Yesterday, Joe brought word of a local radio interview in which Tennessee free agent cornerback Cortland Finnegan said if somehow Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik could land fellow free agents wide receiver Vincent Jackson of San Diego and middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch of Detroit, that Finnegan would be a shoo-in to join them on the Bucs.

“Sign me up,” Finnegan exclaimed.

It seems Finnegan is trying to do his part with Jackson.

Twittering yesterday, Yahoo! Sports columnist Jason Cole reported that Finnegan was hounding Jackson by text to join him with his new team.

Cole believes that new team is the Bucs.

@JasonColeYahoo: Cortland Finnegan has been texting VJax in hopes of recruiting him to CF’s next team, which is looking like Tampa.

Now if these two can just work on Tulloch.

Finnegan made no secret of his feelings toward the Bucs, and they were all positive. Now we all know that teams cannot talk to or otherwise openly discuss prospective free agents (wink, wink), but that doesn’t stop players from talking with one another.

So if Finnegan is coming to Tampa Bay, he’s helping the Bucs get a step ahead of other teams by going out and doing Dominik’s work for him before Dominik or any Bucs representative can recruit a free agent.

Locking up Finnegan, Jackson and Tulloch, and all of a sudden you are talking about a swift, instant upgrade.

The latest in the Aqib Talib saga seems so preposterous Joe almost feels stupid writing about it. But it is about formerly helmet-wielding, cabbie-slugging, allegedly gun-toting Talib, so how could Joe ignore it?

Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune is reporting a Tampa woman filed a civil suit against Talib for $15,000 claiming she and Talib had a car accident and she suffered physical injuries and emotional distress related to him threatening that he’d “put a cap in” her at the scene. The accident allegedly happned in December 2010.

Ready for the punch line? There’s no police report on the incident to be found. (See update below).

Tampa police have no accident report from the alleged altercation and couldn’t verify that a traffic accident occurred on that date when contacted Thursday by The Tampa Tribune.

Joe can only imagine what this lady would be suing Talib for if he threw in a few fat-ass jokes or called her a ho.

Joe will serve up more on the legal aspects of this case tomorrow.

UPDATE via ProFootballTalk.com: Talib’s laywer has released a statement.

“Fifteen months ago, on December 9, 2010, Aqib Talib was involved in a very minor traffic accident involving Betty Atwood,” Reisinger said.  “Ms. Atwood placed a 911 call to report the accident, and was also interviewed by police at the scene of the accident.  At no time during the 15 months since the accident has Ms. Atwood ever reported this alleged statement to the police.  Further, we have witness statements confirming that Aqib never made a statement of this nature toward Ms. Atwood.   Following the accident, Ms. Atwood discovered that Aqib played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  In order to leverage a substantial monetary settlement, she concocted a tale to increase her alleged damages.  Aqib is evaluating his legal options with respect to this false allegation.  Aqib is confident that once all of the facts are known, this matter will be resolved favorably and in an expeditious fashion.”

Joe stands behind the assertion in the headline that this is a bizarre money grab. It’ll be interesting to see the details as they trickle out. And Joe will have more tomorrow on the legal aspects of this case.

A guy reported to be on the radar of Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik and certainly in the cross-hairs of Bucs fans, Tennessee cornerback Cortland Finnegan, phoned in to Tom Krasniqi yesterday on WHBO-AM 1040 to discuss the NFL and in particular, the Bucs.

Finnegan did nothing to douse the flames of Bucs fans howling for Dominik to land Finnegan.

Tom Krasniqi: Pretty sure this team will ring your phone on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have the most money to spend in salary cap room, they need a cover corner. Supposedly they are interested in your services. Would you be interested, would you be open to playing for the Buccaneers?

Cortland Finnegan: [Laughs] Absolutely. I am open to playing with any team in the NFL. I will say Ronde Barber, for me, is a guy I have always looked up to. He has played the game at its highest level. To me, a Hall of Famer. He’s just one of those guys that it is awesome just to have played on the same field as him and to have met him. So absolutely, Tampa Bay has a ton of young talent. They have a great general manager there, a new coach, it seems like it would be a great place.

If that doesn’t whet the appetite of Bucs fans, Finnegan went on to rattle off young Bucs players who he believes are on the cusp of something special and singled out Gerald McCoy, Josh Freeman, Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. Later, Finnegan said he prefers to play for a disciplinarian of a coach, which Greg Schiano is reported to be.

“For a defensive coach, discipline is big,” Finnegan said. “I like the general. If he says to do it this way, then I will do it that way.”

Finnegan also professed how he is close friends with San Diego wide receiver Vincent Jackson and Detroit middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch. If Dominik would somehow be able to lure both Jackson and Tulloch to Tampa Bay, Finnegan, who said he enjoys Florida weather, boasted, “Sign me up!”

Below you can listen to an interview of Buccaneers Radio Network analyst Dave Moore talking about BountyGate and Peyton Manning coming to the Bucs on the Dan Sileo Show today. And it sure seems like the cerebral, respected and level-headed former tight end would applaud the Bucs going after the surefire Hall of Fame quarterback.

Moore essentially states that if the Bucs don’t sniff Manning, then the team is telling the Tampa Bay fanbase that they don’t believe the Bucs are close to being a winner.

Joe doesn’t think Manning to the Bucs is a wise idea, though Joe must concede that signing Manning and trading Josh Freeman for a treasure of draft picks would be intriguing and make for a stunning offseason. Now why Peyton Manning would want to join the Bucs in a matter of days, that Joe can’t figure out.

If there was any Bucs player radio show that was a must-listen for Joe it was Simeon Rice’s weekly trip to the sports radio airwaves. Rice is eloquent, smart and best of all, thoroughly unpredictable if not a little loony.

For example, it was Rice — at the Super Bowl radio row no less speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio — who famously tore apart his former Bucs coach in a lengthy diatribe when he referred to Chucky as “a scumbag.” Joe was also fond of the time he referred to the performing style of his younger sister, an aspiring singer, as “panty-dropping music.”

Rice, a borderline Hall of Fame candidate, likes to boast that the Bucs are still trying to replace him. He’s right, though rookie Adrian Clayborn last year played the best right defensive end for the Bucs since Rice prowled the line of scrimmage.

Appearing with J.P. Peterson yesterday on WQYK-AM 1010, Rice was asked who he would sign if he was Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik. Rice’s answer was clear if not predictable: Houston free agent Mario Williams.

J.P. Peterson: if the Bucs were inclined to go out and spend money, you think they should go out and get Mario Williams?

Simeon Rice: I do. They need that presence. I think it would be a great addition for what they are trying to do in Tampa, rebuilding, so yeah, I definitely think they should go out and get Mario Williams. They’ve got money to spend. They’ve saved up a lot. You might as well move forward in a real dramatic way. I think that’s a way to get started by picking up a defensive end like that who is really dominant.

Now Joe wouldn’t be totally against grabbing Mario Williams. Wow, talk about a deep defensive line. But in Joe’s eyes, the back seven on the defense potentially could be the worst in the NFL if it is ignored.

At this point, it’s not unrealistic to suggest, without any additions, the back seven for the Bucs starting the season could be Mason Foster, Geno Hayes, Quincy Black, Myron Lewis, E.J. Biggers, Tanard Jackson and Corey Lynch.

No one can safely say Ronde Barber or Aqib Talib will playing in September and Cody Grimm is trying to recover from his second straight season-ending leg injury.

If Dominik doesn’t do something about the secondary much less the back seven, he better sign Williams because the Bucs will need a massive front four to cover up for the back seven.

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The man Raheem Morris called BoyDog, likely because of his rabid canine mentality on the field, (though one can never be sure with Raheem) joined Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski during his new noon-3 p.m. show on WQYK-AM 1010 yesterday.

In case you’re unaware, BoyDog is defensive end Adrian Clayborn. The Bucs sacks leader talked about how the new Bucs coaching staff has installed a “college-style workout plan.” And on his exposure to the Greg Schiano regime, Clayborn said it’s “a whole different mentality, I guess.”

As for the Saints’ Bountygate situation, Clayborn said he plays to hit quarterbacks as hard as he can, so he’ll “take the extra money if it comes my way.” Though Clayborn made it clear he would never cheap shot anyone.

Click the fancy button below to hear all the good stuff from Adrian Clayborn with The Commish.

If you’re working on a Bucs shopping list for March 13, Pat Kirwan’s latest on CBSSports.com is a good read.

The former Buccaneers scout and Jets team executive and linebackers coach, now a busy analyst for CBS Sports, NFL.com and Sirius NFL Radio, has ranked the top-30 available free agents. And Joe can assure you Kirwan has watched plenty of film on these soon-to-be-very-rich men.

Many Bucs fan swould applaud if the Bucs scored Falcons young run-stuffer Curtis Lofton. Kirwan gives him a high grade.

11. Curtis Lofton, Atlanta ILB: Someone labeled him a two-down linebacker and that’s supposedly a bad thing. Well, he’s a fine two-down linebacker who ensures you get to third downs. He also has as many pass breakups in the same amount of games as D’Qwell Jackson has, plus he has forced seven fumbles.

Another interesting name on the list comes from another Bucs division rival.

22. Tracy Porter, New Orleans CB: Before I overpay some of the corners listed above like Finnegan and Carr, it might be wise to check out Porter.

A former second-round pick of the Saints, Porter is still just 25 years old and has made a lot of huge plays in the postseaon. One has to think rockstar general manager Mark Dominik has had him on his watch list for a while, plus the Saints have salary cap issues and Joe can’t imagine why any free agent would want to sign on to that mess of a team.

Definitely a name to watch.

"I just hit the lottery!"

If anything, the Giants have proven to develop kryptonite for pass-happy teams, which is pretty much what the NFL is these days.

Stockpile defensive linemen.

So with a former Giants defensive coordinator now on Greg Schiano’s staff, it appears that formula is being copied by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

Tampa Bay Times reporter Stephen Holder, by way of Twitter, learned from restricted free agent defensive end Michael Bennett just how much the Bucs covet his services.

@HolderStephen: Bucs DE Michael Bennett says team placed a first rd restricted free agent tender on him.

First round pick? Joe thinks it is safe to assume Bennett will be with the Bucs when OTAs begin this spring.

There is no one in their right mind short of Danny Snyder who will cough up a first round pick for Bennett. Michael Wallace, sure. But Bennett?

Highly-paid, injury-prone, almost 31-year-old Jeff Faine might be feeling pretty good about his job security right now.

Engaging with TampaBay.com readers this afternoon in a live chat, Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud answered a question about Faine’s future and says Faine has been given a thumbs up from Bucs management.

Rick Stroud: As of right now, Jeff Faine expects to return for 2012 to the Bucs. He has asked and been told he’s in their plans. Zuttah can also start at guard. Faine will count about $7.9-million against the salary cap, and at 30, that’s a factor. Anything can change, but right now at least, I think he will be back.

Joe’s already on record saying the Bucs should chase monster free agent, All-Pro left guard Carl Nicks and move Zuttah to center. Young All-Pros don’t hit the market too often.

That aside, Faine is OK. And if the Bucs can nail down more depth on the offensive line, Faine lining up on opening day is the least of the Bucs’ worries.

Update: The legitimately outrageously good, fat wings at Mugs are a must for any game-watching event. Visit their site and place an order today.

Joe loves food, and Joe is proud to say that Mugs Grill & Bar in Clearwater serves up some of the finest quality and value in the Tampa Bay area.

The wings at Mugs Grill & Bar wings have won more awards than Derrick Brooks, and everything on the menu is extraordinarily fresh and homemade. And if you find a colder draft beer, you’re lying. Mugs has great domestic pitchers for only $6.25 during all football games.

Joe loves the wings but often grabs Mugs’ phenomenal filet mignon tips, real grouper sandwich, or chili cheese fries with bacon.

Don’t forget to join the Mugs E-Club for free nachos for 2 (click above), plus great discounts and deals all year long. You’ll be glad you did.

Mugs also is a dynamite spot to watch college basketball and all MLB, NHL and NFL games.

For a moment this morning, Joe thought Bucs fans may have withdrawal symptoms of some sort now that the coaching staff is set.

Joe thought too quickly. This morning, he received a missive on Twitter asking, seemingly in a panic, asking who the Bucs special teams coach will be. (Joe’s already reported on the hiring of Bob Ligashesky, so click on through.)

While some fans may be concerned with new coach Greg Schiano’s lack of NFL head coaching experience, his staff is loaded with football coaching experience.

Schiano has four coaches who have head coaching experience, five if you throw in Butch Davis. Schiano has four former defensive coordinators on staff, five if you throw in Davis, and five former offensive coordinators.

So while Schiano may have a limited NFL background to fall back on, he has plenty of coaching experience to tap in to.

Now before Joe gets going, let him clarify something right away:

For all intents and purposes, Cody Grimm will be on the Bucs roster when training camp begins this July. That stated, what Cody Grimm can Bucs fans expect?

Joe likes Grimm. He’s Joe’s kind of player. While limited physically, he uses his head and his heart to overcome what the big guy upstairs didn’t bless him with.

There is no question that when Grimm went down in the third game of the season, not long thereafter the Bucs’ rush defense was, well, porous.

(It didn’t help that Gerald McCoy was also lost for the season shortly after Grimm went down.)

No one can ever suggest Grimm is fleet of foot. The last two years he has suffered leg injuries that have ended his season. This concerns Joe a great deal. A guy without blazing speed and having major injuries to his wheels in less than a year.

Grimm blew his MCL last year and the year prior, suffered a broken leg. That’s not good.

Last year Grimm admitted he struggled early in training camp due to his once-broken leg. After suffering a knee injury last fall, there is no guarantee Grimm will be anywhere close to what he was his rookie year when he was a promising prospect.

If Grimm has struggles recapturing his previous form, that means the Bucs secondary is woefully thin. Sean Jones has very likely played his last snap for the Bucs. Ronde Barber may retire. No one knows what troubled Aqib Talib’s outcome will be in a Texas courthouse, much less the verdict that will be rendered by Honorable Judge NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, regardless of what a jury/judge says in Texas. Tanard Jackson really fell off the face of the earth after a strong start, and we all know he is one slip-up away from being banished from the NFL for good.

It’s not a stretch to suggest the Bucs could lose their entire starting secondary from last year. What once was a strength is now thin as a cobweb. With Drew Brees, Matty Ice and Cam Newton facing the Bucs twice a year, it’s frightening to think of what could be.

Armed with this information, it is imperative Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik load up on secondary players both in free agency, and high in the draft as well.

Otherwise, it could be a very, very ugly 2012.

The mainstream media has produced stories recently placing importance on LeGarrette Blount’s possible transformation into a third-down back.

And it seems these reports have wedged under the skin of former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson, a regular analyst here on JoeBucsFan.com. Carlson checked in with Tom Krasniqi yesterday on WHBO-AM 1040 and blew off a little steam on the subject.

“I hate the fact that everybody writes that Blount has to become a three-down back, an every-down back. I think that’s the dumbest comment,” Carlson said. “Anybody that says that Blount has to be an every down back is, I just don’t understand it. What is a third-down back for? There are third-down back all around the league. Go back to Dave Meggett. [Darren] Sproles, and all these third-down backs. Why does LeGarrette Blount, a 260-pound back have to be an every down back?

“The whole game of pro football is substitutions; make substitutions to create mismatches. In 3rd-and-7, … you’re bringing in a quick shifty guy. Now the Bucs need one of those. Quit saying we need LeGarrette Blount to be a three-down back; he doesn’t have to be that. So we need to get somebody else to do that speciality.”

Joe agrees with Carlson, though Joe believes Blount is not the limited back many believe him to be, just a guy whose 2011 season was butchered by an inept offensive coaching staff that didn’t know how to use him.

Regardless of whether Blount can catch screens and mow down defenders, or block sufficiently, (Joe suspects he can both), the Bucs shouldn’t need Blount to carry the load on third down if they can finally score a good scatback type, or just a good third-down back.

Joe seems to remember the Bucs’ offense humming with Blount and Cadillac Williams as a third-down back during the second half of 2010.

Yesterday, all-around good guy, Bucs graybeard running back Earnest Graham called in to chat with the czar of Tampa Bay electronic media, J.P. Peterson of WQYK-AM 1010, and had a wide-ranging discussion of all things Bucs.

One of the topics was the possibility of the Bucs drafting Alabama running back Trent Richardson with the fifth overall pick.

In so many words, Graham not only doesn’t see the Bucs pulling such a move, he was uncomfortable with those who compare Richardson to Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and all but said Richardson would not be a dominant running back in the NFL unless he sculpted his body differently.

“You know what, when it comes to running backs, I’m going to tell you: I heard commentators were talking about him and Adrian Peterson in the same breath,” Graham said. “Listen, you know there are very few running backs who can do what Adrian Peterson did, what Carnell Williams did when he was young and a couple of other guys early on. Nobody is the athlete Adrian Peterson is, so, no, [Richardson] is not remotely close. Adrian Peterson is heads and shoulders above everybody, honestly, as far as his explosiveness and his abilities. I haven’t seen anybody close to Adrian Peterson. Fred Taylor, maybe. I don’t think [Peterson] is that guy.

“He is a very solid back, low center of gravity, strong back. Definitely a first round pick. Adrian Peterson is a once in a lifetime guy. Is Trent Richardson? No, I don’t think he is that kind of a guy. If I had to pick, I don’t think I would ever pick a running back in the top 10, unless it was Adrian Peterson.”

Graham went on to elaborate why he is skittish about Richardson dominating the NFL as some believe. First would be that Alabama had a punishing offensive line. There have been a plethora of solid college running backs who, with a dominant college offensive line, ran roughshod over opponents. In the NFL, those holes weren’t always there and they struggled. [Joe’s note: think Larry Phillips of Nebraska.]

Also, Graham said running backs that are bulked up like Richardson need to slim down and drop weight. Graham said most of the better running backs in the NFL are lean, smooth, shifty, explosive backs, not hulking, beastly backs like Richardson.

Of course, a cynic would suggest that Graham doesn’t want the Bucs to draft Richardson because that would all but end his days as a Bucs player.

Good thing that Graham isn’t that kind of a con artist. He’s too honest and too good of a guy to try to put out misinformation in order to save his hide.

Besides, Joe can’t think of a running back like Graham who blew an Achilles at the age of 31 and returned to the NFL, Richardson on the roster or not.

Bucs fans can finally quit their hand-wringing (remember the dark days when it appeared Mike Sherman might be the Bucs coach!?), put away their bottle of Absolute and take a deep breath.

The team finally has its full coaching staff set.

Below, courtesy of the Bucs media relations staff, is the entire staff led by new Bucs coach Greg Schiano.

Head coach
Greg Schiano.

Offensive staff
Mike Sullivan, Coordinator
Brian Angelichio, Tight Ends
Bob Bostad, Offensive Line
Earnest Byner, Running Backs
P.J. Fleck, Wide Receivers
Steve Loney, Assistant Offensive Line
Ben McDaniels, Offensive Assistant
Ron Turner, Quarterbacks

Defensive staff
Bill Sheridan, Coordinator
Ron Cooper, Defensive Backs
Bryan Cox, Front Seven
Bob Fraser, Linebackers
Jeff Hafley, Assistant Defensive Backs
Tem Lukabu, Defensive Quality Control
Randy Melvin, Defensive Line

And now, the Bucs and Schiano’s staff can concentrate on what Bucs players should retain their positions, what players should be jettisoned, what players should be allowed to walk away, and what players to sign from the free agent list.

Oh, and Joe hopes the staff can start worrying about the upcoming draft as well.

Assuming the Bucs pursue an elite tier free agent with multiple suitors, such as No. 1 wideout Vincent Jackson, Joe knows the Bucs’ brass will have to sell the Tampa Bay franchise in a huge way.

Yes, Joe’s not naive to think money doesn’t speak loudest. But the elite free agents likely will have plenty of fat offers and want to see more than cash. Luring these guys is a wacky, frenetic process. Hell, Albert Haynesworth didn’t come here in 2009 because he didn’t want to do too much boating. That brings Joe to how the Bucs will be sold to a prospective acquisition.

Obviously, the Bucs can sell great weather and training facilities, no state income tax, and plenty of Super Bowl rings on the coaching staff. Joe also assumes the Bucs will pitch any potential cornerbacks or linebackers with the presence of four top draft picks on the young defensive line. And, of course, Team Schiano will talk all about character and the new “Buccaneer Way.”

But what’s interesting to Joe is that the Bucs no doubt will be selling the 10-6 record of 2010 and the Josh Freeman of 2010. Essentially pitching that the talent is already here and now the right coaching staff is in charge.

While many Bucs fans think 2010 was a mirage — Joe’s not in that camp — top free agents will be asked to believe otherwise. And a strong case will be made.

Now, of course, Joe is simply performing logical speculation. But if this part of the sales pitch proves true, then one might have to wonder why the Bucs didn’t go after top free agents last year on the heels of that 10-6 season. Was it overconfidence in the roster, or underconfidence in the coaching staff?

Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik took a break to welcome Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski to his new job after he was busy getting Jeremy Zuttah’s new contract finished yesterday.

Zuttah, who can play left guard, center and right guard quite well, now joins fellow offensive line mates Donald Penn, Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood as Bucs who inked new deals during the past two years.

But with four offensive linemen getting new, pricier contracts, despite what some people believe, Team Glazer does not have a bottomless pit of cash, especially if they are going big-game hunting for free agents and will need to outspend the rest of the NFL to land them, not to mention just around the corner, Josh Freeman’s contract expires.

So this leads former Bucs defensive end Steve White to conclude that Bucs center Jeff Faine is the odd man out on the Bucs offensive line. White, appearing with Tom Krasniqi on WHBO-AM 1040 yesterday, explained how there is only so much cash to spread around on the offensive line, and why he is of the mind Faine has perhaps played his last snap with the Bucs.

“I said this last year and people took it the wrong way: Last year when we started sliding downhill, basically I said we ought to move Zuttah to center and go find a left guard. We needed a little more physicality at center and needed to go younger,” White said. “Everybody has to know that Jeff Faine can’t make the kind of money he is making on our offensive line. We already paid the left tackle, now we are paying our right guard, we paid our right tackle last year, you can’t pay all five guys premium money. Either he is going to have to negotiate way down in price or he is out of here and that is not even a reflection on him necessarily, it’s just the reality of how football teams do business. You get younger and pay those guys and the older guys are kind of pushed out the door. I don’t think he will have a hard time picking up a job; everybody is looking for centers, but you can’t pay everybody on the offensive line.”

To take White’s logic a step further, Zuttah’s signing also would likely preclude Dominik from going out and signing a guy like free agent offensive guard Carl Nicks.

It’s a great interview and if you click on the first link above, you will hear White also discuss why the Saints bounty scandal may be more disturbing than what we see on the surface.

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"Did you hear the one about the Benn'd around on 3rd-and-2?"

In between poring over game film, crafting pods in the Bucs’ draft war room, counting available cash in the team vault and trying to hammer out a deal with Connor Barth who eventually was franchised, rockstar Bucs general manager Mark Dominik called into the new noon-to-3 show on WQYK-AM 1010 hosted by NFL Draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski.

Today was the kickoff show for The Commish as he makes his move to dominate Tampa Bay sports radio. Dominik’s surprise call-in is available below. Just click the go button. Among other things, Dominik told The Commish to “Be critical, but be honest.”

Versatile, hard-working and injury-prone Earnest Graham isn’t running yet following his Achilles injury but expects to be ready for a training camp, wherever that may be, so Graham told J.P. Peterson of WQYK-AM 1010 this evening.

Will free agent Graham return to the Bucs? Graham said “without a doubt” he wants to come back but he understands that any team will want to know he’s healthy before signing him.

“I’m just relying on film.” said referrring to his best chance of landing a contract before training camp.

Graham sure sounded to Joe like a guy who didn’t expect to wear Buccaneers red for the ninth consecutive season. Graham said he’s been at One Buc Palace regularly for rehabilitation but has not spoken to Greg Schiano.

Joe would love to see Graham return to the Bucs, but he’s got to be healthy, and that’s going to be a huge question mark for many weeks.