Yes, Raheem Morris went there.

On Wednesday, during an interview on 1040AM, Raheem told host Tom Krasniqi that he didn’t want to hang extraordinary expectations on his third-round draft pick, Mason Foster, but Raheem seemingly couldn’t contain his enthusiasm for Mason.

Krasniqi asked Raheem what linebacker past or present in the NFL he likens Foster to. And Raheem went right for the top of the mountain under Lawrence Taylor. He picked Ray Lewis. 

Raheem said Foster’s movement, practice devotion, desire, hand usage and splash-play ability, among other traits, are all in the Ray Lewis mold.

Raheem also went on to detail how hard Foster practiced at the Senior Bowl explaining that Foster put his face on everyone.

Joe can’t wait to see what this kid’s got.

Shedding blocks is a great quality for a linebacker, especially important for the men that patrol the middle of a defense.

Bucs third-round pick Mason Foster is one of those guys, so Raheem Morris passionately told J.P. Peterson of WQYK-AM 1010 yesterday.

The head coach/defensive mastermind seems like he can’t wait to use his new toy.

Raheem Morris On Foster: Seeing him live at the Senior Bowl and to see how he brought his attitude and demeanor to practice. And then you translate it over to game tape, when you go back and you watch more tape on the young man, and you see how physical he is with his hands, how well he moves men, how well he’s able to come off the edge, how you’re able to vary some of the positions the he can play, and play him in multiple positions. … He was asked to do different things in games, rush off edges, fill a hole, spill a player, and just be active as he can be. And that was the thing that really drew us to Mason Foster, especially because of where we’re at as a league right now. We don’t know who’s going to be a free agent. We don’t know who’s going to be [a] restricted [free agent]. And to have a guy that you can fill in at the spot that you don’t get via free agency, that really makes a great deal for us.

Foster seems like a super smart pick for the Bucs. If the guy really is this versatile at the NFL level — big question —  he’ll be valuable in the league an awfully long time.

Joe always loves hearing a young player reference the history of the NFL.

You’ve got to really love the game if you’re a 22-year-old running back and you compare yourself to two of the old-time greats.

Bucs sixth-round pick Allen Bradford, the 5-11, 240-pound manbeast out of Southern Cal, was asked today on WDAE-AM 620 what current NFL running back he most resembles in style. Bradford paused, then said he doesn’t compare himself to any modern backs. He said his style is more like Herschel Walker and Jim Brown, and he’s learned to run and protect his knees.

Joe thought that was very cool.

“I like to attack than be attacked,” Bradford said.

What wasn’t too cool was Joe doing some research on Bradford and learning that he’s got a history of injuries.

But Bradford says he’s healthy and hearty — 9 percent body fat — and ready to show fans why he was given the nickname “monster.”

A few weeks ago, St. Petersburg Times Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud made a profoundly strong statement without quoting any source that the Bucs have made up their minds: troubled Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib was a dead man walking at One Buc Palace.

Stroud claimed that the moment the NFL (or the United States judicial system) gave teams the green light to make player transactions, Talib would be jettisoned in a matter of seconds.

Hold up, says Bucs coach Raheem Morris. In speaking with Tom Krasniqi on WHBO-AM 1040 this afternoon, subbing for the vacationing Fabulous Sports Babe, Morris shot down reports of Talib’s demise in Tampa Bay.

Tom Krasniqi: There have been rumors that once [the lockout comes to a close] you will cut ties with Aqib Talib. Is there any truth to that?

Raheem Morris: No. We have not talked about that. That has not taken place. We will, but that time has not come yet.

Now Morris clearly stated a decision on Talib has not been made yet but he was adamant Talib’s future status with the Bucs hasn’t even been discussed.

Joe finds that a bit interesting but Morris said it in his own words: The report that Talib is gone is not true.

Yet.

America’s harshest critic of Barrett Ruud is no doubt former Bucs offensive lineman Ian Beckles, co-host of The Ron and Ian Show on WDAE-AM 620.

Numerous times on the air Beckles has gone wild on Ruud and challenged readers to sit down with him and watch film of Ruud and prove that he’s a good linebacker. In short, Beckles thinks Ruud is softer than a black banana.

Beckles isn’t shy, so it’s no surprise he confronted Raheem Morris about Ruud’s play during an interview today. The head coach was ready — with a backhanded compliment of Ruud.

“I know you’re one of Barrett Ruud’s biggest critics, but he just brings so much more to the table than the lack of physicality,” Raheem said, not challenging Beckles’ claims that Ruud is too soft.

Raheem explained that Ruud is so valuable in coverage and in leadership, among other areas.

And Raheem gave yet another indicator that the Bucs place a high value on Ruud. Raheem told Beckles that the Bucs might need to lean on Ruud and other free agents if the lockout drags on. 

Shortented time to prepare rookies and young players “increases the importance of free agents, your guy [Ruud] so to speak,” Raheem said.

Joe will have more from Raheem’s interview later.

Ruud holds a place in Raheem's heart

If Joe’s favorite Vegas sportsbook took odds on free agent signings, the line on the Bucs re-signing Barrett Ruud would have gone down yesterday.

Raheem Morris all but told J.P. Peterson on WQYK-AM 1010 to read between the lines when it comes to the head coach’s desire to bring back his leading tackler and most notable free agent on defense.

Raheem Morris: Those guys you just mentioned, Davin Joseph, Barrett Ruud, Quincy Black all the guys potentially free agents, all the guys that may be free agents, or whatever the case may be. The only thing you can say about those guys is they’ve got a lot of money in my emotional bank account. Those guys have made plays for us. Those guys have gone out every day and sweat. They’ve gone out every day and led. They’ve done it the right way, and hopefully things will work out for Tampa, and we don’t lose good players. And we get a chance to re-sign our guys like we always talked about. You know, everybody’s always talking about free agency in Tampa, but we want to go out and draft guys, bring them here, let them play well and then re-sign them. And that’s how our free agency kind of goes because we want to keep the guys on our team that we feel like can help us win championships.

Joe doesn’t doubt the Bucs’ interest in Ruud. The real question is what the Bucs think he’s worth — and what Ruud thinks he’s worth. Hopefully, the damn lockout is kicked to the curb this week and Bucs fans can get a quick answer.

Raheem Morris was on fire talking about his team and some of his new young men yesterday. The head coach brought his A-game energy to an interview with J.P. Peterson on WQYK-AM 1010 and said he has big plans for fifth-round pick Ahmad Black.

Raheem likened the former Gators safety/cornerback to Cody Grimm and Tanard Jackson (pre-drugs) and said only Black’s pre-draft measurables are what draft him into the fifth round. But the Bucs, Raheem says, don’t care much about those numbers.

Raheem on Ahmad Black: We’re in the room and Ahmad Black’s on the board, and we’re in the fifth round. And I looked right at Mark Dominik and he looked at me, and we looked at each other and said, ‘Hey, if we didn’t have a combine the week before, we would have took Ahmad Black in the second [round].’ Throw all that stuff out the window. He’s a football player. He reminds me of a guy like Cody Grimm that’s going to come in here and shock some people and potentially get on the field. Or another guy that came in here and did really well for us as a rookie, Tanard Jackson going out there being a shocker in the fourth round and transitioning from a corner. Man, this guy Ahmad Black, man, when he gets on the football field, he’s got ball skills, he’s got awareness, he knows what to do when he gets the ball in his hands, and he absolutely loves the game. And that’s the kind of guys we want to have.

Joe finds it interesting and important that Raheem said “potentially get on the field.”

Frankly, Joe’s not sure many Bucs fans are tuned into the reality of the 2011 Bucs. This is not a team where rookies are necessarily going to get playing time. And they’ll have to fight a lot harder than last year to make the roster.

In 2010, the Bucs needed unprecedented numbers of rookies to come in and not just play, but play extremely well.  This season, especially considering Mark Dominik’s reputation, late-round picks might be on other teams before opening day.

There are players on the Bucs roster that if the recent draft didn’t raise their antennae, then they are in for a rude awakening whenever training camps begins this summer (fall?).

Good guy Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times yesterday afternoon listed several (one of which is Kyle Moore, who Joe wrote about as well). Holder writes about Bucs players as winners and losers in the draft and atop the list he has for Bucs losers is middle linebacker Barrett Ruud.

Barrett Ruud: The Bucs plan to have third-round pick Mason Foster begin his career at middle linebacker, which is of great significance to Ruud. The four-year starter at middle linebacker is a free agent and is looking for a long-awaited payday after having his free agency postponed last year because of the uncapped season.

There have been some ill feelings on Ruud’s part because he wasn’t offered a contract extension as Donald Penn — also a restricted free agent at the time — was.

The addition of Foster doesn’t automatically mean the Bucs are moving on. But it does mean Tampa Bay, at a minimum, has a Plan B in place and will certainly use that to their advantage in contract negotiations.

Joe will have more about Ruud and Raheem Morris later today that Bucs fans will want to read. But Joe’s not ready to pack the U-Haul for Ruud quite yet. Many Bucs fans simply cannot grasp the concept that in Raheem Morris’ defense, Ruud is not required or asked to be a prototypical linebacker that every football fan has a popular image of. In layman’s terms, Ruud is a glorified safety; not a linebacker.

Putting a Ray Lewis or Jack Lambert-type middle linebacker in Morris’ defense would be a horrible fit, like having a wishbone quarterback play instead of Josh Freeman. To have such a linebacker would mean Morris would have to completely rebuild and retool the defense.

In other words, it would be a return to the heinous Jim Bates Experiment.

More than a few Bucs fans have to hit a bottle of Mylanta daily — along with other types of bottles — nauseated over the fact the Bucs will once again play a home game in London.

Bucs fans have tried to come up with various scapegoats for the decision, the most (un)popular of which is that damned English kickball team that Team Glazer owns. That property is a veritable pinata for Bucs fans who blame the team for just about everything from beer prices at The CITS to the high pollen count from oak trees.

But Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune states the Bucs playing another home game in London was more a favor Team Glazer did for NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell in his time of need.

Oh, and there is a silver lining for Bucs fans in the Bears game being moved to London, so Cummings details in a TBO Bucs Q & A article.

Q: Does anyone know why the Bucs are going back to London for the second time in three years? With only five games played in London, the Bucs are the only team going twice — and most have not played there. Worse, the Bucs are giving up two home games to play there. Is this because they cannot sell out at home? Or is it because the Glazers own Manchester United? Considering the NFL originally planned for all the teams to go there (in a cycle), it seems a little early to break that policy. I think there is a story behind this.

Sam Shukovsky, Wilton, CT

A: First off, the Bucs are going to London again because the league asked if they wanted to and the team said yes. Why they were asked to go for a second time when others haven’t gone once is uncertain, but it no doubt has something to do with the uncertainty regarding the CBA and the start of the season. The league needed to set this game and probably took the first teams to agree to go. Second, the Bucs see it as an opportunity to market their team, even to the fans back home. There is a fear on their part of the game not selling out at home and it not being shown locally. They’ve agreed to reimburse the season-ticket holders for their loss. The good news is that this “home” game will be seen locally on TV. Had it not sold out, it would not have been. The only people losing out in that case are the season ticket holders, and they’re being reimbursed.

— Woody Cummings

True, the game played in London ensures that Bucs fans will get to watch the game on TV in the Tampa Bay market, Joe gets that. But with a game in October, Bears fans, fresh off an appearance in the NFC Championship game, would have flocked to the Tampa Bay area all but locking up a sellout.

In October, the weather has already turned miserable and lousy in Chicago, which it is for nine months of the year.

Since Team Glazer did a favor for Goodell, perhaps Goodell can do a favor for Bucs fans, you know, like getting a damned CBA locked up sooner than freaking later.

Or at least give the Tampa Bay area another Super Bowl.

In his trial in New York in an attempt to skate on pot charges, former Bucs quarterback Chris Simms threw his friends under the bus claiming they were the ones smoking left-handed cigarettes.

New York cops had a different story, per Scott Shifrel of the New York Daily News.

Chris Simms was so stoned that the Tennessee Titans quarterback was “like a zombie,” the cop who arrested him at a traffic stop told jurors on Monday.

Simms, 30, son of former Giants quarterback Phil Simms, reeked of marijuana and refused to take a blood test after the July 1 stop, Police Officer Francisco Acosta said.

“He was out of it, like a zombie,” Acosta told jurors. “He was very, very unsteady on his feet.”

The thing is, if Simms would have just sucked it up he would have had a wrist-slap by New York authorities. Instead, Simms, per Shifrel, is looking at a year in a cage if convicted.

How dare popcorn-shoveling NFL scribe Peter King, of Sports Illustrated, write that Team Glazer has a limit on what it would pay a player even if said player is a superstar.

Didn’t King read Joel Glazer’s famous quote,”Money will never be an issue when building this team?” How dare King all but say he thinks Glazer’s comments are hogwash. Why would King attack the credibility of Team Glazer?

King shared his toughts in his recent mailbag at SI.com.  

"That's nice, Drew. But we're going to bury you this year."

Of course, Joe hates the Saints and can’t wait for Adrian Clayborn to shatter Drew Brees’ face mask.

But Joe keeps track of all things Bucs-related, and in the world of lockout journalism, Saints players launching organized workouts in a big way is Bucs news. NFL.com reported a majority of Saints are attending the camp at Tulane University and caught Brees talking big.

“We have everything here we would have at our training facility. Guys were here in bigger numbers than even I expected,” Brees said.

He added: “The more organized you can be as a team, the more you can communicate during May, June, July, the better. None of us know how long (the lockout) is going to go on. This gives us the best position to be successful once the season does start.

“It helps when you have veteran guys like (safety Darren) Sharper, (linebacker Jonathan) Vilma, Stinchcomb showing up.”

Now Joe knows Josh Freeman worked out at USF recently with what Tampa Tribune beat writer Anwar Richardson reported were skill position players.

But this Saints stuff with 37 guys showing up and private trainers, and covered by NFL.com, is enough to start Joe wondering when Freeman will round up the rest of the team and do something similar.  

Get’em out there Josh.

Former Bucs QB Jeff Carlson

Former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson (1990 & 1991) writes The QB Blast column here at JoeBucsFan.com. Joe is ecstatic to have him firing away. Carlson is often seen as a color analyst on Bright House Sports Network, and he trains quarterbacks of all ages locally via his company, America’s Best Quarterback.

By JEFF CARLSON
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Prospects falling down in the draft are nothing new for the NFL. 

Warren Sapp fell significantly for rumored drug use. Aaron Rogers fell for no good reason. And now that Alex Smith is basically a bust for San Francisco and Rogers is hugging the Lombardi Trophy, we all know it was for no good reason. 

There are plenty of those stories over the years, but maybe no other matches the fall of Da’Quan Bowers. Bowers was the early favorite at the top of most draft boards after Andrew Luck decided to stay in school. The question about the ACC Defensive Player of the Year falling from the top of the board to the middle of the second round, not because of drug use, which never became an issue for future Hall-of-Famer Sapp, is his physical health.

The most prominent or maybe the only issue is a surgically repaired knee that his college coach said didn’t respond as well as they had hoped to some kind of surgery.

The word on the street is that he has a degenerative arthritic knee and is “bone on bone.” If this turns out to be a single issue, I believe he will be able to overcome it through medical technology.

There are a number of products that “create” cartilage to give the knee back the cushiony space needed to have the joint move smoothly without the bone rubbing and wearing out on both the top and bottom of the knee. I actually work for the company (sanofi-aventis) that just bought the company (Genzyme) that is the leader in this kind of surgery called “Carticel.” I don’t know for sure if this is what he already had done, but it sounds like it may have been.

It is obvious that every team in the league saw more of an issue with his knee or other problems that made them pass on his outrageous potential, but the Buccaneers will not get any blame for giving this talented player a chance, even if he never becomes a significant contributor.

However, they will be given major credit if he turns out to be the player that was talented enough to be on top of draft boards, even if it was for only a short time and even if his career is shorter than it should be.

His highlights are more impressive than any other defensive lineman that went before him. 

Every team in the league has missed on first-round picks and subsequent picks. Da’Quan Bowers’ role model was fellow Clemson DE Gaines Adams, a miss by the Buccaneers at No. 4 overall pick in 2007 and traded by 2009. Another recent miss was wide receiver Dexter Jackson, a second round pick in 2008 gone the next year. Even with those misses, the Buccaneers are poised to be one of the better teams in the league next year and into the future, so taking Bowers at No. 51 was certainly worth the risk, because the reward could be off the charts.

On another note, the draft isn’t quite as exciting when your team doesn’t have a need at quarterback, but how comforting to know the Bucs have no need at QB. I don’t think I would trade Josh Freeman for any other quarterback in the league right now!

Joe loves to be associated with champions, and in the world of auto dealerships that champion is Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa. Their customer service and great deals are second to none, in addition to their fabulous charitable work in the Tampa Bay community.

In fact, Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa recently was honored by Cadillac with its prestigious Dealer of the Year award.

So check out their new and pre-owned inventory online now, or just head to their beautiful showroom at 101 E. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa.

If the drafting of Adrian Clayborn didn’t get the attention of Bucs soon-to-be third year defensive end Kyle Moore, then the selection of Da’Quan Bowers must have.

Moore, who Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik had high hopes for when he spent a fourth round pick for in 2009, has had pretty much zero impact with the Bucs defense.

To be fair, Moore, who has yet to record an NFL sack and has a grand total of 28 tackles, was hurt his rookie year and never did get on the right track. There really was no excuse for last year when he was all but invisible. Joe knows though his sources that the Bucs hierarchy has been disappointed in his lack of progress.

This may have been one of the reasons why Todd Wash was waved goodbye after last season. The younger players on the line such as Roy Miller and Gerald McCoy, along with Moore, either regressed or never progressed.

Now enter two stud defensive ends.

The knee jerk reaction would be that Stylez White is on his way out. Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune told Tom Krasniqi of WHBO-AM 1040 yesterday that it seems to be a mere formality that White, a free agent, is gone.

Joe isn’t quite ready to buy that, though Cummings makes a compelling case that the Bucs covet others on the defensive line such as Alex Magee more than White. Even though White had just a meager 4.5 sacks through 16 games, he still led the Bucs in sacks. No one knows with any certainty if Clayborn or Bowers will do much next year so why not keep Stylez as a safety net? Mark Dominik even put a restricted free agent tender on him already.

It’s possible that Clayborn will get a starting nod off the bat since he is both a first round pick and will play right defensive end, which is where White played.

If Bowers is healthy, he would play on the left side, which is Moore’s side.

Joe’s going to guess that Moore gets one more year, one more chance with the new defensive line coaches to prove himself. If, with the new coaches and plenty of talent surrounding him, Moore still can’t take advantage and is still as invisible as he was the past two seasons, Joe’s confident Moore will not be in a Bucs uniform come 2012.

Joe enjoyed a chat today with Bucs seventh-round pick Anthony Gaitor, who graduated from Florida International University this afternoon. Joe could sense Gaitor is a Raheem Morris kind of guy — real high-energy and positive. Gaitor, who played multiple positions in the secondary and returned kicks and punts at FIU, said he’s been a Bucs fan for years and talked about his experience at One Buc Place and more.

JoeBucsFan.com: So you grew up in Miami, are you a Dolphins fan?

Anthony Gaitor: Actually I’ve been a Bucs fan for a long time. Three guys from my high school, Torrie Cox, Antonio Bryant and Nate Webster, were Buccaneers and everybody knew who those guys were.

Joe: Did you ever meet them at high school?

Gaitor: I did. Antonio Bryant talked to the guys at school and gave me pointers, told me to stay focused and inspired me telling me I could be in the NFL.

Joe: I read you were 150 pounds entering college. Is that accurate? Did your size hold you back and how did you put on weight?

Gaitor: That’s right. I learned quickly how to eat the right things and hit the weight room. I learned those lessons fast. I had to. No matter what my size I was putting in the work and playing hard. I came from the bottom in a lot of ways. I had to push myself. I always had that type of energy. I’ve always demanded of myself to be better than my opponent. That’s me.

Joe: Your 40 time at your pro day dropped down to 4.45 and 4.5 after you worked with a trainer and that caught the eye of scouts. What happened there?

Gaitor: Really I just worked with trainer Cliff Marshall on proper running techniques and form for the sprint. It gives you an edge. The techniques were new to me.

Joe: So would you say you’ve always had great football speed but you just learned how to run a better 40?

Gaitor: Both, I guess. The techniques help all around.

Joe: Tell me about your visit to One Buc Place.

Gaitor: Oh man. I felt like I was home already. They showed me a lot of love. It’s a great facility. We watched film of me and film of the [Bucs] DBs and how they run their schemes. We went over some plays. …[Raheem] said, ‘When I first saw you, you jumped off film.’ He said he liked that I played hard and fast. It was first class.

Joe: So what can Bucs fans expect of your game?

Gaitor: They’re getting a playmaker. They’re getting a guy who can change the game. But they’re mostly getting a hard worker. I got a chip on my shoulder. I gotta work to be the best. Right now I’m just tyring to work to make the roster. Whatever I have to do. 

Former Bucs guard Ian Beckles (1990-1996) was on fire this morning on the WDAE-AM 620 airwaves blasting out takes on the Bucs draft.

Beckles advised fans to not expect much from the Bucs defensive line this season and to wait for the youngsters to mature in 2012 and 2013. But he’s very upbeat on the D-line’s potential.

Beckles said Gerald McCoy following a serious injury “has got to start from scratch again,” and all we know about McCoy is that “he had three sacks and was getting better.” Beckles said McCoy was “improving from doing nothing” early in the season, so he has a lot to prove.

On Brian Price, Beckles said his injury woes are “excuses.” That may sound harsh, Beckles said, but “that’s what his coaches think … because that’s how NFL coaches are.”

Beckles likes the Adrian Clayborn pick in the first round, he says, largely because Clayborn seems to be a player stout against the run, something the Bucs desperately need.

And Beckles tossed a bucket of cold water on Da’Quan Bowers, telling fans to realize he fell from No. 1 because he has a bad knee. Beckles said Mark Dominik downplaying concerns about Bowers following the draft is simply spin. “He’s the GM. He has to say that,” Beckles said. “Bowers led the country in sacks. C’mon.”

Joe will save Beckles’ take on Barrett Ruud’s demise the Mason Foster pick for later.

The word on the street from NFL scouts is that Bucs fourth round draft pick Luke Stocker from Tennessee is a physical freak but his problem is producing each game.

This information comes from Bob Papa who co-hosted “The Opening Drive” with Ross Tucker heard exclusively on Sirius NFL Radio.

A Bucs fan had called the show this morning to discuss some of the Bucs’ Day 3 picks when Papa released his information on Stocker.

Bucs fan: Da’Quan Bowers is a steal no matter how long he lasts. But can you speak about the tight end and the defensive back the Bucs took Saturday. Oh, and the Bucs need to resign Barrett Ruud.

Ross Tucker: Ahmad Black was exceptional playing for the Florida Gators but he tested out horribly. His best time was 4.7 but he ran some 4.8 times. It’s amazing he is that good of a player for being that slow. He has great ball skills and he must with those times.

Bob Papa: That is crazy. That’s less than a second faster than me.

Tucker: Right, and he is smaller than you.

Papa: I spoke with some scouts at the Senior Bowl and they told me Stocker is really an intriguing guy. It’s just a consistency thing with him. He needs to make plays game in and game out. He has the physical attributes but the thing is he needs to maximaze his potential each and every play. You look at him and think, “Wow, he should come in and really help.”

To Joe, this boils down to coaching. If Stocker is coached up, he should be able to be a bit more consistent. But it’s great to hear via scouts that Stocker has the ability to shine on the next level.

Everyone can analyze the Bucs’ draft 20 different ways, but it’s very clear the Bucs made at least one bold statement: the team is happy returning its 2010 offense.

It’s interesting, considering the Bucs were 20th in the NFL last year in points scored and 19th in total yards, even with Josh Freeman have a stunning season through the air and on the ground.

The Bucs didn’t address the offense until halfway through the draft. Fourth-round pick Luke Stocker seems to be a solid player, but Kellen Winslow is still the go-to guy in the passing game, and there’s no reason to think that’s going to change. And sixth-round running back Allen Bradford has about zero chance of being a starter.

Obviously, the Bucs envision Freeman, the receivers, LeGarrette Blount and the offense improving from experience, but that’s hardly a given. 

The odds of the Bucs adding a skill position player in free agency seem about as likely has Joe dating Bucs cheerleaders, so this is it. There’s a lot riding on Freeman and Blount’s big shoulders.