While football fans continue to suffer in search of a real game, it is a huge day today for racing fans, especially at Derby Lane on Gandy Boulevard in St. Petersburg.

The action starts this morning when gates open for wagering on the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, and the entire Belmont Park card. Live greyhound racing also runs all day and night, highlighted by the T.L. Weaver Memorial Stakes this evening featuring some of the top sprinters in the country.

Not enough fun for you? Derby Lane also has the Bay area’s biggest and best poker room and spectacular dining in the Derby Club.

Head out to Derby Lane today.

Appearing at a high school in Baton Rouge, La., that was dedicating a field in his name, former Bucs director of pro personnel Doug Williams confessed to why he is no longer working for the Bucs.

The reason? Bruce Almighty and Chucky are gone, so he told the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

“The guys that are in control at this particular time weren¹t the guys who hired me,” Williams said. “The guys who hired me are no longer there. I think anybody who’s in that position has the right to make a decision about who they want to work for them, and it¹s good that we both were big enough to sit down discuss it and go our separate ways.”

Williams said that because he left Tampa Bay on good terms, he has received lots of calls and interest for his services.

“I got about two or three solids leads,” Williams said. “It’s just a matter of working out some details and seeing which way we are going to go.”

Joe wouldn’t be surprised if the Redskins, and Bruce Almighty, actually hired Williams. Joe does know this about Williams: there were few bigger backers of Kareem Huggins than Williams.

Raheem The Dream talked to the media and heaped massive praise on three of his quarterbacks following this week’s OTA sessions: Josh Freeman, Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter. Buccaneers.com caught the head coach behind the mike.  

Jevan Snead got a little love, something about his “core beliefs,” but nothing compared to the other three. (A side note on Carpenter, Joe might still be the only one who’s interviewed the guy for publication in this town. Amazing, considering he was the No. 3 QB for much of last season).

After talking about how Josh Johnson might do all kinds of Wildcat stuff, Raheem The Dream explained how his favorite trio of young gunslingers is a heady, football-focused bunch that doesn’t party like other unnamed young players who show up unprepared for work. 

“Then you get lucky, and you bring in a guy, and I don’t want to say lucky, you know you’ve got a great scouting department in Mark Dominik and those guys. But you bring in a guy who’s a football junkie, a football schoolboy rat: Rudy Carpenter. Smart. Dynamic. Been around good coaches and good players. He’s come in here and he’s helping out as far as being sharp and young and on the details. These are not your typical young guys who go out and party all night and then come to work with no idea.

“They may go out together, and they may do things together. You’ve seen them out. You see them having fun; don’t get me wrong. But at the same time, I see those guys inside that room, meeting with those rookies, meeting with those receivers, meeting with those O-linemen, making the calls as far as protections with their O-line coach. … It don’t matter. They are football junkies. They’ll come to me a lot and talk about defense, and talk about structure of defense, and different coverages they see every day. It’s pretty impressive sitting down and talking to those young men. So I don’t want to call those the average young guy mentality at quarterback. We’re not trying to develop their core beliefs. They’ve been developed throughout the process for the three young men I’m talking about right now. …It’s a young group, but they’re well above and beyond their years I believe …because of the coaching they’ve had in the past.”

Joe’s a big fan of the Freeman, Johnson and Carpenter. They deserve the love now, regardless of whether they turn out to be good players.

As for the not so serious young players Raheem The Dream referred to, the ones “who go out and party all night and then come to work with no idea,” Joe is intrigued.

Who are they? How many are there on a super young team like the Bucs?

The serious look on Raheem The Dream’s face when he made that comment was scary. That wasn’t a passing comment.

Joe knows how many people come visit him on this site, and Joe is humbled by the loyalty of his readers, and Joe warmly thanks each and every one of you.

Joe also knows how many people follow him on Twitter. It’s a puny fraction of his daily traffic on this site. What gives?

Joe is about to reach a milestone on Twitter with the number of followers, and you can put him over that milestone today. All it takes is a simple click of the mouse?

Still suspicious of all the news and information you can gleam from Twitter? Well, maybe Alyssa Milano can change your mind?

Most football savants will say OTAs are little more than a reason to keep the NFL above the fold in the heart of baseball season and in the midst of the Stanley Cup Finals.

(For you non-journalism people, that means keeping the Bucs in the headlines on the front page of a local 19th Century news delivery service.)

Others simply scoff at OTAs, referring to them as flag football for the pros.

Good guy Earnest Graham, erstwhile Bucs starting fullback, believes OTAs are much more than flag football and hype. They are chances to bond with new faces and old alike, so notes Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

“You have to have some camaraderie in the offseason. You have to do something. You need to see each other. You need to get back in the building. You need to get your mind on football. It’s human nature to slack when you’re not around each other.

“When we get in here, we start talking about the season, we start to develop goals. We take trips with each other. We hang out together. You need that.”

That’s great that Graham believes that and seemingly encourages his teammates to form friendships.

This team, however, will need to be much more than good buddies if they plan on making a push for a winning record.

Bucs rookies Gerald McCoy and Mike Williams get busy in a game of Madden (“It’s in the game.”). What does Joe learn in this video? That GMC has braids. “Braids?!”

Perhaps the man who personified the ineptitude of the Bucs in the franchise’s darkest days, first round bust Keith McCants, has run afoul of the law. Again.

Per the Mobile Press-Register, via ProFootballTalk.com, McCants was popped for the fourth time in 12 months, this time for use and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police spokesman Officer Christopher Levy said narcotics officers spotted McCants in the 1300 block of Hercules Street about noon and found an item considered drug paraphernalia. Levy would not specify what the item was.

On May 4, McCants was arrested on a charge of attempting to purchase drugs, and on Dec. 19, McCants was picked up on a paraphernalia charge as well as a charge of loitering for the purpose of drug activity, according to Press-Register files.

Last Oct. 20, McCants was arrested on outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court to answer two misdemeanor drug charges, according to the files.

Joe is sad to read this. Clearly McCants has a problem. If the cops have pinched him four times in the past year, that tells Joe he’s in their crosshairs and surely McCants must know this as well.

Still, he can’t stay away from the contraband. Very sad.

There is overhaul on the defensive front.

There appears to be something of an overhaul with the secondary.

There is stability at linebacker.

This is the news from Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Answering a query from a fan, via the TBO.com Bucs question-and-answer feature, Cummings notes the reason the Bucs didn’t load up with linebackers in the draft is that Quincy Black and Geno Hayes will keep their starting gigs, barring injuries.

Q:Why havent the Bucs upgraded at linebacker? I can see angelo crowell stepping in and starting. Quincy Black and Geno Hayes are not good enough to start as we saw last year. Do you think they will be starting again this year?

Stefawn Brickhouse, Atlanta, Ga.

A:You’re answered your own question in a way here. Because the Bucs do intend to have Quincy Black and Geno Hayes start again this year, they didn’t feel a pressing need to upgrade themselves at LB. And the Bucs are actually very pleased with both Black and Hayes. Hayes proved to be a pretty good playmaker last year, though he does need to invest in a good alarm clock. And Black improved after the team went back to the Cover 2 scheme that he’s accustomed to playing in. If Crowell can stay healthy the Bucs believe they’ll have four starting caliber LBs — including Barret Ruud — at their disposal, and that’s before you count Dekoda Watson, whom they are very excited about. A lot of people believe Watson will quickly develop into an every-down player. If he does, Hayes and Black may have to fight to keep their starter’s jobs.

— Woody Cummings

While there may be not any movement to replace Black and Hayes in of the starting lineup, the Bucs have been stocking up on linebackers in part to build depth, with Dekoda Watson and Rico McCoy.

If nothing else, Joe expects Watson and McCoy to at least push for starting time, so long as they can make the club.

Perhaps preparing for his next traffic stop, helmet-wielding Aqib Talib was seen running 100-yard sprints after practice today, so Twittered Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer Anwar Richardson.

Anwar: Bucs CB Aqib Talib appeared to be running 100-yard gasers alone after practice today.

Of course, Joe is just kidding about the traffic stop. Talib was simply doing what he should be doing: everything he can to elevate his game to a Pro Bowl level.

As Joe has written before, young veteran starters like Talib, Tanard Jackson, Geno Hayes and Barrett Ruud need to elevate their games this season for the Bucs to be successful. And perhaps that’s even more important than the Bucs rookies all impressing, which is highly unlikely to begin with.

Richardson tracked down Raheem The Dream to inquire why Talib was busting his butt. Apparently, Talib was seeking an edge to stay healthy in 2010. 

Anwar: Bucs coach Raheem Morris said Aqib Talib was running gasers after practice to prevent hamstring injuries in the future.

Joe loves hearing this stuff, especially considering Talib popped a hamstring late in the season against Atlanta that set up the dreaded Derrick Roberson-Roddy White matchup in that game.

Perhaps Talib’s court-ordered anger management classes have him channeling some of his notorious extracurricular energy in the right direction.

Go get’em, Talib.

An ethnic-titled local sports radio show seemed to get a little more content with ethnicity yesterday when the Tampa Tribune’s Anwar Richardson appeared to talk Bucs football on the too-Jewish named “King David Show” on WQYK-AM 1010, with co-hosts Toby David and Shaun King.

(Joe wonders what the reaction might be if two women hosted a sports show locally called “Sister Marie?”)

But rather than discuss, say matzo ball soup, Richardson immediately took umbrage to being invited to appear on “White Boy Wednesday.” As his appearance ended, Richardson demanded to be a guest on “Black Man Friday.”

In between discussing the colors of the day, (and mocking David for being a baseball-only guy), Richardson was loaded with all sorts of information about the Bucs.

On Earnest Graham:

“He is the No. 1 fullback to start the season and that is his role. Earnest is a guy that needs to be on the field. He contributes to your team with his unselfish play and he is a leader. This team needs leaders.”

On Derrick Ward’s mouth problem, preventing him from attending this week’s OTAs:

“They are giving Derrick the benefit of the doubt. They are optimistic [players] know what to do in OTAs. Winslow is an example of that. He will show up in shape and give 100 percent.

The Bucs “want to see Derrick Ward out there. He didn’t have a season where you could say, ‘He’s solid.’ There are a lot of questions about Derrick Ward. He said he wanted to be more of a leader. As long as he is here for mandatory minicamp, I think he will be OK.”

Toby David:  What’s the deal with Ward, he can’t play with a cavity?

Richardson:  This is the time of year some players will try to get out [of workouts]. Most guys are good at finding a way not to participate. That doesn’t mean they are not in the building. There are others that are not out here so I don’t want to pick on [Ward]. There are others.

Shaun King:  Freeman, what do you see from him?

Richardson: J osh Freeman will be good. No need to worry about him. If they put [wide receivers Mike] Williams and [Arrelious] Benn out there, that’s two questions. Do they have enough ball control ability that if they don’t complete the pass the defenders don’t get the ball? Most receivers know if they do not get the ball they make sure the defenders don’t get it. They know how to slide off and not let the defender get the pass.

Josh Freeman has the arm strength and the heart and the desire to be a leader. You don’t need to worry about Josh Freeman. He’s not a liability. You saw that last year. He wasn’t killing you. He had one bad game against Carolina, that is it. If the [rookie] receivers have ball control, Josh Freeman will be fine.

King:  What’s going on with Donald Penn?

Richardson:  The Bucs have drawn a line in the sand. Penn feels like he has proved enough. Both sides have valid arguments. But at some point, Penn is a starting left tackle in the NFL, you will have to find a way to reward him. You don’t have anyone who can replace him. He’s been loyal. He’s been here. Show him the money. He is definitely a guy that deserves it.

David:  Tell us about the defense.

Richardson:  When Jim Bates came in, the situation he had in Miami were big guys, over 300, 320. A lot of guys here were built on speed, 270ish. Bates was asking guys to add on 30 pounds. You add on that weight, you will be sluggish. That’s what happens when you don’t add it on the healthy way.

Now, those guys are starting to shed those pounds and get back to being quick.

Aqib Talib has looked great. Tanard Jackson has looked great. The DBs look tremendous. The switch back seems to be good. The last four games you could kind of see them being competitive, being able to ball. Granted, OTAs are  glorified workouts, flag football but you can sort of see potential.

The confidence level is the key. They love Raheem Morris. They believe in this guy. They want to go to war for him. I don’t know what it is but they gravitate towards him. Everybody believes in him. They have all rallied behind him because they want to see him succeed.

King:  What about Sabby, is it going to be [Sean] Jones or Sabby.

Richardson: Sabby has it based on tenure here. Raheem Morris believes in Sabby Piscitelli. Is he in position, was he out of position? The Bucs believe it wasn’t Sabby but the problems were up front, which is what will make Sabby successful. This line up front was not consistent. Stylez [White] is talented but you can’t do it by yourself. You can’t let quarterbacks go to third and fourth reads. You let anyone hang out there long enough, bad things will happen.

Sean Jones makes the team but the team believes in Sabby, and I think because off that he eventually wins.

If the Bucs hadn’t used Josh Johnson as a receiver in practice last year and trotted him out on the field against Buffalo in the flat, Raheem The Dream’s words today might sound like a coach just having fun with reporters or giving opponents something to think about.

Per the Buccaneers’ official Twitter feed, Raheem The Dream said Thursday he envisions Josh Johnson and Josh Freeman scaring defenses at the same time.

Speaking about QBs Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson, Coach just said, “Don’t be surprised if you see them out there playing together” in games. 

Joe suspects Raheem The Dream is quite serious. JoeBucsFan.com analyst and former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson wrote about ways to use Johnson and Freeman together months ago.

Joe would love to see it in the preseason. Fun to watch, if nothing else. And if the new receivers aren’t up to breakout rookie seasons, the Bucs surely will need all the help they can get.

But offensively, Joe would rather see the Bucs focus more on running the ball effectively, creatively getting everything out of their running backs and grooming their young receivers.

That should be enough to keep Greg Olson very challenged — maybe too challenged.

Jerramy Stevens may be on thin ice

Boy, how things are different in Raheem the Dream’s second year as Bucs coach.

Last offseason all Joe heard about was “violence” on defense, 2-2-1 running back rotations and how the Bucs tight ends would be major weapons in the red zone.

Well, Joe hasn’t heard much about the defense being violent of late, the 2-2-1 tailback rotation is just as much history as Chucky and Rachel Watson, and Joe is wondering what happened to the King of Turds in the red zone?

To be fair, Joe has to acknowledge that to the best of his knowledge, the King of Turds has been a model citizen since coming to Tampa Bay.

But the lanky tight end seemed to have vanished last year — hardly used. eye-RAH Kaufman, of the Tampa Tribune, believes this is not an accident, that tight ends aren’t that big of a weapon in a Greg Olson-influenced Bucs offense.

As a result, the King of Turds may not be with the Bucs when the team breaks training camp this August.

Stevens, an imposing target at 6-foot-7, caught seven passes from Byron Leftwich in the first two weeks, including a TD reception at Buffalo, before disappearing from the attack. Stevens caught only eight passes in the final 14 games and never found the end zone again, failing to establish a rapport with the 6-6 Freeman.

Now the Bucs must decide whether Stevens, who turns 31 in November, can be productive in Olson’s offensive scheme. Stevens hasn’t generated any off-field headlines in his three seasons with the Bucs, but he has a checkered past and he’ll need a solid training camp to regain the confidence of a coaching staff that has been overhauled since Jon Gruden was dismissed after the 2008 season.

Joe just wonders if the Bucs do keep blocking icon Michael Clayton at wide receiver — which Joe believes will happen — then could King of Turds lose his job as a result? If Clayton is kept, that would likely mean there will be a glut of receivers, perhaps as many as six.

Because of that, Joe could see the King of Turds getting flushed.

After six seasons wearing pewter and red, the Bucs parted ways with safety and special teams ace Will Allen during the offseason. Not only did the Bucs lose a productive player, the Tampa Bay area lost a committed community servant who worked with kids weekly during the school year. Allen’s charitable foundation will live on locally, and he’s hosting an exciting party and golf event on June 12 & June 13 in Tampa. More than 20 NFL players, including many Buccaneers, will participate.

Joe talked to the always well-spoken Allen last night about football and his foundation, and here’s what Joe can share from their conversation. 

Joe: Tell me about your foundation. What about it is most enjoyable for you?

Will Allen: My favorite part about my foundation is working with the kids and helping them prepare for life after high shool and prepare for life period. … Meeting the families and the kids. I love positively affecting lives around me. …We work in the high schools hands on with the kids to get business professionals in front of them, everything from Bank of America, to Kaplan to financial aid directors and health professionals. So many kids don’t have the guidance about everything in life from SATs to paying for college and all kinds of basic life skills. …You can go to your guidance counselor, but you have someone in your face from the real world and it becomes more intimate and effective. We work with the kids on resume writing, managing credit, so many things. It’s been very enjoyable. We rotate working with kids every other week year-round at King High School and Brooks-Debartolo [Collegiate High School] in Tampa.

Joe: Did you get Raheem Morris in front of the kids? I know he was doing a lot in the schools last year.

Allen: No, but Raheem will be out. Personal success stories like Raheem’s get the kids attention. And as a young guy, he’ll really make an impact.

Joe: Anything people should know particularly about the golf event, and the pairings party on June 12?

Allen: What I’ll say is that it will be authentic. This isn’t the typical golf tournament with a bunch of players where you just play golf, have a meal, take some pictures and go home. There will be special events at tourmanent, and some great surprises at the parings party the night before. I don’t want to tell all the secrets. But it will be different and memorable for everyone.

Joe: Did the Bucs make an offer to keep you in Tampa Bay? How did that transpire?

Allen: We talked over what would be the best situation and best opportunity. They obviously respect my professionalism and I do theirs. It just didn’t work out. It’s not that we partned ways negatively. It was just the business side of the numbers and the playing opportunity on the field. It just wasn’t a fit. … I’ll always have great love for the Buccaneers. I met a lot of great people and worked with a lot of great people. A bittersweet moment. I loved being here. But I’m looking forward to my new opportunity in Pittsburgh.

Joe: You were a special teams captain and a Pro Bowl alternate special teamer. You played on a top-flight special teams unit in Tampa Bay, captaining one in 2008. What really makes the Bucs special teams so good? And how do you think they’ll fare without you and a guy like Brian Clark who also left this offseason?

Allen: The special teams play so well, first from the leadership from Rich Bisaccia. what he was coaching saying and doing, everybody believed in him and everybody wanted to fight for him and each other. Once we established that, everybody followed suit. … So much of it comes back to the coach. It’s almost hard to put into words. Playing for Rich Bisaccia, it was awesome. I think it will be hard to replace losing Brian Clark, Torrie Cox, Josh Bidwell and myself. That’s four core guys on special teams, but there’s lot of guys still there who know what’s expected and who know what’s coming up. They’ll be alright.

Joe: What was the mindset of the defense after Raheem took over last year and got rid of Jim Bates’ system? And how would you compare what was going on when the Bucs were struggling and then when Raheem became defensive coordinator?

Allen: When Raheem stepped in I just think [the defense] had a more competitive nature. They were more angry with Raheem taking over. What I mean is they could play angry and they could play faster. [Raheem’s system] was what they wanted to play. And when you know what you are doing on the football field, you play harder and better. Guys were very frustrated with what we were doing under Jim Bates, and then you add all the losing to that. You were always tyring to figure out your new way versus just having the knowledge of what to do. There was a lot of confusion. Raheem turned it around, and it was a good time. It was good.

Joe: You were a starter in 2006 at free safety when Raheem left the team to coach at Kansas State. Raheem comes back the next season to coach the defensive backs and you moved into a reserve role behind then-rookie Tanard Jackson? How hard was that? And did you feel like Raheem wasn’t a fan of yours?

Allen: I’m not quite sure why that decision was made, Tanard’s a great player. Situations are frustrating when you don’t know why, when you don’t get that communication. They wanted to move forward with Tanard Jackson, and I think I dealt with it professionally and filled my role very well.

Joe: In addition to the Bucs cutting Derrick Brooks and many veterans, across the NFL there seems to be less value placed on experience. Teams don’t seem to value what a veteran player offers. What do you think about all that?

Allen: If a team doesn’t place the value on experienced veterans, then they’re missing the big picture. You can’t send an intern to do a 10-year guys’ job. You’re just not going to get the results. But if the 10-year guy isn’t doing the job, then you have to train somebody else. There’s still a value to the vet teaching that new guy and showing him how to become the guy he was. …The NFL is a great resource to learn professionalism, but it recycles itself. The older guys have to be there to teach the younger guys. It’s been that way for many years. …There definitely is a need and a value for veteran guys, as a mentor or role model, to be a coach on and off the field. It’s suprising that trend is happening.

Joe: Going back to your college days at Ohio State and your memorable hit on Willis McGahee that nearly cost him his career, have you talked to him at all? Are there any bad feelings there?

Allen: After that game, I talked to him a couple of days after to see how he was doing. I wanted to talk to him and encourage him. Just being in the NFL world, we’ve seen each other. There’s not bad feelings or anything like that.

Joe: The Steelers are in quite a different situation than the Bucs. Recently Mike Tomlin called it a “circus atmosphere” at practice because of the media harping on the Ben Roethlisberger scandal. How is that affecting the team? Are guys divided on how they feel about Roethlisberger?

Allen: I really think that it’s going to be old news. Everybody knows the repercussions of how Mr. Goodell will come down on people who break that policy. It’s really old news, man. Old news on the team. Everybody knows Ben’s going to be out for the six games and the season will go on. In the NFL, things happen and a team has to move on quickly.

Joe has to admit he likes how “Geraldini” rolls.

Geraldini would be Bucs rookie defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who wants to be called “Geraldini.” He’s loose. He’s living life. He’s smiling all over town. And he’s not afraid to share his on-top-of-the-world status with anyone.

God bless him.

Joe really doesn’t care much about what McCoy does, as long as he doesn’t belt defenseless cab drivers, or assault women and teammates, and as long as he wreaks havoc on Sundays. But Joe is aware that many think McCoy would be wise to steer much more clear of the spotlight before he plays a down in the NFL.

While Bucs fans think about his future, McCoy continues to savor every moment. Last weekend, he was spotted at a swanky club opening in Las Vegas with 11 buddies, so reported a reputable Vegas gossip magazine.

Now Joe’s been to Vegas several times, once with some very high rollers And Joe can safely say there’s an ulimited supply of debauchery and trouble to be found. And it’s far easier to access than New York City’s noted underworld.

Joe thinks McCoy is an extraordinary standup guy, and Joe hopes he can avoid temptation, which can destroy the best of them. But if McCoy can’t avoid temptation, Joe absoulutely would be pleased to join his posse for what should be an incredbile night out after he signs his $30+ million rookie contract.

The Mad Twitterer, aka Rick Stroud, of the St. Pete Times, talks OTAs, which he refers to as “basketball on grass” for some bizarre reason.

Stroud goes on to drop that wide receiver Mike Williams “is ahead of Arrelious Benn” at this point, along with some other unsourced buzz from today’s OTA session at One Buc Palace.

By STEVE WHITE
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Former Buccaneers defensive end Steve White (1996-2001) is a devoted student of the game. He’s even authored a coaching guide and coached defensive linemen at the University of South Florida. And after all those years breaking down film with former defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and the other architects and legends of the Bucs’ defense, White shares his knowledge with JoeBucsFan.com readers every week in his must-read Bull Rush column.

I’m confused.

I could swear just a few weeks ago we were being sold a story from the Buccaneers about how important it was that we draft Brian Price in the second round even though we had just used our first round pick on Gerald McCoy who is the exact same type of player.

The story went that having two guys with such high draft grades at the same position to team up with second year player, Roy Miller, a 2009 third round pick, would go a long way towards shoring up the interior of our defense. We were going to go back to how the defense “used to” look we were told.

Isn’t that what we were told?

Well how, exactly, do these quotes on TBO.com fit into that equation?

“We think he’s going to be fine there,” [Todd] Wash said of [Kyle] Moore, who is slated to play first and second down at left end and move inside to tackle on obvious passing downs. “We’re really excited about him.

“He’s a guy who can really give guards some trouble on third down and give us some pass rush from the left end, because he’s got his explosion back. And what we’re seeing from him there is something we haven’t seen here in a while.”

Kyle Moore, as I suspected is being given first dibs at starting at left end, and that’s great. And really, before I go any further, I want to make sure everyone understands that this isn’t a knock against Moore.

But why with McCoy, Price, and Miller on the roster would we need Kyle Moore to move inside on third downs/obvious passing downs???

Let me be clear, that is NOT how we did things back in what most people consider the “glory years” of the Buccaneer defense.

When Brad Culpepper was our starting nosetackle, Culpepper stayed in and rushed on third downs.

When Booger McFarland was our starting nosetackle, Booger McFarland stayed in and rushed on third downs.

Really, that’s one of the upsides of having smaller, quicker nosetackles rather than the big burly two-down run-stoppers, and that is you have a guy who can play all three downs rather than having to waste both a roster spot and a spot on the active list on game day using two guys for one position.

Setting McCoy Up To Be Double-Teamed

And it’s not only that it’s an enormous waste of money to have three guys taken in the top three rounds of the last two drafts at a position and only use one on passing downs. From a practical on the field perspective, it’s a horrible move as well.

Here’s what you need to understand: on any given passing play an interior defensive lineman is going to get double-teamed. The center will either slide to one side or the other, or he will do what we call “M” set and backpedal straight backwards and then, after watching both directions, he will pick one guard to go and help out. But the wonderful thing about film study is that you can usually predict before the snap which way the center will slide or help out based on the formation.

Because of this, you can move your more dominant inside pass rusher to the side away from the center double team most of the time, knowing that the other guy will be double teamed but still have the option to run pass rush games or use bull rush techniques to overcome that.

So being that McCoy as the No. 3 pick in the draft is absolutely going to be in on all passing downs, who between he and Moore would get the single block and who would have to take on the double team?

If we want McCoy to be the second coming of Warren Sapp, that’s going to be awful hard to do rushing against a double team every passing down. If we are expecting to get something out of Moore inside on passing downs that’s going to be awfully hard to do if he is facing double tWeams every time. Especially after he lost weight to be a more effective defensive end.

And speaking of Moore, explain to me how this doesn’t hurt his development as a left end if he is constantly having to move inside to rush on passing downs?

I have made it known that I am not a fan at all of moving starting defensive ends around on third downs anyway. And I hate to say it, but I would venture to guess that if the Bucs indeed go forward with this plan that Moore will end up a lot like Gaines Adams, may he rest in peace, in that because he never gets to rush the guy on third down that he just got done setting up on first and second down; he will never put up the numbers that he should.

I mean seriously, think about the elite 4-3 defensive lines in the NFL right now. How many of them move their starting defensive ends inside on third down?

I can’t think of any.

Even the Vikings, who have a big beast inside at nosetackle in Pat Williams, keep pretty much their whole defensive line intact on third downs and passing downs. And if they do sub for Pat Williams, it’s to bring in another, lighter, defensive tackle in the game. It’s not to move a defensive end inside to replace him.

I don’t know whose bright idea this is, but I am just as against it as I was when they kept moving Gaines to the left side on passing downs, and when they proposed using Quincy Black as a defensive end on third downs, and when they kept moving Jimmy Wilkerson inside on third downs during the season.

It’s something I think a video gamer might do, but it’s not a serious professional NFL defensive line strategy. And whether anybody else buys it or not, I will guarantee you that I’m going to be vocal about my opposition going forward.

It’s an answer in search of a problem and it makes a helluva lot more sense to just give Price and Miller a chance to rush on third down.

It is what it is.

Screw GMC or manbeast-in-waiting, Gerald McCoy has his own take on what his new nickname should be. 

McCoy tells The Oklahoman, his hometown paper, that he prefers “Geraldini.”

JC: So, if you could rewind and ask The Commish to use a nickname for you, what would it have been?

GM: Geraldini.

JC: Geraldini?

GM: It’s like Houdini. A lot of guys think they got me trapped just like they had Houdini, but I always find a way to get out of it.

Joe’s not planning to honor McCoy’s request anytime soon.

In the Q&A, McCoy goes on to talk about car shopping, big house shopping, and building a home for his dad.

As Joe wrote yesterday, nobody’s looser than McCoy. And that’s all good. Joe just hopes he earns an intimidating nickname on the field. Brees-stomper would be nice.

Yesterday, Joe read the short feature about Kyle Moore in The Tampa Tribune and was so stunned it took Joe a whole day to respond.

Beat writer Roy Cummings learned that last year Moore, a rookie out of Southern Cal, was falling asleep in team and positional meetings, and failed to learn the defense completely.

“We feel like he’s gained not just one step but maybe two steps, thanks to the weight loss,” Bucs defensive line coach Todd Wash said. “His agility, his quickness, that’s what he was lacking last year.

“He was just real sluggish, even as a pass rusher. But now we’re seeing the explosion we saw from him in college again and he’s really locked in (mentally) on that left side, too.”

That’s the biggest difference.

It might have been all those cheeseburgers he was eating, or maybe it was the heat. Moore isn’t really sure. All he knows is he struggled to stay focused off the field last year.

At the height of the problem he was nodding off in team and positional meetings and failing the little pop quizzes Wash or a teammate would throw at him to make sure he was grasping the details of the defense.

Joe is just floored that a NFL rookie could have an ongoing attention problem. 

One would think the first time it was noticed Moore would have had to run endless sprints, or run four miles, or be publicly humiliated and tortured in another way to snap him out of it immediately. Maybe he was made to suffer, but apparently it didn’t work until this offseason?

Moore has dropped his Jim Bates-mandated weight and allegedly is all dialed in to be the starting left end, so Cummings reports. Joe really has to be skeptical of a second-year guy who couldn’t concentrate last season and is now expected to carry the load.

The only thing that comforts Joe about Moore is former Bucs defensive end and JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve White’s assessment of him.

Kyle Moore:

If there is one guy I expect to make the biggest leap in production next year, it’s Kyle Moore. Hampered by injuries most of 2009, he finally got an opportunity to play late in the season and he showed flashes in his rookie year. The Bucs used him both at left end and inside at defensive tackle some, but I think he will find a home next season just staying at end. He has all the physical tools to be a very good defensive lineman, but the one thing I believe he has to work on is transitioning to a more pro-style approach instead of a college approach to playing defensive line.

For instance, Moore didn’t show a great variety of pass rush moves and the one move he seemed to rely on was an arm over/swim move.

Now everyone loves to see a guy execute a swim move when it works, but the problem is in the NFL it rarely does. And when you miss on a swim move, you generally can not counter out of it and make a secondary move. That’s why the majority of winning moves you see in the NFL are some version of a rip move. Rip moves allow you to keep your balance and, if you get blocked, you still have the ability to counter out of it with a spin move or a hump move or a bull rush.

I think the Buccaneers’ brass is going to give Moore the opportunity to start at left end, especially if Jimmy Wilkerson isn’t re-signed or isn’t healthy by the beginning of training camp. With some technique work this offseason, I think Bucs fans will be happy with what they see out of Moore in the fall.

Let’s hope.

Fresh off a season in which he and his backfield mates finished 25th in the NFL in average yards per carry, Bucs fullback Earnest Graham preached from his pulpit Monday that the Bucs are one of the best running teams in the league.

Caught by Joe’s friend Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune at the start of the latest Bucs OTAs, Graham claims few NFL teams can match the Bucs in talent.

”I’ll put this group up against any group in the league,” Graham said Tuesday after the team’s organized team activity voluntary workout. “We’re definitely looking to make our stamp this year, as opposed to what we were supposed to do last year.”

If this were 2005, maybe Joe would agree. Now Joe doesn’t expect Graham to say the Bucs stink worse than a BP oil spill, but it would have been cool to read that Graham called out everyone in the backfield — including himself — to live up to their previous reputations.

Graham, however, is too nice of a guy to do something like that.

Hey, the numbers don’t lie. The Bucs were woeful in the running game last year and it’s not unlike the Bucs have total stiffs up front. Maybe part of the reason is the top three running backs (Derrick Ward, Cadillac Williams and Graham) are basically the same kind of running backs. Perhaps the Bucs could have used a speedy scatback as a change-of-pace kind of runner?

Balog also quotes Graham as fingering the change in offensive coordinators as a culprit to the (lack of) rushing production. Joe doesn’t buy that either. Both Buffalo and Kansas City canned their offensive coordinators the same week as the Bucs jettisoned offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, yet the Bills and Chiefs had significantly better rushing attacks than the Bucs.

Currently, the Bucs don’t even have the best running attack in the NFC South — far from it in fact — much less the NFL.

The subject of blocking icon Michael Clayton is a hot-button issue for Bucs fans. So too does the subject bring out the emotions in objective, reasoned journalists.

Such is the case for Woody Cummings and Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune. In this exclusive TBO.com video, the two Bucs beat writers debate the merits and faults of Clayton and whether the Bucs should keep the blocking icon for the final year of his contract.

The sparring of words turns spirited but not over the top. In short, it’s informative but also entertaining.

What do the duo suggest Bucs general manager Mark Dominik do with Clayton? Well, Joe’s not going to spill the beans. You’ll just have to click on the link above to find out. Trust Joe, you will be cheating yourself if you don’t view that video. It’s good stuff!

In the NBA, it’s known as a makeup call when the referee blows a call but “fixes it” with another questionable whistle soon after to even the slate.

Today, Greg Olson appears to have put out a makeup call in the direction of Josh Johnson.

Just three weeks ago, Olson told TBO.com that undrafted rookie free agent quarterback Jevan Snead and Rudy Carpenter, who’s never taken a snap in the NFL regular season, were on equal footing with Johnson.

“The good thing is we have two younger players in Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter that aren’t that much older than him and haven’t been in the league that long, so development wise, they shouldn’t be much further along,” Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “He has an opportunity to come in and compete with those guys as opposed to a four-, five-, six-, 10-year vet guy. He should be on equal footing with those guys.”

Joe blasted that unfair assessment at the time, and now Olson comes back with praise for Johnson and telling The Mad Twitterer, of the St. Pete Times, today that Johnson is the clear cut No. 2.

… The nice thing is we’re still in the process of developing Josh Freeman, but Josh (Johnson) has entrenched himself as that No. 2 guy right now, so he’s getting the majority of the other reps.

“He has a real solid handle, in my opinion. Mentally, he’s very sharp, he makes very few mistakes if any and he makes the most of the reps he’s getting,” [Olson said.]

Olson went on to say Johnson has a starter’s ability.

Which is it, Olie?

Joe’s waiting for Olson to resurrect Johnson’s receiving career. After all, Olson is the guy who liked him there.