Periodically while Joe is at one of his favorite watering holes nursing a cold beer and taking ample time to gawk at Courtney the Bartender, Joe wonders why Bucs fans always have a knee-jerk reaction to Team Glazer’s English kickball team.

Bucs fans often wake up their significant other in the wee hours of the morning, screaming in the middle of the night at Team Glazer and their kickball team. It seems that whenever anything wrong happens to the Bucs, somehow, someway, angry Bucs fans begin cursing about the Team Glazer’s interest in a team that participates in a glorified Easter egg hunt.

Too predictably, when word leaked via Chicago radio that the Bucs would host the Bears in London this season (if there is a season), Bucs fans not only pointed the finger at the kickball team in question, but Bucs fans began surmising that the Bucs soon would call London home, and not One Buc Palace off of MLK Blvd. in Tampa.

Joe often wonders — when not distracted by Courtney the Bartender’s, um, features — why these same standards are not applied to Stan Kroenke?

The Rams owner, like Team Glazer, also owns an English kickball team. And Kroenke  owns the Colorado Avalanche along with several minor league teams of insignificance. Joe has yet to read or hear one word that Kroenke is siphoning off funds or lacking attention to detail on the Rams because of his many other interests.

For reasons unknown, many Bucs fans believe an owner should never have any other outside business interests which is preposterous. When has a Redskins fan ever whined about Danny Snyder’s other business interests like Six Flags, which interestingly was run into the ground and into a bankruptcy court by the same derelict who ruined ESPN, Mark Shapiro.

Well, it seems not everyone is missing the boat on the unfair barbs thrown at Team Glazer. Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who has been friends with Joe for some 25 years, brought up this very subject recently.

The central question seems to be this: Will he spend money to acquire the elite pieces deemed necessary to put Arsenal back atop of the EPL table?

It’s roughly the same question Rams fans have about Kroenke as he begins his second season as the team’s majority owner.

With the NFL’s free-agent market shut down because of the labor dispute between the owners and players, it’s impossible to get an answer. But in a recent interview with Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch, Kroenke didn’t eliminate free-agent signings as a way to improve the roster but strongly reaffirmed his belief in the philosophy of building through the draft.

Well, well, well. Where have we heard this before?

Further, if there is any NFL team that would move to London, the Rams would be far, far more likely to move than the Bucs. Joe has yet to hear of or read a legitimate reason why Team Glazer would move the Bucs to London.

Also a funny thing is, along with Joe Robbie Stadium in south Florida and the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, whatever-the-hell the dome in St. Louis is called isn’t that much older than The CITS. The dome in St. Louis opened in 1995. The CITS opened in 1998.

The lease for the Rams in the dome expires in 2015 and it opens the door for the Rams to leave, per a 2008 Associated Press article.

To lure the Rams, civic leaders agreed to a deal requiring that the dome remains among the top quarter of all NFL stadiums. The next measuring date is 2015.

Starting in 2012, both the Rams and the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission can begin exchanging proposals on getting the dome to that elite status. If no deal is reached by 2015, the Rams have the option of ending the lease — and potentially moving.

Many observers believe the St. Louis dome ranks closer to the bottom of NFL stadiums. It has no expansive outdoor parking lot for tailgating, lacks a retractable roof and has been criticized for its sound system, lighting and for what some perceive as a sterile atmosphere.

Some have even written that the dome in St. Louis is already outdated.

So when people mock Joe for suggesting that, given the state of stadiums not much older than The CITS including Joe Robbie, the Georgia Dome and the dome in St. Louis which cannot get Super Bowls  (the St. Louis dome is just three years older than The CITS), Joe is confident that sooner rather than later, NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell will start squeezing the Tampa Sports Authority for an upgrade to The CITS or no more Super Bowls in Tampa.

In the meantime, when Joe hears about some Bucs fans screaming at Team Glazer for owning a kickball team, he wonders why Team Glazer is being singled out?

"Man, I love these kids, but I'm not running fuc*n Romper Room. If you think I'm fuc*n going to try to win a football game again with some green dude, you've lost your mind. Just get me Griese, Muir, Bisaccia and some talent on that O-line and I'll win you 9 games every damn year."

When Chucky’s now famous BSPN special with soon-to-be-drafted NFL quaterbacks returns for its second season Thursday night, one former Jon Gruden quarterback won’t be watching. That would be Shaun King. 

Speaking as co-host of The King David Show on WQYK-AM 1010 today, King said Chucky is excellent at breaking down film and has been a successful head coach but the entire premise of the ESPN QB special is garbage.

“I won’t watch it. I disagree with the premise of the show. The premise is that Gruden is some kind of quarterbacks guru and that having him as a destination for a rookie QB is the ideal situation for a rookie and that just hasn’t proven to the case,” said King, who played two seasons under the Chucky regime in Tampa. 

King’s point can’t be argued. Chucky has no success record with young quarterbacks, though that surely doesn’t take away from the entertaininment value of the special. Great Xs and Os and squirming draft hopefuls is a stellar mix.

Joe wonders whether Marques Tuiasosopo, Bruce Gradkowski, Josh Johnson, Luke McCown and Chris Simms will grab a bag of popcorn and tune in.

In a public service to Bucs fans, draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski summed up what draft hopefuls the Bucs have worked out and what it might all mean.   

It’s on The Commish’s must-read draft page on 620wdae.com. Click the link and scroll down.

Here’s his snippet on linebackers officially on the Bucs radar: 

Fresno State – Chris Carter
North Carolina – Quan Sturdivant
Georgia – Akeem Dent
*Miami – Colin McCarthy
UCLA – Akeem Ayers

There’s not one doubt in my mind that the Bucs are focussed on drafting at least one linebacker in this year’s draft. Like Justin Houston, I think Akeem Ayers is a backup plan if the top DEs are off the board. The Bucs could either draft them at 20 or trade back and possibly still get one of the 2. The other linebackers here just show that the Bucs are indeed spending time and money scouting linebackers this year. Chris Carter would be good value in the 3rd round, but it wouldn’t shock me if the Bucs grabbed him in the 2nd round if they really like him.

*private workout not at Bucs facility

Ahh, just 10 days until Day 1 of the draft. Joe is salivating. Surely the Bucs will take a linebacker early with the uncertainty of four unrestricted free agent linebackers currently on their roster.

Hopefully a small miracle will resolve the labor mess so these new Bucs will be sweating their butts off shorts at One Buc Palace in early May.

One of the more entertaining off-field moments of the 2010 Bucs season was Raheem Morris telling St. Pete Times columnist Gary Shelton that “stats are for losers” and then immediately following up telling Shelton he can worry about stats while the head coach worried about winning.

It was a great slap back at Shelton and the other scribes in the press room. But then Raheem proceeded to overuse the “stats are for losers” line in a big way.

History shows other coaches have used the phrase “stats are for losers,” including Bill Belicheat, so Raheem’s hardly alone.

And now CBS analyst Phil Simms has taken it all to a new level, per Peter King’s popular Monday column on SI.com. King quotes Simms recent comments to TheBigLead.com.

Simms was asked about a stat I had in this column recently, quoting Mel Kiper saying Blaine Gabbert had completed 44 percent of his throws on third down at Missouri last fall, while Andrew Luck was 71 percent on third down at Stanford. The inference being, of course, that not only was Luck a better prospect but also, seemingly, better on the most important down, which some might take to mean he’s a better clutch player. If you’re 27 percentage points better on third down, it’s a brick in the wall (to me, anyway) that you’re a better quarterback than the much-lesser guy on third down. A brick in the wall, I might add — not incontrovertible proof.

This, apparently, made Simms go volcanic for some reason. I’ll leave the emphasis the way The Big Lead wrote it for the rest of Simms’ quote about third-down efficiency for quarterbacks: “That means nothing. I could not care less. My face gets red thinking about that stat. WHO CARES! Well get him out of there on third down! Keep him in on first and second down! You’re not drafting his college coach or his college team. You’re drafting Blaine Gabbert. These numbers … why do I need numbers? … Believe what your eye tells you. I have never looked at one quarterback ever on tape through all the years and then when it’s done, I have never even thought, ‘What were his numbers?’ I never have. It has never even crossed my mind.”

Wow. The anger. What makes a man go off on statistics?

Joe applauds Simms, and him going off the deep end is well understood by Joe. Nice to a see a big shot fired at the stats crowd.

All the endless stats jammed down fans’ throats by TV executives, computer geeks and talking heads trying to fill time and impress people has gone off the deep end in professional baseball and in the NFL.

Enough already. Sure many stats are relevant and interesting. Yeah, Joe gets that lots of people love fantasy football and its interest has exploded league popularity, but the whole numbers jibberish has gotten out of hand.

Former Bucs Super Bowl winning coach Chucky grills quarterback and likely first round draftee Cam Newton in this BSPN video.

Last night, Joe was humbled to be a guest on the weekly RaysRev.com podcast hosted by the WTSP duo of Mike Weber and Matt Sinn, who for Rays fans are must-follows. During the podcast, Joe was hit with a probing question that took Joe aback a little.

Sinn asked Joe, after we discussed the Rays, if Josh Freeman is the best offensive player in Bucs history.

Joe’s initial, impulsive reaction was, of course not. Then quickly Joe scanned through his beer-soaked brain of offensive stars of the past, and couldn’t think of many at all.

Lots of old Bucs fans would say Doug Williams but his stats weren’t all that good. Kevin House was a dangerous receiver but not dominant.

Joe likely thinks one could make a good argument that Warrick Dunn was the best Bucs offensive player. James Wilder certainly made an impact. Perhaps Meshaun Johnson but Meshaun was around really for three years before his days with the Bucs flamed out.

Weber has a good point. If Freeman stays healthy, he very well could be the best Bucs player in franchise history. It’s an interesting argument.

When the Bucs drafted defensive end Kyle Moore two years ago, a lot was expected of him. Instead he was largely injured and had little impact on the defense.

In writing about each team’s needs in the draft, Gregg Rosenthal of ProFootballTalk.com explains just how badly the Bucs need to beef up their defensive ends, and how important it is for Kyle Moore to make some sort of impact.

G.M. Mark Dominik drafted a pair of inside guys last year. He could stand to draft a pair of pass rushers on the outside this time. Stylez White should be making Teen Wolf 3 in another city. Tim Crowder is also a free agent, which means Kyle Moore is probably their best returning guy. Yikes.

A few weeks ago Joe touched base with a trusted Bucs beat writer to ask about Moore’s job security with the Bucs. Joe was told in no uncertain terms the team is disappointed and that with new defensive line coaches, the time has come for Moore to come out of hiding or he may be looking for employment elsewhere, maybe a bit part in Teen Wolf 3?

No matter what Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik says, no matter that free agency is fool’s gold proven annually by the Steelers and the Packers and the Redskins and the Cowboys, many Bucs fans simply won’t listen or learn.

They want Dominik to sign the likes of Nnamdi Asomugha and any other big name free agent they happen to see on NFL Network. (Don’t have NFL Network? Then what OBGYN do you frequent?)

In a recent question-and-answer feature on TBO.com, Tampa Tribune Bucs beat reporter Woody Cummings once again reminds fans that Dominik simply isn’t going to sign heavy-salaried free agents.

Q: So now that the Bucs have put up 10 wins, what will they do now? Use free agency, the draft or trade? Will the Glazers put up the money finally?

DJ Halo, Pacoima, Calif.

A: Look for the Bucs to continue to operate the way they have in recent years. That means building primarily through the draft, trading to acquire more draft picks and dabbling in free agency. And why shouldn’t they continue to operate that way? It’s worked out for them, hasn’t it?

— Woody Cummings

Now while Joe believes Dominik is going about it the right way — Joe had an epiphany to this philosophy after watching the Steelers go about business the past 15 years or so and reading a feature on Packers general manager Ted Thompson on SI.com while traveling to Super Bowl media day in Dallas this February — Joe doesn’t believe when the new CBA is signed that Dominik will completely turn up his nose at free agents, he will just be cost conscious.

Take Sean Jones for example. Seeing that Sabby the Goat had more business grazing on a farm than playing NFL football, Dominik signed Jones who provided solid if not steady play at safety, which turned out to be greatly needed when Tanard Jackson got popped and Cody Grimm was injured.

It is players like Jones that Dominik would likely target. Just not the Christmas list many Bucs fans have.

Screw notebooks full of in-house mock drafts and draft-day scenarios scribbled down in the bowels of One Buc Palace. Rock star Mark Dominik doesn’t use those. He leaves those ancient methods for other teams. Dominik is more into pods.

Pods?

Yeah, “pods,” Dominik explained during an interview with Justin Pawlowski on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday.

“It’s a little different than we’ve ever done around here before. It’s worked for the last couple of years for me. It’s really breaking out players into individual traits and kind of rating them within a pod and then looking at a big picture. … I don’t look at [mock drafts]. I’m certainly focused on seeing what other people are saying, but for me we do things a little bit differently in our building, and I’m hoping that gives us a competitive advantage.”

Joe really understands this kind of intricate, personalized grading system that assesses a player’s assets as they relate to team desires. It’s very similar to how Joe grades cheerleaders.

Obviously, Dominik has cooked up great success in his first two drafts. 

If he can pull a ferocious linebacker and defensive end out of some of those 2011 pods, the Bucs will be in excellent shape.

JoeBucsFan.com NFL Draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski delivers a great interview here with former Ravens coach and current FOX Sports talking head Brian Billick.

This is really can’t-miss enjoyable stuff, especially on a football-free Saturday afternoon.

Billick shares part of a conversation he had with Sean Payton before the Bucs-Saints game in January, also Billick gives an assessment of Raheem Morris as well as real insight into the 2011 draft and drafting players in general.

Enjoy! Click the arrow below or download here.

[audio: billickpodcast.mp3]

Don’t forget to catch all kinds of draft buzz from The Commish at 620wdae.com and all the in-depth draft coverage archived on JoeBucsFan.com.

Players can send smokescreens, too. That fun isn’t only for general managers.

In what could be a smokescreen — or not as draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski intelligently wrote weeks ago — former Florida guard/center Mike Pouncey fired off a message on Twitter this week that included the Bucs among the teams apparently honing in on him.

@MikePouncey Top 6 teams… Steelers, Patriots, Giants, Cowboys, Dolphins, Bucs

With 2011 free agency a lingering mystery yet to be solved, this year’s draft is a more of a crapshoot to predict than ever before.

Davin Joseph is on his couch without a contract. That makes it conceivable the Bucs draft Pouncey. Unlikely? Sure.  But the Bucs are still all about No. 5.

Where the Bucs honchos stand on Aqib Talib is a closely guarded secret. Of course, the way Talib’s legal case plays out will be a huge factor in the team’s approach.

But it’s interesting to see how much disagreement there is from the full-time Bucs beat writers on the subject.

Yesterday, Joe brought you Stephen Holder’s take from a live chat on TampaBay.com that he believes “we’ve seen the last of Talib.”

That was decisively countered by Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune during his on-air chat with The Fabulous Sports Babe Show on WHBO-AM 1040 on Friday.

“I don’t think they’re going to dump Aqib Talib,” Cummings said.

While rock star Bucs general manager Mark Dominik clearly is a detailed planner, Joe can’t imagine Dominik has completely made up his mind on Talib.

Joe keeps coming back to Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski’s take, that Dominik will withhold a decision on Talib until he can fully assess the roster following the draft, free agency and preseason.

UPDATE 9:56 a.m.: Earlier today JoeBucsFan.com published a post that stated the felony assault case against Aqib Talib was reduced to a misdemeanor charge and he was headed for a sentence of probation.  

Joe jumped the gun.

Joe had talked to sources in Dallas on Thursday and, in conjuction with the case being assigned to a judge Friday and further follow up, Joe reached the wrong conclusion, though that’s the resolution Joe expects in the case.

Mistakes happen, and Joe will not hide from his error.

This morning, Talib’s Dallas attorney Frank Perez told JoeBucsFan.com that he “expects to take the case to the grand jury and have it resolved there,” meaning Talib would not be indicted. “We’ve interviewed 17 or 19 witnesses and none of them say Aqib Talib had a gun. He wasn’t handling a gun,” Perez said.

So many Bucs fans were wild with hope over the thought of Kareem Huggins becoming the shifty speedster running back the Bucs needed entering the 2010 season.

But Huggins went down with a massive knee injury, which followed up his 2009 knee injury that cost him a season.

Will the Bucs go for Round 3 with the undrafted kid from Hofstra that was out of football in 2008? Esteemed beat scribe Roy Cummings weighed in on Huggins’ future via a fresh Q&A on TBO.com.

Huggins had complete reconstructive knee surgery. He blew out everything. It was a very bad injury, but the Bucs are confident he’ll be back. The problem is, he never got a chance to really prove he could be an every-down or even third-down change-of-pace back so the Bucs have to prepare for the possibility that, after the injury, he’s not an NFL caliber runner. That means looking at running backs in the draft. We’ll get a good feel for how they really feel about Huggins during the draft …

Joe suggests you click the link above and read Cummings’ entire response and more.

Huggins seems like a fine young man, extremely nice during Joe’s many interactions with him. But one would think the Bucs could find a more promising prospect in the draft, or the second draft, as Mark Dominik sometimes calls it.

Huggins has accomplished nothing and is coming off a brutal knee injury. He almost feels like Cadillac Williams used to sans the huge achievements.

Joe suspects the Bucs will keep him around to see if he’s got a Cadillac-style comeback in him.

There’s been rampant “why” speculation surrounding the Bucs agreeing to move the Bucs-Bears 2011 home game to England.

The Bucs have deferred official comment to the NFL suits until the league announces its schedule. But, of course, that doesn’t stop every beat writer, analyst, blogger, talking head and water-cooler philosopher from chiming in with a definitive take.

Veteran Bucs beat scribe Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune chimed in with vigor during an interview on The Fabulous Sports Babe Show on WHBO-AM 1040 today.

Cummings wagged a finger at Bucs fans for bringing the loss of a home game on themselves.

“Folks, this is what happens when you don’t come out and support your football team. Sometimes they might take it away,” Cummings said to those complaining about Team Glazer agreeing to play in England for the second time in three years.

The dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, of WDAE-AM 620, had a similar take last week.

And Cummings echoed a popular opinion that the Bucs didn’t want a repeat of the Bucs-Steelers game last year, when the C.I.T.S. was overwhelmed by Steelers colors and the game was blacked out, just short of a sellout.

While Joe gets why the Bucs agreed to play the Bears in England, and it’s a sound gamble for the long term health of the franchise, the attendance part of the equation is a tough one for Joe to swallow.

Are we to accept in April, with an improving economy and a vastly improved football team with legitimate stars, that a home game in October against the Bears is going to be a repeat of the Pittsburgh invasion of 2010? Joe’s not buying that six months out.

Is there no confidence in the Buccaneers’ sales and marketing staffs? Perhaps those departments need to be put under the microscope. Last Joe checked, JoeBucsFan.com has never been hit up to buy season tickets and never been approached to creatively, or traditionally, market ticket sales. 

But so what if there are 25,000 Bears fans at the C.I.T.S? What better way to generate buzz and passion among your own fan base — and the visitor’s — then to bury Chicago on the home turf? And experienced Bucs fans know that half those Bears fans are bandwagoners living locally who’d be happy to start calling themselves Bucs fans when Tampa Bay returns to glory.

Last Joe checked, fans get jacked up and start buying gear and talking up the team when they experience a big home victory in the flesh.  

A near-full stadium, including Bears fans, seems like a game the Bucs should have been salivating over.

Friday means happy hour, and for Joe that’s one hour of meat and potatoes football talk with FOX Sports analyst Chris Landry and the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, today at 5 p.m. on WDAE-AM 620.

No hockey. No hoops. No hokey radio bits. Just good, in-depth football chatter. … Landry is very entertaining and digs deep with his Xs and Os.  

If you’re chained to a computer, listen live online at 620wdae.com.

The last thing the Bucs need in the draft is a defensive tackle, assuming Brian Price really is not a health concern, as Mark Dominik alluded to last week.

But who cares? Joe still brings you in depth draft coverage, courtesy of Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM 620.

Enjoy The Commish’s breakdown of defensive tackles below.

1. Marcell Dareus – Alabama
6’3’’ – 319 lbs – 4.92
Top 5

Why The Commish would take him: The main reason I’d take Dareus is his outstanding combination of size and speed. He also flourished in the toughest conference in college football. Dareus is a powerful defensive tackle that possesses a mean streak.

Why The Commish would stay away: It’s tough to explain, but there’s something about Dareus that worries me. He isn’t very explosive and is not a great pass rusher. Durability is also a concern as he dealt with a nagging ankle injury for most of the 2010 season.

Commish’s Final Say: I have little doubt that Dareus will go either 2nd or 3rd overall in this year’s draft. His best fit will be with the Broncos in the middle of their depleted defensive tackle position. I do not think Dareus is near the talent that Ndamukong Suh was as the 2nd overall pick last year. On the high end, Dareus could be like a healthy Kris Jenkins, but on the low end he could be compared to Gerard Warren coming out of college.

Comparison: Pat Williams – Minnesota Vikings

2. Nick Fairley – Auburn
6’4’’ – 291 lbs – 4.87
Top 10

Why The Commish would take him: Dominance is the best way to describe the play of Fairley in 2010. He was a beast inside and could take games over on his own. He is a violent player who is willing to deliver the big hit at any time.

Why The Commish would stay away: There are a lot of character issues with Fairley. He does not have a good work ethic, has anger issues, and is an immature player. He was also just a one-year starter for Auburn which makes you wonder if he is a one-year wonder.

Commish’s Final Say: It’ll be interesting to see if late rumors of missing meetings and bad character will drop Fairley on draft day. There are always concerns with one-year wonders, but I think Fairley’s dominance in 2010 has made him at least worthy of a top-15 pick. It’ll be interesting if his character takes him down a similar path to Albert Haynesworth.

Comparison: Kevin Williams – Minnesota Vikings

3. Corey Liuget – Illinois
6’2’’ – 298 lbs – 4.99
1st Round

Why The Commish would take him: What stands out about Liuget is his overall personality. He is a great leader with an outstanding work ethic and awareness. Liuget is an excellent fit as a 3-technique in an even front with his quick first step and ability to penetrate.

Why The Commish would stay away: Liuget has only had one real good year of production, so I do have to wonder why it took so long for it to “click” for him. Liuget really has struggled with his weight and stamina through a majority of his collegiate career.

Commish’s Final Say: Liuget has seen a surge as of late. He is not a finished product, but has a lot of potential that good coaching will help him reach. I think Liuget would make a lot of sense for the Rams or Giants.

Comparison: Gerald McCoy – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

4. Phil Taylor – Baylor
6’3’’ – 334 lbs – 5.20
1st Round

Why The Commish would take him: Taylor is big, mean, and physical. As a nose tackle, that’s all I want.

Why The Commish would stay away: As with most nose tackles, weight and conditioning will be a question. Taylor also has some durability concerns and might deal with some injuries.

Commish’s Final Say: The nose tackle position does not have the value that other positions do in the NFL draft, but a dominant nose tackle can be the difference in games. I’m not sure if Taylor will be dominant, but a combination of size, strength, and meanness is a good start.

Comparison: Casey Hampton – Pittsburgh Steelers

5. Muhammed Wilkerson – Temple
6’4’’ – 315 lbs – 4.96
1st/2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him: I think the most intriguing part about Wilkerson is his fantastic potential. Sure, the word “potential” can be a scary word, but with his size and athletic ability, I think Wilkerson could be special in the NFL.

Why The Commish would stay away: The word “potential” means to me that a player has not gotten where he needs to be yet. Wilkerson is slow off the line and has a tendency to play too tall.

Commish’s Final Say: I think Wilkerson is one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire draft this year. He reminds me of what Jason Pierre-Paul was a year ago. Wilkerson has the size, athleticism, and talent to be special in the NFL. I also think Wilkerson has the work ethic and understanding to reach his potential if he gets the proper coaching.

Comparison: Chris Canty – New York Giants

6. Marvin Austin – North Carolina
6’2’’ – 309 lbs – 4.90
1st/2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Austin was highly touted before the 2010 season and before he was suspended for the season as part of the scandal that occurred at North Carolina. He possesses the dominant features you want in a defensive tackle. Austin is big, strong, quick, and a good pass rusher.

Why The Commish would stay away: Sitting out an entire season, there has to be concern about whether Austin will be ready to make an impact in the NFL. He showed up to the Senior Bowl in decent shape, but not as good as scouts had hoped.

Commish’s Final Say: Even though Austin missed the entire 2010 season, I still think he should be regarded as one of the top defensive tackles in this draft. Like most of his teammates from North Carolina, Austin is supremely talented and could get drafted a lot higher than people think.

Comparison: Sedrick Ellis – New Orleans Saints

7. Stephen Paea – Oregon St.
6’1’’ – 303 lbs – DNP
1st/2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him: With Paea, it all begins with strength. He did the most reps on the bench at the combine. He can hold up against NFL linemen. Paea also has a good get-off from the line of scrimmage. I think Paea is a reliable player who’s a leader, has a great work ethic, and is durable.

Why The Commish would stay away: For as solid as Paea could be, there really isn’t anything overly special about his play. He isn’t the flashiest player and does not have a lot of pass rush ability.

Commish’s Final Say: I think the question for Paea is whether he is Tyson Alualu or Trevor Laws. I don’t think he is Alualu because I’m not sure he is as good a pass rusher. I think Paea’s best fit will be in in a 4-3 defense that asks it’s defensive tackles to take on multiple blockers.

Comparison: Trevor Laws – Philadelphia Eagles

8. Christian Ballard – Iowa
6’4’’ – 283 lbs – 4.80
2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Ballard has a great combination of power and speed. He’s a hard worker with no character concerns. Ballard is versatile and projects to any type of defense. Ballard really saw his stock rise at the Senior Bowl where he was deemed “unblockable.”

Why The Commish would stay away: I think Ballard might be limited to being an end in a 3-4 defense. He was not very productive when it came to numbers at Iowa and was overshadowed by Adrian Clayborn. My biggest concern is that Ballard can struggle to shed blocks when an offensive lineman gets inside on him.

Commish’s Final Say: Ultimately, Ballard’s best option is as an end in a 3-4 defense. He isn’t the flashiest player, but could be a very solid choice in the 2nd round.

Comparison: Ray McDonald – San Francisco 49ers

9. Drake Nevis – LSU
6’1’’ – 294 lbs – 5.06
2nd/3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him: For as talented as Nevis is on the field, he is a great person off the field as well. He works extremely hard and never gives up on a play. Nevis is also a good pass rusher and gets penetration into the backfield.

Why The Commish would stay away: Nevis was unable to beat out other defensive linemen at LSU during his career, so he was just a one year starter. He’s also not the most powerful lineman as he does not have elite size or strength.

Commish’s Final Say: Despite his lack of size, Nevis has everything that a team could want in a defensive tackle to be drafted in the middle rounds. I think you have to take into account his community service that he has done out of the kindness of his heart, his experience in the SEC, his leadership skills, and his work ethic. When you combine those factors, Nevis looks like a very solid mid round selection.

Comparison: Darnell Dockett – Arizona Cardinals

10. Jurrell Casey – USC
6’1’’ – 300 lbs – 5.06
2nd/3rd Round

Why The Commish would take him: Casey’s strength is his first step off the ball. He does a decent job of shooting the gap and making plays in the backfield. His strength will be as a one-gap defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense.

Why The Commish would stay away: Casey doesn’t have the greatest work ethic and it shows by his sloppy upper body. Also, with as good as his first step is, it’s sometimes late which hurts him tremendously.

Commish’s Final Say: Casey isn’t the most impressive specimen at the defensive tackle position. He does have talent and potential, but his lazy work ethic would steer me away from him.

Comparison: Kentwan Balmer – Seattle Seahawks

When Aqib Talib was hauled off in cuffs by Texas authorities after he allegedly pistol whipped a man and allegedly shot at a fleeing victim, it was yet the latest in a troubling series of violent episodes that average more than once a year from the Bucs troubled cornerback.

The incident also will lead to his departure from Tampa Bay.

That’s the word from good guy Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times. In a recent live chat on the paper’s site, Holder explained why he’s convinced fans have seen the last of Talib in a Bucs uniform.

Specifically, Holder explains that if the Bucs don’t so something severe to Talib, NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell will do something severe to Team Glazer and rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

jermainejermaine: Is there any hope at all Aqib stays?

Stephen F. Holder: Well, this book is a long way from being closed, but I personally believe you’ve seen the last of No. 25 in Tampa Bay. Bucs have defended him on too many previous occasions and they know if they do it again there could be hell to pay. And remember something else: Roger Goodell has said he reserves the right to punish teams that don’t hold their players accountable and continue to have character problems. You don’t want to start getting a reputation with Goodell.

LeoInCanadaLeoInCanada: Hey Stephen, thank for hosting this forum. I want to commend Coach Morris on a great job overall. In the past he has exasperated me with his comments concerning Talib. Any inside info on his mindset at the moment concerning Talib?

Stephen F. Holder: Nothing on the record that I can share, but I personally think we’ve seen the last of Talib here. Guilty or not, I think the Bucs know that if they take him back it’ll be seen as not taking a stand. And what happens if there’s another incident? They’ll havve no defense.

Holder makes a point Joe never factored: Last year Goodell went on record saying that if teams didn’t clean up their act, he, Goodell, would come after teams and may even take away draft picks.

Dominik covets draft picks like Joe does cold beers and the warmth of Rachel Watson’s bosom. Dominik has been uncanny with his ability to find solid players in the later rounds of the draft. So to lose draft picks due to Talib’s inability to control himself, it logically means the Bucs would lose starting players.

Talib will be suspended for a number of games when a new CBA is in place since he is a repeat offender. Given his dark track record, there is every reason to believe his name will again come out of the mouth of police authorities and given the escalating violent nature of Talib’s scrapes with the law, it’s downright frightening to think of his next tussle — and be suspended for a season.

To lose a player to multiple games, if not a season, for being a knucklehead and having to cough up draft picks (players) is a very steep price to pay and Joe doesn’t believe Dominik is willing to pay that kind of a price.

There are scant NFL players worth looking the other way in missing multiple games due to suspension and losing draft picks as well. Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald and Clay Matthews spring to mind. (No, none of these players have ever dealt with the long arm of the law to Joe’s knowledge.)

Joe’s not so sure Talib’s talent is worth that high of a price. Joe isn’t quite ready to suggest Talib is a top-five talent in the NFL.

Who knew Ron Jaworski was a shrink? Maybe all that crying by Dick Vermeil inspired him.

Or maybe “Jaws” stayed at a Holiday Inn Express during his recent Tampa visit.

Regardless, Jaws is deeply concerned about Aqib Talib and thinks the Bucs need to show him extra love and care, so he told esteemed NFL writer eye-RAH Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune

Among other things, Jaws said Raheem Morris needs to give Talib more support.

“I think if you give up on a guy like this, and this is the human side of this situation, Talib could be worse off,” said Jaworski, in Tampa Bay recently for an ESPN shoot. “He could go off the deep end if he doesn’t have football, if he doesn’t have structure in his life.”

Of course, Joe agrees that Talib is close to the “deep end” and seems to swim in it quite a bit.

But Joe thinks Jaws is out of his mind. What the hell are the Bucs supposed to do, pay bodyguards to shadow Talib 24/7? And would that really help anyway?

Talib hit a teammate with a deadly weapon with Buccaneers within reach. He pummeled a cabbie with Buccaneers at arms length. He went after an official with Buccaneers around.  And he launched a profanity tirade at his head coach in England.

Sure, with this latest episode of Talib allegedly playing cowboy vigilante in Texas, maybe a bodyguard would have served him well. But the point is Talib must exercise some discipline and get himself full-time counseling, if he doesn’t have it already.

The Bucs can’t be expected to have his back any more than they already have.

Joe hates to be a tease, but Joe’s giving advance love here to an interview NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski had with FOX analyst Brian Billick.

Joe’s heard it, and it’s great stuff.

Pawlowski, aka The Commish, will air the interview about 2:05 p.m. on his Saturday show, The Blitz, on WDAE-AM 620. And JoeBucsFan.com will have the audio Sunday. Billick gives all sorts of takes on evaluating talent and on the Buccaneers. Billick, who says he’s got too high a price tag to get another NFL head coaching job, was the game analyst on several Bucs telecasts in 2010.

“I’ve become a huge, huge Raheem Morris fan. I just can’t tell you how much I admire his approach,” Billick said. “You could just see the growth of this team. You could see the confident growing.  … Every outing they got better and better. … that’s all you can ask for in this league.”

Billick went on to explain how he talked to Sean Payton before the Bucs-Saints game in Week 17 — Billick was on the broadcast team — and Payton detailed that the Saints were playing straight-up to win.

Billick offers great takes on Aqib Talib, as well. He’s of the mind that the Bucs will be patient with Talib.

Don’t miss the interview this weekend.