders accepted leadership responsibility with the absence of their normal position coaches. They took over as substitute coaches of sorts.

One was GMC himself. He physically took rookie Adrian Clayborn under his wing, often showing him how to perform stunts and moves and putting an arm around Clayborn’s shoulder like a father figure.

It really took Joe aback. Here was a guy who didn’t even play a full season his rookie year, had many games where he was frustrated with the (lack of) coaching from Todd Wash, and now there was GMC giving Clayborn whatever knowledge he had.

Impressive.

Then, Joe had another surprise. Joe was talking with cornerback E.J. Biggers and Joe asked Biggers who was coaching up the secondary, like Freeman was the offense and GMC was the defensive line.

Biggers’ answer? Aqib Talib.

“We are all young, somebody has to be the leader,” Biggers said. “Somebody has to step up to the plate. What [GMC] is doing for his defensive linemen, we have guys doing that for the defensive backs, Talib. Yeah, he’s doing that for the defensive backs. We help get each other better.”

Like his teammates, Talib really seemed to be enjoying himself following the afternoon session. He was laughing and joking as he walked off the IMG football fields.

Sure didn’t seem like a guy buried with worries.

Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski has a surprise for you, thanks to the good people of Clear Channel Radio.

Justin will be subbing for Dan Sileo Wednesday and can be heard from 6-9 a.m. on WDAE-AM 620. Joe is confident Justin will talk about the Rays and of course, Justin will discuss Day 1 of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp at IMG Academies in Bradenton. Justin was with Joe there all day Tuesday.

Justin will also replay Steve Duemig’s interview with Josh Freeman and a little birdie has told Joe that he will be interviewed by Justin as well.

Those chained to a computer can listen to Justin streaming live online from the station’s website.

Now Joe doesn’t normally get into the social lives of Bucs players (unless it’s funny, such as the smoking regulations of an Arizona clothing optional establishment.) So why is Joe writing this post?

It explains why Cadillac Williams was absent from today’s first day of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp at the IMG Academies in Bradenton.

Cadillac is getting married this week. Joe’s not sure where but that is why Cadillac won’t be seen around Bradenton the next few days.

Now Joe cannot confirm this but scuttlebutt was LeGarrette Blount, who was also missing from today’s minicamp, is in Cadillac’s wedding party. Again, Joe cannot confirm this.

Nor can Joe confirm if Cadillac is marrying the lovely lass pictured in this post.

Barrett Ruud? Like the rest of the Fourth Estate that descended upon Bradenton today, no one knows for sure.

Fit and feisty, Davin Joseph told the media he wants to stay in Tampa.

Joe knows most free agents want to remain with their teams or at least want to talk the good game to keep their options open and negotiating power in tact.

But Davin Joseph sure seemed genuine in his desire to stay with the Bucs today while speaking to a gaggle of media at the Bucs’ players-only workouts in Bradenton.

“I want to stay,” Joseph said.

But he admitted the NFL is a business and he has to look out for both himself and his family. Joseph suspected that if the asinine lockout drags on, that will mean very short window for teams to sign free agents after a new CBA is reached and, subsequently, there won’t be much of a free agent pool.

“I think you will see a lot of guys stay with their teams,” Joseph said.

Joe’s a big fan of Joseph, but Joe keeps coming back to him getting injured quite often through his career. 

The Bucs would seemingly be wise to lock him up, but Joe’s not going to cry if he’s gone, assuming the rest of the offensive line depth stays in tact. Derek Hardman fought off Ndamukong Suh quite well starting for Joseph, and the Bucs have other guys that can step up.

Don’t think for a second that the Bucs players practicing here in Bradenton today are doing this for show or think it’s just an effort-free, coach-free exercise.

Kellen Winslow issued some hard words to Joe about the meaning of the three-day minicamp.

“Those who aren’t here will have to catch up,” Winslow said.

Asked if that will be difficult for those absent, Winslow said, “We all will have to catch up. This is just [the equivalent of] walking. … “You can lift weights all you want. I have to run routes.”

Make no mistake. The Bucs receivers here are running routes. But Winslow’s point is well taken. There’s no substitute for the learning and pressure of training under the watchful eye of coaches.

Now Joe’s not about to claim intimate knowledge of the personal lives of Bucs players, but one would think the players who want to be Bucs next season would be present — though not necessarily participating — at the players-only, three-day minicamp kicking off today in Bradenton.

Joe’s sniffed around at the scene long enough today to make the call that Barrett Ruud, Cadillac Williams and LeGarrette Blount aren’t here.

Have Ruud and Cadillac already gotten messages from One Buc Palace? Messages that reveal a cool interest in their services for 2011 and beyond?

It’s hard not to speculate.

And, of course, these guys could show up tomorrow.   

Kareem Huggins, Brian Price and Arellious Benn are among the injured Bucs here at today’s minicamp in Bradenton but they’re on the sidelines nursing injuries, Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings reported moments ago.

But there are some banged up Bucs pushing it on the field. Cody Grimm is one of them. His broken leg seems to be a problem of the past, which should bring smiles to Bucs fans.

“I’m sweating. I’m not used to running much, ” Grimm said as he had his beige baseball cap on backwards dripping with sweat trying to catch his breath.

It seems Tanard Jackson is supposed to be here, as well. And with the Bucs drafting two defensive backs, perhaps Grimm wants to make extra sure he’s in top form when the asinine lockout is over.

Joe is sweating his ass off at the Bucs players minicamp in Bradenton. Loving it, but feeling the heat nonetheless.

It seems Gerald McCoy is feeling the same way shouting to Joe, “San Diego heat’s nothing like this. This is intense. I’m telling ya.” Then, McCoy demanded Joe take rip off his Nebraska t-shirt, “Hey man take that shirt off. They are sellouts. They left the Big 12,” McCoy said.

Fun stuff aside, McCoy stands out here as a hands-on leader.

The Bucs are broken up over two fields by position. Each area has a position coach supplied by the IMG football academy. But the D-line coach here is more like window dressing. It’s McCoy who is running drills and constantly bouncing up to coach guys, position them and work with them on their hands and bark out encouragement as they work with dummies.

Across the way, Joe also sees wide receivers are doing drills running through dummies and cathing passes — not yet from Josh Freeman.

McCoy’s leadership interest really stands out.

Gerald McCoy is fired up and leading during D-line drills today

Perhaps a new leader has emerged among the Bucs offensive line, and it’s not Jeff Faine.

This morning free agent Davin Joseph is leading his fellow Bucs offensive linemen through drills at the players’ minicamp in Bradenton.

Hopefully, Joseph will be a Buccaneer when the asinine lockout ends.

Joseph is participating and running through O-line drills with Faine, Jeremy Trueblood and most, if not all, of the offensive line. Joe will update you throughout the day from camp, which is pushing about 50 players.

A shot from Joe at the Bucs players minicamp in Bradenton

Maybe the Bucs want insurance at running back other than “Insurance Graham?”

Justin “The Commish” Pawlowksi, of WDAE-AM 620, looks at one guy the Bucs might consider who wouldn’t command Derrick Ward money. That would be Ronnie Brown, coming off a second-rate season in Miami.

Joe will let you click through to read what The Commish has to say about the Bucs being one of three teams that might strongly sniff Brown.

Joe will say that the end of the asinine lockout will be damn interesting. Teams likely will get a very short window to re-sign their own free agents. If blocking icon Cadillac Williams wants to play the field, then the Bucs will all but be forced to look at free-agent, third-down backs — or a solid fullback.

Graham would do fine in a third-down back/fullback role, but Joe suspects the Bucs are acutely aware that Graham’s durability is a major question mark.

No, Joe’s no Ronnie Brown fan, but he can catch the ball.

Most Buccaneers are scheduled to take to the practice field in Bradenton today and, barring Joe keeling over from the excitement of actually seeing glorious football again, Joe will bring you all kinds of nuggets and information from camp.

Led by Josh Freeman, the Bucs’ effort today kicks off a three-day, players-only minicamp, courtesy of the asinine lockout. 

So it would be wise to check back to JoeBucsFan.com this afternoon, tonight, and all through the week. If you don’t yet follow Joe on Twitter, then this is probably a good time to start.

It’s always interesting to Joe what others outside the Tampa Bay market feel about Bucs players, partially because they are not tainted by perhaps a too cozy relationship, and because said scribes are not worried about retribution for harsh critiques.

Of the many Bucs free agents set to hit the open market when/if this asinine lockout ends, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com isn’t all that won over by them, though he thinks Davin Joseph is the best of the lot.

26. Davin Joseph, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: He is a mauler in the run game who missed five games last season after breaking his foot. Joseph struggles at times with quick tackles in pass protection. He was better in 2007 and 2008 than he was the past two seasons.

Pretty solid take on Joseph. The guy is a beast run blocking and OK to fair on pass blocking. Joe believes that’s an objective assessment.

To many Bucs fans’ delight, Prisco is hardly enamoured by linebacker Barrett Ruud as so many others are. However, as Bucs fans roundly pillory Ruud for his perceived inability to muscle up and stop the run, Prisco instead believes Ruud to be a fine run-stuffer but lacking in pass protection.

38. Barrett Ruud, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I had him ranked higher on an earlier list, but after evaluating him I am not as high on him. He’s a good player, not a great one. He does have a knack for getting to the football, but he sometimes isn’t as good in coverage.

This may be the first time Joe has read someone take Ruud to task for not-so-great pass defense. Interesting.

For those wondering, Prisco has linebacker Quincy Black rated No. 43.

Plenty of Bucs fans probably forgot, or never knew, that wide receiver Mike Williams was courted to play basketball for Syracuse University.

Yes, before realizing he was 100 percent football star his freshman year at Syracuse, Williams thought he might be the next Louis Orr, Billy Owens, Rafael Addison, Carmelo Anthony, or another sharpshooter from Orangemen past.

It seems Williams still has his love of hoops in tact after playing in a major 3-on-3 tournament over the weekend in Buffalo.

Still, it was a shocking sight Saturday when Williams, the star wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fired jumpers, battled for body position and accidentally bloodied another player with an elbow during a top men’s division game with the South Buffalo Celtics.

It wasn’t planned.

Williams was supposed to be coaching the team for a friend, but when his big man failed to show up — Williams pulled a Bill Russell.

“I couldn’t leave my team hanging so I went in there,” said Williams, who caught a team-leading 11 touchdowns and averaged 14.8 yards per catch on 65 receptions as an NFL rookie in 2010. “A lot of people were screaming Mike Williams on the sidelines so it feels good to be back home.”

This kind of stuff scares the crap out of Joe. To have a guy the Bucs need on the field for opening day (hopefully) in September banging on the basketball court with an NFL-player target on his back is risky. An ankle sprain at this time of year could plague him all season.

Joe will be much more at peace seeing Williams at Josh Freeman’s minicamp tomorrow running routes and lifting weights.

He’s one of the last guys the Bucs can afford to lose to injury.

Hardly the defensive end getting Bucs fans all hot in the pants for the 2011 season, Stylez White remains firmly on the Bucs radar, so reports the “Whispers” column on ProFootballWeekly.com.

The unsourced rumor mill says the Bucs would want Stylez to return four a fifth season if they can’t re-sign Tim Crowder, who was dubbed “The King of Hustle” by Raheem Morris last year.

There’s a chance that the Buccaneers will consider re-signing DE Stylez G. White, but a source said it’s something they only would do if they were unable to re-sign the defensive end they would rather keep, Tim Crowder. It’s expected that both players will be unrestricted when free agency begins. The Bucs added two rookie defensive ends with their first two picks in the draft, but they would like to have some veteran leadership at the position, and White, who has been criticized by head coach Raheem Morris for his practice habits, might not set the example the Bucs want for rookie DEs Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers.

Joe would like to see the Bucs bring back Crowder, who likely will be an unrestricted free agent. The guy has an unreal motor and is a big contributor on special teams. Plus he’s young (turns 26 this week) and relatively productive (6.5 sacks over past two seasons).

Now Joe also respects Stylez’s game. The guy is a far more proven backup defensive end than Crowder, and he’s durable. Say what you want about Style’s interest (or disinterest) in practice, the guy’s only missed one game in four years with 24 sacks in that time.

But Joe can’t help but remember an offbeat story in the St. Pete Times about how frugal Crowder is.

And Crowder’s frugal ways, from cutting his own hair to driving a 2003 Honda Malibu (an upgrade over his college car, a 1979 Cadillac DeVille), have earned him another label.

“Some people call me downright cheap,” Crowder said, laughing. “I just like to save my money. You never know when hard times come. It’s just how I am. It’s how I was raised.”

Considering how money-focused Crowder is, or “cheap” as he called it, maybe Crowder is simply going to jump ship to the highest bidder.

Surely the guy is going to command serious attention on the free agent market, and there’s no reason to think the Bucs will break the bank for Crowder when they’ve got alleged weed enthusiast Alex Magee, Michael Bennett, Da’Quan Bowers, Adrian Clayborn, sackless Kyle Moore and possibly Stylez to choose from.

A lot of Bucs fans have clamored for Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik to throw wads of cash at convicted felon and former inmate Plaxico Burress to play wide receiver for the Bucs.

Never mind the reason why the Steelers cut him and the Giants quickly washed their hands of him once he was arrested for packing a loaded rod in his sweat pants in a packed night club, only to have the gun discharge and leave Burress with a hole in his leg. People actually believe in a 34-year old man (he’l be 34 when the NFL begins its 2011 season) who hasn’t played a game of football in two years.

Seems BSPN blogger Pat Yasinskas thinks this — and Dominik signing other big-named veteran free agents — is a pipe dream as much as Joe, so he noted in a recent chat hosted by the four-letter.

Nick (New Hampshire)

I read you article about how the Bucs are way below the salary cap, who do you think they will try to sign once free agency starts? Do you think that they will try to get Plax?

Pat Yasinskas

Plax? Think about it — he’s a 33-year-old WR. Bucs have bunch of good young WRs. They’re in a youth movement. Plax just doesn’t fit with what they’re doing.

ike (washington, dc)

I’m confused by your repeated appeals to the Bucs’ youth movement as a reason that they won’t be interested in older veterans. Doesn’t a team want some veterans to provide some leadership and experience?

Pat Yasinskas

They’ve got Ronde Barber. They’ve also got some good young leaders, mainly Josh Freeman.

Exactly. If the Bucs were in need of a veterans to help guide the young players, last year would have been it, when the Bucs fielded the youngest team in the NFL. And what did that team do? It went out and won 10 games.

So if the Bucs were able to get by quite well without veterans on the roster last year, exactly why would Dominik do a 180 this season? He wouldn’t.

So if people think Dominik is going to throw cash in the face of players like Burress, it isn’t happening.

The fist bumping dynamic Bucs duo from TBO.com, Anwar Richardson and Roy Cummings, is back — video style — to weigh in on the lockout, Josh Freeman and more.

Why is Cummings worried about the Bucs defense? Click the arrow below and check it out. (One of these days Joe must get one of these dapper gentlemen on JoeBucsFan TV.)

Joe was planning a rage-free Sunday, but that ended early when Joe read the latest proclamation from St. Pete Times beat writer Stephen Holder.

It seems Holder has mounted a thoroughbred and is selling the concept that the Bucs owe their free agents a great-faith effort to re-sign them otherwise the owner and management are nothing more than hot air salesmen.

Whether you remain skeptical or buy every word of it, the moment of truth has arrived for the Bucs’ stated intent to lock up their up-and-coming players.

For a team that has consistently, though not wrongly, eschewed free agency and maintained that its wish is to invest in homegrown talent, the opportunity has arrived to make good on those promises.

If, as anticipated, the collective bargaining agreement being negotiated includes provisions for players with four or more years of experience to earn unrestricted free agent status, the Bucs will have many such players to make decisions on, including MLB Barrett Ruud, G Davin Joseph, LB Quincy Black, RB Cadillac Williams and OT Jeremy Trueblood.

The Bucs will make earnest attempts to re-sign them or watch them walk. The latter route would mean the Bucs would be taking a path different from the one promised since the Jon Gruden-Bruce Allen regime was still in place.

Sorry, Joe doesn’t think the Bucs would be breaking a promise if Cadillac Williams, Jeremy Trueblood, Quincy Black, Barrett Ruud, etc., are encouraged to test the free agent market and, possibly, move on.

What’s always been implied/understood in the Bucs’ stated interest in re-signing “homegrown” free agents is the simple fact that the Bucs value the players and think they’re better than whoever else might be available.

Joe doesn’t want the Bucs re-signing guys on principle; Joe wants the Bucs paying guys who have major game and are worth the money. Trueblood probably isn’t that guy. Black probably isn’t that guy. Cadillac probably is. Ruud is surely on the bubble, depending on his contract demands.

Let them all walk if the guys behind them are better or there’s another team’s free agent who’s a better fit.

This isn’t girl scouts or some lame second-grade soccer league where kids aren’t allowed to keep score and everybody has to be nice to little Jonny and play fair.

A new labor agreement will force the Bucs to spend a pile of cash. Joe expects Mark Dominik to spend in whatever way puts the Bucs in a spot to get a ring, not to live up to a media sound byte or an exact philosophy.

The Bucs' often despised owner fought his owner comrades to get games televised

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe brings you THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the team goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t.

Today, THE OPTIMIST serves up an intriguing history lesson exploring the positive impact of Hugh Culverhouse. Joe learned a few things. Enjoy.

Whenever anyone wants to pin blame on the old Orange Bucs’ 14 years of losing seasons, one word comes to mind: Culverhouse. That’s Hugh Culverhouse, first owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He has been accused of being cheap, racist and greedy, yet amazingly I’m going to tell you that at one time, Culverhouse was the epitome of what an NFL owner should be!

To be entirely correct, Culverhouse was not even the first owner of the Bucs, or at least he wasn’t supposed to be. Tom McCloskey, a Philadelphia builder was the original franchise winner (Imagine that, a Phily guy owning the Bucs). McCloskey took a closer look at what was involved and passed. The NFL turned to a Jacksonville tax lawyer who made millions in real estate. Culverhouse put $4 million down and bought the Bucs.

Big deal you may say, we knew he had money; but you didn’t know he spent money did you?

Big Names, Big Bucks

At that time, John McKay was like Jimmy Johnson or Steve Spurrier; an innovative coach who created the I formation and his style of the 3-4 that shut down running teams. Culverhouse lured McKay from his cushy home in Southern Californai where he was winning national championships every few years.

Before luring McKay to the Bay Area, Culverhouse got Oakland Raiders GM Ron Wolf to come to the Bucs and fill the same role. “Build a championship team like you built the Raiders.”  So in 1975, the Bucs had their architect, then he set out to develop the right look. Wolf was responsible for building a Bucs team that won a division championship faster than any other franchise ever had, in four years. Wolf would later build the 1990’s Green Bay Packers; and Culverhouse spent well for him.

Culverhouse did not want a ‘toothless pirate’ for a logo, he wanted something classy, something Errol Flynn. Bucco Bruce was born of Tampa Times and Tampa Tribune artist Lamar Sparkman. So don’t think Culverhouse wasn’t capable of conjuring up a team that was tough…at the time, the Bucs were the ONLY uniforms with a hand drawn helmet logo. He wanted it classy, and Florida Orange went over so well, 40 years later we’re celebrating it once a year.

Money was no object back then for Culverhouse, who spent $1.75 million on what was then a state of the art scoreboard capable of showing video tapes and animated action. This was after Culverhouse got through the lease with the Tampa Sports Authority, an 80-page document that took 14 weeks to negotiate, and is a better lease for the public that we have now with Raymond James.

Today, the Glazers keep ALL concessions. Back then, Tampa Sports Authority got some of the revenue, too. Not bad for a cheapskate.

Fighting with the Fins

Culverhouse even caught the ire of fellow owner Joe Robbie, whose Miami Dolphins teams had complained about the ongoing preseason exhibition games against the Bucs; that Tampa Bay players were taking it too seriously, and Robbie didn’t want to play the Bucs anymore.

Then there was the issue where Culverhouse single-handedly changed the blackout rule in favor of us, the Public. Culverhouse okayed the Bucs’ local TV to telecast the Bucs/Dolphins preseason game after it sold out. Robbie was old school, and dead set against this.

Back then owners did not want ANY home games — preseason or regular season — on TV; they felt that would generate last-minute ticket buyers, rather than people buying their tickets ahead of time. How wrong the owners had it, and how right and what a visionary Culverhouse was. He strong-armed Robbie into agreeing to the broadcast and the first ever preseason game was on TV.              

Culverhouse understood what it meant to finance a ‘start up’ before the phrase ever even became popular. He knew you had to spend money to make money, and he wasn’t afraid to do it. His famous phrase on the opening night public address system …”We’re here for one reason and one reason only, to bring the fans great professional football (to Tampa Bay)”…and he meant it.

Doug Williams Debacle

So what happened? Well for starters, Doug Williams.

In 1982, Doug Williams was in his fifth and final season, which saw his completion percentage increase each year. Still, when your rookie percentage is 42 percent, you have nowhere to go but up. Keep in mind though this was before the advent of the West Coast offense, back in a day when you ran the ball and took shots downfield. Williams would throw the ball away to live to throw another day; he was one of the least sacked QBs in the league back then, only going down nine times in 1979.

Then negotiations went bad; each side fired shots at the other via the media, which is why you don’t hear things anymore like this. Williams reportedly wanted $600,000 a year. Top QBs back then were Archie Manning (600k), Ken Stabler (450k), Joe Ferguson (440k) and Steve Bartkowski (410k).  Williams was not up to the level of these Quarterbacks yet, it could be argued, but Williams was a leader, a winner.

He was currently being paid $120,000, and he felt it was because of one reason; he was black. John Elway was a rookie and signed a $1 million contract, as had Dan Fouts. At some point, though, Williams request went up to $850k. Eventually the Bucs offered $600k, but it was too late. The Bucs had signed Jack Thompson, paid him $200,000, then offered Williams an ultimatum; accept the deal by the start of camp, or it’s gone.

So Williams, the Bucs’ quarterback that guided the team to the playoffs three of the past four years, was gone. After he left, the Bucs went 2-14! They traded a No.1 for Steve Deberg a year later, as Jack Thompson did not work out. The Bucs started to lose, and we all know what losing does to a fan base.

In 1986, the Bucs had the No. 1 pick, and wanted Bo Jackson, stellar running back out of Auburn; but Hugh Culverhouse and the Bucs screwed up again. They flew Bo in a private plane and ruined his final eligibility. They then gave him an ultimatum, baseball or football. Doug Williams was telling Bo what to expect from Culverhouse, and Bo chose Kansas City and baseball over Bucs and football.

IF that wasn’t enough, in 1989 Culverhouse claimed the Bucs were losing money, and had to move three home games to Orlando’s Citrus Bowl to expand the local fan base. When Culverhouse passed away, papers showed the Bucs were not only profitable but one of the MOST profitable franchises out there.

His death led to family fights for the franchise that ended with the sale of the Bucs to the highest bidders. In the end, the Culverhouse legacy was a Bucs team that did not even know if it was going to stay in Tampa Bay or not, and then along came the owners known as the Glazers who spent money on the team once again, and turned it into an eventual Super Bowl winning football team.

Raise your hand if you think the Bucs are building to win a Super Bowl this season.

Joe’s guessing not a lot of hands went up.

Perhaps that attitude could change based on how aggressively the Bucs attack free agency, but with two rookie defensive ends and Gerald McCoy and Brian Price coming off major injuries, it’s a safe bet the Bucs realize 2012 is more likely their year when it comes to Super Bowl aspirations and roster-building.

Of course, Joe and every other fan will be filled with optimism once the asinine lockout is lifted, but that’s not the point here.

Yesterday evening, Joe nearly drove off US Hwy. 19 listening to NFL draft guru and noted Barrett Ruud critic Justin “Commish” Pawlowski on WDAE-AM 620. The Commish was on board with the idea of the Bucs making Ruud their franchise player in 2011, assuming the asinine lockout ends and teams are given a shot to tag a franchise player before free agency begins.

Here’s The Commish’s logic on franchising Ruud:

1) Either Mason Foster or Tyrone McKenzie is unlikely to be ready to fill Ruud’s shoes, especially with a shortened offseason. Plus there’s no guarantee Adam Hayward re-signs.
2) Ruud can mentor the young linebackers and the Bucs would only have to pay him about half the $20 million guaranteed he’s probably seeking with a long term deal.
3) The Bucs, under a new labor agreement, are likely to have to spend major cash to reach a salary cap floor in 2011. Franchising Ruud helps them get there and frees up the money in 2012.

All sound points, however Joe’s just not on the bandwagon. If the Bucs think durable, 28-year-old Ruud is their guy after watching him play for six years — Raheem’s quarterback of the defense — then they should offer him a long term deal they think he’s worth and get it over with. 

If not, they should let him walk and let the young guys McKenzie and Foster slug it out. And may the most violent, heady player win and the get the experience in 2011.

In Joe’s mind, franchising Ruud would just be a weak play that might not have a happy ending. First, if Ruud plays pretty well, then what? The Bucs will be stuck paying him more money in 2012 in a year they might really want the cap room, or be forced to let him walk.

Second, Ruud might be bitter as hell if he knows the Giants or some other team would have offered him double the guaranteed money.

Third, for those who think Ruud is softer than a 38DD rack, that means more of the same in 2011.

Joe’s confident the Bucs know exactly what they want to do with Ruud. So Joe thinks they should just do it — even if it threatens to cause riots in the streets of Tampa.