Having Michael Vick playing 80 miles from Raymond James Stadium will not help Bucs ticket sales

NFL and Bucs writer Chris Harry, of the Orlando Sentinel, explains why Michael Vick is a likely candidate to play quarterback for the new United Football League team in Orlando.

The four-team league will play its inaugural seven-week season in October and November. Jim Haslett will coach Orlando.

Joe read this and thought about the Bucs’ struggles to sell tickets this past season and how the economic recesssion is impacting ticket sales leaguewide.

Regardless of what is thought of Vick, people will pay to go see him play in Orlando. Heck, Joe would even shell out the money when the weather cools down in October.

Vick in Orlando can only hurt the Bucs’ bottom line.

Ole Miss tackle Peria Jerry is definitely not the Bucs' guy, says draft guru Justin Pawlowski.

Bucs fans are still waiting for Mark Dominik and company to beef up the defensive line for coordinator Jim Bates, who allegedly needs mammouth defensive tackles to execute his two-gap schemes.

Sorry Peria Jerry, says Justin Pawlowski, you’re too small and you’re a one-gap defensive tackle. {+++}

Joe finds it very odd that Jermaine Phillips' new contract doesn't jibe with his performance and the pay of those around him

Bucs fans should be scratching their heads at the one-year contract reportedly signed by safety Jermaine Phillips last week.

The St. Pete Times and other publications say the deal is worth a mere $1.25 million.

That’s chump change considering Phillips is in his prime and arguably the Bucs’ best member of the secondary. And you could have made a case for him getting Pro Bowl consideration last season.

Something seems terribly wrong here.

Sure, Phillips is injury prone, missing five games last season with busted forearms. But the Bucs just signed linebacker Angelo Crowell, a guy who missed all of 2008 with a knee injury. for a one-year deal worth $3.25 million.

The Bucs also signed safety Will Allen in February for a minimum contract value of $1.83 million.

Last Joe checked Allen is behind Phillips on the depth chart.

Cornerback Phillip Buchanon also recently signed a 2-year, $8.5 million deal with the Lions. And he was hardly the player Phillips is.

Either Phillips has a horrendous agent or there may have been issues with Phillips passing a physical for another team. 

Joe is not of the mind that the Bucs somehow just got lucky with a great deal.

NFL.com reports Percy Harvin wowed at his pro day before Mark Dominik, Raheem The Dream and dozens of other NFL execs and scouts

NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski, host of The Blitz on 620 WDAE-AM, takes a look at this week’s pro days at Penn State and in Gainesville with the national champs.

Raheem The Dream and Mark Dominik attended the Gators’ workouts.

In today’s podcast, Pawlowski talks about who’s on their radar and what NFL teams are targeting Penn State and Florida studs.

Don’t forget to e-mail Pawlowski for Wednesday’s free NFL Draft mailbag podcast, justinpawlowski@620wdae.com, Justin answers your draft questions right here. {+++}

In today's mailbag edition podcast, draft guru Justin Pawlowski talks about how a Jay Cutler trade, wherever he goes, might impact the draft. Lots of other great stuff, too.

JoeBucsFan.com readers blew up Justin Pawlowski’s inbox over at The Sports Animal. So Wednesday’s popular mailbag edition of the Rough Draft podcast is a tad late.

A former Division I lineman at Connecticut, Pawlowski is the longtime draft guru at 620 WDAE-AM, The Sports Animal. And he’s the captain of NFL Draft coverage here at JoeBucsFan.com.

Check out all his work here.

Coming up later tonight for JoeBucsFan.com subscribers only, Pawlowski will look at recent pro days at University of Florida and Penn State.

[audio:podcast0318.mp3]

Luke McCown describes the new Bucs offense as "quarterback-friendly." Does that mean he struggled with the old one for the past four years?

Now Luke McCown seems like a wonderful guy who says all the right things.

So that’s why Joe is choosing to get very picky here. A recent comment by McCown stands out.

In a feel good interview for Pewter Report, McCown describes the new Bucs offense as “friendly” and “quarterback-friendly.”

 “No question, with how friendly the offense is going to be, and quarterback-friendly and the kind of guys we have on the field, you can’t help but be excited about what is sitting right in front of you,” McCown said.

Hmmm, “quarterback-friendly.” Interesting choice of words.

Now one might think, given McCown’s four years in Jon Gruden’s system, that he would consider Chucky’s offense second nature and find something new to be a challenge.

Joe wonders now whether McCown had trouble with Chucky’s massive playbook and whether that led to Brian Griese starting in Atlanta late in the 2008 season.

Joe apologizes for the bitter draft memory, but what better photo to illustrate how important the draft is.

Joe wants to take a moment to thank all the subscribers to our NFL Draft coverage. He’s proud to bring you the best podcasts, position breakdowns and mock drafts for Bucs fans anywhere.

Coverage continues this evening with another podcast from draft guru Justin Pawlowski, of 620 WDAE-AM, The Sports Animal. 

Pawlowski’s complete breakdown of receivers and tight ends is due out Saturday.

All the JoeBucsFan.com NFL Draft coverage is available here. Remember, subscribers get a $10 gift certificate to Courtside Grille.

Sometimes Joe thinks he spends too much time on this blog and as a result doesn’t get enough sleep.

In the weeks leading up the NFL draft, draftniks are beyond busy. And Joe is starting to see evidence of this by watching this video.

Who knew Matt Stafford caused so much stress in people’s lives?

Joe looks at this photo of the Bucs' newest linebacker and hopes the team has already told him to lose the No. 55 jersey

As Joe mentioned previously, the Bucs’ newest  $3.5 million free agent signing, linebacker Angelo Crowell, missed all of last year with a knee injury.

Here’s the skinny from a 2008 story in the Buffalo News.

Not exactly your typical knee injury.

For two years, Crowell dealt with a condition called chondromalacia (or runner’s knee), which is an irritation on the bottom surface of the knee cap. Inflammation of cartilage when the knee cap rubs against the side of the knee joint causes pain.

With the help of strengthening exercises, Crowell started every game last season and posted a career high 140 tackles (93 solo). Instead of having offseason surgery, the Bills’ medical staff decided continued rehabilitation was a better option.

But after being limited throughout training camp and the preseason because of the knee, Crowell decided he couldn’t put off surgery any longer.

“At that point, I didn’t feel I could go out and contribute the way I wanted to for my team,” he said. “I just said, ‘Well, let’s have the surgery.’ As a result, I didn’t think that would put me on IR. That’s the way it was.”

Crowell said he was surprised, but not upset, that the Bills ended his season. A meeting with Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon convinced Crowell that he and the team are still on good terms.

“I don’t harbor any ill feelings because he said at the time it was a timing issue,” Crowell said. “He said he doesn’t have any hard feelings. He knows that I’m not a quitter. He knows the work I’ve put in and he feels good about me. That’s the main thing I wanted to make sure is that me being put on IR wasn’t done out of anger.”

Crowell’s surgery was performed by famed Alabama orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. Crowell had originally planned to have a minor arthroscopic surgery, which would have allowed him return within four to six weeks, but he questioned whether he could have played up to his usual standards.

After going on IR, Crowell said Andrews advised a more extensive procedure “that’s going to give me more longevity in the league instead of a quick fix.

“It was not a microfracture where they drill holes, but they just went in there and sanded it down to create that blood flow,”

Crowell was a stud in 2007. Start praying now.

New Bucs linebacker Angelo Crowell sat out all of last season with a knee injury.

The guy is young but experienced, big but banged up.

Linebacker Angelo Crowell was an interesting Bucs signing today, and one that surely can’t hurt given how linebackers Quincy Black, Adam Hayward and Geno Hayes have less experience combined than, well, frankly anybody the Bucs might have signed in free agency.

Crowell also is 27, under the magic 30 number that seems to be a prerequisite set by Raheem The Dream.

In a recent story, the Buffalo News reported Crowell can play weak- and strong-side linebacker.

His Bucs salary is a one-year $3.5 million deal, says the St. Pete Times.

Now the catch is Crowell missed all of last season with a knee injury. Nothing like that to give fans confidence.

Right now Joe is counting on Crowell about as much as he expects Cadillac Williams to contribute in 2009.

Let’s see what he looks like in August.

So desperate are the Bucs for linebackers (thanks to kicking Derrick Brooks and Cato June to the curb) the Bucs are considering moving safety Jermaine Phillips to linebacker.

While Joe isn’t about to throw Bucs general manager Mark Dominik under the bus only a few weeks into his new gig as general manager, it’s becoming more and more obvious that Dominik made a terrible mistake in letting go linebackers Derrick Brooks and Cato June.

Granted, linebacker wasn’t a strength for the Bucs last season. But it wasn’t a gaping weakness either. It sure is now.

Since getting rid of Brooks and June, the Bucs have done nothing in free agency to plug those holes and haven’t made any trades to add depth to the position (as Dominik did at tight end and nearly pulled off at quarterback). So thin are the Bucs at linebacker that the Bucs are talking about moving oft-injured safety Jermaine Phillips to weakside linebacker.

Oddly enough, this information comes from Buccaneers.com.

The Buccaneers are not putting all of their eggs in one basket, of course. The team is still interested in seeing what it has in such in-house linebacker candidates as Quincy Black, Geno Hayes and Adam Hayward, and there remains the possibility of an addition at the position through free agency and the draft. Still, the team-oriented Phillips, who is called “Flip” by most of his fellow Buccaneers, didn’t hesitate to take on this new challenge.

As can be expected since this article is on the Bucs’ website, the story is so full of wildly crazy spin it would make Sean Hannity blush. The article compares Phillips’ moving to linebacker with Shelton Quarles moving from strongside linebacker to middle linebacker.

puh-LEEZE!

Moving from safety to linebacker is another world compared to switching positions at linebacker. Besides, one of the critical elements of playing linebacker is to tackle. Phillips likes to tackle with his arms more than his body which is why he’s always breaking an arm.

Hey Dominik, just do yourself and the team a major favor, swallow your pride, and get Derrick Brooks back to One Buc Palace.

Jay Cutler is practically Superman yet inexplicably some Bucs fans can't see it, writes THE PESSIMIST.

Bucs fans finding fault with a 25-year-old Pro Bowl quaterback who has all the necessary tools to be a champion is like turning away Carmella Garcia because she didn’t shave her legs.

All together now, RIDICULOUS.

Those nitpicking Jay Cutler should be ashamed. How does one become so clueless?

THE PESSIMIST has resurfaced in disbelief that there are Bucs fans who would rather start Luke McCown under center and keep our draft picks, versus giving up a first, second (in 2010) and possibly a third round pick for Cutler. In case you’ve been vacationing on Mars, Cutler is the 25-year-old Pro Bowl stud QB in question.

McCown is an athletic, nice kid with little experience. If he was a good starter in 2009, it would be a nice little story. It might even help Chucky’s legacy. But if McCown was among the bottom two of NFC quarterbacks, absolutely nobody would be surprised. Nobody.

Cutler on the other hand would put on the Bucs jersey and instantly make them playoff contenders, crappy defense or not. And bring an exciting offense to Tampa that has NEVER been here before.

Cutler is a first round pick (2006). So THE PESSIMIST sees no problem giving up one to get him, as well as a No. 2 and No. 3, if that’s what it takes for a young Pro Bowl QB.

Crap, the Bucs traded two first round picks, two second rounders and $8 million for Chucky. And THE PESSIMIST would say now and forever that it was a good move.

We’re talking quarterback here. The most important position on the field.

Cutler’s also is a proven commodity who has battled through Diabetes, and the extreme pressure of playing quarterback in Denver in the post-Elway era. His numbers are nothing less than fantastic.

The Bucs could search another 30 years to land a QB as good as Cutler and still fail to get one. 

Now THE PESSIMIST loves Joe. But to compare Cutler to Jeff George is apples and oranges. George came into a crappy Indianapolis team and didn’t make them better, and threw a ton of interceptions along the way. Cutler has performed in his three seasons. Period.

So Cutler hasn’t handled the Broncos coaching change and the organization-wide poor communication going on in Denver lately (which has been acknowledged by nearly everyone associated with the team.) Big freakin’ deal. He’s 25.

So he wants out. The guy is hardly a cancer.

Google Cutler and search real hard and you’ll find this story of the guy’s generosity to charities. The kind of giving without him looking for any media coverage of the altruism.

But all that really should  matter is that he’s a great quarterback. And the Bucs desperately need one.

 You get what you pay for.

Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com takes a moment to discuss the steps that led to Denver quarterback Jay Cutler becoming available for a trade.

Though Florio doesn’t mention it, Joe’s convinced part of the reason for Cutler’s erratic behavior is that he didn’t replace the batteries in his blood glucose meter.

Joe just wanted to take a moment to remind you to enjoy the Courtside Grille whenever you can. You’ll get top notch food, awesome TV screens and viewing angles, all the good pay-per-view events and more.

Free $10 gift cards are still available for anyone who subscribes to the exclusive JoeBucsFan.com NFL Draft coverage,  now through May 9.

As Joe posted earlier, SI.com’s Peter King is reporting that the Broncos are not trading disgruntled (and almost-Bucs) quarterback Jay Cutler — “for now,” King has a column this afternoon that documents how the Bucs are one of two teams that “make sense” for Cutler to find a new home.

The Bucs are veterans in the chase for Cutler, having pursued him the day before free-agency began, dangling their first-round pick plus something in a package for Cutler. They also have an offensive scheme under new coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski that resembles the system Mike Shanahan ran in Denver, and a defensive coordinator, Jim Bates, who’s the father of Cutler’s offensive coordinator last year in Denver, Jeremy Bates. Cutler and Jeremy Bates were close, and those close to Cutler believe the Broncos’ decision to not retain Bates is a part of his dissatisfaction.

As the clock ticks, Joe becomes less and less infatuated with Cutler. First, it will take a king’s ransom to secure Cutler, since the Bucs don’t have that many players to offer for Cutler, including no quarterback to speak of (can you imagine the outright guffaws in Denver if Mark Dominik invoked the name “Son of Bob?”).

And if Cutler gets his panties wadded up this bad, *after* he requested a trade, who knows if he would be remotely happy here? There are cheaper and less dangerous alternatives for the Bucs to obtain a quarterback.

[UPDATE: In a podcast today, BSPN’s “The Professor,” John Clayton, claims Cutler can be lured away from the Broncos for a first, second and a third round pick.]

Solomon Wilcots of Sirius NFL Radio suggests the only Bucs player of merit that could be used to lure quarterback Jay Cutler to Tampa Bay would be linebacker Barrett Ruud.

The famous Rolling Stones song serving as the title of this post accurately describes the Bucs in the case of trying to land Denver quarterback Jay Cutler.

That’s because, in the words of a pair of co-hosts on Sirius NFL Radio, the Bucs have nothing to offer Denver.

Fielding a call from a Bucs fan in Tampa, Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots, co-hosts of “The Blitz,” (Justin, you really have to call Roger Goodell about this) didn’t think disgruntled Broncos quarterback and (a few days ago) almost-Bucs quarterback Cutler would ever be traded to Tampa Bay.

When asked if the Bucs were still interested in Cutler, Schein had no reservations.

“Tampa has interest. They should have interest,” Schein said. “But if [Denver] wants picks-plus… are there players that could interest Denver?

“The Jets, the Browns, the Panthers all have players to offer. If you are the Bucs, do you offer Gaines Adams? If you are Denver, you are on the losing end of the deal.”

Wilcots agreed that the Bucs have few if any players to offer Denver for Cutler unless the Broncos want strictly draft picks.

“I’m trying to find out what the Bucs have to offer and I’m still looking,” Wilcots said. “They’re not going to trade Barrett Ruud.”

This week Wes Bunting of NationalFootballPost.com has the Bucs selecting Mississippi defensive tackle Peria Jerry in the first round.

Wes Bunting’s weekly mock draft is up at NationalFootballPost.com, and this week he has the Bucs selecting Mississippi defensive tackle Peria Jerry with the 19th pick.

Jerry is an explosive, penetrating tackle who would be an ideal fit in the Buccaneers’ one-gap scheme. He plays with a motor that runs non-stop and should be an instant upgrade inside.

Joe has found video of Jerry that can be seen by clicking here.

Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane, says NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski. Enjoy Pawlowski's daily draft coverage exclusively here at JoeBucsFan.com

Hey, it’s St. Patrick’s Day. Grab some ice cold refreshment and kick back for Justin Pawlowski’s daily podcast.

Today it’s on the house.

Subscribers to NFL Draft coverage at JoeBucsFan.com are treated to daily audio from Pawlowski and the best written breakdowns on the planet.

Check them out here and subscribe today.

Reports have the Broncos seeking a viable replacement for Cutler

If Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post truly has the pulse of the Broncos’ front office, the Bucs can forget about trading for disgruntled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler.

Despite nearly getting Cutler in a three-way deal from the Broncos at the end of February, Jones suggests indirectly the Bucs won’t be able to get Cutler now that he has asked for a trade.

Speaking on Sirius NFL Radio’s “The Opening Drive” with Bob Papa, Randy Cross and Peter King Tuesday morning, Jones admitted “it doesn’t look like there will be a happy ending” to the hurt feelings between the Broncos and Cutler.

But Jones noted that if the Broncos do deal Cutler, ‘they’ll want more than draft picks. They’ll want a viable alternative at quarterback,” Jones said.

Let’s see: Joe is looking at the Bucs stable of quarterbacks, and unless the Broncos consider Luke McCown a “viable alternative,” the Bucs don’t have anything to offer Denver. Son of Bob clearly isn’t a viable alternative. Hell, he’s not even a viable alternative as a beer vendor. Josh Johnson is still considered a project.

So unless the Bucs pull a three-way trade (with Cleveland or Arizona possibly?), provided Jones is to be believed, Cutler doesn’t look like he will be buying any real estate in the Tampa Bay area in the immediate future.

[UPDATE, 10:57 a.m.: King claims emphatically that the Broncos are not entertaining any offers for Cutler.]

Joe would love for the Bucs to pick up a defensive tackle at No. 19 who turns out to be as productive as Casey Hampton.

Joe has already heard many people suggest the Bucs are not in an enviable position in the draft picking at No. 19 in the first round. But as Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times points out, recent history suggests otherwise.

In the past nine drafts Stroud documents, only two players selected at No. 19 have turned out to be stiffs.

•2008: Carolina T Jeff Otah, started at right tackle as a rookie.

•2007: Tennessee S Michael Griffin, seven interceptions last season, tied for second in the league.

•2006: San Diego CB Antonio Cromartie, named to the Pro Bowl in ’07.

•2005: St. Louis T Alex Barron, four-year starter.

•2004: Miami G Vernon Carey, five-year starter at left and right tackles.

•2003: Baltimore QB Kyle Boller, 42 career starts; spent ’08 on injured reserve.

•2002: Denver WR Ashley Lelie, bounced around to four teams.

•2001: Pittsburgh DT Casey Hampton, four Pro Bowls.

•2000: Seattle RB Shaun Alexander, three Pro Bowls, league MVP in ’05.

The only two dogs Joe sees in that list are Boller and Lelie. If this is a trend, Joe very much is looking forward to what lies ahead for the Bucs’ first round pick.

Joe has obtained classified video of the scene at One Buc Palace yesterday when Bucs officials learned Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler asked for a trade. The mood was so giddy, Mark Dominik called for an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration and even lured in a Bucs cheerleader.

Hope everyone gets to enjoy some corned beef and an adult beverage today.

As WQYK-AM 1010's Mike Pepper suggested Monday, Joe is concerned Jay Cutler may be the reincarnation of Jeff George.

As Joe is wont to do, he will bounce around local sports radio stations in the afternoon. Yesterday, Joe heard Mike Pepper — who was substituting for the vacationing J.P. Peterson on WQYK-AM 1010 — make the comparison between almost-Bucs quarterback and currently disgruntled Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler and notorious headcase Jeff George.

George was a gifted quarterback but something less than a leader who always seemed to wear out his welcome wherever he played.

As one NFL scout famously said of George, “from the shoulders down he was a great quarterback.”

Joe looked up the stats:

In George’s first three years after being the first overall draft pick by Indianapolis in 1990, George had 7,025 yards passing, completing 640 passes on 1,125 attempts with 33 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.

In Cutler’s first three seasons with Denver, he has racked up 9,024 yards, completing 762 passes on 1,220 attempts with 54 touchdowns against 37 interceptions.

Would Joe like to have Cutler as the Bucs quarterback? Sure. But Joe has  reservations.

Joe is concerned Cutler is creating a reputation for himself as a crybaby if not someone who has a short fuse. If the Bucs give up a pricey sum, which Denver likely wants for him, who is to say Cutler will be happy with Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski?

Rather than take such a gamble on Cutler, Joe is still of the mind it would be a much lesser risk to trade a third round pick to Arizona for Matt Leinart. It’s also a suggestion the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig floated in previous weeks.

Sure, Leinart has his drawbacks too. Some suggest his heart isn’t in the game (as opposed to Cutler whose head may not be in the game).

For Cutler’s sake, Joe hopes he doesn’t turn into the next George, who Norman Chad, while mocking fantansy football, once wrote, “Only in fantasy football would you actually want Jeff George.”