Joe’s not one to care deeply about the bottom of the Bucs’ roster, but that doesn’t mean Joe isn’t paying attention.

And one thing that intrigues Joe is the tight end/fullback situation.

At tight end, the Bucs have injury-prone and mysterious-malady-plagued Luke Stocker, along with Dallas Clark, who has missed 15 games over the last two seasons. So Joe’s not sure the Bucs would be or should be satisfied keeping only one additional tight end. Zach Pianalto and rookies Danny Noble and Drake Dunsmore are the other TEs on the roster now.

Combine that with the Bucs’ situation at fullback, which is starter Erik Lorig, plus Robert Hughes and Cody Johnson, who have no NFL regular season experience, and there’s hardly much depth at these positions. There’s no Insurance Graham to fall back on.

So how do the Bucs proceed? Joe suspects the Bucs might lean toward a fourth tight end that also can take snaps at fullback, and then cut Hughes and hope he’s available for practice-squad duty.  

Of course, how these bubble guys perform on special teams will be key. And that’s something Joe will be watching tomorrow night.

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Greg Schiano explained that LeGarrette Blount lost his position battle on film

Today the leader of the New Schiano Order explained the reaction of LeGarrette Blount to being named the Bucs’ No. 2 running back.

Greg Schiano said the film didn’t lie and Blount’s a team-first guy who has a chance to reclaim his starting role.

“[Blount’s] disappointed, but he’s been great. I mean, he’s about this team. He’s about us winning,” Schiano said.

“When you watch the tape, and LeGarrette’s a smart guy, and he watches the tape, he sees that he got outperformed,” Schiano said. “But it doesn’t mean that that’s it. As I told him, ‘That could go the other way if you outperform [Martin].’ We don’t hand jobs and sign them over, you know, it’s always competition around here, continual.”

Joe was most intrigued by Schiano’s line, “We don’t hand jobs and sign them over.” It’ll be interesting to analyze how that might apply to the Bucs’ final roster.

Joe apologizes at the mere mention of his name, but the lesson of Sean Mayhem shouldn’t be forgotten.

The 2009 season was extraordinarily painful, and one major lowlight was the turnstile imitation turned in by backup center Sean Mayhan, aka Sean Mayhem.

The A-gap often looked like the Selmon Expressway when Mayhem was in the game. 

Jeff Faine missed four starts and Mayhem was historically awful and was released in October of that year and never heard from again in the NFL at the ripe old age of 29. 

So it was interesting to Joe when former Bucs guard Ian Beckles lobbied on the WDAE-AM 620 airwaves today for the Bucs to move Jeremy Zuttah over to right guard and let Ted Larsen, the current backup center, take the Bucs’ center gig full-time.

“You can hide a center; and you can lose a game at guard,” Beckles said, explaining a center takes on fewer double-teams than a guard.”

Beckles said Zuttah can keep his line-call duties at right guard, a move he said wouldn’t break new ground in the NFL. And Beckles said he considers Larsen solid and serviceable.

Joe’s unsure about this. The Bucs proved in 2009 that a lousy center can be exploited and exposed.

Regardless, Joe would like to see Larsen and Derek Hardman slug it out at right guard unless rockstar general manager Mark Dominik can find a can’t-miss dude to replace Davin Joseph. Hardman and Larsen are both in their third seasons and were successful as starters in 2010. One of them should have what it takes to play some decent football.

In his weekly offering to Joe, good guy Dave Wirth, sports director at WTSP-TV Channel 10, which just happens to be one of Joe’s proud media partners, offers his insight into the Bucs’ final preseason game Wednesday at Washington. (Remember, the live game broadcast starts at 7 p.m.)

Joe’s drooling at the thought of watching the Rays tonight while enjoying this amazing deal at Hooters on 4th St. in St. Pete, and at the Tyrone Square Hooters in St. Pete.

What a great way to feast and watch baseball! Don’t miss it! Click here to get the exact locations.

The mercurial NFL analyst Adam Schein, of SiriusXM NFL Radio and FOXSports.com, has pulled the ol’ switcheroo when it comes to his prediction for the 2012 Bucs.

Shame on you, Schein.

On his radio show, Schein said the Bucs “will win 9 or 10 games,” but in his new prediction for NFL.com, Schein claims the Bucs are a 7-9 team.

Disgraceful flip-flopping. 

Joe finds it impossible to believe Schein puts that much stock in Davin Joseph’s injury, and it’s unclear whether Schein even submitted his prediction to NFL.com after Joseph blew out his knee.

Feel free to discuss this with Shein today during his SiriusXM NFL Radio show with co-host Rich Gannon. “The Blitz” starts at 11 a.m.; the studio line is (877) NFL- KICK.

The moment it was learned that Bucs right guard Davin Joseph suffered an ugly knee injury, Joe was peppered with the following question:

Can the Bucs sign Jeff Faine?

Well, the answer to that question is obviously, sure they could sign Faine.

The more accurate answer is, No. The former Bucs center, whose agent is currently dabbling with the Bengals, has been unemployed since Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik sent Faine packing earlier this spring.

In other words, the Bucs (and it seems, most of the NFL), have turned turned the page on Faine.

The reason why Bucs fans were curious about Faine is his return would allow center Jeremy Zuttah to shift to right guard, a position he played in 2008 when Joseph was dinged up, and Zuttah played admirably.

Though Joe is of the mind Zuttah isn’t going to be moved to right guard, there’s a belief by some that Zuttah very well could move to right guard, so writes Dave Scheiber of FoxSportsFlorida.com.

Might the Bucs look outside the organization for reinforcements?

“I think we have the answer internally already,” Schiano said. “That’s why we’ve been trying to build depth at all the positions. But we always look outside. That’s a constant. If there’s somebody we think fits our mold, then we’ll try to do what we can to get him.”

In a possible scenario that Schiano didn’t rule out, Scheiber believes there is a chance that Ted Larsen, who replaced Joseph last week, could be moved to center, which would allow Zuttah to slide to his right to fill Joseph’s void.

The players thrown on the street yesterday by NFL teams to cut down rosters to 75 were largely camp meat, bartenders, truck drivers, insurance claims adjusters.

By Friday, teams have to get down to their 53-man, regular-season rosters. There will be quite a few talented guards and centers looking for work. Joe won’t be shocked if Dominik brings in a few to kick the tires on as the offensive line is juggled to find the right mix for the season opener against Carolina.

Hmmm, there was one significant change to the depth chart released tonight.

Joe’s not naive enough to believe that the New Schiano Order makes uncalculated moves.

Every detail has a meaning.

So it’s worth noting that the new depth chart released by the Bucs this evening in advance of Wednesday’s Bucs-Redskins game shows Doug Martin as the starting running back. The three previous depth charts issued by the Bucs all had LeGarrette Blount as the No. 1 RB.

Joe sees no other significant changes to the depth chart other than those that reflect players waived today and Ted Larsen stepping up for injured Davin Joseph.

Of course, the cut-and-paste job at running back could be a Schiano move to confuse the Carolina Panthers or send a message to Blount. Regardless, Joe expects Blount will get his chance to run over Luke Kuechly on opening day.

Bad news came for 10 Buccaneers this afternoon as Tampa Bay made its first round of preseason cuts. The following names are now former Bucs:

WR Ed Gant
P Eric Guthrie
T Mike Ingersoll
LB Brian Smith
S Tramain Thomas
CB Marquese Wheaton
RB De’Anthony Curtis
LS Andrew DePaola
WR Greg Ellingson
TE Collin Franklin

Also, Davin Joseph was placed on injured reserve and Da’Quan Bowers is on reserve/PUP.

One of the great things about having the NFL Network from its inception is the tremendous content from NFL Films. It truly is artwork what the Sabols do.

(Out House customers: How does it feel now to know that your satanic cable outfit has you in shackles after Time Warner last week became the lone top 10 cable distributor refusing to allow sports fans to enjoy one of the most popular networks, holding football fans hostage while shoving channels down your throat like NY1, LOGO, countless shopping channels which is a gigantic waste of natural resources, and that nonsense yenta news channel that rebroadcasts tripe like a lost rabbit in Westchase 12 times a day?)

Last year, in its series, “A Football Life,” a particular episode was devoted to Bill Belicheat. An NFL Films crew shadowed Belicheat for a full year and it was really cool insight. During one game, Belicheat implored his team over and over to “just do your job!”

Apparently, that cry has been heard by Bucs defenders after being echoed by one of Belicheat’s disciples, Greg Schiano.

The Bucs defense played lights out against the Tom Bradys Friday. Better than any Bucs defense has played in some time in Joe’s eyes. Yes, it was preseason, but that was against the Patriots’ No. 1 offense.

What, you think Belicheat wanted Brady to get punished the way he did Friday?

What amazed Joe was that the Bucs shut down Brady and Company with several backup players filling critical holes.

Mason Foster was nursing a tender hamstring and didn’t suit up. Gerald McCoy was the victim of a borderline dirty hit to the knee and logged just four plays. Adrian Clayborn had the rare but dreaded elbow/scrotum injury.

And still the Bucs defense smothered the Pats.

Why? Michael Bennett told Joe it was simply a matter of players just doing their jobs.

“Coaches are doing a great job of coaching us and guys are buying in every single week,” Bennett said. “Guys are buying in more and more. The defense is working.

“Guys are out there doing their job. It’s good to see guys doing exactly what they are coached to do. I think that is exactly what happened. We can’t go with many highs and lows. I just want to be consistent each week. I try not to let the highs and lows of plays get to me.”

Guys are doing what they are instructed to do. Imagine.

Joe knows one reason why Geno Hayes was benched last year and is no longer with the team is that he tended to do a little too much freelancing.

There is no such thing as freelancing in the New Schiano Order. And just look at the results.

Joe likes to keep tabs on select former Buccaneers, and Joe finds it noteworthy that serial loafer Sean Jones is back on the free agent market after being cut today from the Lions.

With Cody Grimm teetering on the Bucs’ roster bubble, that means the Bucs’ starting safeties  from 2011 — aka The Wolfs — are battling to stay in the league. Though Joe has no doubt Grimm will latch on somewhere if he were cut from the Bucs.

Keeping with the same theme, Luke McCown was axed from the Saints, sackless Kyle Moore survived today’s first wave of cuts in Buffalo, and Kellen Winslow and Dezmon Briscoe caught touchdown passes this weekend. Briscoe has drawn great reviews up in Washington.

Joe knows many Bucs fans assume that Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik is nothing more than a figurehead under the New Schiano Order.

Hell, Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times advised readers that Schiano is more powerful than Tom Coughlin, Mike McCarthy and Norv Turner.

Dominik, however, painted a different picture Friday, and surely a more accurate one during an interview with Gene Deckerhoff on the Buccaneers Radio Network.

Deckerhoff asked Dominik about crafting the roster with Greg Schiano.

“We have sat down almost every day for multiple hours,” Dominik said. “We meet everyday on it, Gene.”

Joe realizes cynical Bucs fans likely believe Dominik is only running the overhead projector and managing the established room temperature in these meetings, but Joe’s quite confident Dominik retains significant power and influence, if not a tiebreaking say.

Dominik went on to tell Deckerhoff how prepared the Bucs are for the waiver wire and “that second draft,” when roughly 1,500 players are cut around the league this week.

Davin Joseph’s contract presents an interesting reality: He might never play another snap for the Bucs.

Per Rotoworld.com, part of the NBC Sports family, Joseph’s seven-year, $52.5 million deal signed before the 2011 season only included two guaranteed contracts, $9.5 million for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. After that the Bucs could cut ties with Joseph, who turns 30 next season, without cash ramifications.

Joseph’s patellar tendon injury is serious. That’s what screwed up Cadillac Williams — twice — and other NFL players have struggled to even return from it. Can Joseph even get back to training camp in 10 months?

Joe’s a big Joseph fan, and his injury is a huge loss. But the Bucs are forced to move on for 2012. If the new guard is solid, Joe doubts Joseph will put his hand on the ground for the Bucs again.

Friday night, Joe walked away impressed with the new defense led by Bucs coach Greg Schiano. The Bucs defense seemed to rise from the dead and stonewalled one of the most potent offenses in the NFL.

It seems the Bucs defense caught the eye of scone-loathing, cricket-watching, Marriott-hopping Peter King of Sports Illustrated. In his must-read Monday Morning Quarterback column today, King lauds Schiano for his work transforming a horrid lot into what is starting to look like a formidable squad.

Coach of the Week
Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano. In the span of a month, without top pass rusher Da’Quan Bowers, Schiano and defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan have put a tough stamp on their defense. On Friday night, Tom Brady and one of the NFL’s three best offenses had the ball nine times. Five times Brady went three-and-out; once four-and-out. He had two long touchdown drives. By the time Ryan Mallett came in to replace Brady, the Bucs led 30-14.

Well, Joe thinks King left out some salient information that makes what the Bucs defense did Friday even more impressive.

The Bucs did not have the services of starting middle linebacker Mason Foster, who sat out the game with a tender hamstring. Then, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy went out early in the game on a borderline dirty hit. Then, defensive end Adrian Clayborn.

Three of the Bucs’ top defensive players in the front seven played sparingly, and they still put the hurt on Tom Brady and company.

Joe will have a story a bit later today with a little nugget on just how the Bucs defense has changed under the New Schiano Order.

As reports out of One Buc Palace over the past few days indicate, it looks like rookie running back Doug Martin will be the Bucs No. 1 running back come Sept. 9 when the Bucs open the season against the stinking Panthers.

And Joe is OK with that because it appears the running back race was won fair and square. As Joe told Toby David of WHFS-FM after the game Friday night, that just means Martin will be No. 1A and LeGarrette Blount will be No. 1B, as Bucs coach Greg Schiano has stated he will have a two-headed monster of a running back attack.

One person who isn’t ready to shovel sand in Blount’s face is Alan Dell of the Bradenton Herald. Dell rages in a column about how Blount has been demonized for reasons unknown and simply cannot understand why so many would be so quick to release a guy who two years ago averaged five yards a carry. It was “as if there were a Pulitzer at stake,” Dell writes.

Blount dismisses criticism that he can’t understand blocking schemes well enough to be on the field on third down and that his hands are made of stone. He says he can be an effective receiver out of the backfield, particularly with his size.

Blount says Martin’s arrival has not changed the way he approaches the game, that he was going to improve his ball security regardless.

“I am OK with Doug. He is a good player, and they drafted him for a reason. I know they appreciate what I do. If they didn’t I wouldn’t be here,” he says.

Joe thought it was an absolute joke how people claimed Blount couldn’t catch out of the backfield when Joe saw with his own eyes Blount catching passes in practice and last season.

If Blount was so awful, why would Earnest Graham sing his praises so?

Again, Martin ran the ball much better than Blount last week. Sure, Blount may have been dinged up, but that’s what depth at that position is for. And that’s exactly why Martin was drafted.

Blount’s biggest problem last year? Two words: Greg Olson.

The Bucs’ desire to ram the ball down people’s throats took a nasty blow Friday night when All-Pro right guard Davin Joseph went down with a season-ending patella injury.

If the Bucs are to go with the old Raheem Morris mantra “Next man up,” that would be reserve Ted Larsen. But after being questioned at his day-after press conference Saturday, Bucs coach Greg Schiano didn’t seem to hand the job over to Larsen so quickly, reports Brad Biggs of the NationalFootballPost.com.

“We’re going to try to work a couple of things,” Schiano said. “Right now, I’m not sure. Obviously Larsen has worked there. But some of that has to be competed for I think. I don’t think it’s a knockdown slam dunk who it is there.”

Nor should it be. As Joe has written and spoke about before, there is no such thing as a good time to lose Joseph. But if he had to be hurt and lost for the year, now is the time.

In the coming days, over 1,000 players will hit the open market, cut by other teams. Plus, perhaps rock star general manager Mark Dominik could swing a trade for a potential salary cap casualty in the final year of his contract for a late-round draft pick.

No, Larsen shouldn’t just be handed the job. It should be earned. And Joe’s of the mind the Bucs will bring in a few candidates to push or replace Larsen.

Joe didn’t mention this last week, but watching the Panthers’ first-teamers absolutely annihilate the Dolphins’ top defense sent Joe to Walgreens for a six-pack of Tums.

Cam Newton and the running game completely carved up the Dolphins in short order and jumped out to a 17-0 lead. It looked like the varsity against the JV. And it made the Bucs’ success against Miami seem less impressive.

And that brings us to tonight, when the Panthers’ top dogs line up for at least a half against the Jets at 8 p.m. on NBC. It’ll be interesting to see how the Panthers respond against a much better team, before a hostile crowd, and on the national stage.

Joe really wants to see what the Panthers’ ground game looks like. Stopping the run is still the Bucs’ biggest defensive hurdle to overcome.