Since it’s painfully obvious the only MSM journalist in the Tampa Bay area with NFL Network is Gary Shelton — Joe asks again, how in the world can an NFL beat writer or anyone remotely covering an NFL team not have the NFL Network? — Joe is confident, without doing much research, that this little nugget has floated by the local pen and mic club.

Raheem the Dream was recently featured on NFL Network and he had a little bit of a bombshell. Raheem the Dream claims he was so loyal to Chucky, that when Raheem the Dream was offered Chucky’s job less than 24 hours after Chucky was canned, Raheem the Dream nearly turned the Glazer Boys down.

“It was a bittersweet moment for me,” Raheem the Dream told NFL Network’s Scott Hansen, who used to be a local sports anchor at WFTS-TV. “I wanted to say, ‘No.'”

Raheem the Dream went on to rave about former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin calling him, “The Mentor.” He also said of cutting Derrick Brooks, “You never get over that.”

Joe generally thinks Raheem the Dream talks a lot but says nothing, if not sometimes taking liberty with the truth. This interview is by far Raheem the Dream’s best sitdown.

Nice work, Mr. Hansen.

NFC South scribe Pat “Vacation Man” Yasinskas, of ESPN.com, threw out some salary cap figures that place the Bucs in a position with plenty of cap cushion available.

No surprise there.

 Tampa Bay still leads the division in cap room with $36.3 million.

Vacation Man wrote in a different mailbag post on his blog that the Bucs have, in fact, reached the minimum salary level needed for the 2009 season.

The Bucs still must sign their rookies, but that’s not a lot of money against the cap, especially with just one first round pick. The eventual dumping of Brian Griese and possibly Sean Mahan would provide even more money for Manchester United.

Joe doesn’t care much about how much cash the Bucs sit on. It can be $89 million for all Joe cares, as long as the wins are there and the frugality is not at the expense of the roster.

Bucs new running back/returner Kareem "The Dream" Huggins couldn't get enough of the goal line in practice, explains his former coach at Hofstra.

Intrigued by the speed and success of newly-signed Bucs rookie running back/returner Kareem Huggins out of Hofstra University, who Joe told you about earlier, Joe just had to learn more about him.

Joe’s brief chat with Huggins’ head coach at Hofstra, David Cohen, reveals a prospect with an extraordinary work ethic.

Joe: Coach Cohen, I read your comments about Huggins’ extraordinary work ethic. Can you offer a detailed example of his effort at Hofstra?

Hofstra Head Coach David Cohen: In a 10-yard drill Kareem would finish off the play for the other 90, or whatever the distance to the goaline was. So in a jog-through kareem might run 1,200 yards counting return running, where everyone else is just in a 10-yard box. This includes all punt and kickoff return drills as well. On a day of extremely tough workouts, kareem would sometimes go two times to push the linemen through their workouts (two lifts and two runs where the rest of the team does one).

Joe: Huggins hasn’t been playing football for a year. Do you know what he’s been up to? Has he stayed connected to the Hofstra program?

Cohen: Kareem has never stopped training; he is in top shape all year round. Kareem also helps high school kids train. The NFL has been his passion and dream and he has never waivered or deviated from the plan of making the league. Kareem attended several [Hofstra] games and after tough losses would call or text me to see how the coaching staff and players were doing.

Joe: Can you talk about Huggins’ leadership and his playing abilities? Where were the strengths and weaknesses in his game?

Cohen: Kareem is extremely fast; he is a 4.3 type guy. Due to his excellent conditioning level kareem excelled in the fourth quarter running over and through people. Being very strong as well, Kareem can work on avoiding people so he does not always have to deliver and or take a hit.

Joe: Bucs head coach Raheem Morris played his college ball at Hofstra and coached there for three years. Was he or Bucs scouts in touch with you about Huggins and what was the discussion?

Cohen: They were not in touch with me.

Joe: Any nicknames for Huggins or a good story about him that fans might enjoy?

Cohen: His nickname is Reem – not a big talker but Kareem is a big DOER. I wish we had more like him as he is truly special.

Hear Joe talk all things Bucs on Thursday morning with the national queen of sports talk radio, The Fabulous Sports Babe, on ESPN 1040 AM, about 9:15 a.m. 

Joe and the Babe have hit it off since his first appearance with her in March.

You can listen online at the station’s Web site. The Babe never holds back, so it’s sure to be a fun time.

Of the seven rookie free agents the Bucs signed after last weekend’s minicamp, Joe really likes Kareem Huggins, the speedster running back/return man out of Hofstra University.

Huggins is from Irvington, N.J., Raheem The Dream’s hometown, and The Dream also played his college ball at Hofstra.

Hmmm. Joe wonders whether The Dream might be getting married again.

The Daily Record is giddy for Huggins, its local star who has been out of football for a year. He didn’t catch after looks from the Colts, Bills and Jets last year.

“Whatever he did, whenever he carried the ball, he always carried it hard through the end zone,” Hofstra head coach David Cohen said. “He was just an inspiration to everyone. I have two sons, and if my sons can ever work as hard at anything in life as Kareem, I’d be more proud than words can speak. He is special. I have never been around a soul like that. He is just special.”

The question is, is Huggins special enough for the NFL? We’ll soon begin to find out when he reports to Tampa along with veterans, rookies, and other free-agent invitees.

Last week, he showed himself worthy when the Bucs worked him in with their other rookie free agents.

“They gave me a helmet and a jersey and we had meetings,” Huggins said. “We went over plays. They gave me a playbook. We had walkthroughs, we practiced as individuals and as a team, 7-on-7’s, special teams. They wanted to see who could finish, who can run, catch, and carry the ball. I did real well. I signed, that was a blessing.”

Joe will have more about Huggins later today, stuff you won’t find anywhere else. So do come back.

For now, enjoy the video of Huggins’ 4.28, 40-yard dash.

Bucs WR Anthony Mix was indicted for sex with a 15-year-old girl

UPDATE 7:08 p.m.: The Bucs announced late this afteroon that Anthony Mix was released from the team.

This is an ugly story about NFL journeyman and Bucs WR Anthony Mix, who was signed by Tampa Bay in January.

Mix allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old girl, reports the Press Register in Alabama, and was recently indicted after being arrested in January.

Joe is a bit troubled he remained on the Bucs roster all this time, and remains on the roster at this moment. (The Bucs announced Mix was released this afternoon.)

Do the Bucs really need this guy in camp? Allegedly, there is a committment to character with the Mark Dominik and Raheem The Dream regime.

Joe thinks it’s time to cut the guy immediately and worry about court rulings later. It’s hard enough to stomach Jerramy Stevens on the roster.

Though it may at times appear otherwise, Joe doesn’t know everything going on with the Bucs and Bucs players. So Joe is more than happy to have his hockey-crazed sister Amanda looking out for him.

Amanda tipped off Joe to the lastest buzz in southern California about Bucs running back Derrick Ward dating celebrity (?) Chloe Kardashian, best known as the sister of celebrity (?) Kim Kardashian, who is romantically linked to Saints running back Reggie Bush.

The reality TV star has been getting close to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Derrick Ward for about a month, a source tells Star. A running back, like Reggie, “Derrick met Khloe through Kim, and the four of them go on double dates. The sisters both really like sports stars!”

Indeed — Khloe last dated Rashad McCants, currently with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, but the two broke up in January due to his hectic professional schedule.

“[Basketball players] have 82 games a year…and I work so much,” said Khloe. “It’s hard to spend time together.”

After the split, “her mom and sisters would try to set her up with guys, but she’s been really picky,” says the source. “So now the family is just happy she found someone she likes!”

Again, Joe is thankful Amanda was looking out for him on this story, which Joe first located on TheBigLead.com weeks ago. Joe’s not one to browse Star Magazine. He’s usually too busy watching NFL Network, especially when the NFL Network periodically runs this series.

For more of Amanda’s quality contributions, enjoy her columns on JoeBoltsFan.com

Former Gator DE Jarvis Moss has been a mess in Denver

If you wonder whether Gaines Adams is a bust, at least be happy you’re unsure.

Life could be worse. You could be a Broncos fan. Their 2007 first round pick defensive end Jarvis Moss is a bonafide bust. 

He’s the big Gator taken No. 17 overall in 2007, handpicked for the Broncos by Bucs defensive coordinator Jim Bates, one of the first moves of his subpar experience in Denver.  

Now “whispers” reported by Pro Football Weekly have Mark Dominik interested in trading for Moss. What the Bucs might trade is unknown, considering the Broncos couldn’t deal Moss last week for a seventh round pick.

Perhaps the Broncos could see the value in Brian Griese? Sort of unwanted goods for unwanted goods.

Three months ago Joe told you about Bates’ rough time in Denver, Back then, Joe had a hunch the Bucs would make a play for Broncos’ defensive tackle Tim Crowder, Bates’ second round pick in Denver who rode the bench last season.

Perhaps he remains an option.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Bucs bust-in-waiting quarterback Josh Freeman appeared on Sirius NFL Radio’s “Movin’ the Chains” with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan. Freeman spoke about a variety of subjects but spoke glowingly of fellow rookie wide receiver Sammie Stroughter.

Freeman actually sounded like he had just awakened. Joe can’t blame him. Joe too likes to catch a late-afternoon nap whenever he can.

Tim Ryan: What do you think of Tampa?

Josh Freeman: [One Buc Palace] is really kind of a homey environment. It’s one of the nicest places I’ve seen. There’s water everywhere.

TR: You are in the same draft class as Sammie Stroughter. What can you tell us about him?

JF: He’s one of those guys coming into camp that I never really knew a lot about him. I knew he was from Oregon State. He really came out [at minicamp] and he’s a player. He was always wanting plays where he could get the ball. He wanted a lot of touches. I can’t recall him dropping one pass. He ran all the routes so precise. He knew how to get open.

I have a good feel for him. I think we developed some chemistry. I can’t say enough about the guy. He’s a hard worker and a really good receiver.

Pat Kirwan: What are your responsibilities until the next time you show up?

JF: I took a lot of notes. I’ve got maybe 60-80 plays. [Bucs coaches] are waiting on all of us to get back in and they will install more [plays] so I will learn them. Not sure how many there will be when training camp starts.

PK: What do you think of your offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski?

JF: Jags is a real precise and to the point and has a good sense of humor. He knows how to relate to the players. He has his own style of offense and ways to call plays.

PK: Have any coaches talked to you about your mechanics?

JF: No, they said I had good mechanics and that I have good throws. I just need to be more consistent with my feet and get my hips right. I need to be a little more consistent and that will come with time. There’s nothing wrong with my mechanics.

TR: How is school going?

JF: I didn’t take any classes this semester. I think I am 22 credit hours short. I was told that you want to get your feet underneath you and adjust to the NFL before you make any major steps to finish your education.

TR: What was the most fun you had football-wise last weekend?

JF: Learning the offense. Being able to spit it out the plays slowly in the huddle and make the throws. I really learned a lot about the system we have.

PK: Did you see the play in your mind’s eye after you called it?

JF: The first day, [coaches had] a few plays that were thrown at you right away to see where you were. The second day, I was able to make about eight words. If you spit it out, maybe [what I called were] not the right play. So I’d have to go back and try it a couple of times. I think I got adjusted pretty well.

TR: Will you be starting this season?

JF: [The coaches] just told me to learn as much as I can. No rush. Don’t be forced to go out there. I’m a competitor and I wanted to go out there. I feel I’m the best man for the job. If it’s me I’ll take it but if it’s not me I will continue to develop and be the best quarterback I can be. Of course I want to play.

By any sane judgement, (the bad) Dexter Jackson had a horrible rookie season last year. His greatest attribute as a return man seemed to be running backwards, which is not the approved method in football unless one is throwing a game.

Based on the emergence of Clifton Smith, former Bucs beat writer and current SI.com columnist Don Banks writes that if Jackson doesn’t learn to catch the ball, he will likely be driving a beer truck or serving as a bouncer for his next job.

The Bucs spent the 58th pick overall of last year’s draft on Jackson, and he was expected to revitalize Tampa Bay’s kickoff and punt return units and play a reserve role as a receiver. But he struggled on returns in the season’s first seven games, and wound up losing that job to Clifton Smith, who made the Pro Bowl as the NFC return man. Jackson was inactive for Tampa Bay’s final nine games last season, and if he doesn’t earn a spot on the Bucs receiving depth chart in training camp, he could be an ex-Buc before September arrives.

In Joe’s eyes this guy is gone. Even Chucky admitted he may have reached for Jackson in the draft last year. If he was worth anything as a receiver, Chucky would have gotten him on the field.

Dre Moore was a near-bust of a fourth round pick for the Bucs last year, despite the comments of a certain scribe with an all-too cozy relationship with Bucs general manager Mark Dominik who suggests Moore should have  been a starter in 2008, even though every NFL team passed on signing him off waivers. 

Despite logging a season on the Bucs practice squad last year, Moore was mixing it up with the rookies last week. But if Raheem the Dream can be trusted, Moore is hardly a lock to be wearing Pewter and Red come September, wrote Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times.

“He’s starting to look like a guy I want to say I want to count on him,” coach Raheem Morris said Saturday. “I’m not saying that yet. Hopefully, the next time I talk to (reporters), I’ll be able to say I can count on him.

“Sometimes, he has that little space cadet look. But that’s a little bit about being young and the little stuff that drives coaches crazy and what you’ve got to smack out of them. But I’m fired up for the kid.”

Who knows if Moore is able to make the team, but Joe isn’t holding his breath. And Joe sure as hell isn’t crazy enough — or is that desperate to suck up to the Bucs front office — to hint Moore should be starting this fall.

If he does, great. But Moore has a long way to go.

"Hey Bay-BEE! Raheem the Dream and Earnest Graham are awesome with a capital-A!"

Over the years, Joe has crossed paths with ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale a handful of times. And Joe loved it.

 Vitale, also called “Dickie V,” is one of the kindest, most down to earth people Joe has ever met. What you see on TV is what you get.

Dickie V is the real deal. And for Joe it’s refreshing to know there are honest people in an industry largely polluted by frauds of the highest order, led by that sweaty ass clown on BSPN who’s always trying to scream bad nicknames in Joe’s own living room!

Joe loves Dickie V. And so does Raheem the Dream and Earnest Graham, who are set to join Dickie V in Sarasota later this month in Dickie V’s annual gala to beat that bastard known as cancer.

In fact, so moved by Raheem the Dream and Graham, a cancer doctor even uses a painting of Graham as daily inspiration, so writes Richard Dymond of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The doctor, who graduated from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1991 and also has an office in Lakewood Ranch, glances at the painting every morning for a few seconds before he puts on his white coat and sees the first of 40 people with cancer.

The symbolism is clear to Tetreault.

Graham, like cancer, is well-known, with a feared name stitched on his back. The Hurricanes in the painting are a nameless throng. They all must work together to stop him.

“It can get lonely,” Tetreault said recently. “Every day, I have to tell someone that they have cancer. You can’t imagine how that is for a doctor and for a patient.”

Dickie V has raised hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars over the years to help find a way to stop cancer. It warms Joe’s heart that Raheem the Dream and Graham are helping too.

By JEFF CARLSON

Former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson writes the weekly QB Blast column here at JoeBucsFan.com. Joe is ecstatic to have him  firing away every Monday or Tuesday. Carlson has sports radio and TV gigs in the Bay area and trains quarterbacks of all ages via his company, America’s Best Quarterback.

Josh Freeman will be a “Day 1” starter! It’s just a prediction, but it is also a must.

How can Freeman not start from Day 1?  Did you know that he is 6’5″ and 250 pounds and has a great arm? 

This is Raheem’s guy — the No. 1 guy on his board — and how could his guy not be good enough to start?

The Atlanta Falcons’ guy started from the start, took his team to the playoffs and won offensive rookie of the year.  Surely the Buccaneers’ guy is as good as the Falcons guy, right?

There is no definitive starter in place for the Bucs, unlike the Aaron Rogers situation in Green Bay behind future hall-of-famer Brett Favre.  The team itself isn’t expected to be great with any of the currently rostered QBs, so what’s to lose?  The offensive line and running game should be good enough to not worry too much about ruining this giant gladiator signal-caller by throwing him to the lions like Detroit did with Joey Harrington a few years ago.

No, this cool, calm, huge fella with a “monster arm” should be throwing bombs, missiles and other projectiles at opposing defenses from the first snap of the first game and not make the fans wander in the desert waiting for Luke or Byron to play poorly enough to give Raheem’s massive Moses type quarterback his chance to take this franchise to the promised land.

Let’s all hope and pray that his Goliath-like guy doesn’t meet the same fate as the original (good thing there isn’t a short quarterback named David on this roster).

Vacation Man of BSPN.com claims Alex Smith was not traded because he was not productive, but he was traded because he was more valuable than King of Turds.

In short, this is why Alex Smith was traded to the Patriots, so claims Vacation Man of BSPN.com. Alex Smith was not traded because he is a lesser tight end than King of Turds, Smith was traded because he was more valuable than the King of Turds.

Dylan in Las Vegas writes:There has been some talk that Alex Smith was just as productive as Jeremy Stevens over the same stretch. If that is the case, do you think it was wise to keep Stevens over Smith since Smith is 5 years younger and without the character issues?

Vacation Man: I think it came down to the Bucs wanting to get something in return for their tight ends and Smith was the most marketable of the group.

Wha… isn’t this kind of backwards? Don’t teams normally keep their better players? You know, like players who can actually pull in a fifth round pick?

Or could it be Bill Belicheat, nor anyone else in the NFL wanted to dirty their hands with King of Turds?

Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud says Mark Dominik is adamant in his decison to go with youth and won't sign Jason Taylor despite the pleas of Jim Bates

Find yourself yearning for Jason Taylor to play opposite Gaines Adams on the Bucs defensive line?

Are the rumors exciting you?

It’s not happening, said Rick Stroud, Bucs beat writer for the Pony Express, aka St. Petersburg Times.

Stroud made the statement today while getting cozy on the air with Joe’s good friend, the Fabulous Sports Babe of ESPN 1040 AM.

Asked about the Bucs considering Taylor, Stroud said Bucs defensive coordinator Jim Bates wants Taylor but the deal has no chance of happening under the current regime.

“I know that Mark Dominik won’t do that,” Stroud said with confidence.

Stroud talked about how the Bucs just don’t have the players necessary to effectively run Bates’ defense. He also said Josh Freeman would not start on opening day, barring a rash of injuries.

Ronde Barber either wants ventilation or easy access for peeping Toms

One of Joe’s favorite Bucs players, good guy Ronde Barber, who once was kind enough to Joe to give him a few brief moments of his busy time, sat down with  SportsBusinessJournal.com for sort of a puff piece. Barber talks about what he likes, doesn’t like and what he would change about a variety of things.

Though most of Barber’s comments are interesting, there was one eye-opening statement when asked what he would change about sports facilities.

Can we get a window in the bathrooms? Seriously.

Uuuummm… Joe doesn’t know what to make of this, unless Barber was hinting he wanted access to the private quarters of the Bucs cheerleaders? Joe can’t blame Barber for that.

But personally, having spent a good amount of time in the heat of September Sundays in a bathroom at the CITS, Joe has no desire to look into a CITS bathroom any more than he has to.

Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots of Sirius NFL Radio like the Bucs move of Alex Smith to New England for a fifth round pick. The rest of the Bucs' offseason moves? Not so much.

A Bucs fan called Sirius NFL Radio this morning to vent with co-host Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots on “The Blitz” over the Bucs drafting quarterback Josh Freeman in the first round as opposed to not drafting a defensive player.

Both Schein and Wilcots felt the Bucs fan’s pain.

Adam Schein: I thought [the Bucs] would draft Josh Freeman. When we talked to Raheem Morris at the combine, not only did he rave about Freeman, you just saw his face light up.

It’s been a confusing offseason in Tampa. There just doesn’t seem to be logic or correlation between the draft and the trades and the signing of Leftwich. I look at what Tampa is doing and I scratch my head.

Solomon Wilcots: The draft for Tampa Bay was one of those things like Denver: The moves didn’t match the draft. To re-sign Luke McCown, you are left to think he’s the starter. But then you go out and sign Byron Leftwich and then you spend a first round pick and draft Freeman? So why did you go out and get these other guys [quarterbacks]?

Winslow, I’m excited about that. And then they get a fifth round pick by sending Alex Smith to New England, that makes sense. But the other moves don’t make sense.

Wilcots went on to say that he thought the revolving door at quarterback under Chucky hurt Smith’s development.

Later in the afternoon, a caller by the moniker of “Greg in Tampa” called to ask why the Bucs are not beefing up the defense. Both Schein and Wilcots couldn’t respond with a valid excuse.

AS: Maybe [the Bucs] think it’s against the collective bargaining agreement to bring in people on defense?

SW: There was a huge purge. Who is going to be the next Derrick Brooks? When is Gaines Adams going to step up? What are they going to do with the defensive interior line? Do they need more size? What about the defensive backfield? Are they going to play more man than zone coverage and if so who and how are they going to do it?

It must have been Bucs call-in day on “The Blitz” because Schein and Wilcots fielded yet another Bucs call on Freeman in the final hour of the show.

AS: I’m not a Freeman guy. He’s way too much boom or bust. [The Bucs] could have gone with a quarterback later in the draft. There were too many players that would have fit that defensive scheme they could have drafted early.

SW: It’s not that I don’t like Freeman; I didn’t like him [picked] there. Do you expect him to play year one? If so, do you expect him to light it up? Hey, he better be able to do some things once he gets in there. He may not have to play year one but if he does, wow. The bloom will come off that rose real quick.

Guess Brian Griese's termination date and win fabulous food and drink from your favorite Courtside Grille location

Joe is certain Brian “Son of Bob” Griese is on the verge of having his Bucs career terminated, hopefully, for the last time.

Joe is so sure this will happen, he is going to give out Courtside Grille gift cards and certificates to mark the upcoming occasion.

To win the Courtside Grille food and drink, simply e-mail Joe your best guess as to the date and time the Bucs will announce Griese is cut (not when it’s reported by the media).  The two closest guesses win $20 gift cards to Courtside Grille, with locations in Westchase and Feather Sound.

You must send in your guess today, with your full name, to be eligible. A list of the guesses (not names) will be published on Tuesday.

Now before you rip Joe for celebrating Son of Bob’s demise, keep in mind Griese will no doubt find a job, especially when Chucky returns to the NFL.

Also, if you’re worried about Son of Bob’s bank account, here’s a trivia question for you:

Q. In 2001, who was the highest paid player in the NFL?

A. Brian Griese at $15.2 millon (per USA Today).

Considering Son of Bob also earned more than $4 million with the Bucs in 2008, Joe is certain he’ll land on his feet.

While the Bucs’ newcomers were busy at One Buc Palace this weekend, so too was Joe, but not at One Buc Palace. Joe touched base over the weekend with University of Illinois beat writer Bob Asmussen of the Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette. Asmussen shared some thoughts and insight into Bucs fifth round pick, offensive tackle Xavier Fulton.

What are your overall impressions of Xavier Fulton? Was he overrated or underrated?

Xavier had such an unusual career at Illinois. He played on the defensive line his first two years, starting three games as a freshman and seven more as a sophomore. He looked like he could have a major impact on the defense. Then, he hurt his knee during the 2005 season (Ron Zook’s first year) and wasn’t able to play in 2006. I thought his career might be over.

Then, the Illinois coaches asked him to move to the offensive line, where they needed help. But he definitely overachieved as an offensive lineman.

He is a very good athlete who has found the right spot to continue his career. I’d have to call him underrated because his best football is ahead of him. If he someday gets a big contract, like past Illini linemen Dave Diehl and Tony Pashos, he might want to send some of that money back to the Illinois coaches. They did him a favor.

What may have hurt him or scared off NFL teams that he slipped down to Day Two of the draft?

He has had shoulder problems and had surgery after the combine. In hindsight, it might have been better to get the work done before the 2008 season, but I don’t think Xavier wanted to jeopardize his final year. From what I understand, he is on the road to recovery and should be ready to go for the 2009 season.

Was there a game or a play of Fulton’s that jumped out at you when you first thought, “Damn, this guy’s going to get paid to play on Sundays?”

You could see when he first moved to the offensive line that he had found his home. But he was especially good in Illinois’ win against Ohio State spot in 2007. Illinois dominated the game up front and Xavier was a big part of that. Many of the big runs in that game by Juice Williams were following the left side of the line.”

How did he do against teams like Penn State or Ohio State the past couple of years which had loaded defenses?

He played well in the 2007 games against Penn State and Ohio State. But I think his shoulder injury hurt him some in the 2008 games. The Illinois line was never quite right in 2008. Part of it was because Rashard Mendenhall had left for the NFL. But part of it was Xavier and the rest of the guys maybe trying too hard to repeat what had happened in 2007.

Anything off the field that readers might find interesting that few know about (i.e. cured shingles, saved a woman from a burning car, dated an Illini cheerleader, posed as Chief Illiniwek, sold popcorn at Soldier Field, hunted ducks, etc)? I’m guessing since he grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago he wanted to be Michael Jordan?

Xavier is a very interesting guy. And a very smart guy. We do Q&As each week with one Illinois player and his was among the best ever. One thing he told me is that he likes to do things from the left. He’ll use his left hand to open a door. He’ll put his left knee brace on first. Stuff like that. Something else that all of the players talk about is how loud he snores. One guy said it was “like a freight train” and asked to get a different roommate on road trips. His snoring has become legendary.

To read more of Asmussen’s articles, please visit IlliniHQ.com.

Doug Williams said blogs blasting the Josh Freeman pick are "unfair."

Former Bucs great and current Bucs pro personnel coordinator Doug Williams is upset. Angry at you, Bucs fans!

Williams heard the outcry from sane and sober Bucs fans over the team’s reach for trading up in the first round to acquire bust-in-waiting quarterback Josh Freeman. And Williams wants Bucs fans to know he heard your cries, and he’s mad that you have the gall to have an opinion, as reports Yahoo! Sports.

But Doug Williams, the team’s pro personnel coordinator and the club’s first franchise quarterback, said he believed the reaction was unfair.

“His K-State career was a lot like my Bucs’ career,” Williams said. “If K-State didn’t have Josh Freeman, they might have shut the program down. Josh Freeman was it for them. A lot of people that love the Wildcats might not want to hear that, but it’s fact.

“I read all the blogs and comments after the draft … I think it’s unfair. There ain’t nobody asking Josh to take the reins today.”

Before Joe gets going, he has to make two things quite clear:

* Joe loves Doug Williams. LOVES him. It took the Bucs 20 years to recover from jackass Hugh Culverhouse from not re-signing Williams (may Culverhouse rot in hell).

* Joe is humbled Williams reads his musings. Thank you Doug, and by all means don’t be a stranger!

But let’s be real: First off, Williams is wrong on two levels. If, given his premise the Bucs had a bunch of nobodies playing with him (anyone have cell numbers handy for Lee Roy Selmon, Batman Wood, Kevin House or Jimmie Giles?), then Williams’ career is near polar opposite of Freeman’s college days in that Williams led the Bucs to a within a touchdown of the Super Bowl. Freeman didn’t even lead his team to a low-rent Jan. 1 bowl game.

Second, while Williams is the best quarterback in Bucs history, he played with a pretty good team. Still, without a hurt Williams in the 1979 NFC Championship game, the Bucs offense was stagnant.

Even with Freeman, Kansas State didn’t do squat; had a losing season last year. Given the fact many other quarterbacks playing with a bunch of stiffs (Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, Ryan Leaf and Akili Smith to name a few; both studs and duds in the NFL) were able to carry their teams to strong seasons their final year in college. So what’s that say about Freeman?

No one knows for sure if Bucs quarterback bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman will start when the 2009 season begins or if Freeman will watch from the sidelines and be brought along when he is ready.

But Vacation man of BSPN.com is certain of one thing: Son of Bob and Raheem the Dream’s previous lovechild Josh Johnson,  not only won’t start, they won’t even be on the roster come September.

But the question everybody seems to want to know is if Freeman will be ready to say hello to the first-team huddle on the first snap of the regular season.

“I’ll answer that one like this: The starting quarterback thing, I’ll let you guys know the third preseason game,” Morris said. “I want these guys to compete.”

Griese or Johnson will be gone even before training camp and the one that isn’t won’t make it to the regular season. That leaves McCown and Leftwich and this really isn’t a competition.

As far as Joe can tell, Vacation Man was the first scribe to write, despite the prolonged sales pitch Raheem the Dream was on previously, that Johnson is toast.

This is why Joe cannot believe Raheem the Dream is not receiving much flack. If Chucky would be doing the same things, bragging up quarterbacks and then cutting them just weeks later, he’d be crucified.

Yet Raheem the Dream gets a free pass. Why?

The great Bill Belicheat, Patriots coach and hidden camera junkie, weighed in to the Boston media on his recent trade for former Bucs tight end Alex Smith.

It seems, per Belicheat, that the Pats and Bucs discussed a Smith trade for quite some time.

“That’s something that has kind of been, I don’t want to say in the works, but has been out there for a while,” he said. “We just felt like, given the player and the situation and what the compensation was, it was something that we wanted to do. I feel like Alex is a good player. He’s done a lot of different things for Tampa Bay — in the passing game, in the running game, pass protection. Smart guy. Athletic. In Coach Gruden’s offense, which they ran down there, you see him doing a lot of different things, lined up in different spots — playing on the line, playing off the line, playing in motion, playing split out, different kind of routes and so forth they run. I think you see him with a versatile set of skills. Can play in the kicking game. Athletic. We’ll see how all that comes together, but we felt at this point that it gives us good depth at that position and we felt like the compensation was fair, so we went ahead and did it.”

The Tampa Tribune is reporting the Bucs got the Patriots fifth round pick in 2010 in exchange for Smith. Weeks ago, the Bucs had given their 2010 fifth round pick up for Sgt. Winslow.

Joe can’t help but wonder what Alex Smith will do with all those autographed mini-helmets he sells on his Web site for $49.95. Are they worth more now, or less?  Perhaps they were never worth that much at all.