Joe often wakes from a nap or a deep sleep in a cold sweat after a nightmare in which the Bucs’ version of Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson, the Adderall Twins, are still starting at cornerback in 2013.

That’s very unlikely to happen, thankfully, but that means the Bucs are beyond desperate for cornerbacks. The Bucs corners were dismal last year; Joe wouldn’t be bothered one iota if Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik pulled a Bill Walsh and drafted four cornerbacks next month in the draft.

Joe’s going to guess Dominik drafts two corners and signs as least one corner in free agency. Joe’s good friend and draft guru, “The Commish,” Justin Pawlowski, has been putting in the research, calling his contacts and doing the math, and he believes Jaguars cornerback and free agent Derek Cox will be wearing pewter and red this season.

With all of those players mentioned in a very deep free agent corner class this year, I believe, from the rumblings I’ve heard, the Bucs’ top corner target in free agency this year could be Derek Cox of the Jaguars.

Cox, 26, is one of the best cornerbacks that not many people know about. Cox has a nice blend of size (6’1” 195 lbs) and speed (4.39) and is very good in press and man coverage.

The Bucs new defensive backs coach, Tony Oden, spent 2012 with the Jaguars and knows the type of player Cox can be.

Pawlowski, however, points out that Cox was often hurt, a fact Joe dove into a couple of weeks ago. The Bucs need a guy who they can count on.

Given the Bucs’ need for corners, and Oden’s experience with Cox, Joe believes Pawlowski is on to something here. And even if he cannot play a full season, Cox likely be an upgrade over Eric Wright and, to be honest, a lamppost is an upgrade from Aqib Talib.

Bill Polian

During the NFL Combine, Joe had the honor to talk to one of the greatest general managers the NFL has ever known, Bill Polian. For those unaware, Polian built the Buffalo Bills juggernaut that went to four straight Super Bowls, was the original general manager of the Carolina Panthers when they made an NFC Championship in their second year, and led the Indianapolis Colts, who were a perennial playoff team under his lording. Polian now works for ESPN and SiriusXM NFL Radio as an NFL analyst. Polian explained to Joe, among other things, why the calculator crowd will never appreciate Bucs defensive tackle Roy Miller.

JoeBucsFan: Recently, Tim Ryan of SiriusXM NFL Radio told me that the problem with the Bucs’ pass rush wasn’t so much the defensive line, but the abject inability of the cornerbacks to cover anyone. He had said in the Bucs games he studied, quarterbacks often got rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds and that unless a defensive lineman was completely unblocked, they had no chance to get heat on the quarterback because receivers were virtually uncovered from the moment the ball was snapped. Is there any validity to that?

Bill Polian: Sure, it is the old chicken-and-the-egg. The best pass defense is a good pass rush and the injuries that they had, which were significant, the pass rush wasn’t there. Yeah. The whole premise of a 4-3 defense essentially is that those four guys in passing situations can get to the passer. Hurry him, move him off his spot – you don’t have to sack him. You just have to hurry him, move him off his spot and rush the throw. Make the throw not 100 percent on target and you get yourself a win for the defense. If you can’t rush the passer, and by the way the hardest people to find in this game are pass rushers …

Joe: Really, more so than corners?

Polian: … More so than corners — way more so than corners, yes. God only makes so many of them. So, if you don’t have those people because of injuries, which was the case, you are at a very serious disadvantage.

Joe: Now Roy Miller, the Bucs tackle. If you talk to Bucs coaches and front office people, they just rave about him. Fans don’t see it that way. They point to his lack of stats and say, “Oh, he doesn’t have enough stats, he doesn’t have enough tackles.” What is your impression? The Bucs say he is doing exactly what they ask him to do which is keep heat off of Gerald McCoy, who had a fantastic season.

Polian: Yes he did, and you are exactly right. The whole thing works in concert. The whole problem with the rising of the stat society is that people think they can measure everything. But this game is the most coordinated and complicated game in the world. Unless you have the ability to go back to the All-22 and run it back continually and understand what you are looking at — which the vast majority of stat people do not — the stats mean absolutely nothing. The coaches are right. They know what they are asking a player to do. The only question in their minds is, “Is he doing it correctly?” Greg Schiano is among the hardest graders in all of sports, in any sport. He is very demanding, very precise. I am certain that they grade that way and I am also certain that explanation that you gave [about Miller] is correct. It is a coordinated effort among the four rushers. It is a coordinated effort among the four or seven guys up front when they are playing the run. You have to fill the right gaps; you have to read the right keys. You have to do the right things. That doesn’t show up in stats.

Joe: Lavonte David may have been the steal of the draft, when the Bucs traded up from the third round to get him. Peter King says he is the new-age linebacker in that he can do just about anything. He can rush; he can clearly tackle so well, he is sideline-to-sideline. Talk about that; is he sort of revolutionizing football at outside linebacker?

Polian: He is if you play the kind of defense which the Bucs play, which is an attacking defense. If you play a two-gap, static defense the way the Niners play – static is the wrong word. If you play a physical stop-the-offense-on-the-line-of-scrimmage and then run to the ball, then no. [David’s] deal is running to the ball, attacking, movement in space. The Bucs linebackers play similarly to the way we played here, which is flow to the football. Lavonte David is perfect for that. I’m not so sure he could transfer to a power 34 like the Niners play.

Many suits and eggheads in the American education system believe the higher the teacher-to-student radio is, or in other words, the lower the class size, the better it is for the student.

If that is the case, then the Bucs have the best education system in the NFL.

As documented recently by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (damn, Joe is still typing “St. Petersburg Times” by mistake), probably no team in NFL history has had a bigger coaching staff.

Including Schiano, the Bucs have 24 members on their staff for 2013, or nearly one for every two players on the 53-man roster. Roughly half of those assistants have worked for or with Schiano, many at Rutgers. Still others have crossed paths with him during his career.

What Stroud later pointed out jumped off the computer screen for Joe. If offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan gets a head coaching gig (he was in the running with the recently-filled Bears gig) or if the defensive backfield woes continue under Bill Sheridan, Schiano likely has their successors already on staff in John McNulty and Dave Wannstedt.

At the NFL Combine, when Joe asked Schiano whether Wannstedt’s significant experience on the defensive side of the ball were being wasted as just a special teams coordinator, Schiano was emphatic that Wannstedt would have his hands full in his current title.

Perhaps that could change down the road?

To help pass the time on this gloomy, chilly March Sunday afternoon, Joe brings you via WFLA-TV Channel 8, a video of Bucs cheerleaders tryouts. Enjoy!

Could the Bucs use a slot receiver? Darn right. Could the Bucs use a speedy guy to stretch the field in addition to Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson? Sure. Could the Bucs use a solid return guy (if they continue to keep Michael Smith on the bench for no good reason)? Hell, yes!

So when Joe hears Bucs fans pine for Minnesota receiver/problem child Percy Harvin, Joe says, “Hell, no!”

This seems to be the sentiment of Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune as he discusses the probability of Harvin coming to the Bucs in a Bucs TBO Q&A.

Q. I may be biased because I am a huge Florida Gator fan, but if Percy Harvin could be had for a 2nd and 4th round draft pick, why would the Bucs not pull the trigger? Drafting is a hard process that no one can say they have completely mastered. Who is to say that those picks will pan out well, but if you traded the picks for Harvin you know what you are getting. You are getting one of the most explosive players the NFL has ever seen. I would love to see Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams on the outside with Percy tearing up the slot. Its not going to happen because of the Bucs draft and develop policy, but we need to win and get Freeman some threats, NOW.

Andrew Athans

Arnold, MD

A. I can think of a couple of reasons why the Bucs wouldn’t pull the trigger on such a deal. First off, Harvin is threatening to sit out if he doesn’t get a new contract. That’s a problem you don’t want to buy into. Second, he does have a history of injury issues and the Bucs will want to make sure he’s well past those before taking a chance on him. Finally, there may be a better option available once free agency starts. Let’s see what happened with Wes Welker. I think he is someone the Bucs may look to target this year, because he’s bring some sure hands and some valuable veteran experience to the team. I agree that Harvin is a dynamic player, but if you’re going to give up two draft picks, including a second-rounder, for him, you better be sure he’s not only the best player money can buy but the most reliable.

Woody Cummings

In no uncertain terms, Harvin is a headache, real and implied. He’s not dependable, physically or mentally.

Would Joe love to have a guy of his talents on the field? Sure. But the baggage Joe — and Bucs coach Greg Schiano — can do without.

Look, if the Bucs unloaded a constant distraction like cabbie-slugging, pistol-whipping, helmet-wielding, Adderall-popping, granny-hassling Aqib Talib, if Sgt. Winslow wouldn’t toe the line, what makes anyone think Schiano will stomach Harvin and his constant drama?

No, Harvin is not a Buccaneer Man.

There are so many positions the Bucs could pick at No. 13, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik could barely go wrong.

Defensive end, offensive tackle, cornerback, safety, inside linebacker, tight end, outside linebacker, Joe could make an argument for either of those positions in the first round. But drafting a defensive tackle would not be one of them.

That didn’t stop Russ Lande of National Football Post from predicting Dominik will nab Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei with their first pick.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah, Senior: Gerald McCoy is an elite talent on the verge of becoming a star, but with the Buccaneers seemingly ready to let fellow defensive tackle Roy Miller leave as a free agent opposing offenses would be able to focus on him. They decide to gamble that Lotulelei’s heart issue is not going to have a long term effect on his career and grab him to play next to McCoy.

Joe would fall flat on his back if Dominik picked a defensive tackle at No. 13. That’s not a need position. At all.

Yes, Roy Miller is a free agent. But what Miller is asked to do — and he does it well — is to eat up blockers, which enable both Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David to run free.

There are not a lot of 43 defenses that ask a defensive tackle to do what the Bucs ask of Miller. So his services are extremely limited on the free agent market.

If Dominik drafts a tackle at No. 13, that tells Joe Greg Schiano is completely overhauling his defense and Joe frankly doesn’t expect him to do that. Find some cornerbacks, you know, just a couple of average cornerbacks, and you have a solid defense.

There are far more uncertainties at defensive end than at defensive tackle. Will Michael Bennett be back? Can Da’Quan Bowers stay healthy for a year? Can Bowers stay out of a New York cage? Can Adrian Clayborn rebound from an ugly knee injury?

That is why Joe would expect a shivering Rachel Watson to show up at his door tonight in search of warmth and comforting before Dominik drafts a defensive tackle with the thirteenth pick.

Former Bucs defensive end Steve White (1996-2001) looks at the Bucs’ cupboard of cornerbacks and doesn’t see anything enticing.

In fact, White recently told Tom Krasniqi, of WDAE-AM 620, that it’s such a weak stable of corners that he wouldn’t feel comfortable releasing substance-abusing Eric Wright, a player White barely considers good.

“If [Wright’s] a guy that you can keep on your team, maybe reduce his salary or something like that, you keep him. Because like I said, you look on our roster, (laughs) it’s slim pickins, man,” White said. “The next best guy is Biggers. He’s a free agent, too. And then you got [Leonard] Johnson, I guess, who had some ups and downs this year. But you look on our roster, man, we need three good corners to be honest with you. We’ve got maybe one with Eric Wright right now. Even if you go out and get one off of free agency, that still only gives you two. It would be easy if we had other guys who I really felt comfortable on the roster already at corner to say, ‘Yeah, we let Eric Wright go.’ I just don’t feel like we’re in that position right now to have the luxury to let him go.”

White also said he would target Jaguars cornerback Derek Cox when the free-agency bell rings in 10 days, and he doesn’t believe Dee Milliner will be on the draft board when the Bucs’ number is called in April.

Joe would have a real hard time stomaching a Wright return. He’s not good enough, and his drug troubles gave the Bucs an opening to ditch his bloated contract without ramifications. They should take it.

The Bucs can buy a couple of starters in free agency, draft a cornerback, and re-sign Biggers and keep Johnson. There’s also a guy named Barber, who hopefully returns, that’s been known to play a little corner.

Yes, Joe will be there tonight at one of the premier events on the Derby Lane greyhound racing calendar. It’s the Sprint Classic, and the track is giving away $2,500 to five lucky winners.  Click on through below or above for information. And don’t forget to make a whole night of it at the Derby Club, and in Tampa Bay’s best poker room, open through the wee hours.

Joe was interested to learn yesterday that the Dixie Chicks washed their hands of hard-hitting cornerback Dunta Robinson.

Now Robinson may not be the same player he was before he got dinged up the past couple of years. But as rotten as the Bucs were at cornerback last year, Robinson is still an upgrade.

Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune just stopped short of suggesting Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik was going to work out Robinson at One Buc Palace.

@RCummingsTBO: Bucs fans are wondering about team’s interest in CB Dunta Robinson. I can almost assure you Bucs will investigate him, at the very least

Now the numbers crunchers at ProFootballFocus are not enamoured with Robinson, basically saying he’s done and was torched far too often in 2012, so Twittered Pete Damilatis.

@PFF_Pete: Dunta Robinson allowed the 5th-most yds (835) and 7th-most YAC (300) of any CB this season.

Yet if you look at a defensive passing statistic that Pro Football Focus concocted, Robinson wasn’t as bad as the Adderall Twins, Eric Wright and Aqib Talib.

Per something called “Yards Per Coverage Snap,” Wright was No. 102 and Talib was No. 114, both in the bottom 15 in the NFL.

In fact, Talib was second-worst in the NFL in this stat. Who was worse? Why, it was none other than the wet dream of Bucs fans everywhere, the immortal Standord Routt.

Joe is not saying Robinson would be an All-Pro with the Bucs, but he certainly be an upgrade to what the Bucs trotted out last year as starting cornerbacks.

Joe is not a hatchet man, unless the intended victim deserves to be chopped up.

Earlier today, Joe posted an item from a former NFL front office executive who goes by the Twitter moniker of @NFLosophy. And while he said Xavier Rhodes was a dynamic cover corner, he essentially labeled him dismal as a tackler.

Joe wondered why such a highly-rated draft prospect was that bad. So Joe, in the spirit of fairness, turned to a couple of respected NFL authorities for their take on Rhodes.

The first was NBC and FOX football analyst Shaun King, one of only three quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to an NFC Championship game.

King, in his words, “couldn’t disagree more” with @NFLosophy.

“He misses tackles but not because he is afraid,” King said. Rhodes “makes a lot of big hits and is a factor in the run game. IMO he doesn’t project as a No. 1 corner, more of a No. 2 guy and will flourish in a system that plays more zone than man.

“(Rhodes) doesn’t play the deep ball Well enough vs. big, fast wide receivers. I’ve watched all of his games, even 2010, and he is a good player, but I don’t view him as a No. 1-type corner. Good size, physical, decent speed, average ball skills, but he is an upgrade over what Tampa has.”

Dion Caputi of the highly respected National Football Post seems to side with King, going so far as to rate Rhodes a sure tackler after watching film of Rhodes a second time.

‏@nfldraftupdate: FSU CB Xavier Rhodes re-eval: Niche is press coverage. Great at forcing ball carrier inside on stretch/off-tackle runs. Hard, sure tackler. … Allows receivers to cross his face too easily. A fit in zone-scheme. Redirects WRs well with hands.

Interesting that Caputi also noted something that @NFLosophy picked up on — receivers cross his face often.

This is just an example of what goes on in team war rooms throughout the NFL in meetings leading up to the draft. Scouts will see one thing in one player, others see something totally different.

Either way, Rhodes is going to be a wealthy young man in a few months. Joe sure hopes he has a great deal of succcess in the league.

The Falcons waved goodbye to John Abraham, Michael Turner and cornerback Dunta Robinson today, which isn’t exactly Bucs news, but it does impact their division rival and Bucs fans should take note.

One could make a case that the Bucs could use all three of these guys on their roster.

Obviously, Robinson would fill a huge need at cornerback. Abraham, who is hoping to rack up at least one more great season to help lock up a Hall of Fame entry, would be a sweet addition as a versatile pass-rush specialist. He’ll also come cheaper than Michael Bennett, which might intrigue the Bucs if they want Da’Quan Bowers to get more snaps then he would if Bennett is re-signed.

Michael Turner, well, Joe’s not lobbying for him. But if the Bucs want to upgrade their backup running back position and have a true short-yardage back, Turner would be perfect.

No, Joe isn’t trying to go all New York Giants on people today, but a Twitter offering this afternoon from a well-plugged in NFL insider suggests the Bucs may be eyeing a certain quarterback to offer competition/non-competition for Josh Freeman.

That could be Giants backup quarterback David Carr, so says USA Today’s Mike Garafolo.

@MikeGarafolo: A free agency note: NYG QB David Carr expected to hit the free agent market. TB + Mike Sullivan were interested last year, should be again.

Well, Joe has always thought David Carr was a decent quarterback. He started his NFL career OK with the Houston Texans but simply became shell-shocked from the porous offensive line he worked behind. Carr was pummeled so much it damned near killed his career and is still probably a bit gun-shy as a result.

Joe wasn’t aware the Bucs made a play for Carr last year. Interesting.

Shoot, the Bucs could do worse for a backup quarterback. You know, someone like Dan Orlovsky.

There has been chatter that the Bucs, who could benefit from an upgrade at the slot wide receiver position, may just make a run at Patriots’ Wes Welker.

This would be a good addition, but with the Patriots reworking various contracts, including that of quarterback Tom Brady, it appears the Pats are trying to clear cap space to keep Welker.

So, might Giants free agent tight end Ramses Barden be an easier, cheaper target?

The Giants seem to be washing their hands of him. A former third-round pick, he never could break into the starting lineup but was solid as a slot receiver. Nearly as important, he has no problem sticking his nose in the gut of a defender to help spring a ball carrier loose.

Barden was on SiriusXM NFL Radio Thursday and it seemed as if he wanted a chance to be a starter, not a slot guy, though that simply wouldn’t happen with Tampa Bay. But if Barden can be coerced into having an open mind, reuniting with his former Giants receivers coach Mike Sullivan might be a coup for the Bucs. He already is familiar with Sullivan’s offense.

And, in case Vincent Jackson and/or Mike Williams get dinged up, Barden could step into their roles.

Given Barden’s blocking, leadership, versatility, and his connection to Sullivan and his ability to be a productive slot man, Barden just may be on the Bucs’ short list of free agent targets, if Welker is locked up by Bill Belicheat.

Bucs captain Davin Joseph doesn’t want stats and media to distract and affect Josh Freeman

Channeling two major directives to players during the Raheem Morris administration — ignore media takes and “stats are for losers” — Davin Joseph spoke out yesterday and declared that Josh Freeman is a quarterback that has steadily improved and must only focus on that.

“I really think he’s improving in the right way,” Joseph said of Freeman on WDAE-AM 620. “He’s had some tough stints throughout his career where things [didn’t go] very bright for him. I think he’s really gone about improving one step at a time. For me, I know that Josh is getting better. And that’s the most important thing, as long as he’s getting better and not letting the media or, you know, stats and things of that sort get to him and affect his play, and continue to be a motivating factor for him, I think he’ll be just fine.”

Joe finds it intriguing that Joseph brought up stats and media as a potential distraction to Freeman. Are they? That would not be a good sign. Joe would feel more comfortable if Joseph had referenced all the Bucs’ losing not getting to Freeman, rather than numbers and media.

Joseph also went on to say the Bucs must improve around Freeman, noting Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick were not the best quarterbacks in the NFL but reached the Super Bowl.

Joseph also dove into takes on the New Schiano Order and how it transformed the team. “Really, what we lost [under Raheem Morris] at One Buccaneer Place was that hard-work ethic.”

Catch the entire interview below.

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How badly do the Bucs need cornerbacks? Well, if you walk up to One Buc Palace, you may just get a tryout on the spot.

With the draft being rich with solid cornerbacks through the first three rounds, it remains to be seen whether the Bucs draft a corner in the first round or, which will be very difficult to do, find a desperate team in order to trade down and perhaps nab Xavier Rhodes.

Largely regarded as the second-best cornerback in the draft, Rhodes, though a very good cover corner, upon further review may not be a Buccaneer Man because he is allergic to tackling. This comes from a man by the moniker of “NFLosophy,” a former head honcho in an NFL front office who refuses to offer his real name but his Twitters are fantastic to read as he loves breaking down film and translates what he sees into easy-to-understand terminology.

In fact, NFLosophy is one of Joe’s favorite follows.

Let’s just say NFLosophy is scared off of Rhodes due to his resistance to tackling.

@NFLosophy: Xavier Rhodes is a terrible tackler. Much better ball skills than Milliner. Lets good WRs get across his face too much. Needs better jab. … Rhodes is really good at getting his guy to the sideline and getting his head around to the QB while staying in step with WR. … Rhodes is an outside CB only. He’ll never be able to play in the slot. Misses way too many jabs at LOS, doesn’t drive his WR from that. … Another ? for Rhodes: Not a max effort guy vs. run. Multiple plays where RB got outside and he didn’t chase. That’ll only get worse in NFL … I’ve seen mentions that Rhodes is better than Milliner…Not the case. Not even close. Rhodes is very good, but Milliner better all around.

This is downright troubling to read that Rhodes bails so much against the run. Joe has a vision of Bucs coach Greg Schiano watching Rhodes not make an effort against the run while studying tape and reaching for a bottle of Pepto Bismol.

Though Joe loves how Rhodes pays attention to the quarterback and the ball — how many times have you seen Bucs corners have a play at the ball if they only turned around to look at the quarterback/ball? — Joe will forever remember in Greg Schiano’s interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio at the NFL Combine last year. Schiano said 2011 Bucs film revealed a starting cornerback (Aqib Talib?) loafing on runs and said, in so many worss, that type of play is simply unacceptable and would not be tolerated.

NFLosophy claims that a defender who doesn’t want to dirty his uniform will only grow worse in the NFL.

Joe remembers a term former Bucs linebacker Scot Brantley loved using: “It’s all about want-to.”

Apparently, Rhodes didn’t want to.

Is that the makings of a Buccaneer Man? Joe doesn’t think so.

This morning, Bucs middle linebacker Mason Foster, who Joe believed was on his way to chomping pineapple for much of the season, stopped by to chat with Justin Pawlowski and Gary Shelton, co-hosts of the “Gary and The Commish Show” hearly locally on WHfS-FM 98.7.

Foster said he is still scratching his head to determine why the Bucs were no less than a sieve on pass defense, yet dominant against the run.

Justin Pawlowski: Why so good against the run and struggled against the pass?

Mason Foster: I really don’t know. We had a lot of good players across the board. Can’t really point to one reason why the run defense was good but the pass defense wasn’t that good. It’s just football. There are a lot of great players in this league, a lot of great receivers in this league. It just happens. You can’t point fingers at anybody, we have to go out there and compete. We are a team together. We have to improve. We have great coaches. That’s what offseason is for, to get better and get more wins.

Gary Shelton: What is the advantage this year of knowing Greg Schiano when neither side really knew each other?

Foster: It was tough. Didn’t know what to expect, coming into it blind. This year you know the coaches, know what they are looking for, know what to expect in the weight room, everything. I am excited coming into this next season with one year with Schiano under my belt. He is a great coach, great program, greet organization. I think we will keep progressing.

Joe can say right now what was wrong with the pass defense: The secondary was largely made up of guys off the street who received little to no coaching from their secondary coach.

The Bucs, sans E.J. Biggers, had no depth at cornerback (isn’t it funny how Myron Lewis stood on the sidelines with his hands on his hips while there was a parade of guys dragged off the street who saw playing time ahead of him?) and when your two starters, the Adderall Twins, were suspended/traded, the Bucs had no safety net.

It wasn’t as if the Bucs had Lester Hayes and Mel Blount at corner to begin with (Eli Manning is still completing 80-yard bombs at this moment) and after the Adderall Twins and Biggers, the talent level really fell off the cliff.

Also in the interview, Foster said flat out, “I need to get better at everything. I just turned 24 [Friday]. I need to be a student of the game.” Foster plans to celebrate his birthday tomorrow by working out in the weight room.

Foster also spoke about his former teammate at the University of Washington, Desmond Trufant, one of the top cornerbacks in April’s draft.

The entire interview can be found here.

Former Super Bowl-winning coach Brian Billick suggests Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik may pull a Mike Ditka and draft nothing but cornerbacks in April’s draft. Billick joined Charles Davis and Laura Okmin to discuss the Bucs’ draft needs in this FoxSports.com video.

Bucs beat writer Stephen Holder didn’t offer much detail in his morning TampaBay.com report that claims Roy Miller and the Bucs have stopped talking about a new contract. Miller will be an unrestricted free agent March 12.

Miller’s agent implied his client is eager to see what fruits the open market will bear.

It’s unclear what the team is offering Miller and his contract demands aren’t known. But Miller’s agent did nothing to dismiss the notion that Miller is destined to play in another uniform in 2013.

“Roy is excited to see what’s out there for him in free agency,” said his agent, Mike McCartney. “He has a lot to offer after an excellent season, helping a team that was last against the run (in 2011) go to No. 1 against the run last season.”

Joe really can’t give an intelligent opinion without knowing the finances. This all sounds like agent-speak right now.

Miller is a two-down nose tackle, and while he was stout in his role as a run-stuffer in the Bucs’ No. 1 rush defense, it’s hard to imagine he’s not replaceable.

Joe also knows that Miller, in past years, has been plagued by knee issues, weight issues, and back problems. Those could be factors in the Bucs’ approach.