Chucky claims other teams want Michael Clayton's services.

Michael Clayton is a lightning rod for Bucs fans. Even Joe admits getting frustrated by watching the former first round pick drop balls that are right off his hands.

Well, if you believe Chucky, there are enough teams out there that like him, even like him enough to trade for him. Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times writes that Chucky seems a bit defensive at the criticism leveled at Clayton, who is in the final year of his contract with the Bucs.

“I’m interested in Clayton, too. I don’t care who else is,” coach Jon Gruden said Monday. “We’re going to keep our best players, and I’ll leave it at that. We’ve had a real competitive camp, and Mike has done some good things. People call all the time about all kinds of things.”

Stroud suggests the Bucs might trade Clayton because they have “a surplus of pass catchers.”

Sure, they have a surplus. A surplus of low-rent receivers. Wide receiver is easily the weakest position on the Bucs. Clayton is marginally average. They need him, especially if Joey Galloway continues to nurse his groin all season.

Joe really isn’t much of a fantasy football kind of guy, though he greatly enjoys the X’s and O’s of the game and the chess match between offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators. Joe’s idea of fantasy involves a secluded Caribbean isle, ample amounts of top shelf liquor and one of the Bucs cheerleaders.

But Joe understands fantasy football is popular among fans. So as a public service, Joe found a fantasy football update by NBCSports.com’s Gregg Rosenthal detailing how worthy some Bucs are in your fantasy football draft. Enjoy.

Joe would like to thank J.P. Peterson, host of Happy Hour with J.P. on WQYK-AM 1010 and creator of TampaBaySportsNet.com, for having Joe on his show Friday to discuss the Bucs, specifically John Lynch’s return to Tampa Bay.

Joe encourages JoeBucsFan.com readers to check out J.P.’s TampaBaySportsNet.com webcasts which will include up to four-minute video segments of Tampa Bay area sports news and features that will be otherwise unseen on Tampa Bay area sportscasts.

J.P. hopes to begin webcasting in a few short weeks.

Ian Beckles says Gaines Adams is Simeon Rice

Former Bucs offensive lineman, Ian “Everyone’s Juicing” Beckles, on Sports Radio 620AM, said this morning that Gaines Adams had flashes of brilliance in Saturday’s game against the Jaguars. But Beckles went on to say that everything else was bad.

“He’s a flash player, like Simeon Rice.  He can’t play the run. That’s not what we want, though. We need a player who can be consistent … and dominate a game,” Beckles said. “For some reason, mentally, he runs up the field. The easiest thing for a quarterback to do is step up. …Offensive lineman can play that.”

Gaines was a disruptive presence in the Jags backfield Saturday. His heat led to a relatively easy third-down sack by Jimmy Wilkerson.

So Beckles says Gaines is another Simeon Rice. Is that so bad?

With guard Davin Joseph out with a broken foot, it could cost the Bucs two wins.

Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune wrote an interesting article that suggests the Bucs “rolled the dice” in the offseason electing not to beef up their offensive line. With stud guard Davin Joseph going down for maybe two months with a broken foot, it left the Bucs very thin.

So thin, Cummings writes, that he thinks it will cost the Bucs a loss, possibly two.

Joe isn’t sure he would push the panic button quite yet.

Cummings has a valid point. If people don’t think the Saints, for example, will throw everything at rookie Jeremy Zuttah, who replaced Joseph in the starting lineup, then they are naive.

However, there are always scraps left over after the rosters are cut to 53. Joe suspects the Bucs will either trade for, or sign a free agent offensive lineman for depth. Joe was really bummed out when Joseph got hurt. If the Bucs can survive this minefield until Joseph returns, the Bucs should have a decent shot at making the playoffs.

Yeah, Joseph was that valuable.

Joe would be smiling like Jeremy Zuttah, too, if playing Madden helped him block John Henderson.

Sometimes, Joe feels left out. He never got into the Madden video game craze. Joe has nothing against it. In fact, playing video football sounds like fun.

Just like its namesake, Madden apparently helps develop good football players. Real football players that is, not just virtual.

There wasn’t much notable about rookie offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah Saturday night. That’s a good thing. That means the lineman was doing his job.

Zuttah, a third round pick out of Rutgers, was playing in place of the injured Davin Joseph. Zuttah had to line up against stud All-Pro John Henderson of the Jags. Zuttah did well, but the rookie had a trick up his sleeve, so he told Brant James of the St. Petersburg Times.

“I’ve been playing Madden, and I always pick John Henderson on my teams.”

There’s a lesson for you young football players: When Mom is screaming at you to quit playing video games and get outside, tell her you are doing research for your football team.

No reason for linebacker Antoine Cash to hang his head. He was released from the hospital yesterday after suffering a frightening neck injury.

Joe is glad to hear that linebacker Antoine Cash is out of the hospital and should be fine after suffering a neck injury. It was disturbing to see him hauled off on a stretcher with his neck taped.

Cash was released from the hospital Sunday. 

Cash collided with cornerback Marcus Hamilton late in the Bucs 23-17 loss to Jacksonville Saturday night. Hamilton got a hip injury out of the collision.

If Cash is still with the Bucs next year, maybe he might want to take the night off in the Bucs annual preseason game with the Jaguars. Last year Cash suffered a leg injury and was carted off the field.

Despite making Bucs history last year, Joe has a feeling Michael Spurlock may get cut.

The Bucs have to trim their roster to 75 by Tuesday. For some, today could be their last day as an NFL player. Joe has an idea who will be looking for work.

While a lot of eyes are on Bucs quarterback Chris Simms to get a pink slip, there are others who hopefully have their resumes updated.

Michael Spurlock (KR): Sure, he made Bucs history last year by returning the first kickoff for a touchdown in franchise history. But the Bucs have more cash invested in Dexter Jackson. 

Clifton Smith (RB): The Bucs have too many good running backs. Kenneth Darby will be lucky to make the team and he has shown promise. Smith is listed lower on the depth chart than Darby.

Josh Johnson (QB): Not sure why the Bucs drafted this guy unless they wanted to turn him into a “Slash” kind of player, a hybrid.

Cortez Hankton (WR): Another player who is deep on the depth chart that has too many other players ahead of him.

Daniel Fells (TE): Like quarterbacks, Chucky likes to collect tight ends. Too many solid tight ends ahead of Fells.

Saints revived their confidence heading into opening day.

Just 13 days til’ the Bucs cruise up to the Superdome to take on the Saints on opening day. Joe can taste the spicy wings and ice cold beer.

Pathetic all preseason until Saturday night’s game at Cincinnati, the Saints’ defense blanked the Bengals, 13-0, and held them to 165 yards. 

Drew Brees cruised to 199 yards passing and a touchdown, and the Saints gobbled up better than five yards per carry.

Reggie Bush left the game early with a thigh injury, and Jeremy Shockey cancelled his Saints debut at the last minute. He’s still not 100 percent after breaking his leg last season with the Giants.

Five Bucs will be lopped off the squad on Tuesday.

Joe doesn’t get excited by the first round of roster cuts, when the Bucs will trim the preseason squad from 80 players to 75 on Tuesday.

Chris Simms didn’t play Saturday against the Jaguars, but the Bucs may still keep him around.

Apparently no teams are interested in dealing for Simms, but that could change with an unexpected injury.  

The bet here is the Bucs keep Simms through Saturday, the final day of cuts, just in case some team with a banged up QB comes calling.

Mike Florio, the creator, curator and general overall guru of the popular ProFootballTalk.com recently uploaded one of his PFTV segments, this one a preview of the NFC South.

Florio seems to think the Bucs will be pushed this year if they are to win the division. But not by the Dixie Chicks. Give it a look:

Michael Clayton should draft a thank you note to Jeff Garcia.

Like the rest of you, Joe dropped F-bombs when Michael Clayton dropped the first pass thrown his way by Jeff Garcia in the Bucs preseason loss against Jacksonville on Saturday. It was right in the numbers. Then Clayton missed a block on a wide receiver screen for Maurice Stovall.

Joe was screaming to cut Clayton’s ass.

But unlike many veteran quarterbacks, Garcia showed confidence in Clayton, looking for him deep right away and then later hitting him over the middle in traffic on a key third down. Then it was back to Clayton for the Bucs’ first touchdown. 

Joe rescinded his call for Clayton’s head.

Garcia knows he needs this guy to have a good season, and he’s willing to work to restore his confidence. Jeff’s a true leader, even if he lets Carmella tie him up sometimes.

Jaguars at Buccaneers
Preseason Game No. 3

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
TV: WTTA Channel 38.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 130.
Odds: From Bodog.com, Jags -3.
Weather: AccuWeather.com forecasts a typical summer night in Tampa. Thunderstorms likely at kickoff and near the end of the game. Temperatures expected to be in the upper-70s with winds out of the south at 8 mph at kickoff, gradually decreasing.

Outlook: Bucs fans can get an idea of how much they may miss offensive lineman Davin Joseph, when his replacement, rookie Jeremy Zuttah, lines up as the starting right guard. Joseph broke his foot during an extra point conversion late in the first half of last week’s 27-10 win over New England. Zuttah was the Bucs third round pick in April.

It will be interesting to see if the Bucs can keep playing near-flawless football. Through two games the Bucs have committed a grand total of three penalties and have not turned the ball over.

As with all worthless NFL preseason games, the goal for this game is not winning but avoiding injuries. Last week the Bucs failed at that.

Ah, football is right around the corner. Joe smells it.

Joe just thought he’d remind Bucs fans about the 2008 season:

Free agent defensive back Elbert Mack has played so well, he just might make the Bucs.

Joe knows there always is a surprise in training camp, whether it is a veteran player being cut or an unknown player exceeding expectations to make the team.

This year, the latter may be cornerback Elbert Mack. Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune writes how Mack, all of 5-10, 175, who led the NCAA in interceptions last year with eight picks for Troy University, has “a strong possibility” of making the Bucs 53-man roster.

Mack has caught the eye of defensive backs coach Raheem Morris.

“He’s picked it up a lot faster than some draft picks,” Morris said. “He reminds me of Tanard Jackson last year. When Tanard came and we all were kind of like, ‘Wow, he’s close to that one,’ and, ‘Wow, he just missed that one.’ Then, all of a sudden, the preseason started and he started making plays. I’m not going to put any limitations on this kid.”

With the emergence of Mack, Joe thinks the Bucs’ defensive backfield may very well be the team’s strongest position.

If reports are to be believed, Greg White will move back to right defensive end.

Last season right defensive end Greg White was a surprise to Bucs fans as he became a dominant player, coming from almost nowhere to rack up 50 tackles, eight sacks, seven forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

But with the emergence of stud 2007 first round draft pick Gaines Adams, the Bucs had hoped to move White to left end, a position he has never played, and give Adams the starting job at right end. The Tampa Tribune reports today that the experiment is now considered a failure.

Tampa Bay apparently has decided to switch DE White from left defensive end back to right end, his natural position.

What the Tribune doesn’t explain is what that means for Gaines Adams. It’s going to be hard to keep White off the field if he matches last year’s numbers at right end, despite how talented Adams may be. And last year, once Adams settled down at right end, the rookie blossomed into the player the Bucs thought he could be as the fourth overall selection.

It now looks as if Kevin Carter will be the starting left end. The depth chart on the Bucs’ official site shows White as Carter’s backup.

"W" proposed waterboarding the Saints pathetic defense during a recent visit with Deuce McAllister and Drew Brees

Joe continues to keep an eye on New Orleans Saints camp, as Bucs opening day at the SuperDome is just 16 short days away.

The Saints head to Cincinnati on Saturday night, and, get this, their starters are planning to go for three quarters, according to the Times Picayune.

Here, we’re just trying to get our No. 1 QB and receiver on the field, and they’re talkin’ three quarters.

The consensus among Saints beat writers is that Drew Brees is in Pro Bowl form right now.

Tatooed tight end Jeremy Shockey debuts Saturday, after months on the shelf. And Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush will share the load in the backfield, as they nurse themselves back to 100 percent.

The Saints’ concern is its defense, which has been horrendous in preseason. That makes it all the more critical for the Bucs to get Garcia and Galloway clicking in time for opening day. The Bucs must be ready to steal this road opener, when the Saints are still figuring out how to get their defense off the field.

Smart play by the Bucs thus far is no reason for Chucky to scream.

Yeah, Joe knows it’s only preseason, but…

In both Bucs wins, the thing that sticks out is how smart the Bucs have played. Through two games the Bucs have had zero (that means “none”) turnovers and have committed only three penalties.

Think about that; It’s pretty incredible. Since it’s preseason, there are too many substitutions to count with players playing alongside new teammates constantly, as low-round draft picks and free agents battle to impress Chucky to win a job.

Especially in the first game against Miami, with all of those substitutions, there wasn’t one delay of game called because someone forgot he was on the punt return team and didn’t get his rear end out on the field in time. That’s amazing.

If the Bucs continue this through the rest of the preseason, it bodes well for the regular season.

This shows that the team is playing smart.

Antonio Bryant could be the hidden gem the Bucs need at wide receiver.

Sorry to be a broken record, but the Bucs need help at wide receiver. In a bad way.

Enter Antonio Bryant. Stephen F. Holder of the St. Petersburg Times noted that Bryant is trying to put his checkered past behind him and prove to the NFL why he belongs.

“Everybody knows what I’m capable of doing because they’ve been around me and seen me play this game for a while,” Bryant said. “But I’m taking a more mature approach and a more professional approach.”

Bryant could be a gem of a find. With Joey Galloway slowed by a groin injury, there’s no telling when he will be back. Without Galloway, defenses will stack the box and dare the Bucs to throw. With Davin Joseph out for possibly two months with a broken foot, it doesn’t add up to a good outcome unless the Bucs find a go-to guy for a receiver.

Bryant could be that guy.

It was frustrating enough for Joe to learn of Bucs guard Davin Joseph breaking a foot earlier this week. Hey, it’s football, injuries happen. But then it was further aggravating to know that Joseph’s injury took place in a worthless preseason game.

Worthless, that is, unless you’re a member of the Family Glazer. Only in the NFL can owners of a business extort top dollar for tickets, beer, food, parking, etc. on a horribly inferior product and still draw 63,365 saps on a Sunday evening.

The fact the NFL even plays these abortions is beyond the pale. But to lose players, good players, to this tripe is the highest order of lunacy.

But brace yourself Bucs fans, still it gets worse. Really: Joseph broke his foot late in the second quarter on an extra point. Yes, an extra point. In a preseason game!

Just what in the name of Rich Kotite was Chucky or special teams coach Richard Bisaccia doing with Joseph playing on an extra point attempt in a glorified scrimmage of a preseason game? Can you imagine?

Consider, some alleged learned soul of a football coach sat in a discussion and was of a mind that the Bucs’ best guard needed extra work on the extra point team.  Late in the second quarter no less.

In some circles, this would be enough to provoke a mental health evaluation of an assistant coach. But with Chucky, such a move is enough that the special teams coach is promoted to “associate head coach!”

Earlier this week, Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe ran a story about how the NFL commissioner (whose hot wife is Fox News anchorbabe Jane Skinner) wants to extend the NFL season to 18 games which would eliminate two preseason games.

Goodell could do away with all of the preseason monstrosities. There is no need whatsoever to play these preseason games. Coaches can evaluate players in practice. If they need to see different teams they can schedule scrimmages with other teams, as has been the practice for years.

The fact the NFL extorts fans with these garbage games is enough to warrant an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.

Meanwhile, enjoy Mrs. Roger Goodell talking naughty.

Bucs backup quarterback Chris Simms sees the end of his Bucs days nearing.

Bucs backup quarterback Chris Simms, who gave up his spleen for Chucky, told Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune he thinks his days are numbered and if he’s not traded in the next day or two, fully expects to be released. He now has heard rumors that the Bucs might swap him to Minnesota.

“That’s more up to the Vikings and our organization, more than anything,” Simms said. “I’m not really concerned with it. I’ll just continue to work and get myself back in the rhythm that I need to and the other stuff will take care of itself.”

Joe has no idea why Chucky and/or Bruce Almighty hate Simms. He’s certainly a better backup than Son of Bob and his pick-sixes. If Phil’s Boy is to be traded, Joe hopes it’s to an organization that will respect him.