The Raheem Morris and Greg Olson era made many decisions and assessments over the years, and some of the standouts include the following:

• Don’t question the greatness of Michael Clayton.
• Jermaine Phillips is the linebacker to take over for Derrick Brooks.
• Quincy Black is a pass rusher and a legend of the dangerous “Redskin package.”
• A three-headed monster at running back, (Ward-Williams-Graham) should rotate having a bizarre 2-2-1 rotation by offensive series.
• Sackless Kyle Moore was gifted a starting LDE job ahead of two better ends on the roster.
• Sabby the Goat was gifted a starting job.
• The ludicrous Benn’d around play was a good idea after watching it fail on film multiple times.
• Rushing three men on the D-line worked with the Bucs’ personnel.
• The slant pass was a bad idea.
• LeGarrette Blount is worthless on passing downs.

Loyal readers of Joe know Joe will now zero in on that last one: the alleged one-dimensional play of Blount. Sorry, but Joe has no faith in the previous regime’s assessments, from claiming lost OTAs negatively and critically affected the Bucs’ season after it started 4-2, to failing repeatedly to stop slow starts, and more.

But ESPN’s Matt Williamson, in an analysis of NFC South rookies, buys into the Raheem-Olson gospel that Blount is a liability in the passing game.

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay: As I noted earlier in my blog post about the NFC South running backs, I fully expect Martin to take over the lead back spot in Tampa Bay before very long. Martin is exactly what Greg Schiano is looking for at the position. 

The Buccaneers will be a run-first team and have invested quite a bit in their offensive line to pave the way. A great interior runner who also is very effective outside the tackles and as a receiver, Martin is in line for a lot of touches. The Buccaneers did not trade back into the first round to select a running back to not use him. And because LeGarrette Blount is a liability in the passing game, the door is wide open for Martin to thrive. 

Joe reads and hears this stuff from many national and local media, and Joe can only think it comes from buying into the Raheem-Olson take on Blount. Funny how Joe never hears anyone say, ‘Remember when Blount blew all those blocking assignments and got Freeman killed,’ or ‘Damn, Blount can’t do squat when you throw him the ball.’

Because Raheem and Olson said so is just not enough of a reason for Joe to lose faith in Blount, a young running back with extraordinary talent.

It’s becoming clear to Joe that new Bucs coach Greg Schiano had little use for the Bucs’ play at safety last year, or the safeties on the 2011 roster.

First, Sean Jones was waved good-bye as a free agent and (allegedly) left-handed cigarette smoking Tanard Jackson was turned loose after he failed to show up at One Buc Palace for the first team gathering under the New Schiano Order.

Then there is Cody Grimm, a good guy and a good player who has been bitten by the injury bug each season.

First Schiano drops strong hints, later reinforced by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik (in Joe’s eyes), that future Hall of Famer Ronde Barber will be playing safety this season, and of course the Bucs drafted Alabama safety Mark Barron seventh overall in last month’s draft.

And there is word from none other than Schiano himself that sixth round pick Keith Tandy, a cornerback at West Virginia, could be moved to safety, per good guy Scott Purks of CBSSports.com.

Coach Greg Schiano on CB Keith Tandy (sixth-round pick out of West Virginia) possibly switching to S: “(Tandy) has zone skills, man skills, press skills, so we just need to see where he fits best right now. He does have the kind of versatility that’s going to (allow us) to mix and match where he’s needed.”

Now there are all sorts of ways to read into this, but Joe won’t ascribe a motive. It could just be that Schiano wants to build as much competition as he can at safety, where play was woeful after Grimm sadly went down with (another) season-ending injury.

Or, this could mean that Tandy is so talented, Schiano wants to get him on the field as often as possible.

Yeah, the Bucs have Michael Bennett at left defensive end, who was probably better than hobbled DaQuan Bowers anyway, but the devastating news of Bowers’ injury is most troubling because the Bucs have such little proven depth at the position.

Third-year Buccaneer George Johnson out of (all together now) Rutgers is coming off an injury; the rest of the DEs on the roster outside of Adrian Clayborn have little-to-no experience, and the Bucs didn’t draft any.

The Bucs were last in the NFL in sacks last year. They need another defensive end that can definitely produce.

The subject was addresssed by the cerebral Ross Tucker on SiriusXM NFL Radio this morning. Tucker says there are “slim pickin’s” on the free agent market now for defensive ends. Tucker said maybe Matt Roth could give the Bucs some snaps. Roth, 29, had 3.5 sacks in nine games for Jacksonville last year before being lost for the season with a concussion.

Tucker also tossed out the rather uninspiring names of former Buccaneer Jimmy Wilkerson, old man James Hall, Raheem Brock, Jarvis Moss, William Hayes and others. Hall, 35, intrigues Joe a bit as a stopgap. He had six sacks in 15 starts for the Rams last year.

Tucker predicts one of two things will happen:

1) Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik quickly will turn to his “ready list” of best available free agents at the position. In this scenario, Dominik would bring in four or five for a workout and sign the one in the best shape.

2) Dominik sits tight and gets a long look at the current bodies in camp while keeping a keen eye on the waiver wire. Tucker is certain the Eagles will cut one of their talented ends, “Jason Babin, Brandon Graham, Trent Cole, Darryl Tapp, and they drafted Vinny Curry in the second round,” Tucker said. “They can’t possibly all make the roster.”

So the Bucs, which are loading up on Rutgers players like Joe does with cold beers on a steamy west-central Florida weekend afternoon, have already had a major hit to their defensive-line depth when second-year defensive end Da’Quan Bowers tore an Achilles tendon working out yesterday.

Bowers is scheduled to have surgery today. It is very likely Bowers is done for the season, though there is a small chance he could rejoin the team in December — provided the Bucs don’t put him on the injured reserve list.

Depth was a key goal along the defensive front for new Bucs coach Greg Schiano and already that goal has been hijacked by Bowers’ injury. The Bucs already are counting on oft-injured Gerald McCoy and previously hobbled Brian Price to stay healthy, which neither has done in their NFL careers.

It almost makes Joe wonder if the Bucs will be looking to perhaps make a trade?

Rumor had it, via Jason LaCanfora, in his last days working for the NFL Network, that Giants stud defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora can be had for a third round pick.

The trick here is that after this seaosn, Umenyiora will be a free agent (unless he re-ups a contract) and isn’t exactly injury-free as well.

Oh, and his contract likely will be steep.

So perhaps the Bucs, with their Giants connections on the coaching staff on defense, may be interested in Umenyiora? Look, Joe likes GMC a lot and Price seems to be a good guy but to bank on both playing 16 games without an injury is a gamble until and/or unless they prove they can stay healthy.

Until the Bucs linebacker unit and secondary is settled, and both areas were beyond porous last season, the Bucs simply must put heat on the quarterback and stop the run up front.

Perhaps Umenyiora can help with that goal. Bowers is out, and now with a bum knee on his left leg and a blown Achilles on his right leg, one wonders how effective he will be whenever he recovers.

Being carted off the field has been too common of a sight for Cody Grimm in his first two seasons in the NFL.

The way new Bucs coach Greg Schiano has put a clamp down on information about what his defense will entail this fall, it’s easier for Joe to acquire a cell phone number for Rachel Watson.

Earlier this week on an NFL.com podcast, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik let some information slip when he all but stated Ronde Barber will be starting the season at safety.

Without trying to ascribe a motive, surely Schiano plans to start No. 7 overall draft pick Mark Barron as well.

This leaves Cody Grimm out in the cold.

Could it be that the Bucs have doubts about Grimm’s ability to bounce back from his second season-ending leg injury in as many years? Joe’s of the mind the Bucs should be.

Look, Joe has nothing at all against Grimm, a really good guy with good genes. He’s what everyone likes in a football player: gritty, fundamentally sound and not afraid to stick his nose in a pile. But to have a defensive back suffer two serious leg injuries; two years ago breaking an ankle and last year tearing the meniscus and MCL in his right knee.

Joe finds it strange that so many Bucs fans have piled on Gerald McCoy for not being able to stay on the field. Like Grimm, GMC himself has suffered two season-ending injuries in his first two seasons yet these same fans are willing to give Grimm a pass.

Per Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, Bucs second-year defensive end Da’Quan Bowers has torn an Achilles tendon and is expected to be lost for the 2012 season.

Bowers is scheduled to have surgery Friday.

Bowers suffered the injury while participating in the Bucs’ offseason conditioning program.

Though it is possible Bowers could return late in the year, that’s more pipe-dream than a realistic expectation. If Bowers were to return, no one knows if he would be 100 percent or how he could play after such a short time after the surgery.

Now one wonders about Bowers’ future. He already has a bum knee and add to that a surgically-repaired Achilles tendon. Not good for a defensive end to have such bad injuries to his wheels.

Bowers was drafted by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik with a second round draft pick in 2011. He showed flashes of a player who was once thought to be a high draft pick. Bowers slid to the second round over grave concerns about his bum knee.

Michael Bennett will likely replace Bowers full-time at left defensive end in Bowers’ absence.

The Achilles injury Bowers suffered was to his right leg. The knee problem he has battled is his left knee.

Score one for Joe predicting Carl Nicks would be the Buccaneer honored last night on NFL Network (aka The Man Channel) for being among the Top 100 players in the NFL for 2012.

The NFL players-only voting revealed Nicks grabbed position No. 76. Donald Penn checked in at No. 97 a couple of weeks ago.

The countdown continues next week from No. 70. Will Vincent Jackson get some love? Joe hopes so. The man just signed for gargantuan money. Davin Joseph? Oh, the drama.

Here’s the video of Nicks’ segment, great stuff for the many Bucs fans that don’t know much about him. Ironically, among other highlights, you get an NFL Films look of Nicks absolutely abusing Roy Miller and yet another jailbreak run against the Bucs.

Click the limo to learn more about the Tampa limo company that routinely exceeds the expecations of clients across the Tampa Bay area and the world. Paradise Worldwide Transportation Mother’s Day options are as low as $89 per hour.

For the Bucs to turn around their defensive line, it's critical that Gerald McCoy stay healthy.

Anyone whose eyes have finally recovered, after they were singed watching what was disguised as a Bucs defense last year, knows that if the Bucs are to sniff a .500 record the Bucs must somehow stop the run.

The critical element in this is the Bucs’ front line. And eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune explains improvement on the defensive front has been a priority for the Bucs since the ghastly loss to the Dixie Chicks, extending the grotesque losing streak to 10 games last season.

Collectively, the group up front was ravaged on the ground as opposing clubs averaged 5.0 yards per carry. The defensive line failed to occupy blockers and running backs routinely broke through to the second level.

And when opposing running backs got to the second level, it was nothing less than a jailbreak. The way running backs ran through the Bucs’ second and third levesl, it reminded Joe of Steve McQueen on his motorcycle in “The Great Escape.”

The first step towards improved rush defense is for the front line to stay healthy. No matter how talented guys like Gerald McCoy and Brian Price are, if they can’t get on the field or are hobbled, it doesn’t help the team.

The bell cow running back debate is one that will burn within many Bucs fans from now through at least late August.

Who should and will carry the load in the Bucs’ run-first backfield? Will there even be the bell cow that Greg Schiano desires?

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik was pressed on this yesterday during an NFL.com podcast hosted by Steve Wyche and Jason Smith. Here’s how Dominik responded.

Host (paraphrased): Doug Martin, LeGarrette Blount, what’s your plan?

Mark Dominik: They’re going to complement one another. Let’em play with each other. Let them utilize their traits very well, and really kind of work together. I think most clubs, as we see around the league, have a multiple-back system, where guys can be on first-down or third-down, and short yardage or, you know, first-and-10. And I think that’s what’s so nice about adding a Doug Martin. You know because he has the hands, you know he’s really good catching the ball and real natural coming out [out of the backfield], runs really good routes, he’s under control as a runner but he has some top-end speed so he can get away. And what I like about him is he’s got some strength after contact to be able to break plays and get those hidden yardages, you know those yards after contact that are such hidden yards in the National Football League that are so important to sustain drives and give a chance to let your team win games.

Host (paraphrased): Will their use be situational, like the Giants have done in the past with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw?

Dominik: I think that’s the way the coaches are going to end up playing it out. And certainly the development of how fast, you know, Martin can pick it up. And certainly with LeGarrette now being here. And again, everybody’s got a fresh clean slate. Now with Greg Schiano, a new coaching staff, a new offensive coordinator very excited about the clean slate and really excited about some of the young players that have a chance to continue to step up and step through.

For those who love to read between lines, Dominik’s quotes above might satisfy you for at least a week.

Joe’s been known to examine tea leaves, and Joe finds it interesting that Dominik referenced Martin having to pick up the system — it’s new for Blount, too, and many fans allege Blount is an idiot that can’t figure out a playbook. Also, Dominik referencing the coaches’ excitement about a clean slate in a question about Blount is intriguing.

Regardless, Joe’s not worried about either one of the running backs. Joe’s concern lies in Mike Sullivan’s ability as a first-time offensive coordinator that has never called plays.

At the height of Josh Freeman’s stud season in 2010, former Bucs center Jeff Faine revealed that Freeman was a Taco Bell junkie but predicted Freeman eventually would figure out he needed to change his diet.

Presumably, Faine was not referring to Saltines and anchovies, but rather Freeman switching to veggies and lean protein over Supreme Beef Gorditas and Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes.

It seems Faine was a sound prognosticator. While Joe’s already written about how Freeman has dropped some serious weight, now rockstar general manager Mark Dominik has weighed in on the body transformation of his franchise quarterback. Dominik detailed Freeman’s motivation during an NFL.com podcast.

Dominik said Freeman wanted more flexibility in his torso and launched a new fitness regimen on his own.

“You’ve seen a guy who’s completely committed to getting his season back on track and hitting the reset button and getting his game back to hopefully to more of what we saw in 2010 as a young 22-year-old,” Dominik said Wednesday on NFL.com’s “Cover Two” podcast. “The last couple years, he’s been playing around 255-260 (pounds). Right now, he’s sitting downstairs (at the team facility) weighing about 235-238.

“He’s getting his body right, working on getting more mobility and better conditioned and buying in, heart and soul, to how and what (the newly hired) Mike Sullivan is and wants to be as offensive coordinator.”

Dominik said that Freeman’s weight loss was completely voluntary, and no coach or trainer recommended he shed weight. Dominik added that Freeman has slimmed down mainly by changing his diet.

Joe figured there was a chance Freeman was still pounding the Chalupas, but apparently that’s out the window. Joe wonders whether someone inspired Freeman. Perhaps a young lady? Perhaps Raheem Morris’ fruit obsession was a factor.

Bucs fans heard all about Ronde Barber getting a look at safety during pre-draft, voluntary minicamp.

It was largely put out there that Team Schiano was simply exploring options. Well, per rockstar general manager Mark Dominik, it seems the Bucs have reached some conclusions on the Bucs icon.

During a NFL.com podcast today, Dominik talked about the team’s depth at cornerback in the event Aqib Talib isn’t available. He referenced Barber’s flexibility and said, “if we need to make the move to pull Ronde back from safety and down to corner, we can do that in a heartbeat,” Dominik said.

That got Joe sitting up his recliner, and Joe hit the rewind button to confirm.

It sure sounds like Dominik and Team Schaino already have Barber penciled in as a starting safety. If so, it’ll be fun to watch Mark Barron and Barber build chemistry, and see the Bucs get creative moving Barber around and using Cody Grimm.

Joe is just a little concerned about Barber’s durability in a bigger run-stuffing role.

If one takes out the microscope and really, really tries hard, there was a positive thing or two to come out of last season’s grotesque 4-12 record, replete with a heinous 10-game losing streak.

(And no, getting a fifth draft pick overall was not one of them.)

One positive was flashes that Da’Quan Bowers was as good as advertised.

Bowers, thought to be an early first round pick in 2011, plummeted to the second round because of his bum knee. But with his knee healed and becoming used to play in the NFL, Bowers, at times, was dominant.

One reason the Bucs had Bowers split time with fellow defensive end Michael Bennett was that it limited Bowers’ pitch count. The less wear and tear on that bum knee, the longer Bowers can be a productive player.

Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune is of the mind that Bowers could be seeing more playing time because of his development.

Q: Will Da’Quan Bowers ever be the same dominating force he was in college? Can you discuss your expectations of him for the 2012 season? Will he ever fully recover?

Joseph Sims, Howard, Kan.

A: Bowers was fully recovered late last season. And it showed. He was often a dominant force as a pass rusher and run stopper late in the season and was just beginning to develop a comfort level when the year ended. I think he will prove to be a pleasant surprise for the Bucs in 2012 and beyond. He’ll likely split time with Michael Bennett again, but he’s probably going to surpass Bennett within a year or two and become the leading left end on this team.

— Woody Cummings

Well, since the Bucs have a Tom Coughlin disciple as a defensive coordinator, that tells Joe the second priority is to put heat on the quarterback, which is one reason you see new Bucs coach Greg Schiano loading up on defensive linemen.

(The first priority of the Bucs defense, to hear Adrian Clayborn tell Joe’s good friend “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, is to tackle.)

With an objective of getting a quarterback’s jersey dirty, it’s a good bet Bowers will see more playing time.

The can’t-miss Man Channel spring/summer feature, The Top-100 Players of 2012, is back for a new episode tonight at 8 p.m. when players 71-80 of the countdown will be unveiled and profiled.

Honorees are selected by the votes of NFL players only. Donald Penn checked in at No. 97 and, per Buccaneers.com, another Buccaneer will be revealed tonight.

(For those confused or slaves to Outhouse Networks, the Man Channel is NFL Network.)

Joe’s betting on Carl Nicks to grab this latest slot. Just a hunch.

It’s always a fun time watching Rays baseball at Hooters, but it gets a lot more special tonight. And it’s not just because the Rays are playing the hated Yankees.

Hooters at 4125 4th St. North in St. Pete will host an official Rays watch party, which means the Rays pregame and postgame radio crew will be there giving away all kinds of prizes and there will be food and drink specials, including $5.99 boneless wings and fries.

This is the place to be. Joe will be there enjoying all things Hooters girls, ice cold beer and baseball! The action starts at 6:30 p.m. and first pitch is 7:05 p.m.

Yesterday Joe touched upon what some Bucs fans perceive as a troubling pattern of new Bucs coach Greg Schiano signing a bunch of his ex-players from Rutgers.

Many fans brought up Steve Spurrier, who, in his only NFL coaching stint at Washington, decided to try to turn the Redskins into Gainesville north, only to see it blow up in his face.

The Spurrier analogy has also raised the antennae of Steve White. The former Bucs defensive end who appeared on the radio show of good guy Derek Fournier, “Old School” of WhatTheBuc.net fame, something called “Touch Yourself,” or some such thing heard Sunday mornings on WQYK-AM 1010.

Here, White admitted he’s trying to ignore all the Rutgers connections.

“I’m trying not to be concerned that we are targeting so many guys with personal ties to [Schiano]. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. Just because he played well for you at Rutgers doesn’t mean he will be a good NFL player. Maybe he will be, maybe [Schiano] can bring that out. But I remmber when Steve Spurrier had a former [Gators] quarterback and receivers and this guy and that guy and it didn’t work out. There is some precedence that shows that when an ex-college coach goes shopping for his ex-players in college” it doesn’t work.

Well, it’s not just his ex-players, but as White touched upon, it’s players who Schiano has personally known, whether it be players from West Virginia or Conneticut or even Leonard Johnson, who Schiano recruited out of high school. And he admits to having a strong bond with Johnson’s old high school coach at Largo, Rick Rodriguez.

It’s not just players either, but coaches. Joe’s lost count how many ex-Rutgers coaches are on the Bucs staff, not to mention Butch Davis who hired Schiano to be his defensive coordinator at Miami.

Again, Joe doesn’t believe Schiano is guilty of cronyism. What coach doesn’t surround himself with guys with whom he’s familiar or has a background with?

As for the Bucs turning into Rutgers south, well, there are 90 positions available. Most of these guys will be camp meat for this summer. If Schiano is able to push some of these guys’ buttons to be effective football players, it’s a win-win for the Bucs.

Of the 90 or so men on the Bucs roster, six are former Rutgers players, including newly signed wide receiver and former Patriots backup Tiquan Underwood. (Joe’s not including Eric LeGrand for this discusssion).

Here’s the list:

Gary Gibson DT
George Johnson DE
Derrick Roberson CB
Desmond Wynn OT
Tiquan Underwood WR
Jeremy Zuttah C

Some Bucs fans find this alarming. “Too many Rutgers players. Rutgers sucks!”

Joe finds that mindset ridiculous this early in the offseason. (Now if Ray Lucas shows up for a comeback, Joe will freak out.)

First off, Zuttah and Gibson are established professionals and were unquestionably sound and wise free-agent signings. Johnson started his career with the Bucs in early 2010. So he was already here. That leaves Roberson, Wynn and Underwood as Rutgers guys one could say are only here because the head coach trusts them.

Big deal. Joe doesn’t see this as a repeat of Steve Spurrier hauling ex-Gators, including his quarterback, to the Redskins.

A primary mission of Greg Schiano is to transform the bad habits of the Buccaneers that reached peak ugliness last season. To do that, the head coach needs players he’s sure will exemplify the practice and training habits of the New Schiano World Order. Roughly 40 percent of the current roster won’t make the team come opening day. So why not bring in a few guys that have some talent but definitely will deliver the proper work ethic and subsequently make those around them better Buccaneers?

Every coach — good and bad — does the same darn thing. Heck, Raheem Morris snatched “the driving force of our football team” from the scrap heap, a guy from his hometown and 1-AA alma mater.

Many Bucs fans were quick to knight the Bucs offensive line as one of the best in the NFL when Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik landed All-Pro guard Carl Nicks in free agency.

This allowed the Bucs to move left guard Jeremy Zuttah to center and wave goodbye to former starting center Jeff Faine.

But Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com isn’t ready to jump on the bandwagon quite yet. Though impressed with Nicks, he believes Dominik is not getting the most bang for his buck with his offensive line and barely grades the Bucs offensive line in the top third of the league at No. 10.

Overview: Meet the NFL’s most expensive O-Line. Over the past three years, the Bucs have devoted an unprecedented $168 million in combined contracts to their five starters, including this offseason’s Nicks ($47.5M) and Zuttah ($16.3M) deals. So far, the group has been overpaid. Nicks is the lone truly elite lineman, and he’s yet to play a down for Tampa. There are reasons to believe this unit is destined for a big leap, though. New coach Greg Schiano is installing a run-heavy attack, and that philosophy plays to the strengths of this power-blocking group. Nicks’ presence allows Zuttah to kick from left guard to center, turning last year’s biggest negative into a positive. The addition of a running back with power and wiggle in first-round pick Doug Martin will naturally make the blocking look better. Though not quite as good as its price tag suggests, Tampa’s offensive line was still a top 15 or 18 unit in 2011. It should be top ten in 2012.

The key to the offensive line lies with two people, both tackles: Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood.

Though in a NFL Network special on the Top 100 players of2012 Penn was ranked by current NFL players at No. 97, Penn seemed to become disinterested late last season, gaining weight and losing his edge as one of the dominant tackles in the NFL.

Trueblood is a pretty damned good run blocker but he struggles against the pass. Two years ago James Lee pushed him aside for a starting job and defensive ends ran past Trueblood ease.

If Penn can stay sharp all year and Trueblood can improve his pass blocking, there is no reason to believe the Bucs will struggle on the offensive line.

In between brutal workouts, embracing lubricants and watching Little Mermaid reruns, everyone’s favorite eight-figure defensive tackle took 400 of his Twitter fans to see The Avengers the other day.

The bubbly Rachel Ramirez captured all the hoopla for Buccaneers.com. Here’s the video: 

Gerald McCoy said he wanted to embrace the family atmosphere among Bucs fans. It’s the second time McCoy has taken fans to the movies; this time it was on a grander scale and more formal. As for the movie itself, McCoy is a big fand and said, “The Hulk is my man.”

No word on whether Greg Schiano issued a proper protocol for eating popcorn or insisted that the two-drink rule apply at the theater.

Joe thinks all this player-fan bonding is very cool.