The Bucs have landed a confident linebacker in Angelo Crowell. "I will show them I am a jewel," the recent free agent signing told NFL Radio today.

New Bucs linebacker Angelo Crowell appeared on Sirius NFL Radio’s “The Blitz” with co-hosts Adam Schein and Jim Miller Thursday afternoon.

Among the things Crowell talked about was how Bucs linebackers coach Joe Barry likes to call Crowell’s wife late at night (Crowell explains the method to Barry’s madness).

Angelo Crowell: Tampa right off the game showed a lot of interest in me. I spoke with their pro personnel guy and their linebackers coach. They were interested.

I thought right before free agency, when [the Bucs] cut Cato June and Derrick Brooks, “What is going on down there?”

Then they called my wife’s phone on the first night of free agency. I said to her, “Who is calling you this late at night?” It was [linebackers coach] Joe Barry.

I had a great visit down in Tampa. I met with their defensive coordinator and [Barry] and [Raheem The Dream]. It was a great visit. I like the direction they are headed. They should have been in the playoffs last year.

Buffalo wanted to bring me back. But, nah, it was time for a change. I felt like [Tampa Bay] was the right opportunity and the right time.

Adam Schein: Is there any pressure in replacing Derrick Brooks or Cato June?

AC: No, you can’t replace those guys. But I will go in there and bring in what I bring to the table. I am not tying to be Derrick Brooks. I am being Angelo Crowell. I have special skills. I let it loose. I let it show.

Jim Miller: You have the speed when healthy.

AC: [After describing the chronological history of his knee problems] I am running. I am cutting. I’m running at full speed. I’m thankful know I had the surgery and got it done.

AS: Tell us your impressions of Raheem [The Dream]:

AC: I love him. He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm and he wants to win. You can see the passion all over him. You can see the passion and desire he has. He wants players to play with tenacity.

JM: Is the new Bucs coaching staff exciting for you?

AC: It’s definitely refreshing. They won the Super Bowl. They have been in the playoffs. They have been there. They know that. They just need small pieces to get them over the top.

AS: What about the quarterback situation in Tampa?

AC: I don’t mess with the offensive side but I know they have playmakers from the receivers to the running backs. But I don’t pay attention to the offense, I have to be honest you.

JM: Derrick Brooks was an unbelievable player. Are you living up to expectations because of Brooks?

AC: I’m always living up to expectations. I can never live up to Derrick Brooks. I want to play at a high level every practice and every game and show them what I have. I will show them I am a jewel. I can’t play like Derrick Brooks but I can bring special things to the game.

AS: You are a leader. You walk into a situation like Tampa with so many changes. Do you go in and be one of the guys or do you go in as a leader?

AC: Leadership, all that goes hand in hand. But as a leader, you lead by example. I am not a rah-rah guy. I’m not a guy who does a lot of talking I just lead by example. I work hard for the younger guys. I prepare and play hard. I think guys respect that more: A guy who only says things when need to be said buy prepares well and plays hard.

JM: Now you are in the NFC South. You will be facing Matt Ryan and Drew Brees and Carolina. Your thoughts?

AC: It is a change for me. The AFC East passes the ball a lot more. Besides Brees, you think of Carolina and Atlanta with [Michael] Turner. They want to pound the ball. It’s different than the AFC East. It’s more of a physical game from watching from afar.

Joe has learned through multiple sources that shortly after being cut by the Bucs the Glazer Boys offered Derrick Brooks a front office position.

Since the Bucs cut linebacker legend Derrick Brooks, Joe has beat the drum that Bucs general manager Mark Dominik made a terrible mistake, should swallow his pride and re-sign Brooks.

Joe has learned through multiple sources today that very well may happen.

Problem is, Brooks won’t be donning a Bucs uniform.

Through Joe’s sources, one of which is a highly placed academic source at Florida State where Brooks serves on the board of trustees of his alma mater, it has been revealed that shortly after the Bucs cut Brooks the Glazer Boys called Brooks in for a private meeting and offered him a front office position.

The specific position that was offered to Brooks is unclear, but a job offer was made to Brooks. One source was inclined to believe the offer was partially motivated by damage control. Rather than take the offer, Brooks informed the Glazer Boys he wanted to exhaust all options as a player before he announced his retirement and became a Bucs employee.

NFL Films veteran Greg Cosell says Jeff Garcia is out of work because he looks terrible on film. Joe imagines his wife Carmella looks just fine on camera.

Wondering why no team is calling on Jeff Garcia to compete for a starting job?

Greg Cosell, longtime veteran of NFL Films, explains why Garcia and Byron Leftwich are nothing more than excellent No. 2 quarterbacks.

Since no GM has made a move on either, it should tell you what you need to know: Neither Garcia nor Leftwich is viewed as a starting NFL quarterback on a team aspiring to contend for a playoff spot. Now that might not adequately address the question of why they haven’t been signed, but it really is the crux of the issue.

I have often described Garcia as a tough watch, with the addendum that he plays as if he has just consumed 10 cups of Starbucks coffee, with an extra shot of espresso in each cup. Shallow attempts at humor aside, Garcia is a frenetic, chaotic quarterback who makes it difficult, almost impossible, for an offense to achieve and maintain any kind of timing and rhythm.

That’s a problem for any coach installing Garcia as the starting quarterback. Coaches want, perhaps more than anything, a passing game to be executed with as much precision as is realistically possible, play after play after play. When it’s a three-step drop, they want the ball to come out on time, in 1.5 seconds. When it’s a five-step drop, the ball must be thrown in about 2.1 seconds.

Garcia does not do that. In fact, he is the antithesis of that. He’s random and helter-skelter in his play. He extends plays that don’t need to be extended. He buys time that doesn’t need to be bought. I have studied him on tape for years and still struggle to find the logic in his movement.

Joe would like to see Garcia land on his feet. The NFL game is better with him in it.

Joe also enjoys publishing pictures of his lovely wife.

Joe advises Raheem The Dream to just smile and say little until the season starts

It’s tempting to rip Raheem The Dream for many of the non-sensical things he’s been saying. His logic rarely jibes with his actions.

But Joe is not going to take big whacks at The Dream. Not now anyway. The reality is the guy has yet to coach a game.

Though Dream really needs to talk less, or at least master the art of meaningless coachspeak.

His comments about Ronde Barber in the Tampa Tribune are real headscratchers.

“He’s staying because he touches the ball and he scores touchdowns,” Morris said on the final day of the NFL owners’ meetings. “I don’t know any corner in this league that scores more touchdowns than Ronde Barber. I’ve seen him do it in bump, Cover 2, I’ve seen him blitz and pressure the quarterback. He’s got some juice left. At the end of the season, the two guys leading the team in picks were Ronde and Aqib Talib – two ends of the spectrum. That’s why Ronde’s here.”

By this logic for keeping Ronde Barber, surely Ike Hilliard was a natural to stay on the Bucs. A year younger than Barber, Hilliard had four touchdowns last year to Barber’s one.

And Hilliard still “had some juice left.”

 Not only did he recover quickly from a concussion suffered against Seattle, Hilliard caught 47 balls and was perhaps statistically the most reliable wide receiver in the NFL last year.

According to the stats geeks at FootballOutsiders.com, Hilliard led the NFL in “catch rate” for players who had more than 50 balls thrown their way. Hilliard caught 81 percent of those passes.

If Joe had a chance to advise Morris, he’d tell him to say little and just smile until his Week 1 post-game news conference.

The spin coming out of the mouths of the Glazers Boys and Raheem The Dream is so out of control it would make John Podesta’s face blush. It’s enough to make Joe sick.

First, The Dream allegedly tells his players that quarterback Luke McCown will be given ample time to prove his worth.

Joe would like to know if this message was delivered by The Dream before or after the Bucs tried to trade for Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler?

Then The Dream claims he is content if not happy with his defensive front.

Did he come to this conclusion before or after the Bucs failed to sign defensive tackle and free agent Albert Haynesworth?

Then the Glazer Boys say they are happy to return to building through the draft.

This after the Bucs tried to sign Haynesworth, signed a free agent running back and traded a second round pick for a guy with not much better motorcycle skills than knees. Oh yeah, the Glazers Boys would have swapped a first round pick had they been able to close the deal on acquiring Cutler.

Listening to too much spin from the Bucs braintrust is not healthy. Joe has evidence to that fact: Joe has come upon confidential video of one of the Glazer Boys’ pet dogs.

The worst part of new Bucs running back Derrick Ward's appearance on "THE BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW PERIOD" was that co-host Charissa Thompson was not on the set.

Recently, new Bucs running back Derrick Ward (what was it about the Glazers Boys not signing free agents exactly?) sat down for a chat on the set of “THE WORST DAMN SPORTS SHOW SEMICOLON UNLESS IT INVOLVES STUART SCOTT OR CHRIS BERMAN PERIOD.”

Wise beyond his years, Ward said he signed with the Bucs due to a lack of state income tax in Florida. He also admitted the Bucs came late to the party and he just bought a house here.

After watching the video, Joe has one question: Where was Charissa Thompson?

Florida State defensive end Everett Brown, so says Mike Lombardi of the NationalFootballPost.com.

Like so many others, Lombardi believes the Bucs are in a terrible need for players up front, hence his guess that Brown becomes a Bucs defender.

The Bucs need a rusher from the edge to play wide in their new defense.

Joe would love for Brown to somehow fall to the Bucs. At times last year against big offensive lines such as Wisconsin, Brown manhandled opponents like they were children. Brown is also quick as some think he could play linebacker in a 34-defensive front.

But if the Bucs pick Brown, doesn’t that pretty much suggest they whiffed on Gaines Adams?

Grab a 12-pack and catch up on the stellar draft coverage at JoeBucsFan.com. Full breakdowns of cornerbacks and safeties are coming Saturday.

The popular Wednesday podcast returns with NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski answering your draft questions.

Get your questions in for next week by sending them to justinpawlowski@620wdae.com . No nude pictures attached, please.

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JoeBucsFan.com is a place where you can escape the world around and focus on what truly makes you happy: The NFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Tonight, all Joe wants you to do is strongly consider subscribing to the best NFL draft coverage for Bucs fans anywhere. Click here to see what you’re missing every day.

For $10, subscribers get access to daily draft coverage through May 9. Plus a free $10 gift certificate to Courtside Grille. Hence, the free beer.

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Tampa Tribune reporter Anwar Richardson says the Bucs have spread the word to players that Luke McCown has two years to prove himself

It now seems like the Bucs will be completely avoiding a quarterback in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Speaking this morning on ESPN 1040 AM, Bucs beat writer Anwar Richardson, who cashes a paycheck from The Tampa Tribune, gave a brief preview of his upcoming Sunday feature story on Luke McCown.

Richardson said McCown has been told he has “a two-year window” to be the starting quarterback.

Other members of the offense also were  advised McCown will get that time to develop, Richardson said.

Richardson said running back Derrick Ward is quoted in his Sunday feature story talking about how there was a similar edict in New York Giants camp early on in Eli Manning’s career.

Now Joe believes Richardson and knows he’s a sound reporter.

However, Joe does not believe for a second that the Bucs would not deal for Jay Cutler if the price is right.

Though Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com loves Davin Joesph, he's not overly impressed with the Bucs' offseason moves thus far.

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com was a guest on Sirius NFL Radio’s “The Blitz” today with Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots and he had quite a bit to say about the Bucs.

To suggest Marvez, a longtime NFL writer, has modest reservations about the Bucs this upcoming season is to suggest Obama is open-minded to cutting checks to incompetent white collar types.

Marvez said, in short, the Bucs do not have the horses for defensive coordinator Jim Bates to piece together a decent defense nor do the Bucs have a quarterback worthy of leading a team to a playoff push.

After pretty much unloading on the defensive front-seven Marvez said, “The defensive tackles… I don’t think [the Bucs] have the personnel to run a Bates system.”

Then, Marvez took aim at the offense.

“If they think a fifth round pick from last season has a chance to be the starting quarterback… that’s a major drawback. They’ve always said they wanted someone to compete [at quarterback] which to me, my guess is Brian Griese is the odd man out.

“They did add a lot of talent on the offensive side. I love the run blocking strength of the offensive line. I think Davin Joseph is a beast. They even have good depth there. Jeremy Zuttah will push people.

“You look at the talent there on offense, it’s the most they’ve ever had. They have a lot of weapons to work with if they had a quarterback.

“But they don’t have a quarterback.”

Marvez suggested whoever the Bucs select in the first round in April’s NFL draft will tell fans if the Bucs are actually rebuilding or consider themselves a contender.

“If [the Bucs] take a quarterback, that’s an indication that are a year or two away. But how much patience do you have? The standards are extremely high in Tampa. But are the Bucs willing to give [general manager Mark] Dominik and [head coach Raheem The Dream] time?”

In short, Marvez doesn’t expect the Bucs to do much this season.

“There are too many question marks with Tampa Bay.”

Steve Wyche of NFL.com claims former Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks would be a good fit for the Saints in 2009

Joe is still peeved at Bucs general manager Mark Dominik for kicking one of the greatest Bucs of all time and still a productive player, Derrick Brooks, to the curb.

And this nightmare of seeing Brooks suit up for another team just might get downright ugly if Steve Wyche of NFL.com is correct.

Brooks, so Wyche claims, could again suit up at the CITS in front of Bucs fans.

But in the black and gold colors of the New Orleans Saints.

THE SAINTS!!!???

Brooks, (35 next month), said he would like to play at least one more year and that he is exploring his options, which include retirement. Brooks would have to find the ideal system where he could continue to play an effective role off the line of scrimmage. With more teams switching to a 3-4 scheme, his options could be limited. As horrible as it would be for Buccaneers followers, NFC South rival New Orleans might be a solid fit.

This would be a outrage beyond words, like rubbing salt in an open wound, or worse, like being forced to listen to those dime store has-been chicken wing waitresses on local radio in the afternoon without the aid of a bottle of Bushmills.

C’mon Dominik, do the right thing: Swallow your pride and get Brooks back for his final NFL year.

If Brooks does take the field in Tampa for the Saints and does anything at all against the Bucs, Joe will NEVER forgive Dominik.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels is of the belief former Secretary of State Condi Rice is not a Bucs fan. As a result, he's not trading quarterback Jay Cutler to the Bucs, so claims SI.com columnist Peter King via the NFL Network.

If the Bucs do not end up with disgruntled and almost-Bucs quarterback Jay Cutler barking signals at the CITS, Bucs fans can blame Condi Rice.

The former Secretary of State and admitted NFLaholic, Rice spoke at the owners meetings this week in California and told the assembled they should not react to blaring headlines of the day.

Hearing Rice, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels believes she was speaking to him, in so many words. SI.com columnist Peter King revealed this via the NFL Network.

King describes the séance Rice put McDaniels in with great detail.

Via CollegeFootballTalk.com, Joe learned the Dayton Daily News reports Chucky nearly took a job at — with apologies to T.K. Wetherell — some dipshit school.

A higher institute of learning in Ohio known as Central State University nearly landed Chucky as its head coach.

Yeah, and Joe woke up this morning with Marisa Miller draped all over him.

The school’s athletic director, Kellen Winslow, Sr. (that’s right, Sgt. Winslow’s old man), claims he first offered the job to Chucky before finally settling on former All-Pro and Alabama stud E.J. Junior.

Winslow said his first phone call about the job opening went to former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden, the former University of Dayton quarterback, who Winslow said seriously considered the opportunity. Afterward, Winslow searched through about 80 submitted resumes.

If true, Joe finds it interesting the two leading candidates were Chucky and a guy who did time for coke.

Bucs owner Joel Glazer refers to free agency as a dangerous 'dark path' of evil. Joe is confused. Is this not the same guy who gave the green light to sign Albert Haynesworth?

The Glazer Boys emerged for their annual state-of-the-Bucs sitdown with the local MSM at the NFL owners’ meetings in California today.

It seems Joel Glazer wants a return to the Bucs’ glory days, back when they were allegedly building the team through the draft.

Though Glazer seems to forget the Bucs won a Super Bowl, in part by trading two No. 1 picks for Keyshawn Johnson and two No. 1 picks for Jon Gruden, and kicking aside the quarterbacks they drafted in favor of Brad Johnson. 

Joe is offering up these quotes and you can read Rick Stroud’s long version at TampaBay.com.

“Our core belief is you’ve got to be patient. You’ve got to draft well,” Glazer said. “It all starts there. If you don’t draft well, you’re just going to be piecing it together every year. If you look at the teams that have had success the last several years, Super Bowl teams, they aren’t huge, splash free agency teams. They draft, develop and exercise patience.    

“That is definitely a focus of ours. When we take a step back and we look at our franchise, that’s something we had for many years. I think a little of that was lost. But the only way you get that is to be patient, draft, identify young players, watch them grow and people will go on the path with the player together. It’s just a natural process and I know it’s also our core belief in winning. I think they go hand in hand.”

Joe is scratching his head. Then why trade for Sgt. Kellen Winslow?

Surely it would have been more of a “natural process” to let Alex Smith play a bigger role.

Glazer continues:

We have a plan. We’re going to be disciplined and we’re going to be patient. We’re going to stick to it and do what we think is in the best interest of long-term, sustainable success. I come back to the draft. You’ve got to succeed in the draft. Free agency is not going to solve all our problems. You have to always be in the position that once we’ve identified good players, that we’re in a position not to lose those good players and that’s the key. Winning in March in free agency, very rarely do you see those teams in the headlines in January. You have to be disciplined to resist what can lead you down a dark path.

How about that for phony drama. Free agency is a “dark path.”

This is the same guy who clearly gave the go-ahead just weeks ago for the Bucs to make a run at Albert Hayenesworth.

Or was that just a show for the fans, with no intent to sign Haynesworth?

Joe despises all this spin and non-football blabbering. It’s downright painful to know that training camp is four long months away.

Today's daily in-depth draft coverage at JoeBucsFan.com analyzes the next moves for Bill Parcells and Bill Belicheat

Now that Bill Parcells’ sleazy courtship of Antonio Bryant appears to be on hold, The Tuna can get on with the business of the NFL Draft.

And when it comes to the draft, The Tuna reigns supreme.

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Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com has a video feature on how newly annointed — until the Bucs get a new quarterback — starting QB Luke McCown is handling being the team’s No. 1 signal caller.

Joe is pretty much convinced that unless the Bucs work out a three-team deal for Jay Cutler (with Cleveland or Arizona perhaps?) there’s no way Cutler finds himself in Tampa Bay, unless he’s chasing hottie spring breakers on Clearwater Beach.

Joe can think of worse ways to kill time on a sunny spring day.

Denver Post columnist Woody Paige gives a good inside look at a potential Cutler trade in this video, including saying trading Jay Cutler for a No. 1 and No 3 pick wouldn’t be so bad for Denver.

Paige also talks about the ineptitude and arrogance of Josh McDaniels.

Count WFTS-TV sportscaster Al Keck as one who is not in the tank at all costs for disgruntled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler.

Writing on his station’s website, Keck admits he’s love to see Cutler wearing Pewter and Red, but within reason. Keck doesn’t believe in giving up the farm for the almost-Bucs quarterback.

I can understand a first and a third. Even that is stretching it. If your scouting department is doing its job, a first and third should translate to a dominant starter and a solid regular.

But a pair of first rounders? The Buccaneers are just starting to recover from giving up 2 first-round picks to the Jets for Keyshawn Johnson and two #1’s and 2 #2’s for Jon Gruden.

That’s upwards of 6 starters. Obviously, nobody would expect the Buccaneers to hit on all six, but if three panned out think about how much better this team would be.

Joe is likeminded with Keck. Sure, Joe would love to have Cutler. But giving up two first round picks (at least) is crazy for a quarterback who is a glorified spoiled brat who hasn’t logged time in a playoff game yet.

Can anyone say “Jeff George?”

Sure the Bucs gave up two first round picks for Chucky. But the Bucs were banging on the Super Bowl door and needed a push to knock it through. The Bucs are a far cry from a Super Bowl contender, even with Cutler.

The Jets' confidence in Kellen Clemens will help shape the first round for the Bucs

NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski begins his team-by-team analysis. First up is the AFC East, specifically the Jets and Bills.

The Bills have more issues on defense than the Bucs, specifically a horrid pass rush and a hole at outside linebacker.

Decisions at the quarterback position will shape the Jets’ draft, but they do have pressing needs on defense.

Enjoy the stellar breakdown, part of the daily draft coverage on JoeBucsFan.com.

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Either Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman has the best hype agent this side of Drew Rosenhaus, or the guy is legitimately turning NFL scouts heads.

Freeman, who wasn’t even mentioned as one of the top tier quarterbacks in a conference that largely was a collective sieve of defensive play, continues to have his name bounced around as a first round draft choice.

And all too often Joe reads of the paper-thin connection of Freeman to newly ordained Bucs coach Raheem the Dream, only because The Dream was an assistant there for one year when Freeman was an underclassman.

Still, the rumors from insiders persist Freeman will be selected in the first round. Add Pat Kirwan of NFL.com to the list of people who think the Bucs may draft Freeman in Kirwan’s latest mock draft.

Players under consideration include Evander Hood and Rey Maualuga. The Buccaneers have been active in free agency, signing players such as Derrick Ward, trading for Kellen Winslow and letting older defensive players go. They need help on defense, but if Freeman grades out as a first-round quarterback and they only have McCown under contract, they may have to pull Freeman’s name down off the board and turn it in.

Joe finds it difficult to believe that a quarterback who couldn’t master the ole’ defenses of the Big XII would all of a sudden be an NFL first round draft choice.

Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times appears on NFL Network Monday to discuss the offseason moves of the Bucs thus far and what the Bucs may be looking to do at the NFL owners meetings this week and a peek into the Bucs plans for the upcoming draft.

For some odd reason, people, including Stroud, seem to think just because Raheem the Dream coached at Kansas State that the Bucs will pick Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman in the first round.