Monday mornings are not generally the time to test Joe’s brainpower. But Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com is trying.

In a bizarre post this morning about the NFL expecting to play more regular season games  overseas — a practice which Joe believes is asinine — Florio suggested that that one or more teams will be in a regular rotation, meaning a handful of teams may play a home game — or multiple games – on foreign soil regularly.

Additionally, one of those teams playing a home game annually in England will pull up its roots and plant itself in London permanently.

That team, Florio suggests, will be the Bucs.

But here’s the unspoken yet inevitable reality.  The teams chosen to build a fan base in England become the most likely to eventually move there.

Right now, we’d bet on the Bucs becoming one of the teams to regularly play in Britain — and on the Bucs becoming one of the eventual candidates to pack up the literal Mayflower and sail back to the land from which the earliest American immigrants came.

Quite frankly, Joe thinks this is outrageous. Joe can understand why the Bucs will want to play one game each year in London: 1) They can’t sell tickets here; a game in London is a guaranteed sellout. 2) Expand its marketing to a largely populated country overseas. 3) Team Glazer owns a kickball team of some sort over there.

On face value, the notion of the Bucs moving there is crazy beyond words. Joe has e-mailed Florio to decipher how he came to this conclusion. Previously, he claimed the Jags would move and that makes a helluva lot more sense than the Bucs.

Look, the Bucs have a fairly new stadium. It’s still in the Super Bowl rotation (unlike whatever the hell the stadium is called these days down in south Florida, only a mere 11 years older than the CITS), which is a windfall for Team Glazer.

Now Joe has hinted that sooner or later the CITS will need to be upgraded in order to stay in the Super Bowl rotation. Maybe Team Glazer is reading the tealeaves, that the Super Bowl rotation is about to include teams in the north, which would greatly decrease the number of times the Super Bowl will be played at the CITS.

Also, notice how the Tampa Bay area has thus far been hostile to the Rays in their need of a new stadium to replace that grotesque tomb in St. Petersburg they currently play in. Perhaps Team Glazer sees that getting the CITS renovated will be a lost cause?

Interesting fodder to start the week.

Manbeast Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy?

Which one is the Bucs’ savior at defensive tackle?

Former Bucs defensive end Steve White isn’t sold that either one will be available for the Bucs with their No. 3 pick. And if the Bucs do, in fact, draft one of these guys, White is certain the Bucs need to prepare to tell the world not to expect much from him in 2010.

White makes the case on his blog that the Bucs need to scale back expectations in a hurry, something they haven’t done yet in regards to the 2010 draft.

If they can perhaps get fans to have lower expectations heading into their rookie season then if they go out and shine they look even better. And if they’re average then at least some fans might be more willing to be patient with them. To me that’s the ideal situation you should want for your 1st round pick regardless so they can go out and perform without the worry that every mistake they make will be under a magnifying glass. Its worth a try at least.

White makes an interesting case backed up by stats and his wealth of experience. Check it out. And don’t forget to catch White’s popular Bull Rush column on JoeBucsFan.com on Wednesday or Thursday.

Buccaneers Madness rolls into the final four beginning today. A reminder: Buccaneers Madness is run in conjuction with the NCAA basketball tournament (Joe cannot remember a better one in years than this March), largely influenced by his good friend Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com and his annual Culture Tournament.

Much like the Bucs, the Chargers can use a fresh manbeast on their defensive line. This one seems to have dropped a cup size in recent weeks and might be on their radar.

Who around these parts can serve up a deep look at the ins and outs of the San Diego Chargers’ draft approach?

Answer: Justin Pawlowski, NFL Draft guru and WDAE-AM personality. “The Commish” anchors the stunning Bucs-focused subscription draft coverage at JoeBucsFan.com, a real treat for $10. It’s the most diverse draft coverage on the planet. Hands down.

Pawlowski’s next in-depth, monster of a mock draft will be out in a day or two — another draft-lovers orgasm. And yet another position breakdown is on tap late in the week, plus the daily team-by-team breakdowns.

For now, it’s the Chargers.  …Enjoy. {+++}

[audio:chargersdraft.mp3]

If you need a break during the final two NCAA region finals while dodging the expected rains this afternoon, this should cheer you up.

Joe wants to thank those directly, indirectly and remotely responsible for the Hulu.com video with embed codes provided by the NFL:

Chucky, Mark Dominik, Jaime Hanna, Team Glazer, Rich Gannon, Lincoln Kennedy, John Lynch, Marc Trestman, Mark Dominik, Jeff Kamis, Al Davis and Derrick Brooks, among many others.

One reason Team Glazer decided to gut the franchise and rebuild through the draft was the inept drafts under the guidance of Chucky and Bruce Almighty.

So bad were the drafts that some five years after Bruce Almighty’s first drafts with the Bucs, scant few are even playing in the NFL, documents the Mad Twitterer of the St. Petersburg Times.

The only player remaining from the 2004 draft is WR Michael Clayton, the Bucs’ first-round pick whose career has gone south since his rookie year. The Bucs did re-sign Clayton last year to a five-year, $24 million contract with $10 million guaranteed. He rewarded them with 16 receptions.

The 2004 draft was the first under then-general manager Bruce Allen. The 2005 draft wasn’t much better, netting only two starters from 13 picks — RB Cadillac Williams and LB Barrett Ruud — and no backups. Two of those picks are with other teams, and nine are out of the NFL.

Guards Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood are the only starters remaining from the 2006 draft. From 11 draft choices, one other is a Bucs backup (WR Maurice Stovall), one is with another team, and seven are out of the league.

The backbone of any draft is how many productive players can be found in rounds three through seven. Not only did Bruce Almighty (and directly/indirectly Chucky) whiff on many early round picks, they were horrid on the second day picks.

So Joe can see why Team Glazer wants to start building through the draft.

Joe has made no secret of his lust for former Bucs cheerleader Rachel Watson, one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the Tampa Bay area.

So it was with great surprise and profound glee when Joe learned of the smartest public relations move the Bucs made since moving training camp to One Buc Palace and letting fans in for free was this overlooked procedure:

Rachel is back!

No, sadly, Rachel is not going to be a Bucs cheerleader again. Currently teasing (tormenting?) fathers as an elementary teacher in Land O’ Lakes, the Bucs brought Rachel back as a host of a video documenting tryouts for the Bucs 2010 cheerleader squad.

And Rachel still looks dynamite as one can expect. She changed her look however. No longer the traffic hazard, All-American neighborhood girl with short blonde locks, Rachel now has long, jet black hair, sort of a biker chick/shot girl look.

Trust Joe, she’s still stunning!

Joe can understand how Rachel almost had to tone down her image. Imagine the  scene she would have created at her school daily otherwise? Why, the traffic jams each morning and afternoon Rachel would have created with all the dads dropping off their kids and picking them up each day would be a massive headache.

That’s not counting all the unrest she would have caused in so many homes from suspicious, jealous hausfraus.

Sure, Joe even knows most dads (and yes, moms, too) have to work. But with all the dads in the Land O’ Lakes area blowing off work to drop off/pick up their children at Rachel’s school, work productivity in southeastern Pasco County would have plummeted.

This is not counting the dozens of daily parent-teacher conference requests  demanded by dads with Rachel as a teacher of their child. The poor girl would barely have a life much less time to do her job.

Whoever made the call to bring Rachel back, well done, well done. Bravo!

Now Joe’s not ready to say the Bucs should hire her as a permanemt video presense for their online offerings. Rachel doesn’t quite have the camera personality that Tiffany Jimenez has, but Rachel was fine in her debut.

How could she not be?

Tip o’ the hat to Bucstats.com.

The Bucs stunk last year. So, in part due to several misfirings, on face value it’s easy to say Bucs general manager Mark Dominik is on thin ice. He loosely played with Team Glazers’ checkbook and often it was wasted money.

Exhibit A is the blocking icon Michael Clayton — a move Dominik himself admitted live last fall on Sirius NFL Radio with Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan was “a gamble.”

Because of this, many Bucs fans are wanting to throw him overboard. It seems eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune believes Dominik has little wiggle room this season, based on a response he gave in a TBO.com question-and-answer format concerning Dominik.

Q: Is it safe to start the “hot seat” talks for GM Mark Dominik? Last year he spent money on Angello Crowell and Derrick Ward. This year he lets Bryant go because of his knees, his age, and to avoid the big contract. Then he brings in Reggie Brown. A 29-year-old with injuries in the past. Not to mention the Bengals signed Bryant to a $28 million contract. That’s too expensive? Didn’t Michael Clayton get a similar contract a year ago?

D.J. Smith, Tampa

A: There’s little doubt Dominik is battling for his professional life in 2010. He made a flurry of mistakes in his first season calling the shots, costing ownership significant money, but he has an opportunity to right the ship with a dynamic draft. If he nails it and adds 3 or 4 new starters who can play, all will be forgiven. Any way you look at it, that’s a lot of pressure on any NFL executive.

— eye-RAH! Kaufman

Joe isn’t ready to throw Dominik to the wolves for several reasons. First, when has an NFL team bounced a general manager after two seasons? It rarely happens. Second, Dominik seems to be turning around the Bucs draft fortunes. Granted, one draft — and only a year after that draft — is too soon to give a thumbs up or a thumbs down on a draft.

However, looking back at last spring’s draft, thus far, it seems to have been a success.

Also throw in the fact Dominik conned Chicago into coughing up a high second round draft pick — in a deep draft no less — for a defensive end who couldn’t start on one of the NFL’s worst defenses, well, Dominik is a wanted man in Illinois for larceny.

While Joe greatly respects Kaufman and realizes who Kaufman’s sources are with the Bucs, Joe cannot believe Dominik will be kicked to the curb if the Bucs stink this year.

And that’s not even factoring in that Joel Glazer gave Dominik a vote of confidence last week.

The Cowboys next slot receiver?

It’s Saturday night, and perhaps you’re without a warm, beautiful woman by your side. And that cold beer or flat Jack and coke just isn’t replacing the special feeling the girl would bring.

Joe’s got a solution.

How about cozying up to a pile of cutting edge NFL Draft articles, position breakdowns, audio takes and more from eraft guru Justin Pawlowski? They’re all right here.  

Right now, the daily Draft Countdown continues, as part of the subscription NFL Draft coverage on JoeBucsFan.com. Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM 620, breaks down all things Cowboys in this installment. It’s part of the daily look at the needs and strategies of every NFL team heading into the draft.

Those who subscribe on March 27 and March 28 will be mailed a $10 or $25 gift certificate to Mugs Grill & Bar in Clearwater, home of truly awesome food. What a deal!

Of course, Pawlowski keeps his eye focused on how the Cowboys’ moves might affect the Bucs.

Enjoy. {+++}

[audio:cowboysdraft.mp3]

There is no question the player that gets the biggest rise out of Bucs fans is wide receiver Michael Clayton.

Signed to a lucrative contract in the offseason following Chucky’s dismissal, in part due to his keen blocking, Clayton by any standards has lost virtually all credibility he built after having a tremendous rookie season in 2004.

In the past five seasons, the blocking icon has hauled in a grand total of three touchdowns. To Bucs fans, he is much better known for his drops, too numerous to count, than his blocking ability.

It has gotten to the point that even overly positive Raheem the Dream is implying, through the Mad Twitterer of the St. Petersburg Times, that Clayton may not be with the Bucs in 2010.

“Everybody is on the bubble,’’ Morris said. “You talk about Michael Clayton, he came in last year, you saw him in ota days, we thought he was going to come back and have a better year. Unfortunately, he pulled a hamstring, he did this and did that…he’s going to go out there and give it his best shot.

“The guy plays so hard, he gets little nagging injuries that hurts his performance then he drops the football and absolutely pisses everybody off and all anyone remembers is the drop. I have a lot of confidence in Michael. Michael has a lot of confidence in himself. I look for him to come out and be more prepared than he was last year.’’

More prepared? Joe was under the impression Clayton was in fine form until he got nicked up in preseason.

Maybe Joe missed something along the way, but this is the first Joe has heard that Clayton was not prepared for the 2009 season. If that is truly the case, after he signed such a monster contract, that’s a very damning comment by Raheem the Dream.

When news broke yesterday that Donovan McNabb might be had from the Eagles for as little as a third-round pick, Joe instantly thought of Chucky. Joe visualized poor Chucky hammering his fist against every nearby wall and tossing rapid fire F-bombs at the news.

Surely, if Chucky were still coaching the Bucs he would be salivating right now at the thought of scoring McNabb to put the Bucs over the top (after leading the Bucs’ to a Glazer-hating 9-7 season in 2009, behind hot young defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Ike Hilliard’s 50 catches and Jeff Garcia and Brian Griese splitting time).

“Jimminy Christmas! A third-round pick for that guy. That’s Donovan freaking McNabb, man. I love that guy. He’s a Hall of Famer, man. He’s still a kid, too. I love that guy.”

Sorry, Chucky. This all could have been yours if you just beat the Raiders at home in 2008. …But don’t worry. Matt Hasselbeck is probably there for you when you get back to coaching.

Update: Chucky was cornered by the Philly media at a formal event yesterday. Check out the near psychotic look in his eyes when he talks about McNabb being on his team.

Surely this guy will raise the Bucs' collective eyebrows if he's sitting there for them in the second round

Here’s another feather in the cap of the JoeBucsFan.com subscription draft coverage!

It’s NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski’s analysis of 15 linebackers (inside and outside) to keep your eye on at the NFL Draft. Several other position breakdowns are archived here.

Sign up today, Saturday, and score a $25 or $10 gift certificate to Mugs Grill & Bar in Clearwater.  …Or you can run to Publix and buy an outdated draft magazine.

Outside Linebackers

1. Brandon Graham – DE/OLB – Michigan
6’1’’ – 268 lbs – 4.72
Top 20

Why I’m taking him: Graham is a pure pass rusher. He had 20 sacks the last two years and has many moves in getting to the quarterback.  In his game against Iowa (Bryan Bulaga &Kyle Calloway) in 2009, Graham was simply dominant.  He does an excellent job at shedding blocks and not allowing offensive linemen to lock into him.  On film, Graham displays good strength and is a very good tackler.

Why I’m staying away: This is going to be a common theme with these hybrid outside linebackers, as many of them have the potential of struggling in pass coverage.  With a transition from defensive end to linebacker, Graham does not have much experience in dropping into coverage.  Graham also lacks the ideal height that scouts and coaches love.  Height might be overrated, but if the pick comes down to Graham and another player who’s 6’3’’ or 6’4’’, the team might choose the other player if Graham and that player are equally rated.  There are also times when Graham might also be a tad late off the ball.

Impact on the Bucs roster: I put Graham in the “linebackers” category because I feel that this might be the more likely position for him in the NFL.  Graham could easily play defensive end, but I still don’t see him being a factor for the Bucs unless they were to trade down.  The No. 3 pick is too early for him, and I can’t figure a scenario that has Graham falling to the 2nd round.  He dominated at Michigan, at the Senior Bowl, and at the combine.  That king of production can not go unnoticed.

NFL Comparison:   Anthony Spencer – Dallas Cowboys

 2. Sean Weatherspoon – OLB – Missouri
6’1’’ – 239 lbs – 4.68
1st Round

Why I’m taking him: {+++} I really like the size and speed combination Weatherspoon has.  He has the size to take on big offensive linemen, while also having the speed to chase down ball carriers.  Weatherspoon displays good awareness on the field, dissecting plays quickly, while also being a sure tackler.  Another thing to really like about Weatherspoon is his versatility; he can play inside or outside linebacker.

Why I’m staying away: The one negative that stands out to me more than others in regards to Weatherspoon is that I’m not seeing a mean streak at all. I like my linebackers to be violent, and I don’t see that with Weatherspoon. I’m also slightly concerned over Weatherspoon’s ability to shed blockers.

Impact on the Bucs: I really like Weatherspoon and think he is a perfect fit in a 4-3 defense while also being a nice fit inside in a 3-4 defense.  Much like Graham, the 3rd pick is way too early for him, and I doubt he’ll fall to the 2nd round.  I see Weatherspoon going somewhere in the middle of round 1 to a team like the Steelers or Falcons.

NFL Comparison:   Lawrence Timmons – Florida St.

 3. Jerry Hughes – DE/OLB – TCU
6’2’’ – 255 lbs – 4.69
1st – 2nd Round

Why I’m taking him: Much like Graham, Hughes is a pure pass rusher who just knows how to get to the quarterback.  He has great athleticism which he displayed at the combine in linebacker drills.  He also has good strength to go with that athleticism.  I really like Hughes’ burst off the ball and his motor till the end of every play.  There was also a few times where I saw Hughes getting offensive linemen off-balance.  Hughes might be a better rusher on film when he is standing up, which fits why teams consider him an ideal outside linebacker for the 3-4.

Why I’m staying away: I saw a few times on film where Hughes got pushed around by bigger offensive linemen or double teams.  He’s also converting to linebacker, so, despite his display at the combine, pass coverage is a concern.

Impact on the Bucs: This could be interesting if Hughes slips to the Bucs at the top of Round 2.  I see Hughes as a better fit for a 3-4 defense, but he is a pure pass rusher, which is a huge need for the Bucs. 

NFL Comparison:   Terrell Suggs – Baltimore Ravens

4. Sergio Kindle – DE/OLB – Texas
6’3’’ – 250 lbs – 4.71
1st Round

Why I’m taking him: Some scouts have said that Kindle is more NFL-ready than Brian Orakpo was last year, and Orakpo had 12 sacks his rookie season.  Kindle has very good quickness and awareness to read and dissect plays.  Although he doesn’t have elite speed, that quickness is lethal at times.  Kindle’s also very good with his hands and hand placement.  Leverage is another good part of Kindle’s game.

Why I’m staying away: I don’t see an elite rusher when I watch Kindle’s film.  I can’t see Kindle having near the production Orakpo had in his rookie season.  Kindle does not display very good strength at all.  He struggles against bigger offensive linemen or linemen with excellent technique.

Impact on the Bucs: I don’t think Kindle would be a very good fit for the Bucs defense.  He isn’t a good fit at defensive end, and isn’t good enough in pass coverage for the Bucs “Tampa 2” defense.

NFL Comparison:   Aaron Maybin – Buffalo Bills

5 . Thaddeus Gibson – DE/OLB – Ohio St.
6’2’’ – 243 lbs – 4.75
2nd Round

Why I’m taking him: I think there is a lot to like about Gibson.  He has very good combination of power and athleticism.  Gibson is also relentless in pursuit with excellent closing speed.  Gibson tested very well at the combine and shows good tackling ability on film.

Why I’m staying away: The biggest worry for me in regards to Gibson is that he might be a liability in pass coverage. 

Impact on the Bucs: Gibson isn’t the ideal fit for the Bucs.  He seems to small to be a defensive end for them, but no athletic enough to play outside linebacker in their “Tampa 2” defense.

NFL Comparison:   Bertrand Berry – Arizona Cardinals

6. Navorro Bowman – OLB – Penn St.
6’ – 242 lbs – 4.72
2nd – 3rd Round

Why I’m taking him: Bowman is another linebacker from “Linebacker U.”  He possesses great instincts and has a nose for the ball.  He’s also a very solid tackler.  Bowman performed very well at his pro day and should be able to hold his own in pass coverage.

Why I’m staying away: Bowman is a good linebacker, but far from elite. He lacks elite speed and is not overly athletic.  He also scored one of the lowest scores on the Wonderlic test.

Impact on the Bucs: Bowman isn’t a great fit for the Bucs because of his lack of athleticism.  I’m not sure Bowman would be an upgrade over any of the Bucs current linebackers.

NFL Comparison:   Paul Posluszny – Buffalo Bills

7. Eric Norwood – OLB – South Carolina
6’1’’ – 245 lbs – 4.70
3rd Round

Why I’m taking him: I have to admit it; I really enjoyed the tape I saw of Norwood.  I really like his tackling ability and the way he gets to the quarterback as a blitzer.  I don’t know if there is anything that frustrates me more than a blitzing linebacker who doesn’t come within five yards of the quarterback. Norwood is a powerful player who plays with a lot of swagger. He was a leader on South Carolina’s defense.

Why I’m staying away: Norwood does have power, but lacks athleticism.  This lack of athleticism hurts him in pass coverage. On film, Norwood sometimes finds himself out of position.

Impact on the Bucs: Despite my affection for Norwood, I’m not sure he’s a great fit for the Bucs. Him being a liability in pass coverage worries me in the Bucs defense.

NFL Comparison:   Kawika Mitchell – Buffalo Bills

8. Ricky Sapp – DE/OLB – Clemson
6’4’’ – 252 lbs – 4.70
3rd Round

Why I’m taking him: Sapp’s biggest assets are his speed and athleticism.  He also has experience in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 defense, making the transition easier to the NFL. Whether it is good or bad, Sapp seems to hop out of his stance at times.

Why I’m staying away: Sapp is a major liability in the run game with his lack of strength and power. He can be swallowed up by bigger offensive linemen and is too easily blocked one on one.  Durability is also a major concern after Sapp missed many games due to injury at Clemson.

Impact on the Bucs: The Bucs made this mistake a couple years ago when they drafted Gaines Adams. I just can’t see them making that same mistake twice, no matter what round it’s in.

NFL Comparison:   Gaines Adams – Chicago Bears

9. Nawa’akoa Misi – DE/OLB – Utah
6’3’’ – 251 lbs – 4.73
3rd – 4th Round

Why I’m taking him: Misi might be an intriguing prospect in the middle rounds.  He is very durable and has the strength and instincts I like in linebackers.  While at Utah, Misi played defensive end, defensive tackle, and outside linebacker. He’s the type of player that will do what he’s told, and do it well.

Why I’m staying away: There are a few questions about Misi’s ability.  The first is my concern about Misi’s open-field tackling.  Sometimes how a linebacker tackles in the open-field can define him.  Misi is also a big liability in pass coverage with his lack of speed and elite athleticism.

Impact on the Bucs: Misi is not a good fit for the Bucs. He’s probably best as a defensive end, but because of his size, he’ll play outside linebacker in the NFL.

NFL Comparison:   Parys Haralson – San Francisco 49ers

10. Jason Worilds – DE/OLB – Virginia Tech
6’1’’ – 254 lbs – 4.47
3rd – 4th Round

Why I’m taking him: Worilds is a firecracker who is active from the snap to the whistle.  He has superior speed and has a great burst off the ball. Worilds also has a nice array of pass rushing moves in his arsenal. His speed should help him in pass coverage.

Why I’m staying away: With all the speed that Worilds has, his strength is on the other end of that spectrum. He seems to rely so much on his speed because his strength is not there.

Impact on the Bucs: Worilds would be strictly a third-down pass rusher for the Bucs. I think the Bucs can do better with their 4th round pick.

NFL Comparison:   Quinton Groves – Jacksonville Jaguars

Inside Linebackers

1. Rolando McClain – ILB – Alabama
6’3’’ – 254 lbs – 4.68
Top 15

Why I’m taking him: I’m taking McClain because he is the best linebacker in the draft and one of the best players the draft has to offer.  McClain never missed one game at Alabama due to injury.  He is the leader of a national championship defense that lives in the weight room and the film room.  McClain wants to be great.  He is a great tackler and very instinctive.  McClain was recently clocked at 4.69 in the 40-yard dash, which is definitely fast enough for a 254 lbs linebacker.

Why I’m staying away: The biggest concern for McClain came at his pro day when it was revealed that he had Crohn’s disease.  Crohn’s disease is a disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive track.  This might be a reason why McClain wasn’t going more than 100% on the field at times.  Despite his 40 time, there are still concerns over his athleticism and speed.

Impact on the Bucs: McClain would be a huge improvement over Barrett Ruud.  Everything Ruud has been hyped to be, McClain is.  McClain would help one of the league’s worst run defenses finally improve on that stat, thanks to McClain’s physical play and willingness to SHED A BLOCK.

NFL Comparison:   DeMeco Ryans – Houston Texans

2. Daryl Washington – ILB – TCU
6’2’’ – 230 lbs – 4.66
2nd Round

Why I’m taking him: The first thing that stands out about Washington is his speed and quickness.  He’s also very disciplined and does not over run plays.  Washington is also a special teams standout as he blocked 4 punts in his collegiate career.  His speed and quickness helps him be effective in pass coverage and allows him to move freely sideline-to-sideline.  You’ll never find Washington giving up on a play as he is excellent in pursuit.

Why I’m staying away: I’d be slightly concerned about playing Washington in the middle with his lack of size.  He actually bulked up to 230 lbs.  At times, he looks like a safety playing linebacker.  He needs to get stronger.  His lack of strength hurts him in shedding blocks.

Impact on the Bucs: Well, Washington is the type of linebacker that fits the Bucs scheme.  He’s undersized and can run.  However, I don’t think he’d be an upgrade at middle linebacker or at outside linebacker, so I’d pass.

NFL Comparison: Jonathon Vilma – New Orleans Saints

 3. Brandon Spikes – ILB – Florida
6’3’’ – 249 lbs – 5.05
3rd – 4th Round

Why I’m taking him: I love the size of Brandon Spikes in the middle to take on opposing run games.  He’s a physical player who plays with a mean streak.  Spikes was a team leader and very durable during his time at Florida.  He has great awareness and has great football smarts.  Once he gets to the ball carrier, he’s a reliable tackler.

Why I’m staying away: Spikes is slow.  At the Gators pro day, Spikes ran over a 5.00 40-yard dash.  There were offensive lineman that ran faster forties than he did.  In college, teams can disguise a players weakness like that, but in the pros they exploit it.  This lack of speed will probably have Spikes falling on draft day.

Impact on the Bucs: Trust me, I’d love the Bucs to have a physical presence in the middle of their defense, but Spikes is just too slow to succeed in the “Tampa 2”.

NFL Comparison:   Jeremiah Trotter – Philadelphia Eagles

4. Jamar Cheney – ILB – Mississippi St.
6’1’’ – 242 lbs – 4.54
3rd – 4th Round

Why I’m taking him: I love the combination of size and speed with Cheney.  He can play like a missile on the field with great closing speed.  Cheney’s very aggressive, willing to take on blockers, and always hits the quarterback on a blitz.  In pass coverage, Cheney has the speed to cover the deep middle and does a good job of reading the quarterback.  Cheney possesses good leadership abilities as well.

Why I’m staying away: Durability and smarts are the big concerns with Cheney.  He was supposed to go to Georgia on a scholarship, but was not admitted due to academics.  Cheney also missed most of the 2008 season with a season-ending ankle injury. His aggressiveness is great, but sometimes he can be too aggressive and overrun plays.  Really needs to address his leg strength at the next level.

Impact on the Bucs: I think Cheney has been one of the more underrated prospects this year.  Watching him on film, he does everything I want my middle linebacker to do.  The Bucs have not signed Ruud to a long term contract, so if they’re looking to groom someone before Ruud leaves, Cheney might be the right guy.

NFL Comparison:   Jon Beason – Carolina Panthers

5. Sean Lee – ILB – Penn St.
6’2’’ – 236 lbs – 4.61
3rd – 4th Round

Why I’m taking him: Lee seems to be the prototypical Penn St. linebacker.  Coaches have raved about his hard work and leadership on and off the field.  His instincts and recognition are off the chart as he dissects plays before they happen.  He’s a sure tackler and a big hitter.

Why I’m staying away: I’m worried because Lee struggles to shed a block.  If you can’t shed a block, you become like Barrett Ruud and make your tackles 8 yards down the field.  Lee also is not elite in coverage and will need to work on that.  Durability is also a major concern as Lee tore his ACL in his right knee in non-contact drills in April of 2008 and missed the entire 2008 season.

Impact on the Bucs: The Bucs already have Barrett Ruud, don’t they?  All jokes aside, Lee is a decent player who could be a solid linebacker because of his work ethic and leadership.  I’m not sure he’s a good fit for the Bucs before the 4th round.

NFL Comparison:   Barrett Ruud – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A lot of Bucs fans are hoping that, if manbeast Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy cannot fall in the Bucs’ laps at No. 3, that the Bucs pick up Tennessee safety Eric Berry.

After learning the Bucs have scheduled a Tampa visit for Berry, Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM, was able to land an interview with Berry on Friday.

Berry talked about how he would be a perfect fit for the Bucs, how he melded with former Tennessee and Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and about the interest the Bucs have shown in him thus far.

Just click on this link and in the left-hand margin is the podcast of Berry’s interview.

Enjoy.

It’s a slow Friday. But this got Joe, um, well, perked up.

When the Rays made it to the World Series two years ago, Joe learned that Rays slugger Evan Longoria was hooking up with the lovely Bucs cheerleader Jaime Hanna.

Seems as though Ms. Hanna has moved down the dugout for another Rays player.

Hyped Rays minor league outfielder Matt Joyce seems to be scoring major league talent. Though Joyce may be on the disabled list, he has found a way to comfort his ailing arm. If burgeoning Internet rumors are accurate, Hanna can be found on Joyce’s (sore?) arm.

Per the Twitter feed of Joe’s good friend Cork Gaines, he of the must-read Rays blog RaysIndex.com, Hanna and Joyce are an item.

@RaysIndex: Rumor that EvanLongoria’s ex-BucsCheerleaderHookup JaimeHanna has been seen w/ MattJoyce. SloppySeconds or clubhouse comraderie?

Now, if Joe was really a cheap writer, he’d have all sorts of double entendres about wood and balls, but Joe’s not going to go there.

Joe reached out to Cork for further juicy details. Cork replied that he is putting out “feelers” for Jaime to confirm if the rumors are accurate. He cannot confirm but, Cork said he’s heard this rumor from too many sources to believe on face value they are false rumors.

The fact Jaime may have lost to Rachel Watson in the Eyecandy Region final of Buccaneers Madness certainly hasn’t crushed her.

Or was result the opening that Joyce needed in Jaime’s time of need?

Sigh.

When it comes to Bucs cheerleaders sacking up with local athletes, Joe doesn’t mind rumormongering. Besides, it gives Joe a chance to post a photo of a lovely Bucs cheerleader which always brightens up a page.

Raheem The Dream thinks he has pressure?

The New York Jets are moving into a new stadium with scores of screw-loose fans taking out second mortgages just to buy seat licenses and tickets.

Why the stress might drive second-year coach Rex Ryan back to gorging himself, if the team doesn’t win and score big in the NFL Draft.

Today, as part of the subscription NFL Draft coverage on JoeBucsFan.com, NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM 620, breaks down all things Jets in this installment of the Draft Countdown, a daily look at the needs and strategies of every NFL team heading into the draft. … Those who subscribe today, March 26, will be mailed a $10 or $25 gift certificate to Mugs Grill & Bar in Clearwater, home of truly awesome food. What a deal!

Of course, Pawlowski keeps his eye focused on how the Jets’ moves might affect the Bucs.

Also, keep your eye out for Pawlowski’s linebackers breakdown, yet another draft-lovers dream. Enjoy. {+++}

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Last season the Bucs offensive line sadly regressed when it seemed it was on the verge of being a dominant unit.

First, there was changing the blocking techniques, which may have been the biggest culprit.

Then there was the boneheaded plays of Dunderhead Trueblood.

Not to be overlooked was when Arron Sears decided to play hide-and-seek.

Since, other than the Bucs bringing his name up, Sears is like the NFL version of Sasquatch: Sometimes talked about; rumored to be walking amid the public but never seen.

This espionage by the Bucs in regards to Sears continued this week when Bucs general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem the Dream brought Sears’ name up in conversations with Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times.

To say the two were guarded in their comments is an understatement.

Asked about Sears’ ability to contribute this fall, both Morris and Dominik were cautious in their answers, though it’s clear they haven’t ruled out the possibility of him playing a role.

“Arron’s working and we’ll have to see what Arron is when he comes back and we start our offseason,” Morris said. “But the situation was a private situation and we tried to keep it that way. . . I look forward and I’m hopeful to see where he is and to see how he’s going to react when he has an opportunity.”

Private? No one has been more private since D.B. Cooper. There have been more sightings of Osama bin Laden than this Sears. The way the Bucs are hiding Sears, he must be in possession of Obama’s birth certificate or has access to Russian nuclear armaments.

If the Bucs have to protect him this much, how on earth do they expect him to handle the overflowing crowds of 40,000 at the CITS this fall?

Joel Glazer

For weeks if not months, many in the local Fourth Estate have grumbled and kvetched about why no one from Team Glazer would come from behind their shroud of secrecy all season, other than to shoot down wild and outrageous financial allegations by a morning radio host who at best has a long track record of shaky credibility.

So what happens when Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer appears for his annual (mandatory) press briefing at the spring NFL meetings this past week?

He gets hammered again.

Not so much by the Fourth Estate, but by fans, so notes Tampa Tribune columnist Joe Henderson.

These days, Joel Glazer could say “good morning” and ask how your wife and kids are doing and he’d get ripped for it. That’s a fact of life when your football team just finished 3-13 and many of its fans perceive you care more about an English soccer club than you do about them.

So no one can be surprised at the overwhelmingly negative reaction fans had when the co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warned Wednesday of impending home blackouts in the upcoming season.

And when Glazer defended himself against the wide-spread perception that he’s cheap, he basically got ridiculed.

This was almost predictable. Many Bucs fans foam at the mouth at the mere mention of Raheem the Dream. They are highly suspicious of Mark Dominik. So when Glazer noted how the Bucs were staying the course and building through the draft and, oh by the way, don’t ignore the possibility of blackouts, it seemed only natural how the fans would react.

Short of Glazer saying he was going to outspend the entire NFC East on player salaries and basically hand Dominik a blank check for players, the fans were going to seeth.

No matter how sound or logical Glazer’s information may (or may not) have been, fans want their owner to be George Steinbrenner, or worse, Dan Snyder.

One only needs to listen to sports radio the way Rays fans whine about Stu Sternberg not spending any money despite the fact the Rays have one of baseball’s best teams. Yet many of  these same fans won’t even drive 20 minutes across a bridge to see the team play.

Fans wanted to hear Glazer say that his checkbook is bottomless for salaries since there is no salary cap.

Was the backlash on Glazer fair? No. 

Was the backlash on Glazer predictable? Yes.

NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM 620, is reporting that super stud safety prospect Eric Berry does, in fact, have a scheduled visit with the Bucs in Tampa.

JoeBucsFan.com is partners with WDAE-AM, so Joe’s not going to reveal any more information about Berry’s visit here. Joe wants you to check out their draft page at 620WDAE.com for the details.

And, if you’re a draft junkie, it’s good idea for you to go there every day.

And if you’re truly a draft lover, Joe knows you’ll love the subscription draft coverage on JoeBucsFan.com. Go see what you’re missing. Pawlowski’s linebackers breakdown is coming this week, along with his latest double mock draft, and the daily countdown that breaks down every NFL team’s draft needs one by one.

Former Bucs DE Steve White

By STEVE WHITE
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Steve White spent every season of the Tony Dungy era (1996-2001) playing defensive end for the Bucs. He’s spent countless hours in the film room with the likes of Warren Sapp, Rod Marinelli and more. Joe is humbled to have White, also a published author and blogger, as part of the JoeBucsFan.com team. Recently, White even contributed “Insider” NFL Draft content to ESPN.com.

Below is White’s weekly Bull Rush column that breaks down all things defense with a focus on the defensive line. It’s simply a can’t-miss read for the hardcore Bucs fan. 

With the 2009 season over, White has broken down every Bucs defensive lineman and is now sharing his views on offseason preparation.

Today he reveals his personal approach to offseason film study.

One of the things I liked to do in the offseason was watch film. But the term “watching film” means different things to different people, so I figured I would illustrate how I tended to watch film in the offseason and the thinking behind it.

The film I watched most in the offseason was film of me during the previous season. Call it self-scouting or whatever moniker you want to give it, I thought and still feel that you can learn more in the offseason by watching yourself than you can in watching film on your opponents for the upcoming season.

The key, of course, is to be your own worst critic and focus more on your bad plays than your good ones.

I always wanted to see how many plays I potentially left out on the field and what I could do to make sure that that didn’t happen again.

Look For Tipping Off Opponent

That approach allows you to work on your mindset in the offseason when you aren’t working on the physical aspects of the game. You never want to go through a season and make mistakes and never learn from them. The key to a long NFL career is not to be perfect, but instead to never make the same mistake twice.

It’s also a good idea to pay attention to whether, as a defensive lineman, you tip off your responsibilities and/or become predictable in your movements.

Does it appear that the offensive lineman knows where you are going before the snap? Was the guy set up for a counter move that you never made? Is there anything about your stance that changes from play to play enough for them to pick up on?

These are the questions you want to be asking yourself so that you maximize your potential to make plays.

I would only start watching my upcoming opponents AFTER taking a long hard look at myself. But obviously at a certain point it’s time to start looking forward.

While watching film in the offseason, obviously you know who your opponents will be for the upcoming season but you may not know the exact order of the games. And, of course, with personnel moves and injuries the guy who you are watching on film from the previous season may not be the guy who lines up across from you on gameday months later. So, in my opinion, you should only focus on your division opponents since you are going to have to face them twice regardless.

The rule of thumb with offseason scouting is to not get too caught up on the details when it comes to your opponent. You don’t want to start trying to figure out blocking schemes or the pattern of play calling. Instead, you want to focus on the guys who will potentially be blocking you and how they handled other defensive linemen the previous seasons. For me, I wanted to focus primarily on third-and-long plays for the purposes of watching their pass sets. Other folks may want to watch it all, however.

There are several different sets that offensive linemen can take, and with each different set you have to rush them differently. Some guys like to get you right on the line and they are called short-setters. They try to punch you right away to halt your momentum and throw you off rhythm. In that situation you will need to be quick with your hands to knock their’s down and quick enough to burn the edge and make them catch up to you.

Other offensive linemen may get depth but try to keep their shoulders parallel with the line of scrimmage as long as possible. The natural inclination is to try to bull rush this set, but that’s exactly what they want you to do, so instead you should either try to burn the corner with a wide rush or do the bull rush but quickly rip off inside before they sit down.

Then you have some that get depth AND turn their shoulders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage or close to it. These are generally the worst offensive linemen but not always.

But with that set they are basically begging you to either run right up the middle of their numbers with a bull rush or to go upfield and then back up under with a spin move, or some other quick change of direction. If you find an offensive lineman with this set, then you kind of start to lick your chops and also focus on the fact that you have to maximize your production when you go against them because sacks and other stats are hard to come by.

Young O-Linemen Have Quirks

I would end up watching some straight game film also though but not much. Generally, what I liked to look for is any tells an offensive lineman might have.

One thing you find is that offensive lineman, especially the young ones, tend to have little quirks before the snap. Whether it’s a change in the width or depth of their stance from passing plays to running plays, or its a guy who twists his foot in the ground whenever there’s a running play called (yes that actually happened). If you look hard enough and long enough, you may just find the little tip off that helps you make a big play months later.

Well, that’s how I watched film in the offseason. Hopefully it was insightful if not entertaining.

I will say that the most important thing isn’t just watching film, it’s WHAT you’re watching and HOW you’re watching it.