Legions of Bucs fans would stand and applaud if the Bucs snagged Barrett Ruud’s replacement next week in the NFL Draft.

Of course, a rookie would have a brutally hard time filling Ruud’s shoes in 2011. And is there even a prospect out there capable of being a stout NFL middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense?

NFL Draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM 620, explores all things inside linbackers in his latest breakdown below. Don’t forget all of The Commish’s in-depth draft coverage is archived here. At this point, the archive is an unmatched Bucs-focused online draft magazine with more than 50 stories, breakdowns, podcasts, mock drafts and more.  

Inside Linebackers:

By JUSTIN PAWLOWSKI

1. Martez Wilson – Illinois
6’4’’ – 250 lbs – 4.49
2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him: I think it’s quite obvious Wilson’s size and speed combination is very attractive. He is also very good at rushing the passer as a blitzer. Wilson has a lot of natural ability and very good upside. 

Why The Commish would stay away: I’m skeptical whether Wilson is stout enough to play middle linebacker in the NFL. He’s very long and lean. Wilson also lacks the ideal instincts of an NFL middle linebacker. Wilson is also not very fluid in pass coverage.

Commish’s Final Say: Can Wilson man the middle of a defense? I have serious doublts. Wilson might be best suited as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Wilson’s potential will make him pretty attractive in the 2nd round.

Comparison: Manny Lawson – San Francisco 49ers

2. Quan Sturdivant – North Carolina
6’1’’ – 241 lbs – DNP
2nd/3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Sturdivant’s biggest strength is how smooth he is in coverage. He matches up very well with tight ends and running backs out of the backfield. Sturdivant should also do very well in zone coverage with how fluid he is. He can also play inside or outside linebacker with his great instincts and awareness.

Why The Commish would stay away: Power and strength are the major concerns with Sturdivant. He doesn’t really lay big hits on ball carriers and struggles to shed blocks from offensive linemen. Sturdivant has a history of hamstring injuries dating all the way back to high school.

Commish’s Final Say: Sturdivant is a solid player but far from elite. Hamstring injuries do concern me, and a history of them makes me very worried. I like his versatility, but he’ll need to be much better against the run in the NFL.

Comparison: Barrett Ruud – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3. Kelvin Sheppard – LSU
6’2’’ – 250 lbs – DNP
3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Sheppard is very stout against the run. He is a reliable tackler and will deliver the big hit. Sheppard was a great leader for LSU’s defense and had the reputation of having a very good work ethic.  Sheppard also shows good instincts and awareness on the field.

Why The Commish would stay away: As good as Sheppard is against the run, he is equally bad against the pass. He is not very fluid or smooth in coverage.  Also, for as big as Sheppard is, he isn’t the most physical football player on the field.

Commish’s Final Say: By being so good against the run and not very good against the pass, I think Sheppard’s best fit in the NFL might come in the middle of a 3-4 defense.

Comparison: Brandon Spikes – New England Patriots

4. Colin McCarthy – Miami
6’1’’ – 238 lbs – 4.65
3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him: McCarthy was a 4-year starter and captain for Miami. McCarthy is a very smart football player with great instincts for a linebacker. His best attribute might be that he does such a good job at taking on and shedding blocks.

Why The Commish would stay away: McCarthy is not an explosive athlete and is not very fluid or smooth in coverage. McCarthy also lacks ideal strength.

Commish’s Final Say: McCarthy is a tough and smart football player, but just isn’t the athlete you want him to be. I think naïve analysts will compare him to Barrett Ruud because of their skin color, but I think those two players are very far apart.

Comparison: Tyrone McKenzie – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5. Nate Irving – NC St.
6’1’’ – 240 lbs – DNP
4th Round

Why The Commish would take him: His nickname is “The Predator,” I think that’s all that needs to be said as a middle linebacker. The best part of Irving is his determination, leadership, and work ethic. Irving also has very good instincts and reads plays quickly.  Irving tends to live in opposing team’s backfields. He ended 2010 with 21.5 tackles for a loss and 7 sacks.

Why The Commish would stay away: Although he performed well on the bench at his pro day, Irving’s strength really doesn’t translate well on film. He struggles to shed blockers and can be engulfed at times. Irving also needs to improve as a tackler. He tends to go for a big hit or to rip the ball out and sometimes misses the tackle.

Commish’s Final Say: A horrific car accident sidelined Irving for the entire 2009 season with a collapsed lung, broken leg, and separated shoulder. There were many questions about whether Irving would even play football again. He did and was great in 2010.

Comparison: D’Qwell Jackson – Cleveland Browns

6. Greg Jones – Michigan St.
6’0’’ – 242 lbs – 4.76
4th Round

Why The Commish would take him: Jones has excellent instincts, is great in pursuit, and can play sideline to sideline. Jones was very productive at Michigan St. wit over 100 tackes in each of his last 3 years including 154 tackles in 2009. Jones was a great leader and displayed great work ethic.  Jones was also very durable as he had a streak of 40 consecutive games played.  Jones is very good on special teams.

Why The Commish would stay away: Jones does not have the ideal power or strength to take on NFL offensive linemen. He will struggle to shed blocks.  Jones also does not make very many impact plays in coverage

Commish’s Final Say: Jones was very productive at Michigan St, however, his lack of ideal size and playmaking ability will drop him on draft day.  If teams are looking for a consistent and reliable linebacker, then Jones will be there guy.

Comparison:   Gary Brackett – Indianpolis Colts

7. Mike Mohamed – Cal.
6’3’’ – 239 lbs – 4.70
4th/5th Round

Why The Commish would take him: Mohamed’s biggest strength is play recognition and instincts. He was very productive and durable at Cal. I like Mohamed’s size and speed combination as well.  Mohamed was named to the Pac 10 All-Academic team three times while at Cal.

Why The Commish would stay away: Mohamed is not a great athlete. He needs to get stronger. His lean physique might make him struggle against the run. He also struggles with being smooth in pass coverage. 

Commish’s Final Say: Mohamed has a good blend of size and speed. He could be attractive in the later rounds with that size and speed along with a terrific motor and work ethic.

Comparison: DeAndre Levy – Detroit Lions

8. Josh Bynes – Auburn
6’2’’ – 240 lbs – 4.82
5th Round

Why The Commish would take him: Bynes was a 3-year starter at Auburn and was a captain for their national championship team in 2010. Bynes has excellent leadership skills and is very fiery on the football field. Bynes does very well against the run as he is a reliable tackler and will deliver big hits.

Why The Commish would stay away: Bynes will struggle in pass coverage with his lack of agility and quickness. Bynes also struggles to shed blockers.

Commish’s Final Say: For some reason, Bynes was not invited to the combine.  You’d think that the captain from a national championship team that was as productive as Bynes was would’ve been invited. I think Bynes could give good depth in the NFL and be a good addition on special teams.

Comparison:   Dakota Watson – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

9. Casey Matthews – Oregon
6’1’’ – 231 lbs – DNP
5th/6th Round

Why The Commish would take him: Like his brother, Casey has outstanding instincts, football smarts, and awareness. He is a reliable tackler unafraid to come up and stop the run.  Also like his brother, Casey has a motor that won’t stop.

Why The Commish would stay away: Unlike his brother, Casey is not explosive and not a great athlete. Matthews will also struggle with shedding blocks and start to try and run around them.

Commish’s Final Say: I know that Casey is the brother of Clay Matthews, but he is no where near the same player. Matthews will be best as depth and on special teams. That said, he is the type of player you want in your locker room and on your team.

Comparison:  O’Brien Schofield – Arizona Cardinals

10. Akeem Dent – Georgia
6’2’’ – 242 lbs – DNP
6th Round

Why The Commish would take him:  There is a lot of good leadership with Dent.  He was voted team captain for 2010 and won different leadership awards as well.  Dent was productive in 2010 as well with 126 tackles, 6.5 for a loss, and 2.5 sacks. Dent proved to be much better against the run than the pass.

Why The Commish would stay away: Dent is a liability in coverage as he is very stiff and lacks quickness out of his breaks

Commish’s Final Say: Dent might be destined as a backup middle linebacker and contributor on special teams.

Comparison: Abdul Hodge – Carolina Panthers

In recent years, several years in fact, Bucs fans have grown accustomed if not conditioned to turning to WFLA-TV Channel 8 for all Bucs preseason games that are not picked up by a network for a national broadcast.

That may change this season. WFLA’s contract to broadcast the Bucs preseason games has expired and the 2011 preseason broadcast home of the Bucs is in limbo.

Joe has learned that it is possible WFLA could retain the preseason broadcast rights with a new contract.

“Our rights did expire,” said Joyce Lueders, the director of finance of WFLA. ‘I’m not sure where we are on the negotiations.”

A Bucs team spokesman declined to comment on the subject.

Joe initially spoke with WFLA news director Don North who stated, “I have no idea” and suggested Joe speak with Lueders who in turn advised Joe to speak with Florida Communications Group president John Schueler for more detailed information on the status of negotiations with the Bucs on a new rights contract.

Schueler did not immediately return Joe’s call Wednesday afternoon. Florida Communications Group oversees all of Media General’s properties in the Tampa Bay region. Both WFLA and its corporate partner The Tampa Tribune are owned by Media General.

The expired Bucs broadcast rights with WFLA is separate from the contract the team has with the Tampa Tribune as a corporate sponsor, or “Pewter Partner.” Per the Sports Business Journal Daily, the Tribune’s current 10-year, $20.1 million contract with the Bucs is set to expire in January 2013.

While the future home for Bucs preseason broadcasts is uncertain, Joe has learned the Bucs hope to keep the preseason broadcast team of Chris Myers and John Lynch together. The team holds both in high regard and would encourage a new broadcast partner to retain the duo.

Joe can’t fathom there is a Bucs fan who doesn’t like John Lynch. Smart, articulate, funny, kind. Lynch could have been the ultimate snob.

Lynch, the bone-crunching former Pro Bowl safety with the glory years of the Bucs, came from a privileged family in Southern California and pitched in the Marlins farm system before being drafted by the Bucs out of Stanford.

But Lynch acted anything but a blueblood. He embraced the Tampa Bay community as if it was his hometown and often participated in charity functions that would help out the area and the less fortunate.

It was not uncommon to see Lynch at a local Friday night high school football game, as if he had a connection to a local high school, sitting amidst the commoners in the bleachers.

So next week at the draft, the NFL is trying to organize an alumni showing of sorts for the second round. In the past, the NFL often had former 49ers receiver Gene Washington, now an NFL executive, read the names of the draftees following the first round.

This year, the NFL plans to have an alumnus of each NFL team read the cue card and welcome the newest member to their old team.

The league allowed teams the first option of who should represent them. The Bucs scored a touchdown. They chose Lynch.

If all goes right, Bucs fans will learn who the team’s second round draft pick is when Lynch steps to the podium Friday night.

Makes Joe all warm and fuzzy inside to learn this.

Whether Tampa Bay’s return to Monday Night Football in October is blacked out locally or not, Chucky will still call the game for a national TV audience on BSPN.

Chucky: “That guy Spurlock, you want a talk about a kid who loves football, it’s this guy. I’ve always loved that guy. He was a quarterback, you know, and I have a soft spot for those guys. He took one to the house for me that broke the Bucs’ famous streak of no kick returns for touchdowns.”

Jaws: “Yeah, but didn’t you cut him and then Mark Dominik and Raheem pulled him off the couch and utilized his receiving talent?”

With Chucky on the broadcast crew, that means during the week of the game he would get to walk around Bucs practice and One Buc Palace and talk to Buccaneers, and talk game plan with Raheem Morris and his protoge Greg Olson.

“Olie, man, that’s my fuc*ing playbook. I should get royalties on that beast. Damn, if I had LeGarrette Blount and Freeman, I’d have a top 5 offense. You gotta step up your game, Olie. And what’s with all these young receivers, I hate kids.”

Hmm, how awkward might that be, considering Chucky was fired in a surprising move weeks after a 9-7 season and has not been one to say anything much about the Bucs or Team Glazer, despite his prominent role in the media. Chucky sure comes off as bitter in Joe’s eyes.

Will Team Glazer authorize officially welcoming Chucky back to the stadium via the public address system? 

Personally, given Chucky’s stunning firing in Tampa, his close ties with Saints head coach Sean Payton, and the Saints playing the Bucs two weeks after the Colts, Joe would advise Raheem and company to feed Chucky a bunch of lies and smokescreens when they meet.

There’s no way the Bucs should trust Chucky. Of course, Raheem is probably way to classy for such shenanigans, but Joe doesn’t like the idea of Chucky having intimate knowledge of the Bucs more than he already does.

Former Bucs Super Bowl winning coach Chucky talks quarterbacking with potential first round draftee Ryan Mallet in this BSPN video. For some odd reason Joe’s not sure of, John Daly makes an appearance.

In light of ESPN’s recent slighting of the Tampa Bay sports market — again — Joe has decided to roll out a never before seen cut from the JoeBucsFan TV studio.

In this take marking the two Joes together on camera for the first time, Joe explains his disdain for BSPN. It’s safe for work, but not recommended for women and children.

[CLARIFICATION: Per Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, the NFL allows NFL Network games to be simulcast on a free broadcast station in the markets of the participating teams, as always, provided there is no blackout.]

[CLARIFICATION II: NFL Network spokesman Dennis Johnson returned one of Joe’s e-mails this afternoon and confirmed the broadcast feed of the Saturday night game with Dallas will be offered to an over-the-air station in the Tampa Bay area.]

Now that the Bucs schedule has been released, Joe finds it more than a bit interesting one of the prime time home games will be on the Man’s Channel, the NFL Network.

Loyal readers of Joe know how much Joe worships the NFL Network. If Joe was given the choice of a lengthy, sweaty, heavy-breathing, late-night tryst with Rachel Watson or giving up the NFL Network, Joe would have to think and ponder quite a while, and lean toward passing on Rachel.

That’s how good the NFL Network is.

It’s comfort food for the thinking football fan. In the throes of an offseason with no NFL games in sight, when the powers that be who proudly fly the hammer and sickle in Bristol are doing their best to try to ram down your throat the non-basketball association, the NFL Network is a pure oasis.

There are, after all, other busty Bucs cheerleaders to enjoy a moment of rapture with; there is only one NFL Network.

Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, the Saturday night game against the Cowboys is sold out. That means a great percentage of the Tampa Bay area might not see the Bucs play on a Thursday night.

And the villain in this all but true tale is the satanic Out House Networks.

Column intermission: Joe knows many people who work for this outfit. This has nothing to do with them, good people all. This has everything to do with the suits who run that syndicate.

Out House Networks has long been hostile to football fans in this market and holding the area hostage from not having the NFL Network borders on racketeering in Joe’s eyes. Just like the mob in Little Italy strong-armed innocent citizens to cough up cash each month all for the sake of protection, Out House Networks may actually serve the good football fans of the Tampa Bay area, so long as they can take both naive consumers and cable operators to the cleaners.

But the strange dance partner in all of this is Team Glazer. Out House Networks is a pewter partner, a corporate sponsor of the Buccaneers. How rich will it be that the very same corporate sponsor of the Tampa Bay area’s favorite sports team will prevent the very same fans from watching the game, for reasons that are not quite clear.

In fact, there are no reasons. If Out House Networks can cram every godless, boring, vapid shopping channel onto its basic cable packages — channels that consumers involuntarily pay for through the nose — and Out House Networks can boast at every commercial how it cares for the community, and burn countless dollars (fronted by customers) and electricity to break such Pulitzer Prize-winning stories such as how the Brandon city park has a new swing set and a ditch in Largo needs widening, then this same outfit can surely add the NFL Network.

Lest anyone forget, Team Glazer owns a 1/32 piece of the NFL Network. So one of the Buccaneers corporate sponsors is doing its best to keep the Bucs themselves from making a profit and growing its brand. Can you imagine?

Last week Team Glazer explained, through both confidential sources and rock star general manager Mark Dominik, how the team was going on the offensive in order to ensure the Bucs are marketed to hungry football fans. One step was offering to play a home game in London. Yet one of its own corporate sponsors will prevent a large swath of its own fan base from watching the game, for no valid reason.

In short Bucs fans, if you want to guarantee you see the Bucs play the Cowboys on the glorious NFL Network and the game is sold out, there are four cable TV carriers available in the Tampa Bay area — five if you include Sarasota — and only one does not have the NFL Network.

If ever there was a time for Bucs fans to disable this corrupt cable, it is now Bucs fans.

Once you watch the NFL Network, you can’t imagine why you deprived yourself for so long. It’s like living without running water.

Joe doesn’t need to know what the damned temperature is every five minutes.

Joe suspects area football fans need the NFL Network.

Last Saturday on WDAE-AM 620, Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik said he reads the stellar draft analysis of Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski.

So don’t you think you should, too?

As part of the exclusive unmatched draft coverage on JoeBucsFan.com, today The Commish fires off his look at the top 10 outside linebackers in the 2011 draft. Surely the Bucs are salivating over a few of these guys, unless you really believe Quincy Black is the future.

Enjoy. And brace yourself, The Commish is about to unleash a final eight days of draft coverage here that will blow your mind.

Outside Linebackers:

By JUSTIN PAWLOWSKI

1. Von Miller – Texas A&M
6’3’’ – 246 lbs – 4.53
Top 5

Why The Commish would take him: Miller has gained the reputation as the draft’s premiere pass rusher this year. He is an ideal fit in a 3-4 defense, but I think he’d be just fine in coverage in a 4-3 defense as well. His character and leadership skills are outstanding.  He doesn’t just have experience against top competition, but he dominated that competition as well.

Why The Commish would stay away: If there is a negative to Miller, it’s that he can play too aggressive at times and run himself right out of a play. He might be very susceptible to playaction. Miller also does not have elite size, so it’s possible for him to be engulfed by bigger offensive linemen.

Commish’s Final Say: There are plenty of teams clamoring for Miller. If he somehow gets by the Bills with the 3rd pick, expect the Bengals to get bombarded with calls from teams looking to trade up and grab Miller before the Cardinals.

Comparison: Joey Porter – Arizona Cardinals

2. Akeem Ayers – UCLA
6’3’’ – 254 lbs – 4.69
1st Round

Why The Commish would take him: I think Ayers is a player with great natural ability and room to grow. He showed off nice blitzing skills at UCLA with his use of his size and his speed to his advantage. Different from some converted defensive ends, Ayers is very fluid in coverage and a natural linebacker.

Why The Commish would stay away: Despite his size, Ayers biggest weakness is his lack of strength. He needs to get stronger to be effective in the NFL. With this lack of strength, Ayers struggles to get off blocks once offensive linemen are engaged.

Commish’s Final Say: In a weak pure linebacker class, Ayers has plenty of natural ability to be worthy of a 1st round selection. I’d like him either outside in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense, or I think he could play inside as well. He might be a bit of a reach at 18, but I think Ayers would be a great pick for the Chargers as they are desperate for linebackers.

Comparison: Shaun Phillips – San Diego Chargers

3. Justin Houston – Georgia
6’3’’ – 270 lbs – 4.68
1st Round

Why The Commish would take him: Houston’s first step and speed off the edge is the most impressive attribute about him. Houston also has very good strength, which he displayed at the combine, and which translates to the field. Houston was very productive the last couple years in a very tough conference.

Why The Commish would stay away: When I watch Houston, I only see him using one move, and that is speed off the edge. He does not have any counter moves and never goes inside on an offensive tackle. That might work in college, but that will not work in the pros.  Unless he gets good coaching and learns more than one pass rush move, Houston won’t be much of a pass rusher in the NFL.

Commish’s Final Say: I want to give Houston the benefit of the doubt and say that he’ll get good coaching and develop some other pass rush moves.  Right now, he looks a lot like Gaines Adams did coming out of college. Now, Gaines Adams never had the strength that Houston already has, which is why I think Houston should be able to learn a few counter moves that will incorporate his strength a little more.  If he does that, I could see Houston turning into a player like Terrell Suggs.

Comparison:  Terrell Suggs – Baltimore Ravens

4. Brooks Reed – Arizona
6’2’’ – 263 lbs – 4.68
1st/2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Reed is one of those players teams can rely on. He is a good character, high motor, and hard working leader. Reed is a smart player who is active on every single play. He already times really well, but he plays even faster than that.

Why The Commish would stay away: I have to wonder if Reed is only getting the love he has gotten because of his resemblance to Clay Matthews Jr. I would never draft a player solely because he looks like another player. Reed was not overly productive at Arizona either. I saw many times where Reed struggled to get off blocks of bigger offensive linemen.

Commish’s Final Say: Reed’s stock skyrocketed after he had one of the fastest 10-yard splits at the combine. It was a similar statistic that Clay Matthews was famous for a couple years back. Since Reed already was being compared to Matthews, it was natural that the 1st round started being mentioned with his name.

Comparison:   Clay Matthews – Green Bay Packers

5. Bruce Carter – North Carolina
6’2’’ – 241 lbs – DNP
2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Carter might be the best fit of any linebacker in this draft for a 4-3 defense. He is great in pursuit, excellent in space, and outstanding in pass coverage. Carter has great speed, but his strength is very underrated. Carter gained the reputation of having an excellent work ethic and attitude at North Carolina.

Why The Commish would stay away: Health is the major concern with Carter. He dealt with all kind of leg injuries from knee, ankle, thigh, and hamstring injuries that he played through in 2010. He finally tore his ACL in his left knee which has prohibited him from working out before the draft and also has teams wondering if he’ll be ready for the 2011 season.

Commish’s Final Say: Carters probably a 1st round pick if I wasn’t for is injuries and, in particular, his ACL tear. If he can get healthy, Carter could be one of the big steals in this draft.  With that said, he’s still a big risk as well.

Comparison:  Keith Rivers – Cincinnati Bengals

6. Mason Foster – Washington
6’1’’ – 245 lbs – 4.75
2nd/3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Foster was known as the “heart and soul” of Washington’s defense. He’s as good a leader with as strong a work ethic as you’ll find.  Versatility is also big with Foster as he has experience at weakside, strongside, and middle linebacker. Foster also likes to wear his emotions on his sleeve as he is extremely passionate and fiery on the field.

Why The Commish would stay away: Foster isn’t the flashiest player. He has a distinct need to get stronger and needs to do a better job of shedding blockers.

Commish’s Final Say: I had to write something for why I wouldn’t take Foster, but the truth is that he’s the type of player I want on my team. I love having fiery leaders at the linebacker position, and I think that’s just what the Bucs need.  I think Foster would be a great fit in the 2nd round for the Bucs.

Comparison: Mike Peterson – Atlanta Falcons

 7. Sam Acho – Texas
6’2’’ – 262 lbs – 4.68
2nd/3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Acho is an effort pass rusher who plays with great leverage and discipline. Acho also comes from a good group of hybrid linebackers like Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle, so the hope would be that he would contribute like Orakpo has, since Kindle dealt with injuries last year. Unlike Kindle, Acho has proven to be very durable and play through pain when needed.

Why The Commish would stay away: I think Acho needs to get stronger if he’s going to be competing with NFL offensive linemen. Acho tends to be engulfed by massive offensive linemen. As a converted defensive end, I also wonder how Acho will do in space and in coverage.

Commish’s Final Say: Acho comes from a good group of hybrids from Texas. I’m not sure he’s as talented as Orakpo or Kindle, but Acho surely plays with effort. I’m not sure I’d be willing to invest a 2nd round pick in Acho, but an effort rusher like him might definitely be worth a 3rd round selection.

Comparison:  LaMarr Woodley – Pittsburgh Steelers

8. Dontay Moch – Nevada
6’1’’ – 248 lbs – 4.44
2nd/3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Moch has become a cult legend in Nevada with whispers of a 4.2 40-yard dash while he was a player there. He didn’t run that fast at the combine, but he was still the fastest linebacker in this year’s draft. If you can’t teach speed and speed kills, then Moch should be very attractive to a lot of teams.  Moch also lives in opposing backfields as he had more than 20 tackles for a loss in the last two years and 17 tackles for a loss in 2008.

Why The Commish would stay away: With how fast Moch is, he struggles with agility and is very questionable as he moves back into coverage. Moch was a defensive end at Nevada, so there are plenty of questions as he’ll transition back to linebacker in the NFL.

Commish’s Final Say: I think Moch’s natural ability is extremely intriguing. If Moch gets in a system with good coaching, he has the ability to be a dominant force.  However, I do worry about the part of his game that requires more quickness and agility than speed.

Comparison: Larry English – San Diego Chargers

9. Chris Carter – Fresno St.
6’1’’ – 248 lbs – 4.62
3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him:  Carter’s biggest strength is quickness off the ball. As a defensive end at Fresno St, Carter was quick off the line, but also possesses some great straight line speed. Carter is an explosive athlete with some good power as well. He should excel rushing the passer from a 2-point stance.

Why The Commish would stay away: As a former defensive end, there are questions about his coverage ability. Carter does not have the ideal size to match up with bigger offensive linemen in the NFL.

Commish’s Final Say: The Bucs brought Chris Carter in for a workout and rightfully so. Carter is a very explosive athlete who should be very solid as an outside linebacker in the NFL. His strength will be blitzing off the edge.

Comparison:   Quincy Black – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. KJ Wright – Mississippi St.
6’3’’ – 246 lbs – 4.75
3rd/4th Round

Why The Commish would take him: The first thing that stands out to me with Wright is his durability. He finished his collegiate career with 47 consecutive starts.  Wright also has a great combination of size and speed. He is a hard worker with a motor that never stops.

Why The Commish would stay away: Wright just didn’t make many impact plays for Mississippi St. He struggles to shed blockers and plays way too tall at times.

Commish’s Final Say: Wright’s combination of size and speed should make him pretty attractive in the middle rounds. I do question a player with those attributes not being able to make more impact plays in college.

Comparison: Aaron Maybin – Buffalo Bills

Looking at the Bucs’ awesome 2011 schedule, if Joe were a casual Bucs fan only going to a handful of games, opening day on Sept. 11 against the Lions in the brutal summer swelter sure wouldn’t make the cut.

There are so many more attractive home games on the schedule, including the Cowboys on a Saturday night and the Colts on Monday Night Football in October, that Joe already figures the opening day crowd will be missing those only-go-to-a-few-games types.

So assuming a stunning glimmer of hope doesn’t emerge from One Buc Palace, the opener is sure to be blacked out. And please don’t tell Joe Lions fans come out in droves. They sure didn’t four months ago.

Hopefully, Joe gets this wrong. Blackout chatter surely will stain the glorious hype of opening day again, if that’s the situation.

Joe was hoping for a more popular team on opening day to help it sell out, but Joe’s not about to complain about this great schedule. The Bucs should be grateful to have four-of-six at home again, followed by the Bears in England and a bye week. Another 5-2 start is sure doable.

Bring on the fresh meat for the young Bucs to pound into submission.

Here’s the schedule for the “best team in the NFC:”

9-11 LIONS (1 p.m.)
9-18 @Vikings (1 p.m.)
9-25 FALCONS (4:15 p.m.)
10-3 COLTS (Monday Night Football)
10-9 @49ers (4:05 p.m.)
10-16 SAINTS (4:15 p.m.)
10-23 BEARS (in London)
BYE
11-6  @Saints (1 p.m.)
11-13 TEXANS (1 p.m.)
11-20 @Packers (1 p.m.)
11-27 @Titans (1 p.m.)
12-4  PANTHERS (1 p.m.)
12-11 @Jaguars (1 p.m.)
12-17 COWBOYS (8:20 p.m.) NFL Network
12-24 @Panthers (1 p.m.)
1-1   @Falcons (1 p.m.)

Joe is fired up. End the damn lockout already.

The Bucs opened 2010 with four out of their first six at home, and the same holds true for 2011.

There can be no whining about this schedule from an exposure standpoint. The Colts at home on Monday Night Football in Week 4 (Chucky’s return), and the Cowboys on a Saturday night in December on NFL Network, plus the Saints and Falcons at home in 4 o’clock games.

Like Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on the mountaintop, football fans everywhere can now read coffee-slurping, popcorn-shoveling, fried chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving Peter King’s final mock draft.

The NFL writer for Sports Illustrated had the most accurate mock draft last year and while his mock draft is scheduled to come out this week in his magazine, it can also be viewed online with the SI.com vault.

King has the Bucs selecting Missouri defensive end Aldon Smith, though King thinks the team should look elsewhere.

20 BUCCANEERS
WILL PICK
Aldon Smith, DE/OLB, Missouri
SHOULD PICK
Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

Tampa Bay is still saying novenas that Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers will fall because teams are worried about the health of his knee, and it’s not impossible that he’ll still be available here. But these two pass rushers are safer choices. Personnel men I’ve spoken to are very high on Smith, but Clayborn, though he’ll likely be a right end only, looks better suited to be an edge rusher than Smith.

Interesting the nuggets King came up with why Clayborn will be a better rusher than Smith.

At any rate, it will be comforting to see the Bucs get some heat from the edge.

Known for his brutal public honesty on Twitter and Facebook, leading the Bucs in sacks over the past four seasons, and loads of charity work in the Tampa Bay area, Stylez White is also known for his dislike of practice.

And Stylez Tweeted this morning that he’s dealing with the challenges surely facing many locked out NFL players.

@StylezWhite – At the car wash.. Man its Hard working out by yourself tryn to stay motivated… Dang! #Keepitmoving

First, Joe would advise Stylez not to fire off a Tweet like this when he might be an unrestricted free agent in a matter of days. Not the kinda thing to holla out there, even if you’re winning the internal fight to stay fit.

It’s going to be interesting to see how many players fall off the conditioning wagon during the lockout. No doubt there will be some surprises when teams eventually report, and Joe suspects it’ll be a lot more glaring than the mysterious few pounds Derrick Ward put on last year.

Former Bucs Super Bowl winning coach Chucky grills quarterback and potential first round draftee Blaine Gabbert in this BSPN video.

The man Joe has often dubbed “Tampa Bay’s voice of reason,” Tampa Tribune columnist Joe Henderson, recently penned his views on the Bucs 2011 home game in London and Henderson thinks the Bucs punted on third down by agreeing to the game.

Henderson doesn’t see an advantage to the Bucs playing in England. He assumes the overseas game is a strain on the team and thinks it could strip the Bucs of its biggest homefield advantage: searing heat.

I sure hope this isn’t a response to last year’s sea of empty seats at Ray-Jay. That’s the same stadium that until last year was sold out every time the Bucs played since it opened in 1998.In that same sit-down last month with the Tribune, Glazer noted, “Ticket sales have been strong. They were strong in January, strong in February and they haven’t stopped.”

So what’s the problem?

The game probably will be played in late October or early November. We don’t know for sure if the Bears would have been sent here in September or early October, but we do know that Wembley in late October is no sweatbox. Ray-Jay can be a real homefield advantage, but only if the game is actually played here.

So much for that.

Joe can’t argue with the potentially lost climate advantage the Bucs could have against the Bears in Tampa, but that’s surely no sure thing, especially if the game was at 4 p.m.

However, Joe’s not sure he can agree with Henderson saying the game is a strain on players. Joe would have to hear that from coaches and the guys wearing pewter and red.

This Bucs team obviously is very comfortable on the road and it gets a bye week following the trip to England. Playing in England seems like great bonding time and more togetherness to study Raheem Morris’ core beliefs.

Yes, the 2009 flight somehow injured Antonio Bryant’s knee, but Joe suspects that won’t be a problem this year.

Yesterday, Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy sat in for a segment of “Total Access” on the Lifetime Network for Men (the NFL Network). One of the things GMC spoke about what the atmosphere and mentality of the Bucs the first day he walked into One Buc Palace after being the third overall selection.

“When I walked in, I would have never known they didn’t have a good season the year before,” GMC said. “Coach Morris immediately told me, ‘We are going to be good. I picked the people I picked for a reason.’ It was always ‘We are going to be good.'”

GMC also spoke about many other subjects, such as if current draftees should go to New York for the NFL draft, a sore spot for NFLPA members, and just how good Josh Freeman and Mike Williams are as players.

No draft question is too tough for Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM 620. Joe’s resident draft guru will be here to field anything you throw at him.
Don’t be late!

[Joe was tipped off that Bucs second-year offensive guard Brandon Carter was looking for work. Thinking this could be a story about how the lockout is affecting players, Joe called Carter and found out that was not the case; Carter has plenty of cash stashed. But Carter chatted with Joe about playing for the Bucs, living in the Tampa Bay area and how he’s spending his lockout time at home.]

If it was up to Brandon Carter, the Bucs second-year offensive guard would be at One Buc Palace, working out like a maniac — twice daily — and in the down time between workouts, breaking down tape.

“Man, I love it,” Carter said about being part of the Bucs. The former Texas Tech guard (who never gave up a sack to either manbeast Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy while playing against the two in the Big XII) was on the Bucs practice squad last year until the final five weeks of last season.

“Tampa Bay is awesome. I love the young atmosphere on the team. I love the direction Raheem Morris is taking the team. I am excited. I think the next few years the team will be really good. I haven’t had one negative experience in Tampa. I enjoy Tampa. I’m excited about this year.

But “this year” has hit the pause button. Rather than spending time on the west coast of the east coast, Carter is back at his home in Lubbock, Tex. He works out twice a day. In the mornings Carter hits the weights. Hard. In the evenings, he works with a specialist to better his agility and speed.

“I’m signed for next year,” Carter said of his job status with the Bucs. “I’ll be back next year… whenever that is.”

Like the rest of his NFL brethren, Carter is sort of in a holding pattern. He has no idea when this labor mess with end and when he’ll move back to the Bay area and resume his football career.

With time on his hands, Carter is getting antsy. So much so he’s looking for work. But it may not be for the reasons one can decipher on face value.

“I’m not out there spending money and wasting time,” Carter said. “Sure, I’d like to have some extra money.”

It’s not his makeup to sit around and veg. Carter is a self-admitted workaholic. He has to be doing something all the time. Not too long ago, Carter delivered pizzas, which might have created some anxious moments for customers, seeing a 6-6, 310-pound delivery man in the dark of the night at the front door. Joe suspects tips came easy for Carter.

In recent months, Carter was a maintenance man at an apartment complex, though he doesn’t have much of a background as a Mr. FixIt.

“I learned to become a handyman,” Carter bragged. Some of his recent duties before the job came to an end included painting a pool and fixing a sprinkler system.

With a degree in exercise core sciences, a degree Carter said a lot of people who someday want to coach have, he is naturally hoping to put it to use in some way. Monday, just before speaking with Joe, Carter was offered a job at a neighborhood gym in Lubbock.

“That would be cool,” Carter said. “It would keep me in the gym all day and maybe do even more of a workout. If I can make some money at the same time, that’s a sweet deal.

“I never had a problem with being in a gym. I always loved it. I love the atmosphere, I feed off the people I am surrounded with. The guys and the girls who want to work hard, I feed off of them. I’m high intensity and when I get my work done, I just walk around and listen to the music.”

If nothing else, having a job between his twice-daily workouts keeps his mind off of the wrangling between NFL owners and the NFLPA.

“Honestly, I have been a workaholic all my life,” Carter said. “I’ve worked since I was 12. When I got back to Lubbock [from Tampa in January], I was bored.”

While Carter’s voice drops when he talks about the stalemate of the lockout, his excitement about playing for the Bucs and being part of the Tampa Bay community just jumps off the cell phone.

“The coaching staff is great,” Carter said. “I loved every coach. I can honestly say I never had any issue with any coach. The team was great. It’s cool to be on a younger team. In a sense, it felt like I was on another college team and going through the growing pains just like everyone else.

“The people [in Tampa Bay] are awesome. I never had a negative experience all the while I was in Tampa. I couldn’t imagine myself being anywhere else. I really enjoy it there. Florida is beautiful.”

Again, Carter sees big things coming from the Bucs in the near future.

“I always loved being the underdog,” Carter said. “Most didn’t give the team and the players the respect they deserved and we went out there and did things no one imagined. I’m really proud of that, and the team, and the coaching staff.

“I don’t think we got the credit we deserved but not one person on the team listened to or cared what anyone’s opinion was. We just worked hard every single day and became the team that we did. In the years to come, I think we will be a great team.”

Local sports fans have heard all the reasons/excuses from Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Buccaneers management that allegedly explain why those teams can’t sell more tickets.

The list is easy for any local to rattle off. Frankly, they’ve never sat well with Joe.

Joe thinks those organizations are far too focused on external factors affecting them versus internal systems and philosphies that drive the business success. As Joe wrote last week after word broke of the Bucs game in England, it didn’t feel right to Joe that the Bucs already seemed resigned to blackouts in 2011 — in April. 

Through most of 2007-2010, Joe worked in sales for a national company whose business was directly tied to — and negatively affected by — the plummeting real estate market nationwide. However, the company philosophy in its high-pressure sales environment was simple; massive sales growth would be achieved because the alternative was not an option.

The goals were reached, while competitors crumbled and the real estate market further tanked to record levels. 

In the face of a challenging business environment, there are always winners, just fewer of them. Why can’t the Bucs or Rays overcome, or at least perform much better?

Last night, former Seattle Seahawks and current Tampa Bay Lightning CEO Todd Leiweke took to the airwaves for an interview with JP Peterson on 1010 AM.

Leiweke painted a picture of Tampa Bay currently being an excellent market for professional sports and entertainment. He referenced sellouts at the St. Pete Times Forum on Saturday, Sunday and Monday for Lady Gaga, Iron Maiden and the Lightning, respectively. “We’re the fifth or sixth busiest arena [in the country],” he said.

Peterson pushed Leiweke to talk about the Tampa Bay market for sports teams and contrast it with his tenure in Seattle.

Leiweke said blaming fans and market conditions is “the first exit on the highway of excuses.”

He went on to talk about a season ticket base of “about 33,000” when he joined the Seahawks in 2003, during far better economic times. When Leiweke left Seattle in 2010 to join the Lightning, the Seahawks (fresh off two losing seasons) were raising ticket prices, had sold their maximum of 61,000 allocated season tickets, and had a waiting list of 10,000, per The Seattle Times.

Leiweke went on to say he expects the Lightning, whose attendance is up about 12 percent from last season, to enjoy sellouts throughout next season.

Interesting.

Joe thinks it’s time the Rays and Bucs change their public attitude on attendance and crank up the heat and scrutiny inside their organizations. It sure couldn’t hurt.

A rough local economy can do a lot of things, but it can’t stifle marketing creativity, first-rate customer service, a healthy attitude and good old fashioned hustle, especially from wildly profitible enterprises like the Bucs and Rays.

As the great Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com correctly connected the dots over the weekend, the NFL will release it’s 2011* regular season schedule Tuesday live on the NFL Network beginning at 7 p.m.

When (if?) will the Bucs play the Bears in London? When will the Bucs travel to New Orleans to beat the Saints for the third year in a row? When will the Bucs get their first crack at the Dixie Chicks to enact revenge on two close losses in 2010?

We should all know Tuesday night. Just tune to NFL Network, just like proud, loyal Bucs fans always do.

* — If there is a 2011 season.