Joe considers Raheem Morris an absolute gem of a speaker. He’s passionate, and compared to his head coach peers, never-boring Raheem lets it all hang out at times and then some.

The guy’s priceless. He makes fans laugh and gets them fired up all at the same time, all while simply being real.

Plus he often gives a lot of good Xs and Os answers for those paying attention. No wonder the guy’s a rockstar around town.

Today, NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas even awarded Raheem an accolade for best postgame interview in a post on BSPN.com.

Best postgame interview: Raheem Morris. The Bucs’ head coach is animated and doesn’t hold much back. There are some in the organization who wish Morris would throttle it back a bit. But, from a media standpoint, there’s not another NFC South coach who is nearly as good a quote as Morris. There aren’t too many coaches around the rest of the NFL who are in his league.

Whoa!

Joe was taken back reading Yasinskas’ unsourced claim that some important people at One Buc Palace want Raheem to “throttle it back” and fire off more coachspeak. Joe doesn’t want to believe it.

Don’t do it, Raheem!

Keep being your best self. It’s working.

Yes, that's a Longhorn logo on Roy Miller's t-shirt.

Roy Miller lives in Texas. He grew up in Texas. He played for the Longhorns. And he’s even doing some phenomenal charity work in Texas in July.

He’s a Texas guy.

And, as Joe stuffs his face during lunchtime at the Bucs player-only minicamp today, Joe wants to share this nugget from an interesting interview Miller recently did with the Longhorns official football website. It seems Miller loves teaming up with his Texas buddies on the Bucs to spew annoying Texas love all over the locker room.

What is it like playing with Tim Crowder and Frank Okam in Tampa?  

At first it was just me and I saw Tim, and he said that they had just worked him out. And then when he jumped on board me and him started talking to everybody about how the Longhorns are better than everybody in the locker room. Then Hunter [Lawrence] came and now Frank is there. So that is all we do. We talk about how great this place is and people get tired of it, and on game days we wear our Texas shirts around and always try to do a good job of promoting this great place. We are proud of Texas and being part of this organization. Just to have those guys out there, it feels more like Texas. It made things a little bit easier for me. 

Joe’s got nothing against Texas. And surely Joe doesn’t want to upset the Texas courts, which hold Texan Aqib Talib’s fate in their hands. But Joe’s a Florida guy. Hopefully, all those Gators and Seminoles and Florida natives on the Bucs can beat down all the Texas love in the locker room.

Just a quick morning update from the thankfully cloud-covered Bucs players-only minicamp in Bradenton today. 

Pals Tanard Jackson and Aqib Talib walked onto the field together earlier. Joe will have a photo later. Anybody got a caption?

Jackson, per BSPN.com, can be with the team during the lockout but once it’s over it’s right back to excommunicated status until he’s reinstated by NFL hatchetman Roger Goodell.

Speaking of the hatchetman, he’s here with DeMaurice Smith, first buzzing around on a golf cart and now watching practice.

Of course, you’d already know most of this if you followed Joe on Twitter.

The buzz among Buccaneers at the players-only minicamp yesterday was that the asinine lockout is nearing its final hours, so reported Tom Korun of local ABC Action News fame.

Korun chimed in on the TV station website that Josh Freeman is getting great signs from his agent and union man Jeff Faine is talking the talk.

Mood:  Rather upbeat. I do believe that the tone of the labor talks has a lot to do with their attitude. An agreement in principle can come any day now, at least that was the sentiment at IMG yesterday.

So much so, that Freeman told us that his agent (Tom Condon) is telling him that a resolution ” is very close, very close.”

Bucs player rep Jeff Faine told me yesterday morning ” that he expects the players will hear more in the next few days.” He is encouraged.

Freeman went on to say that he thought the only part that might be missing in preparing for the upcoming season would be ” possibly a few days of training camp.”

Who is Joe to urinate in the face of such optimism from two Bucs very plugged in? Fingers crossed.

Video star Anwar Richardson and Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune give their take on Day 1 of the Josh Freeman three-day minicamp held at the IMG Academies in Bradenton.

Some interesting insight here, and Richardson let’s us know he’s rockin’ the J.J. Walker look, not Gilligan.

This has been an offseason like no other for the NFL, both for the suits as well as the players.

Imagine being a suit in the NFL: The draft is over with and then… nothing. You can’t even talk to your players. Just about the only thing to do is to study film, both college and pro.

Once reason why OTAs became popular roughly a couple of decades ago was to shake off the rust from players so that players can progress quicker when training camp starts.

But all that is gone this year since there has been no official offseason in this asinine lockout. No OTAs. No bonding at the team’s weight room. Nothing.

Some NFL pundits suggest there will be a lot of injuries in the first few weeks of the season thanks to no OTAs. The same learned souls also believe there will be sloppy football as well.

It doesn’t seem like Bucs tight end Kellen Winslow would disagree. Speaking during a break on Day 1 of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Winslow noted that “everyone will have to catch up.”

Winslow has been one of the most dedicated Bucs working out with Freeman this offseason, despite being locked out of One Buc Palace and having a gimpy knee.

Winslow noted that it will take some work for all players to get to the level normally expected of an NFL player for Week 1 of the regular season.

“You can lift weights all you want, but it doesn’t matter,” Winslow said. “For myself, I have to run routes and catch the ball and those types of things. Nothing replaces that.

“This is only walking. We are not full-go yet. We’re just trying to get back in the swing of things. Everyone will be behind. Even when we are back, everyone is going to be behind.”

If the asinine lockout ends in July, it should temper the damage somewhat. Of course, if that happens, then the Bucs will play the Bears in London rather than The CITS.

So what the heck are the Bucs actually doing on the field at the IMG Academies?

Well, aside from the obvious drills and position work, Josh Freeman said they ran “40 scripted 7-on-7” plays yesterday. And some were repeated if they didn’t go well, so he told the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, on WDAE-AM 620 Tuesday afternoon.

Among the other interesting nuggets Freeman shared, were that some guys were already complaining about two-a-day practices. No surprise there.

Freeman said today the Bucs will do some red zone work. And Freeman said while Raheem Morris might believe second-year players will be most affected by missing OTAs, he’s not worried.

Freeman said he and his soon to be second year offensive players have put in so much work that he believes they’ll be ready to roll at a high level.

Freeman, who’s not one to single out players, said Mike Williams looks like “a complete animal” while referencing his conditioning and sharpness.

Joe loved the sound of that. The more Joe thinks about it, the more Joe’s realizing how critical Williams is to the offense. The Bucs can’t afford to have him take even a quarter step back.

Davin Joseph is good people. He could big league damned near anyone, and not because he’s bigger than most people.

If one were to see Joseph at the mall or walking down the sidewalk, he’s more apt to stop and talk then give someone the brush off.

Though he’s a South Florida kinda guy (despite playing for Oklahoma), the Tampa Bay area is his adopted home. The free agent right guard would love to retire a Bucs player. But more often than not, that’s a wildly naive thought in today’s NFL.

That’s why when discussing his uncertain status for the 2011 season, Joseph gets visibly depressed.

“You know (sighs), gosh it’s tough,” Joseph said during a break in Day 1 of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp at the IMG Academies in Bradenton. “If you ask me what I want to do versus what is going to happen is two different scenarios.

“I want to stay. But, I have to do what’s best for me and my family. That is the hard part about free agency. You built something here. You love the players and you love the coaches. You love the community. But at the end of the day, it’s a tough decision to make. Hopefully, everything will make sense to stay here.”

While some may suggest the defense would crumble without fellow free agent linebacker Barrett Ruud, Joe cannot emphasize how important it is to have a deep offensive line. That showed last year when three Bucs starters on the offensive line went down with an injury, including Joseph.

Joseph is a solid player if not a Pro Bowl player. A smart player. A good guy.

This is the kind of guy a team should keep, playing on such an important element of a football squad.

Like virtually every person in the Tampa Bay region that calls himself a sportswriter, Joe was at the IMG Academy for the first day of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp, replete with classroom sessions, weight training and the dreaded two-a-days.

Joe could hardly find a player that was hating life, though Gerald McCoy did admit he was struggling with the Florida heat compared to the California heat he was battling throughout the offseason.

The players Joe spoke with generally seemed excited to be back with their teammates and to be on a football field again, albeit in shorts and T-shirts and using IMG football coaches rather than Raheem Morris and his staff.

Two things struck Joe: How players not thought to be leaders accepted leadership responsibility with the absence of their normal position coaches. They took over as substitute coaches of sorts.

One was GMC himself. He physically took rookie Adrian Clayborn under his wing, often showing him how to perform stunts and moves and putting an arm around Clayborn’s shoulder like a father figure.

It really took Joe aback. Here was a guy who didn’t even play a full season his rookie year, had many games where he was frustrated with the (lack of) coaching from Todd Wash, and now there was GMC giving Clayborn whatever knowledge he had.

Impressive.

Then, Joe had another surprise. Joe was talking with cornerback E.J. Biggers and Joe asked Biggers who was coaching up the secondary, like Freeman was the offense and GMC was the defensive line.

Biggers’ answer? Aqib Talib.

“We are all young, somebody has to be the leader,” Biggers said. “Somebody has to step up to the plate. What [GMC] is doing for his defensive linemen, we have guys doing that for the defensive backs, Talib. Yeah, he’s doing that for the defensive backs. We help get each other better.”

Like his teammates, Talib really seemed to be enjoying himself following the afternoon session. He was laughing and joking as he walked off the IMG football fields.

Sure didn’t seem like a guy buried with worries.

Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski has a surprise for you, thanks to the good people of Clear Channel Radio.

Justin will be subbing for Dan Sileo Wednesday and can be heard from 6-9 a.m. on WDAE-AM 620. Joe is confident Justin will talk about the Rays and of course, Justin will discuss Day 1 of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp at IMG Academies in Bradenton. Justin was with Joe there all day Tuesday.

Justin will also replay Steve Duemig’s interview with Josh Freeman and a little birdie has told Joe that he will be interviewed by Justin as well.

Those chained to a computer can listen to Justin streaming live online from the station’s website.

Now Joe doesn’t normally get into the social lives of Bucs players (unless it’s funny, such as the smoking regulations of an Arizona clothing optional establishment.) So why is Joe writing this post?

It explains why Cadillac Williams was absent from today’s first day of Josh Freeman’s three-day minicamp at the IMG Academies in Bradenton.

Cadillac is getting married this week. Joe’s not sure where but that is why Cadillac won’t be seen around Bradenton the next few days.

Now Joe cannot confirm this but scuttlebutt was LeGarrette Blount, who was also missing from today’s minicamp, is in Cadillac’s wedding party. Again, Joe cannot confirm this.

Nor can Joe confirm if Cadillac is marrying the lovely lass pictured in this post.

Barrett Ruud? Like the rest of the Fourth Estate that descended upon Bradenton today, no one knows for sure.

Fit and feisty, Davin Joseph told the media he wants to stay in Tampa.

Joe knows most free agents want to remain with their teams or at least want to talk the good game to keep their options open and negotiating power in tact.

But Davin Joseph sure seemed genuine in his desire to stay with the Bucs today while speaking to a gaggle of media at the Bucs’ players-only workouts in Bradenton.

“I want to stay,” Joseph said.

But he admitted the NFL is a business and he has to look out for both himself and his family. Joseph suspected that if the asinine lockout drags on, that will mean very short window for teams to sign free agents after a new CBA is reached and, subsequently, there won’t be much of a free agent pool.

“I think you will see a lot of guys stay with their teams,” Joseph said.

Joe’s a big fan of Joseph, but Joe keeps coming back to him getting injured quite often through his career. 

The Bucs would seemingly be wise to lock him up, but Joe’s not going to cry if he’s gone, assuming the rest of the offensive line depth stays in tact. Derek Hardman fought off Ndamukong Suh quite well starting for Joseph, and the Bucs have other guys that can step up.

Don’t think for a second that the Bucs players practicing here in Bradenton today are doing this for show or think it’s just an effort-free, coach-free exercise.

Kellen Winslow issued some hard words to Joe about the meaning of the three-day minicamp.

“Those who aren’t here will have to catch up,” Winslow said.

Asked if that will be difficult for those absent, Winslow said, “We all will have to catch up. This is just [the equivalent of] walking. … “You can lift weights all you want. I have to run routes.”

Make no mistake. The Bucs receivers here are running routes. But Winslow’s point is well taken. There’s no substitute for the learning and pressure of training under the watchful eye of coaches.

Now Joe’s not about to claim intimate knowledge of the personal lives of Bucs players, but one would think the players who want to be Bucs next season would be present — though not necessarily participating — at the players-only, three-day minicamp kicking off today in Bradenton.

Joe’s sniffed around at the scene long enough today to make the call that Barrett Ruud, Cadillac Williams and LeGarrette Blount aren’t here.

Have Ruud and Cadillac already gotten messages from One Buc Palace? Messages that reveal a cool interest in their services for 2011 and beyond?

It’s hard not to speculate.

And, of course, these guys could show up tomorrow.   

Kareem Huggins, Brian Price and Arellious Benn are among the injured Bucs here at today’s minicamp in Bradenton but they’re on the sidelines nursing injuries, Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings reported moments ago.

But there are some banged up Bucs pushing it on the field. Cody Grimm is one of them. His broken leg seems to be a problem of the past, which should bring smiles to Bucs fans.

“I’m sweating. I’m not used to running much, ” Grimm said as he had his beige baseball cap on backwards dripping with sweat trying to catch his breath.

It seems Tanard Jackson is supposed to be here, as well. And with the Bucs drafting two defensive backs, perhaps Grimm wants to make extra sure he’s in top form when the asinine lockout is over.

Joe is sweating his ass off at the Bucs players minicamp in Bradenton. Loving it, but feeling the heat nonetheless.

It seems Gerald McCoy is feeling the same way shouting to Joe, “San Diego heat’s nothing like this. This is intense. I’m telling ya.” Then, McCoy demanded Joe take rip off his Nebraska t-shirt, “Hey man take that shirt off. They are sellouts. They left the Big 12,” McCoy said.

Fun stuff aside, McCoy stands out here as a hands-on leader.

The Bucs are broken up over two fields by position. Each area has a position coach supplied by the IMG football academy. But the D-line coach here is more like window dressing. It’s McCoy who is running drills and constantly bouncing up to coach guys, position them and work with them on their hands and bark out encouragement as they work with dummies.

Across the way, Joe also sees wide receivers are doing drills running through dummies and cathing passes — not yet from Josh Freeman.

McCoy’s leadership interest really stands out.

Gerald McCoy is fired up and leading during D-line drills today

Perhaps a new leader has emerged among the Bucs offensive line, and it’s not Jeff Faine.

This morning free agent Davin Joseph is leading his fellow Bucs offensive linemen through drills at the players’ minicamp in Bradenton.

Hopefully, Joseph will be a Buccaneer when the asinine lockout ends.

Joseph is participating and running through O-line drills with Faine, Jeremy Trueblood and most, if not all, of the offensive line. Joe will update you throughout the day from camp, which is pushing about 50 players.

A shot from Joe at the Bucs players minicamp in Bradenton

Maybe the Bucs want insurance at running back other than “Insurance Graham?”

Justin “The Commish” Pawlowksi, of WDAE-AM 620, looks at one guy the Bucs might consider who wouldn’t command Derrick Ward money. That would be Ronnie Brown, coming off a second-rate season in Miami.

Joe will let you click through to read what The Commish has to say about the Bucs being one of three teams that might strongly sniff Brown.

Joe will say that the end of the asinine lockout will be damn interesting. Teams likely will get a very short window to re-sign their own free agents. If blocking icon Cadillac Williams wants to play the field, then the Bucs will all but be forced to look at free-agent, third-down backs — or a solid fullback.

Graham would do fine in a third-down back/fullback role, but Joe suspects the Bucs are acutely aware that Graham’s durability is a major question mark.

No, Joe’s no Ronnie Brown fan, but he can catch the ball.