Defensive tackle Roy Miller's high standards leave him yearning to improve, despite widespread raves for his practice and game performances.

With the exception of wide receiver Sammie Stroughter, no Bucs rookie has made as big of an impression than defensive tackle Roy Miller.

The University of Texas product has all but been anointed for a three-man rotation at defensive tackle with Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims.

But to hear Miller talk — if you can hear the soft-spoken tackle talk — he’s just a scrub who has to fight just to make a roster spot.

“I am just excited to be able to help this team any way I can,” Miller said after the Bucs 24-23 win at Jacksonville. “I don’t know exactly what that role will be but I want to help out whether that is special teams or the defensive line.’

Though Miller is being tossed accolades by just about every coach and team executive, the praise almost seems to embarrass Miller; that he is not worthy.

“I have my own standards that I know I can play to,” Miller said. “I just have to keep getting better. I know I can get better and that’s what I want to do. I can get so much better. I just know I have to keep working.”

Unlike some athletes who seem to crave attention and praise, Miller appears to shy away from it.

“You can listen to all the people talk but when you start listening to the people patting you on the back, that’s when you start falling back,” Miller said. “You have to keep working. You have to know yourself and know what you can do and I have to get better.”

Miller hasn’t been so much surprised by the size and speed of the NFL but that he literally has to learn to play football a new way.

“The techniques have been a surprise,” Miller said. “I have had to learn a new technique playing in this system. Some things I used to be able to do doesn’t work for me anymore.

“When I get this down there’s no telling. I have high expectations for myself and I know the coaches do, too.

Jim Bates should be all smiles when thinking about the play of his defensive line

Joe is just so pleasantly surprised by the Bucs defensive line. Two good games in a row, fellas. Quite a difference from that mess that the Bucs trotted out last December.

Frankly, Joe wasn’t expecting much from this unit in 2009.

But it’s hard to argue with the Jaguars going 2-for-14 on third down conversions Saturday. And that surely wasn’t thanks to the Bucs secondary.

Ryan Sims actually looks like a professional football player. Chris Hovan, in limited reps, looks very sharp. He and Sims combined for an early sack. And there aren’t enough superlatives in the dictionary for Roy Miller; No. 93 has got a major motor and seems to be everywhere.

Gaines Adams even looked like a stud for a series. Greg White had his moments, and Kyle Moore and Dre Moore are showing true potential.

Jim Bates is on his way to working miracles.

Raheem The Dream is sticking to his plan. A starting QB will be named before Thursday's preseason opener against Miami.

Joe wants Raheem The Dream to give Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown one more week to showcase their abilities before naming a starter. But the head coach says he’ll have none of that.

“We’ll take everything into account. …This was the final exam. We’ll name a QB this week and get ready for Miami,” Raheem The Dream said on the Buccaneers Radio Network following the game.

Luke McCown gave his humble take on the competition, as Joe brought you earlier.

Byron Leftwich, however, was a little more straightforward.

“I’m very confident in what I did all training camp and the first two preseason games,” Lefwich told the Buccaneers Radio Network. ” Whatever the decision is I’ll live with it, but I’m very confident.”

A class act 24-7, Luke McCown passed on an opportunity to name himself the Bucs starting quarterback after his strong performance on Saturday night.

Interviewed by Dan Lucas, of WFLA-TV, McCown was asked about winning the starting QB job. He praised his teammates and hoped his work ethic would be taken into consideration by those picking the No. 1 quarterback. 

“I was a product of some good fortune tonight,” McCown said, referring to good starting field position on his two scoring drives. “I hope [the coaches] see the work that I put in” on a daily basis.

On being asked about his approach and the Bucs approach to the position this year, McCown said no matter who is named starting quarterback the loser’s job is to turn his focus to helping the team in any possible way. “You have to have two guys that are effecient and effective.”

Joe’s just hoping Raheem The Dream waits one more game to make his decision.

A bit of a homer, but stellar nonetheless, John Lynch continues to impress as a color analyst on the Bucs preseason broadcasts.

He’s not afraid to speak his mind.

After Ronde Barber stripped a Jaguars receiver on what seemed to be a sure first-quarter catch, Lynch said there may be questions about Barber as a cover corner, but as a nickel back “he’s the best whose ever played.” Lynch went on to say Barber has a good shot at the Hall of Fame for his play as a nickel.

Lynch also was quickly all over Sabby Piscitelli in the second quarter for giving up a big play, missing a tackle on David Williamson. “That’s a bad angle by Piscitelli,” Lynch said.

Referencing that play and Piscitelli getting beat for a touchdown on the opening offensive play of the game, Lynch said no matter how many good plays Piscitelli makes he has to make those plays.

"Hey Raheem, I'm a lot smarter, stronger and healthier than Angelo Crowell."

Joe’s ready to cut linebacker Angelo Crowell, the Bucs allegedly big defensive free agent signing this offseason.

His Bucs debut tonight was cut short after an arm injury. Crowell wasn’t healthy for this spring’s OTAs, following his 2008 knee surgery. Then he missed much of training camp with a hamstring injury. The dude’s not worth the investment. 

Sure, the Bucs need depth at linebacker now that Jermaine Phillips might return to safety, and the banged up Crowell could provide that. But there’s no reason to think Crowell is up to being the violent player Raheem The Dream wants in his defense.

Crowell hasn’t played a regular season game since 2007. Get a live young body in there.

Or there’s a certain healthy No. 55 who never misses a game and is looking for a job.

Update 11:15 p.m.: Speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network following the game, Raheem The Dream said Crowell’s injury is season-ending. Joe wishes him well in his recovery.

Amanda Harris

Joe’s hockey-crazed sister Amanda never stops churning out the Tampa Bay Lightning news and analysis at JoeBoltsFan.com.

Tonight she takes a look at the Bolts’ statistical leaders and how they stack up to produce next season in Tampa, and in relation to the rest of the NHL. And don’t forget The Rundown every Monday on JoeBoltsFan.com. It’s a can’t-miss look at everything Lightning from the previous week.

Just click on Amanda to visit JoeBoltsFan.com.

As tight as the quarterback competition has been, one play can mean everything.

Joe believes Byron Lefwich’s night Saturday turned on one play. And if he gets the starting job, he can look back to it and smile. Especially considering how strong a performance Luke McCown turned in.

On Leftwich’s first series, he fell into a 3rd-and-15 after Derrick Ward ran wide for a big loss on the opening carry, followed by Leftwich overthrowing Michael Clayton on second down.

Leftwich dropped to pass on third down and hung in the pocket. He was hit as he threw and threw a strike to Maurice Stovall over middle for a first down.

If he misses that throw or takes a sack, he opens with a three-and-out and may not have bounced back.

13:45 Johnson forced that pass (incompletion) because he was about to eat dirt.

13:02 Bucs defense more than solid on third down. Jags 0-9 on third down conversions.

12:34 This sucks: Huggins knee injury. Won’t return.

11:15 Though he didn’t get a first down, B.J. Askew has been getting some decent yardage.

10:38 Beautiful read by E.J. Biggers on the failed pitch out for a five-yard loss.

9:39 Bucs are still shutting out the Bucs on third down conversions.

9:14 Strange looking at the Bucs sideline and not seeing Chucky or Monte Kiffin.

8:37 Johnson moving the ball. Again.

6:55 Askew just keeps on rolling.

5:10 Cortez Hankton nearly pulls in a touchdown from Johnson.

13:39 Freeman smooth.

13:31 Nice vision by Huggins but he is caught.

12:41 If the Bucs are crazy enough to try to sneak Huggins through waivers and placed on the practice squad, someone will pick him up.

10:47 Freeman with a nice throw for a big gain. Helps to have a wide receiver wide open too.

9:38 B.J. Askew barrels for a big game, thanks to some holding. Two holding penalties!

9:05 Whoever wins this starting quarterback gig is just keeping the chair warm for Freeman come November.

9:25 When’s the last time a Bucs quarterback ran for a 28-yard touchdown?

6:05 How is it that Tanard Jackson is suspended for the first four games of the season yet he’s allowed to play in the preseason? And what the hell is he doing playing against a bunch of future UPS drivers and bouncers?

6:01 Sigh. I guess an intentional grounding inside your 20is better than a fumble.

3:12 Not bad pass coverage on long pass by Jags but great reception.

3:09 Gang tackle, led by Kyle Moore.

2:29 Jags 0-7 on third down conversations.

1:41 Guess Freeman impressed the coaches enough if he got the rest of the night off.

0:23 Going to be tough for the Bucs to cut Josh Johnson.

13:36 Roy Miller crushes Gerrard. This guy is going to be dynamite.

12:34 Clifton Smith with a nice run.

0:49 Bucs second string secondary is scary… scary bad.

7:48 Despite the scoring drive by the Jags, the Bucs interior defense is playing strong again.

7:36 Sammie Stroughter just made the Bucs final roster with that 75-yard kickoff return.

7:13 Clifton Smith seems to have been cured of his fumblitis

6:50 McCown’s touchdown pass was his preseason thus far. Unless he goes crazy the rest of the half, Joe believes Leftwich has wrapped up the starting quarterback position.

5:01 Jags 0-3 thus far on third down. Let’s see what happens.

4:43 Make that 0-4.

4:25 Memo to Brian Clark: Son, you must catch the ball when you are the only receiver in your area code.

4:25 Joe just realized he hasn’t heard Kellen Winslow’s name called yet tonight.

4:42 The Jersey Guy: Kareem Huggins with a nice run for a first down.

3:36: This Huggins seems to have a nose for the hole. Joe likes him. Maybe the dreads make him look faster?

2:04 OMG! Stovall makes a huge catch.

1:53 A repeat catch by Stovall. Can you imagine?

1:49 All this Huggins does is gain yards.

1:10 Good job avoiding a sack by McCown. He must have heard the footsteps.

1:02 Seems as though Huggins had room to run had he veered left rather than being stood up at the line.

1:00 Hey Sammie, where are you going to buy your new house now that you will be a Bucs player this year?

0:38 Kyle Moore comes through with a sack. Joe hopes to hear and read that sentence much more this year.

Before kickoff: Raheem the Dream wearing parachute pants. Interesting. Maybe Joe’s hockey-crazed sister Amanda will have a comment of Raheem the Dream’s fashion sense.

14:45 Sabby got totally torched. Bucs pass defense, like last week, seems to be good covering the underneath. But over the top is another story.

14:30 No cutback for Derrick Ward.

13:55 Byron Leftwich had Michael Clayton open but he had to rush to avoid getting lit up.

12:45 Nice catch by Clayton on a bad throw.

12:36 Again, Leftwich misses Clayton. No excuses this time.

11:54 King of Turds falls down. Not sure if turf is still wet? Rained quite a bit a couple of hours before kickoff. Haven’t seen too many players slipping though.

11:25 Hovan wrestles down Gerrard for a sack. No wonder he got irritated when Joe asked him last week if he could play for Jim Bates.

10:40 Talib hails a cab, eeerr, nice tackle.

10:13 Jermaine Phillips can still tackle, but can he play safety for Raheem the Dream?

9:42 Nice pitch and catch by Leftwich and Clayton.

8:29 Ward seems to be able to read this zone blocking. Bucs are looking much crisper offensively to start the game than last week.

6:39 Clayton seems to have a legitimate beef for interference on that dropped pass.

6:35 Mike Nugent with a 46-yard field goal and Matt Bryant is watching (somewhere) in street clothes. Joe hopes he’s renting.

4:32 On a three-yard scramble by Gerrard, Gaines Adams just got manhandled constantly. If he was able to shed blocks, he would have had a sack. Adams got no penetration at all.

4:06 Nice play by Barrett Ruud to break up a pass. It’s not October yet, is it?

4:02 Old Man Barber with the play to break up a pass. Jags have yet to convert a third down.

3:49: Just a thought: Is there any other wide receiver for Leftwich to throw to besides Clayton?

3:33: Ward will be a borderline Pro Bowl player this season. There. Joe said it.

2:30: Is this the same Bucs offense as last week? No!

1:17: That was a beautiful pass Leftwich threaded to Clark but it was off his hands. Checked down to his third option on that pass. Folks, Luke McCown is NOT the answer as a starter. He would have took off running on that play, and been sacked.

0:51 Terrible pass defense all over the field on that 23-yard completion by Gerrard.

Speculation is swirling around Earnest Graham’s latest injury. TBO.com reported earlier that he’ll sit out tonight’s game after “tweaking” an ankle.

How serious is the injury?

Graham missed six games last season with a high ankle sprain and ligament damage. It took him several months to recover.

Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings, speaking on NFL Radio this morning, said the Bucs are unsure whether his current injury is related to the previous one. But Cummings spoke as if it’s the same ankle that was injured last year.

Cummings offered no details as to the severity of the injury.

Joe can’t help but wonder if Graham’s rather invisible performance in Tennessee last week had anything to do with the ankle.

UPDATE 5:14 p.m. – Speaking from the Jacksonville press box, Cummings said Graham will play tonight. Good news.

UPDATE 7:16 p.m.: Just announced that Graham will not play. Bad news.

Bucs at Jaguars
Preseason Game 2
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
TV: WFLA Ch. 8 (Replay Sunday, 7 a.m., NFL Network)
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 146.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, thunderstorms likely at kickoff but the skies will soon clear. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 80s early gradually easing into the high 70s in the second half. Possibility of rain toward the end of the game as well.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Jags -3.
Outlook: OK, so the Bucs should have a pretty good idea who their starting quarterback will be by the time midnight rolls around. If Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown play about even, it’s Leftwich. If Leftwich stinks up the joint and McCown looks like the second coming of Tom Brady, it may be McCown.

The wild card is Josh Johnson. No, he has no shot at starting sans major injuries to Josh Freeman, Leftwich and McCown. But if McCown isn’t overly impressive and Johnson is, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that McCown could be cut, Leftwich named the starter with Josh Freeman the backup.

Another element to look for is running back. Though most people claim the offensive line was horrid, Joe saw two big holes on the left side open up early in the game that Earnest Graham, for whatever reason, didn’t exploit. Remember this zone blocking is new to the Bucs and the players could just be still learning the ins and outs of it.

How the offensive line masters zone blocking is also something to watch. 

Graham will sit out the game with a “tweaked” ankle, claims TBO.com. Cadillac Williams also is out as a precaution. So there should be plenty of carries for the remaining three Bucs running backs: Derrick Ward, Clifton Smith and Kareem Huggins, who should get a ton of work in the second half.

Prior to the Nashville game, it appeared the Bucs secondary was set. Not so fast. Tanard Jackson will miss the first four regular season games due to suspension . And who knows if Aqib Talib will be back there as a result of his late-night hassle with a cabby and the Florida Highway Patrol? Now, the secondary has significant openings. Who will be worthy?

Of course, wide receiver is another troublesome spot. Someone needs to brainwash Maurice Stovall that these games are actually training camp practices.

Good guy Rick Brown, aka Backwards Hat, the Bucs beat writer for the Lakeland Ledger, looks to be the first local scribe to call the quarterback competition over.

Brown says it’s obvious to those around the team daily.

First-year head coach Raheem Morris said he won’t declare a starter until Monday at the earliest, but the writing has been on the wall for a long time – this is Leftwich’s team.

From the first day of training camp, you could sense something special between “Lefty” and the rest of the team. He has this swagger, this confidence. He is a natural leader, one that has already commanded the respect of the offense.

You see him constantly talking to his teammates, teaching, listening, learning. You see that boyish grin that suggests he knows something no one else knows. And despite his slow, windup delivery, Leftwich has a powerful arm and throws a nice deep pass, the likes of which haven’t been seen around Tampa Bay in years.

It all adds up to him being the best fit for the Bucs.

It’s not like McCown has had a bad camp. He is the ultimate professional and has the respect of the entire organization.

But tonight should be the coronation of what we already know. Barring injury, Leftwich will be the Bucs’ starting quarterback.

Joe doesn’t buy it.

Yes, it seems Leftwich is the betting favorite in the minds of the coaches, based on their recent quotes. But Lefwich hardly had a stellar performance against Tennessee. Surely, the coaches saw some big uglies in the film room.

McCown still has a shot.

Head over to Total Wine & More in University Park today(near Sarasota), from noon to 3 p.m, for a free sampling of Caybrew, the official beer of JoeBucsFan.com. After throwing back a few samples, grab a six-pack or more.

The lager beer of the Cayman Islands is the only beer you should drink during tonight’s game. Remember, you can score a six-pack or a case at every Total Wine location.

Click on the picture for more events, especially those that include the sultry Caybrew girls.

On Thursday, it seemed Raheem The Dream revealed his preference of Byron Leftwich to Chris Mortenson, of BSPN. And now Bucs quarterback coach Greg Olson looks to be another leaning toward the slow-footed, hard-throwing QB with the big wind-up.

Olson shared his thoughts with Tom Balog, of the Sarastota Herald-Tribune.

“We chart explosive plays and he’s had a number of those,” said Buccaneers quarterback coach Greg Olson. “He sees the field real well and he’s making some big plays without turning the ball over and that’s important.” …

“You’re judging a quarterback, is he moving the team, moving the chains? Is he giving us opportunity to score?” Olson said. “That’s what I’m looking for from him, see if he can move us down the field and get some points on the board and not turn the ball over.”

Joe wonders whether the coaching staff will remain committed to naming a starter soon after tonight’s game. Suppose both Leftwich and McCown stink up the field in Jacksonville?

Wow, how the mighty, and not so mighty, have fallen.

Just a few short weeks ago, Luke McCown was a potential starter for the Bucs at quarterback, now in some circles, he’s one of the worst backup quarterbacks in the league.

At least, that’s what former Bucs beat writer and current SI.com columnist Don Banks infers. Banks ranks all the backup QBs in the NFL and he lists McCown as No. 24.

Joe isn’t so sure which was more surprising: that McCown was No. 24 or that dog-loving jailbird Michael Vick, who hasn’t played in two years, is ranked by Banks as the second-best backup in the league!

24. Luke McCown, Tampa Bay — No team’s quarterback depth chart appears as fluid as the Bucs’ right now, but we’re operating on the belief that Byron Leftwich will eventually beat out McCown for the starting job. The tricky part is, with youngsters Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson thought safe, McCown could go from No. 1 to gone if Tampa Bay doesn’t opt to carry four quarterbacks.

Geez. It’s hard to believe that McCown has sunk so quickly. Some of the names that are ranked better than McCown are such superstars as Sage Rosenfels, Chris Sims, Dan Orlovsky (who has no clue whether he is inbounds or not) and Matt Flynn.

There are certain mysteries that weigh on Joe’s mind. Among them:

Why did Adolph Hitler invade the Soviet Union and a few months later declare war on the United States?

Why didn’t Obama just pay off everyone’s mortgage and save the Feds money?

Why doesn’t my neighborhood watering hole have Caybrew on tap, replete with a Caybrew girl serving the elixir?

How many cocktails does it take for Rachel Watson to — ahem, uh, I mean, uh, why hasn’t anyone signed Derrick Brooks?

This riddle (Brooks, not Rachel!) is also on the mind of Ross Tucker of SI.com. He believes it has not to do with Brooks’ talents, but his financial demands.

To be fair, a decent amount of these 30-something’s likely would be on a roster if they were willing to play for the league minimum or in a reduced role. But I think teams are missing the boat on some of these guys; they could provide more value than realized. Yes, they are older and there are some inherent injury and production risks that go along with that. I also know many teams prefer to try to find a younger, cheaper, healthier player.

But the NFL has become a one-year league for the most part because 2010 isn’t really promised to anyone at this point. And you can’t tell me that some of these players can’t gut it out and get the job done for one more season. If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick. Their teams, the Chiefs and Patriots, respectively, have made a habit this offseason of snatching up veterans that many teams shy away from because they presume they are over the hill.

That’s about the best reasons Joe can think of. Joe understands Brooks is being picky with who he chooses to sign with and Joe doesn’t blame him. Why would Brooks want to play for the Rams or Lions?

And Joe is sure Brooks isn’t going to play for the league minimum just to get beat up on for one more year.

It's all business these last two days at One Buc Place

Citing nobody, Bucs beat writer Stephen Holder, of the St. Pete Times, writes that Mark Dominik “practically kicked Talib out of his office when approached by the player Thursday morning” following his arrest.

Joe did a double-take on reading that one.  Was Holder there?

Regardless, it paints a picture of Bucs management exasperated by their “wild child.”

It’s still possible Talib could be suspended. The Bucs may even prefer that considering the numerous fines he’s been assessed seemingly haven’t gotten through to him. Seeing how general manager Mark Dominik practically kicked Talib out of his office when approached by the player Thursday morning, the team certainly seems annoyed by the guy.

After hearing the tone of Raheem The Dream’s comments broadcast on 620 WDAE-AM on Thursday, and now reading this about Dominik, who is known as a warm, fair guy, Joe is starting to think Talib may be guilty of the charges against him.

Joe suspects the truth will come out very soon.