Wright reminded Bucs fans of his status during some wee hours Twitter shenanigans today.

The wild and wacky world of Twitter was buzzing a few short hours ago (yes, Joe wasn’t sleeping well) when a Bucs fan got under the skin of @EWrighteous21, aka Bucs letdown corner Eric Wright.

The pissing match started when Bucs fan @SeanSogan sent the following public Twitter message to Wright shortly after 2 a.m: “Dude u tweet Too much. U should be worried about workin out and talkin to ur agent. B/C u aren’t on an NFL team. #Adderall“

Wright embraced the shot and advised @SeanSogan of his Tuesday activities to set the record straight. “@SeanSogan Worked out & talked to my agent 2day. Thanks for ur concern. I wish u the best with ur life but im not overly concerned #GoBucs“

Then Mr. Sogan felt the need to loop 98.7 FM radio host and former Buccaneer Booger McFarland, and fellow 98.7 FM host Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski into the mix. Here’s what Sogan tweeted next to them and Wright: “Eric Wright is the next Talib if we don’t cut him, a random overpaid FA.”

And that’s where Wright seemed to start getting annoyed and more intense back and forth began.

From Wright: @SeanSogan @CommishOnline @lsubooger <– check ur facts tho.. Im still here.. I still love u bro

From Sogan: @EWrighteous21 I agree! How’s the adderall..I’m mean Weed, I mean Coke, I mean, whatever other lie u told, congrats on losing your contract.

From Wright: @SeanSogan thats very disrespectful.. I guess ur ok with that.. I dunno what I did to u but watever it is Im sorry.. #LoveAndRespect

From Wright: @SeanSogan And I apologized for that.. What more do u want from me? U get sum sort of gratification from kicking a man while he’s down?

From Sogan: @EWrighteous21 No gratification. Bucs need CB that can play at a pro level for 16 weeks+. Prove to Schiano u can and do it. … … And I’ll be one of your biggest fans. We need talent and commitment

From Wright: @SeanSogan U jus called me Talib and overpaid.. Lol #Unfair

From Sogan: @EWrighteous21 Well, hopefully u have next year to prove it in Tampa. #bucsnation

From Wright, after deleting his messages shown above: Jus realized I really wasted my time by replyin to sum1 who doesnt even have a single follower. Thats the 1st sign of a troll #TheHateIsReal

Joe’s unsure of what to make of all this. Surely, Mr. Sogan was being an ass and provoking Wright, but shame on Wright for being stupid enough to engage a hostile fan on Twitter rather than block him or ignore him. For Joe, this was just more evidence of bad judgment on Wright’s part.

Joe doesn’t expect Wright and his bloated contract, which the Bucs can break without issue because of Wright’s drug suspension, to return next season. But Wright does remain on the Bucs’ roster this morning, while loads of players across the league have been cut this offseason.

As the letdown corner Twittered, “I’m still here.”

After 11 years in the NFL and the 2012 season with the Bucs’ radio team, former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht has great insight into the Bucs’ tight end play.

Speaking on 98.7 FM Sunday afternoon, Becht made it very clear he believes in Luke Stocker and wants to see Mike Sullivan force himself to get the ball to No. 88.

“I like Luke Stocker. I think he’s a guy that can be productive,” Becht said. “I saw signs of him being a good point blocker as the season progressed and moved on, and I think that’s great. In the passing game, they need to force the issue with him. I mean, listen.  He’s their guy. They can build off him. He’s shown signs of improving in blocking, you gotta get this guy the rock. Now is a he a game-breaker tight end? No. But can he run routes properly with good technique and get 40 catches a season? There’s no question in my mind. But they’ve got to make a conscious effort to do that.

“He’s young. He’d building. He’s learning. Get him the rock. He definitely needs a complement. I don’t know if they bring Dallas Clark or not. I think maybe they might look for a younger guy. There might be free agents available. But I think Stocker he’s got to be part of the offense. You gotta force him the ball. They gotta find continuity. He and Josh need to come together and find ways to get him the ball. Mike Sullivan needs to draw some things up. But I think he came along during the season and became a productive blocker. He can be a good tight end, but you got to make sure he’s involved every game, because if he’s not, he’s going to fade out. Just to ask the guy to block, he’s buy into that, he’s a professional football player, but I think he’s good enough to do both.”

Joe knows Bucs fans hear the words “force” and “tight end” and immediately think of the disastrous Freeman-Kellen Winslow relationship of 2012. That’s not what Becht is talking about.

Joe agrees that the Bucs would be well served by diversifying their offense as much as possible, and Stocker, 24, certainly qualifies as a guy on the rise. He stayed healthy last season and looked improved in his second season.

The Bucs, however, would have to commit to working Stocker into the passing offense, otherwise he’d remain a grounded weapon, similar to LeGarrette Blount.

Yeah, this is the time of the year for dreaming. Bucs fans dream of rock star general manager Mark Dominik drafting eight new starters in April and adding two or three in free agency.

What else is there to do in February outside of watching the Bucs “America’s Game” episode?

Yesterday, the Custodian of Canton, EYE-rah! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, fueled some speculation and got Bucs fans a bit giddy over perhaps the Bucs looking at adding one of the best slot receivers in the NFL, Wes Welker of the Patriots.

@IKaufmanTBO: If Wes Welker hits free agency, he’d be an impact addition for the Bucs. He’s been the best slot WR of his era, durable and very productive… Adding Welker to Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams would give the Bucs the best WR corps in the NFL, maximizing Josh Freeman’s potential.

As Kaufman qualified in his statements, this is if Bill Belicheat turns Welker loose.

Would this be cool? Sure. But as Joe pointed out this morning, doesn’t Josh Freeman have enough toys to play with to be successful?

Would adding Welker help? No question about it at all. But the Bucs have far bigger needs than a slot receiver. Keeping Roy Miller is one need. Fixing that porous sieve of the secondary is priority No. 1. That may cost a pretty penny as well.

Oh, and the Bucs may need to replace Quincy Black, who is hardly a lock to be physically fit by August.

Would Welker be cool to have on the roster? Sure, but not at the expense of ignoring repairing the woeful cornerback holes.

Rich Gannon

Bucs fans have an awful thing in common with one, woebegone franchise, the Lions. Like the Bucs, the Lions are the only other NFC team that has gone over a decade without a playoff win. The last time the Bucs won a playoff game was in the Super Bowl.

Some Bucs fans have, understandably, reached their ceiling of frustration. A caller who glossed himself as “Hollywood,” a rabid Bucs fan, called “The Blitz,” co-hosted by former Super Bowl quarterback Rich Gannon and popular sports radio personality Adam Schein, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, and had a long rant about Bucs embattled quarterback Josh Freeman yesterday.

Freeman’s inconsistency, the caller said, is holding the Bucs back from postseason success, and the caller all but gave the Bucs an ultimatum for his loyalty, saying another fruitless season in pursuit of the playoffs in 2013 is unacceptable.

“Hollywood:” I always hear the excuses. He has had new coaches, new coordinators, yada, yada, yada. We are in a win-now league. There are too many young kids coming out that have proven they can start and play and take their teams to the next level. I am not saying that my quarterback doesn’t have that ability but the last two seasons, he has shown me he has the ability to do it at times but he has also shown me the ability to throw way, way, way, way, way too many interceptions to touchdown ratios for me. Rich, my question is to you is, who is out there in free agency where Greg Schiano can bring somebody in to challenge Josh for the job? Because, I don’t want this kid [Freeman] to come into the preseason thinking that you know, it is his ship to row. He doesn’t have anything to compete for because he is the only one on the team that has the capability to do what he does. I am not a big believer in our backups. I want to see Greg [Schiano] and Mark Dominik [find a quarterback] in the draft, maybe there is somebody in the third or fourth round that can come in and challenge Josh or maybe there is somebody out there like Matt Moore or Kyle Orton? There is a free agent out there somewhere that has experience that can come in and compete with for that job. I am not trying to throw my quarterback under the bus, but at the same time, as a fan, I cannot sit there another year and go through this again. I just really can’t.

Rich Gannon: I think there is some genuine concern from Mark Dominik and certainly from Greg Schiano. You heard that at the end of the year. It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of his quarterback, Josh Freeman. You look at the Buccaneers, they got off to a sluggish start, they lost three of their first four then they got on a roll and started playing some really good football in October and in the beginning of November and then they fizzled. They lost five of their last six. People thought it was their schedule or their rookie head coach who may be working these NFL guys like college guys and just wore them down at the end of the year. But I also look at Josh Freeman’s production late in the year and it wasn’t great. He didn’t play his best football when it mattered the most and that is a big reason why the Buccaneers finished 7-9. You look at his numbers this year and the thing that concerns me and continues to concern me about Freeman is his decision making and his completion percentage under 55 percent. You cannot survive in this league when you are under 55 percent. Really, when you are under 60 percent anymore it is hard. The interceptions concern me a little bit. The sacks, the decision-making. You look at what the Buccaneers did this year; it wasn’t like they didn’t help him. They went out and got him Vincent Jackson, they went out and got Dallas Clark, they went out and got Doug Martin and yet [Freeman’s] production really fell off. That is a huge concern to Greg Schiano.

Adam Schein: I think you summed it up brilliantly, Rich. I think Hollywood summed it up brilliantly. Here’s is what I think is damning from a Bucs perspective: I don’t think Greg Schiano has any idea what he has at the quarterback position. You know, I think, obviously, Mark Dominik has seen much more of Josh Freeman. They have seen moments where he has been brilliant in games, brilliant in the fourth quarter. The last season with Raheem Morris was awful. A mixed bag this past year. I guess if you going to put it to the ultimate test of, “Do you think you can get to the playoffs and advance with Josh Freeman?” Rich, I would say, “No.” That is my current answer to the question. No. I think you are always going to be intoxicated by those moments, intoxicated by the talent. There have been some questions about his work ethic. I am fascinated to see if the Buccaneers are in the quarterback business this season.

Gannon: (deep sigh) I think you are always looking. I don’t care who you are. The Green Bay Packers are a great example. They have the best quarterback in football in Aaron Rodgers and I can tell you right now that Mike McCarthy and Tom Clements and the staff are scouring this draft to find out if there is a quarterback out there that could fit in their system. I don’t know how you cannot do that. When you look at what Seattle did last year with Russell Wilson. I mean, you are talking about a third round draft pick. I mean, who wouldn’t take a Russell Wilson? If you are the Dallas Cowboys or you are the New England Patriots. I mean you have to do your due diligence; you have to do your research on these young players. This guy was a steal, a diamond in the rough. You have to continue to look. I will say this about the Buccaneers: Injuries along the offensive line last year were devastating. Davin Joseph goes on injured reserve. Carl Nicks goes on injured reserve. Jeremy Trueblood goes on injured reserve. They were decimated along the offensive line and it hurt them with the protection scheme. Nonetheless, you look at the quarterback situation with Josh Freeman, and you just fall in love with the size, his arm, his mobility. Yet he always seems to leave you wanting more. And that is the problem now with Josh Freeman.

Joe thinks Gannon, who also works as a game analyst for CBS, hit a bulls-eye. The Bucs always talked about getting Freeman toys. How many other quarterbacks have as many toys as Freeman does? Shoot, you could argue Freeman has as many if not more toys to play with than Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

And there are times when Freeman throws a pass, like he did for touchdowns at Carolina and at Atlanta, when he was rushed, beautifully dodging traffic with his feet all the while looking downfield and rifling a ball for a touchdown looking just like Ben Roethlisberger at his peak.

Then there are times, ugh, Joe doesn’t want to type it, the one-hoppers to running backs, missing guys wide open in the end zone by throwing the ball to another zip code. As Gannon pointed out, when the Bucs were in a driver’s seat for a playoff run, in the most important games of the season in December, Freeman vanished. Not good.

And no, Joe is not a Freeman hater. Joe went on record in December stating this is the perfect time for Dominik to sign Freeman to an incentive-laded extension (of course, Freeman’s camp would never go for it).

Now Gannon referenced again, Freeman’s work ethic. Joe doesn’t get it. No one — and Joe sincerely means — no one at One Buc Palace has ever said anything negative about Freeman’s work ethic. Not a suit, not a coach, not a player. No one. In fact, the Bucs family routinely lauds Freeman for being among the first to One Buc Palace and the last to leave. Joe vividly remembers after one weekday practice in the locker room, Mike Williams and Tiquan Underwood having passionate speeches in defense of Freeman and his work ethic.

Shoot, Joe heard from a father of a local soccer player that Freeman called the soccer player’s former high school coach (a team in Tampa) and wanted to work out with the soccer team last spring and summer so he could improve his footwork and drop some pounds at the same time. Freeman was a fixture at the soccer workouts, which included the aforementioned source.

Does that sound like a slacker? Does that sound like someone who doesn’t have a work ethic? This was in addition to working out at One Buc Palace. Yet it seems, beginning with Boomer Esiason, national NFL media types have this narrative that Freeman doesn’t have a solid work ethic. Joe isn’t sure why this persists.

It is starting to smell like a former Bucs coach is planting these stories in a desperate effort save grace.

With a healthy if not beefed up offensive line (new right tackle?), surely an improved secondary, and another year working with Mike Sullivan, the table is set for Freeman to lead the Bucs to the postseason in 2013, barring major injuries.

The 2013 season will tell Joe a lot about Freeman’s future in Tampa Bay.

Frankly, Joe doesn’t see him going anywhere.

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Bucs defensive tackle Roy Miller is sort of the forgotten free agent. With Ronde Barber and Michael Bennett each having their contracts come to an end, it is sort of easy to forget Miller could leave as well.

Now Joe has been told both on the record and off the record by Bucs coaches and suits how much they worship Miller’s play last year, as the Bucs were the top team in the NFL at stopping the run. Joe is not making this up when he says his sources just lit up when describing Miller’s play.

So it was a bit surprising yesterday to read Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times claim that the Bucs and Miller’s representatives have not had serious contract talks.

In a few weeks, Miller becomes an unrestricted free agent. Despite that, we’ve learned there have been no substantive contract talks between Miller and the Bucs, calling into question the team’s commitment to re-signing its 2009 third-round pick.

And as Holder points out, there is still plenty of time. Today is Feb. 12, a month from the start of free agency, March 12. It only takes a few hours to hammer out a contract if both sides are on the same page.

Late last night, Miller himself took to Twitter and explained how much he wants to stay with the Bucs.

@THE_ROY_V: I’m really ok I was joking but I cant wait to be past this part and be apart [sic] of this great movement that is going 2 happen in Tampa next yr!

The “joking” element Miller referred to was a previous Twitter post where he claimed if no NFL team wanted him, he would play professional rugby.

If it is true that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik hasn’t had “substantive” talks, that just tells Joe that Dominik is playing poker.

Could Joe see some team overpay for Bennett? Sure. Can Joe see a team overpay for Miller? No. Given how valuable he was against the run and how he kept traffic off of Gerald McCoy, probably his best friend (the two are really tight), Joe would be pretty surprised if Miller walked, especially given how much he wants to continue his days with the Bucs.

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Joe advises every Bucs fan to watch the incredible Doug Williams documentary series running right now on NFL.com. Not only is it a great history lesson for Bucs fans — with memorable highlights and interviews — but it’s a tremendous look at racist times in the United States.

Williams chatted Sunday afternoon with Joe’s pal Steve Isbitts on 98.7 FM. Williams discussed the racist hate mail he received in Tampa back in the 1970s, as well as a major disagreement he had with rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and director of player personnel Dennis Hickey while they were all in the Bucs’ front office, one Williams believed soured the relationship between him and Dominik.

Per Williams, he wanted to sign Antonio Bryant before the 2008 season, but Dominik and Hickey thought that would be a terrible signing.

Williams also gave a strong endorsement to Josh Freeman’s 2012 production and offered a take on why he believes the Bucs didn’t want Freeman to participate in the documentary. The entire interview is available below.

One could make an argument that the signing of All-Pro guard Carl Nicks by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik was just as good as signing Vincent Jackson. Nicks not only solidified the Bucs’ offensive line, the roadgrader proved to be able to clear paths for running back Doug Martin.

Until Nicks went down with an ugly toe injury (Joe saw that toe, and it was gross, twice the size of his normal toe and red as a cherry, Joe cannot believe Nicks played a handful of games on it), he was stout.

Now Joe has gone on record saying front seven coach Bryan Cox and offensive line coach Bob Bostad did the best jobs for head coach Greg Schiano last year. Bostad juggled an offensive line crippled by injuries and still got good production out of backups and guys playing in new positions.

But hold up, says the Custodian of Canton, eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune. He crunched numbers and came to the conclusion the Bucs sorely missed Nicks and his sore toe.

@IKaufmanTBO: The Bucs averaged 26.3 points in the 7 games started by G Carl Nicks and 22.8 PPG after he was sidelined with a toe injury. Big difference.

This happened, in part, because right guard Jamon Meredith got worked over and right tackle Demar Dotson was, at times, shaky run blocking.

Yes, with a healthy Davin Joseph, Nicks, Jeremy Zuttah playing in his normal center position, and perhaps a middling free agent or high draft pick at right tackle, the Bucs could have a dominating front wall.

“Bryan, I need you carrying your checkbook in your left front pocket and two fine-tip pens with you at all times starting March 12.”

This post is about numerical gibberish, but at least it’s accurate.

The folks at NFL.com have laid out how much 2013 salary cap space every team has to play with (as of now) for the start of unrestricted free-agency in four weeks. Team Glazer and the New Schiano Order are sitting pretty with $30.1 million. That’s fifth most in the NFL, thanks in large part to restructured contracts for Carl Nicks and Vincent Jackson, in addition to rolled over cap money in the neighborhood of $8 million to $10 million, so noted NBC Sports last week. (Joe wonders whether the $2 million or so saved by suspension to Aqib Talib and Eric Wright are in that total?)

What’s even more exciting for Bucs fans who want to see rockstar general manager again go all gunslinger with Team Glazer’s vault this offseason, is that $30.1 million available does not factor in the realities that Eric Wright and his fat contract likely will be cut and Quincy Black will be a medical casualty, which would deflate his bloated paycheck.

Those moves could leave the Bucs in the neighborhood of $40 million to toss around, though extending Mike Williams’ contract could take a bite out of that. Keep in mind team’s are obligated to spend under the new labor agreement.

Savvy official Buccaneers blogger Scott Smith notes that the Bucs’ NFC South rivals aren’t in nearly as good shape. Some are even over the salary cap (committed cash for 2013) right now.

On the aforementioned list, New Orleans ranks 30th ($20.6 million over), Carolina ranks 29th ($13.7 million over) and Atlanta ranks 20th ($2.1 million under).

Joe knows the Bucs will be active in free agency, though they might not be a splash player like they were last season, instead landing sound starters without sexy names. The league would consider re-signing Michael Bennett to the huge payday he’ll command a “splash,” but Joe knows Bucs fans won’t get all crazy over that.

Joe’s written about the Bucs’ official 2013 coaching staff and all its changes, but it’s interesting to note the growing number of Rutgers men on staff.

After a thorough opportunity this offseason to court and consider the best coaches in the land, the New Schiano Order has finished with nine former Scarlet Knights, plus Schiano, so noted NJ.com.

Schiano’s staff on the Bucs features former Rutgers assistants John McNulty (quarterbacks coach), Brian Angelichio (tight ends), Phil Galiano (assistant special teams), Jeff Hafley (secondary), Bob Fraser (assistant defensive coordinator), Robb Smith (linebackers), Tem Lukabu (defensive assistant), Randy Melvin (defensive line) and Jay Butler (strength and conditioning).

Joe just wants to see these guys coach well and not get outcoached. It’s no surprise that Schiano prefers guys he can trust and believe in. Joe trusts Bucs fans will hold them all to the highest accountability.

Late on a non-football Sunday evening after watching a glut of the “America’s Game” marathon on the NFL Network, — in order for Joe to get his football fix (man, what a long six months we have ahead of us) — Joe tried to think of a more intelligent football show than “Movin’ the Chains,” co-hosted by Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio. If you like X’s and O’s chatter, there is no better show. Joe had a chance to talk to Ryan at Super Bowl Media Day and, always gracious to Joe, Ryan completely went off on the Bucs’ corners. Notice how Bucs fans said if the Bucs could only pressure quarterbacks it would have helped the secondary? Hogwash, Ryan told Joe. He said the Bucs’ corners were so awful, the Bucs ‘defensive line never had a chance to rack up many sacks. Ryan, also an NFL game analyst for FOX, discussed other Bucs goodies.

JoeBucsFan: Gerald McCoy. He was finally healthy [in 2012]. Obviously he made the Pro Bowl. Is he finally starting to show what he is capable of?

Tim Ryan: Gerald has shown what he is capable of throughout his career. Problem was, he was unable to stay healthy with the biceps tears. Look, you have to link up the rush with the pass coverage behind it, with the linebacker coverage, with the corner coverage. It hasn’t been good. Look at who was covering [receivers]. Put it this way, if [GMC] had top-flight corners or Ronde [Barber] in his prime and Aqib Talib or Brian Kelly when he was playing great, Gerald McCoy would be a double-digit sack guy. Dominant, dominant player and he makes it work up front for Tampa.

Joe: Well, a lot of fans have said about the Bucs corners, if the team got any kind of a pass rush …

Ryan: No, that’s garbage.

Joe: It is?

Ryan: That’s garbage. Look, if Gerald – the ball is coming out [of the quarterback’s hands] in two and a half, three seconds with most teams and Gerald is close a lot. Watch him defend the run. Watch him do the things he does. Watch his pad level. Watch his ability to get to the edge. He plays football like a traditional defensive lineman. I have said it all year. I have studied Tampa a lot and I have studied the Lions a lot. Ndamukong Suh is a great player. He’s a different kind of player. But Gerald McCoy is playing better football than Ndamukong Suh.

Joe: Better rookie: Lavonte David or Doug Martin?

Ryan: Ooohhh, that’s a hard one. Hard to compare and contrast a run-and-hit linebacker to a running back. I would say that running back is so instinctual and innate and those guys are born with it, not taking anything away from Dougie Martin who is fantastic, but I would go with Lavonte David.

Joe: I think I may be the only guy in America who has written this, but the unsung hero on Greg Schiano’s staff is front seven coach Bryan Cox. The Bucs were horrid at stopping the run in 2011 and this year they were the best. It seems Cox had a major hand in that transformation. Your thoughts?

Ryan: He has a great hand in it. Look at how dominant they were in defending the run, understanding gap control and where the linebackers fit. Bryan Cox didn’t cover a lot of people in his time. He defended the run and rushed the passer. He needs to help those linebackers figure out coverage because they were lacking, no question about it, especially right down the middle.

Joe: Anything to add about Josh Freeman? Is he going to turn the corner or is he going to be who he was this past year, when you didn’t know if the good Josh or the bad Josh would show up?

Ryan: Yeah, I don’t know; that remains to be seen. I’m a big fan of Josh Freeman. I think if he can completely get himself right off the field – I know he is a hard worker – but in terms of – I know he works on his body and all that – but really make football his life. I’m not saying it isn’t, but if he does what the Tom Bradys of the world do and the Peyton Mannings, some of these guys, he certainly has the talent to be right up there.

It’s nearly mid-February, the world’s largest indoor track practice NFL Combine is less than two weeks away, and Joe is still somewhat mesmerized by the Bucs’ declaration after 2012 ended that they desire competition for quarterback Josh Freeman.

That could mean all sorts of things from a trade for a backup to a free agent signing to drafting a quarterback in April.

Now Joe floated the name of Matt Cassel on radio today, just to see if that outraged the public or if perhaps the Bucs consider Cassel, the embattled Chiefs quarterback and virtual walking turnover would be considered “competition.”

Well, Joe has another, more reasonable name for “competition.”

That would be Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

The former starter and Super Bowl quarterback is in the final year of his three-year contract that, if he stays with the Titans, would count some $7.5 million against the Titans’ salary cap.

Pretty hefty price for a backup quarterback, no?

So don’t be shocked if Hasselbeck, now the backup to Jake Locker, is out on the open market. Joe’s not saying he will be, but it’s likely.

Last year, Hasselbeck played in eight games and started five times. He completed 138 of 221 passes for just over a 62 percent completion percentage. Hasselbeck racked up 1,367 yards seven touchdowns and five picks.

If the Bucs and Greg Schiano were really serious about competition for Freeman, and no, Dan Orlovsky is not competition, keep your eyes out for Hasselback and whether the Titans cut ties with him or not.

 Joe would be more inclined to such a move if somehow Hasselbeck brought along his annoying yet way cute sister-in-law.

In what Joe is convinced is one of the great baloney-peddling businesses of the 21st century, ProFootballFocus.com continues to have its brand of mysterious statistical gibberish infect the lives of everyday football fans.

Per ProFootballFocus.com, the business claims it takes 250 hours to do its massive weekly breakdown of every player in every NFL game. However, the site claims it only has three analysts grading players. Do the math. That’s a few supremely overworked dudes right there.

Hell, NFL team staffers don’t even break down that much film. But wait, ProFootballFocus.com admits it doesn’t use coaches film, only TV copies of games. (Hmm, the site touts its pass coverage statistical data and rankings without a full view of what’s going on.)

That brings Joe to Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings’ reference of PFF in a notebook yesterday. PFF loves Mason Foster in pass coverage, though Cummings points out that former player turned analyst Tim Ryan strongly disagrees.

PFF has come up with another of its signature statistics, this one detailing the effectiveness of second-level defenders in pass coverage. According to their figures, Foster was better than any linebacker in the league in coverage in 2012.

PFF has Foster in on 328 passing downs but allowing only seven first downs or touchdowns for a 2.13-percent efficiency rating that was best among all linebackers. Foster’s partner in coverage, rookie LB Lavonte David, didn’t fare so well.

According to PFF, David surrendered 26 first downs and four touchdowns in pass coverage, which was fourth-most among linebackers behind Washington’s London Fletcher (38), Cincinnati’s Rey Maualuga (37) and Washington’s Perry Riley (32).

Again, exactly why should Joe believe this data is relevant and accurate?

Yes, Joe has presented PFF data here previously in posts. It’s interesting at times, but please never confuse Joe with someone who believes the information is anything close to gospel.

Months ago, college football-ignorant, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, beer-chugging Peter King, of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, said during a podcast that about seven NFL teams pay for PFF data. It was unclear whether the teams are purchasing unique analysis from PFF, or are just acting like the fantasy football and gambling nuts that gobble up $27 PFF subscriptions — aka the opinions of three guys with questionable/unknown qualifications.

As an Internet entrepreneur, Joe admires the accomplishments of PFF. But as a football fan, PFF makes Joe wants to bang his head against a wall.

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After five years in the gut of the Bucs’ defensive line, it’s no surprise that Chris Hovan says the Bucs should draft a defensive lineman in April.

Speaking to Rock Riley on 98.7 FM this morning, Hovan also said if he were a general manager, he would draft a defensive lineman in the first round every year.

Hovan said he’s a big fan of how the Giants have attacked drafting for their defensive line and he’d like to see the Bucs follow the same track — to have “depth that are playmakers.”

This got Joe thinking and researching, and the somewhat sad fact is the Bucs have invested as heavily as the Giants on defensive linemen over the past 10 NFL Drafts. The problem is the Bucs weren’t as successful.

Bucs’ premium D-line picks through last 10 drafts.
2011 – Adrian Clayborn (1), DaQuan Bowers (2)
2010 – Gerald McCoy (1), Brian Price (2)
2009 – Roy Miller (3), Kyle Moore (4)
2008 – Dre Moore (4)
2007 – Gaines Adams (1)
2003 – DeWayne White (2)

Giants’ premium D-line picks through last 10 drafts.
2011 – Marvin Austin (2)
2010 – Jason Pierre Paul (1), Linval Joseph (2)
2007 – Jay Alford (3)
2006 – Mathias Kiwanuka (1), Barry Cofield (4)
2005 – Justin Tuck (3)
2004 – Reggie Torbor (4)
2003 – William Joseph (1), Osi Umenyiora (2)

Obviously, the Giants have had their misses, but they’ve also numerous home runs — and two Super Bowls. Even Barry Cofield, hardly a household name, has had an impressive career.

Joe has hope for the Bucs’ more recent picks on the D-line given the run-stuffing prowess in 2012 , but the Mark Dominik-era D-linemen still have much to prove.

As Joe’s written previously, Joe would have no problem with the Bucs snagging a D-lineman in the first round this April. Decisions on free agents Michael Bennett and Roy Miller, however, will go a very long way toward making that call.

OK, for NFL fans in general, and in some respects for Bucs fans, an alarm bell will ring at 4 p.m. March 12, and the unrestricted free agency season begins for 2013.

Joe suspects many Bucs fans envision sort of a scene from Black Friday, when the doors of a Target are flung open at 4 a.m. and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik races through and just grabs whatever he can reach and throws objects in a shopping cart.

This has led to many Bucs fans already having their shopping list, sort of like kid with a list as he or she waits in line to talk to Santa Claus each December. One such Bucs fan e-mailed his list to Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune for approval.

Q: Every year, I put together a wish of the free agents I would love to see wearing red and pewter. I start by fixing the horrible secondary. Patrick Chung from the Patriots could line up next to Mark Barron. Sean Smith could help our porous secondary. Martellus Bennett could fix our tight end problems. How about this one? We could sign Jake Long to play right tackle, which would eliminate the need to draft a RT. Kyle Vanden Bosch could provide insurance if one of our DEs goes down. With any of those above moves, we could have way more flexibility in the draft to take the best player available, instead of reaching for a need.

— Andrew Athans, Arnold, Md.

A: I agree with your premise that these deals would alleviate the need to reach for prospects in the draft, but they might also bankrupt the team. None of the players you mentioned will come cheap. If you narrowed your focus to two of these you’ll probably be closer to what the Bucs will really do. They’ll definitely address all these areas of need, but probably not in the way you suggest.

— Woody Cummings

Well, here’s Joe’s take on just some of the suggestions by Mr. Athans:

First, no way will the Bucs go out and grab Jake Long. Will the Bucs look to upgrade right tackle? Probably, but don’t expect Dominik to break his budget doing that. The position may be a draft target Dominik as opposed to free agency.

Would Michael Bennett’s brother look good in a Bucs jersey? Sure, but what if his brother signs with another team?

Of course, just about any warm body not named “Myron Lewis” would be an upgrade at cornerback. Look for Dominik to draft a corner (maybe two) and add one or two via free agency. And yes, he will have to overpay for a corner, just like half of the teams in the NFL will do because talent at the position is so coveted yet so scant.

Vanden Bosch is quite simply over the hill. Joe has read enough about him that Dominik should only sign him for a rock bottom price, if available, and use him as a backup; nothing more.

Last year Dominik made waves in free agency. Don’t expect that type of a wake next month. Dominik can’t play Santa every year.

Among the treats Joe had at Media Day during the Super Bowl was to meet Andy Benoit, who among other publications, writes for the excellent “Fifth Down Blog” of the New York Times.

Benoit is sort of the new breed of football writers. Rather than being a wordsmith, Benoit relies on watching hours of film and sifting through analytical data to bring that out in informative, concise stories without sounding like a drunk algebra teacher, or worse, someone who has diarrhea of the mouth with statistical gibberish.

Benoit also works for FootballOutsiders.com, the precursor to ProFootballFocus.com.

JoeBucsFan: What was your impression of Greg Schiano’s first year? Surprised, disappointed or is the book still open?

Andy Benoit: Book is still open. I was surprised at how well the defense played, especially against the run. They did a good job schematically with that, because they had a lot of the same personnel [from 2011]. Obviously, Lavonte David had a lot to do with that and it was a trickle-down effect with the rest of their front seven. Offensively, I like the Vincent Jackson signing; I think they got their money’s worth from him. Mike Williams has been better than I guessed he would be. And obviously Doug Martin is there so it’s a Josh Freeman question at this point. But the Bucs are in a pretty good spot overall. That’s a solid young roster they have laid a foundation for.

Joe: OK, so you set me up for a Freeman question. Is he ever going to get over the hump or is he going to be who he has been of late: One day he will look like John Elway and the next week he will look like Bobby Douglass.

Benoit: He has the talent to get over the hump. I don’t want to say it is a mindset thing but it is what is he looking at and what is he seeing? There are inconsistencies in the decision-making and there are inconsistencies in the mechanics. That’s what alarms the Bucs. Talent wise, I thought he was a new version of [Ben] Roethlisberger. It is very telling that [the Bucs] are not rushing to lock him up. Instead, they are taking a wait-and-see approach on him.

Joe: How much do you think it has messed with his mind that every year he has had so many different coordinators and position coaches? Though Joe was told by someone with high authority in the Bucs front office that offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan both was, and is a quarterbacks coach, so that in some respects, he is wearing two hats.

Benoit: It’s is hard to say because now we are talking about guessing about a guy’s mindset.

Joe: Shaun King said not long ago and not totally in a joking manner that Freeman needed a shrink.

Benoit: … (laughs) Well, Shaun is really aggressive with some of the things he says publicly about quarterbacks which is why he has done well in the media. People talk about Jason Campbell and the same thing and Alex Smith and the same thing. The guys that are really good quarterbacks don’t get different coaches every year or not for the same reason. That could be a Freeman issue as well. Eli Manning hasn’t been in a bunch of different systems and it is not just because he got lucky. Certain guys, you build the system around them. It is hard to guess how Freeman is thinking around it.

Joe: Lavonte David, he looked like he was a third round pick and, obviously, Mark Dominik traded up to get him late in the second round. I don’t think anyone imagined – shoot, I saw him play at Nebraska and realized he was a sideline-to-sideline guy – I don’t think anybody expected what this guy turned out to be. He was just unbelievable.

Benoit: He got consistently better as the season went on. All Pro might be a bit much but certainly Pro Bowl [was] in the discussion. Bobby Wagner got a lot of attention and [Luke] Kuechly was the best of them all. Kuechly is in his own class. He will be the next [Brian] Urlacher. But David, there is a lot to like about him. Very fluid athlete and good in traffic and good in space.

Last night Joe watched some college hoops and found two incredible games with buzzer-beaters to end both, one of which was a crazy play by Illinois to beat No. 1 Indiana.

Those games, along with a few Köstritzer beers, helped soothe Joe’s post-football-season depression.

Good beer always helps, too.

Anyway, Joe also mined the interwebs for football news and came across an interesting piece from popular sports radio personality Adam Schein. The normal co-host of SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “The Blitz,” Schein also types a regular column for NFL.com.

In a recent column, Schein wrote about his top 47 NFL moments for the 2013 season. Why 47? Why not!

Anyway, Schein picked Bucs running back Doug Martin’s crazy game against the Raiders this season as his sixth-best NFL moment of the just concluded season.

6) Doug Martin gashes the Oakland Raiders for 251 yards and four touchdowns in Week 9, delighting the fantasy owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie nationwide.

What a game that was and it proved Martin was no fluke, and that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik hit a home run by trading up from the second round to grab Martin late in the first.

Joe just crosses his fingers that Martin wasn’t overworked. As we all know, there is only so much tread on the tires of every running back.

Warren Sapp started it, and now Michael Strahan seems determined to show off his urine stream in the blossoming pissing match between the two legendary defensive linemen.

Sapp was voted into the 2013 Hall of Fame class Saturday, but Strahan, also in his first year of eligibility like Sapp, didn’t make the cut. Joe documented on Wednesday that Sapp trash talked Strahan a bit during a Tampa radio interview.

“Say if I rewind this to Saturday at 12 o’clock me and you are sitting and I say, ‘It breaks down whatever and whatever and then you have Michael Strahan and me. C’mon, the menace and the media darling,'” Sapp said. “C’mon. Madness, or Good Morning America? I mean, c’mon.”

And now Strahan is firing back directly to Sapp on Twitter.

@MichaelStrahan – @WarrenSapp You never cease to amaze me! Enjoy your moment. You don’t need to take a shot at me to justify yourself to other people. #class … … @WarrenSapp I only competed against myself. Don’t let people make you get at me to justify your HOF selection. Enjoy it because u earned it. … …  … You have my # too. I’m a grown man and handle myself like one. Respect me and I respect you! “@WarrenSapp: @michaelstrahan u got my #!”

Joe can’t disagree with Strahan. Sapp did take a needless, irrelevant shot. It’ll be fun to see how No. 99 responds. Perhaps a pay-per-view MMA cage fight is in order. Sapp could use the cash.

Don’t miss this amazing event at Tilted Kilt Clearwater TONIGHT.  Tilted Kilt will host LIVE MMA Cage Fights. It’s going to be awesome!

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