Chucky’s been working for the NFL Network this weekend and Joe thinks he’s been doing a great job.

In this clip, which was shot after the Bucs selected defensive tackle Roy Miller of Texas (who Mike Mayock raves about), Chucky talks about the near-future of the Bucs.

In short, Chucky thinks the Bucs “are close” to being a dominant team.

Joe likes the Bucs’ fourth round pick, defensive end Kyle Moore from USC. Here’s the goods from NFL.com on Moore:

Rare height and wingspan for the position. Flashes initial quickness off the snap to pressure the outside shoulder of offensive tackles. Good overall playing strength. Can get into the tackle’s body with his long arms and bull rush. Stout at the point of attack when he plays with leverage.

Jim Bates is a magician with defensive ends and given this guy’s quickness and size, Joe is optimistic Moore will be more of an asset than that Kansas State guy the Bucs got yesterday.

There are further photos being leaked from the Bucs war room yesterday afternoon. Joe thought he would share them.

“Hey Raheem, there have been 16 selections already. And Josh Freeman is still there!”

“Ha! The Browns were stupid enough to give us their first round pick at No. 17! Can you believe it?”

“We did it! We did it! We got Freeman!”

“Well, our day is done Mark. I’m heading home. I’m sure going to sleep good tonight!”

The personification of a Jim Bates defensive tackle is a big ole’ nasty monster of a player who does little more than clog up the middle.

Bucs fans, meet Bucs third round pick Roy Miller of Texas.

Here’s a brief description from NFL.com on the newest Bucs defensive tackle.

Short, squatty frame. … Good lower-leg drive and use of leverage to hold up as a nose guard. … Can anchor against the double-team and create a pile. … Flashes some initial and lateral quickness as a pass rusher. … Quick hands and impressive upper-body strength to disengage from blocks and make tackles at the point of attack. … Flashes some explosiveness as a hitter. … High-effort player who will pursue down the line. … Physical player who has value as a short-yardage fullback or wedge-buster on special teams. … Helped himself with solid week of practice at the East-West Shrine Game.

Joe was hoping that the Bucs would have selected versatile Penn State wide receiver/return specialist Derrick Williams — who went to Detroit on the very next pick — but Joe likes what he sees from Miller.

Josh Freeman stated in a live chat on NFL.com that the Bucs told him the signing of Byron Leftwich was nothing more than "a smokesceen."

Though Joe is convinced Josh Freeman is the Bucs’ bust-in-waiting, to Freeman’s credit he has gotten off on the right foot.

In a chat on NFL.com yesterday, Freeman proved he’s already more honest than his coach when he said the Bucs signed quarterback Byron Leftwich as a “smokecreen.”

Even when they picked up Byron Leftwich. It was something they told me -– they told me it was a smoke screen, everybody would think they didn’t want a QB. They said they were ready to trade up. I think it worked out great. I was sitting there with my family and enjoying it, and I got to go to the team that I wanted to go to.

Good job kid! You are already winning brownie points with Joe for being honest. Of course, you probably got in trouble from Raheem The (Bad?) Dream.

Then again, you will be laughing all the way to the bank, huh, kid? (While Bucs fans are still crying in their pillows.)

Yes, yesterday was a horrible day. Day Two can’t get any worse, can it?

A reminder, if you can tear your eyes away from Rachel Watson for a brief moment, that Joe will be Twittering throughout Day Two of the draft. So if you want to read his musings, please go there. It’s free.

Now Rachel on the other hand, Joe knows she ain’t free! A man so fortunate to have Rachel on his arm Joe is convinced must have deep pockets to wine and dine such a beautiful woman.

Joe apologizes for calling out NFL Network analyst and NationalFootballPost.com columnist Michael Lombardi.

Joe needs to offer his sincere apology to Michael Lombardi.

Not long before the draft, Lombardi, an analyst for the NFL Network and a columnist for NationalFootballPost.com, not only predicted that the Bucs would draft their new franchise bust of a quarterback, Josh Freeman, but Lombardi predicted the Bucs would actually trade up to lock him up.

Joe just couldn’t believe there not only were people so deranged that they would even pick this stiff in the first round, but that there would be someone of such a twisted mind that would even entertain trading up for Freeman much less pulling it off.

Well, there was someone twisted enough to pull off such a move.

As a result, Joe apologizes to Lombardi.

"Hey, Dream, can you explain what "Stay The Course" meant? I'm still not getting it."

There stood Raheem The Dream on January 17 with an unflinching grin plastered on his mug.

He was the new head coach of the Bucs. The Glazer Boys’ new man.

The Dream talked about the closeness of the Bucs family and was asked about his plans for the direction of the team.

With that smile wide as can be, he said multiple times he will “Stay The Course.” “Stay The Course.”

One could argue he has been staying the course: obsessed with quarterbacks, reaching for picks, mortgaging the future, double talking and crafting an unconventional agenda.

It doesn’t feel good for Joe to judge any head coach who hasn’t coached his first game.  But Raheem The Dream is just too all over the place to deserve a break.

Joe’s rooting for you, Dream. Rooting for you to dig yourself out of the massive hole you’ve chosen to leap into.

With guys like Bill Cowher unemployed, was it smart for Lloyd and Harry to draft the team's newest bust?

Despite the fact Super Bowl-winning coaches such as Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren are lurking on the sides, either Lloyd and Harry, eeerr, Bucs general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem The Dream, are either too brave to know any better or they helped dig themselves their own grave after a short time with the Bucs.

That’s the impression Vacation Man of BSPN had: That the duo are comfortable in their positions taking such a monumental gamble on a guy who wasn’t even in the top tier of quarterbacks in his own weak conference.

If your head hit the dashboard when the Bucs drafted the Kansas State quarterback or were one of those fans at the draft party in the stadium who booed when the pick was announced, get used to the idea. The pace has slowed and the days of acting now and worrying about it later are over. At least for as long as Morris and general manager Mark Dominik are around and they’re sounding and acting like guys who think they’ll be around for a while. “We just made a long-term decision for this franchise,” Dominik told me a few minutes after picking Freeman. Drafting a guy like Freeman, who was considered a bit of a project by some teams, isn’t the kind of move if you think you’re holding a seat for Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan for a year. This is the kind of move you make when you’re thinking about setting down roots for a family and a franchise.

Let’s face it, if the Bucs win, say, three games next year with their quarterback situation no clearer than this past season and if the defense gets lit up like a Roman candle each Sunday, the few people sprinkled among the empty red seats at the blacked out games will be quite vocal for one of the three aforementioned Super Bowl-winning coaches. And for good reason.

Sacked and the season hasn't even started. Raheem The Dream laid a huge it on Luke McCown during a radio interview Saturday.

Raheem The Dream figuratively dropped his pants and let out a steaming deuce on Luke McCown earlier today. This was just after selecting — all together now — bust-in-waiting quarterback Josh Freeman.

Joe transcribed this for you earlier as part of Raheem The Dream’s interview on 620 WDAE-AM.

How about Luke McCown?

Raheem The Dream: “He’s in the best situation. He’s with a rookie quarterback. We’ll see how it plays out. We know Josh is our franchise guy. He’s the long-term answer.”

So there you have it. McCown, at 27-years-old, is not the long-term guy in his coach’s mind. What a way to head to mini-camp. So much for open competition.

What does that make Josh Johnson, that quarterback who The Dream was so excited about?

Make no mistake. Joe is rooting for Josh Freeman to be the smartest selection since Jeff Garcia plucked Carmella DeCesare from the Playboy mansion.

But that said, Joe also is rooting for Luke McCown to take his chance and run with it behind a powerful running game.

And there in lies a big problem.

If McCown succeeds, then Freeman was even more of a foolish first round pick, and “bozo” will forever be stamped on the heads of The Dream and Mark Dominik.

And the now the Bucs’ likely opening day starter, Luke McCown, has his GM and coach, in effect, rooting against him.

Are we to believe this is good for the Bucs’ “family,” that The Dream referenced so often in his first news conference back in January?

Yes, that’s the family that kicked its wise old uncles (Brooks, June, Dunn, Hilliard) to the curb and has now seen The Dream take a dump on McCown.

A Bucs team photographer at One Buc Palace snapped a shot of Bucs general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris celebrating just moments after successfully trading up to acquire Bucs bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman.

The Bucs’ bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman spoke on WDAE-AM shortly after Abbott and Costello made one of the dumbest draft picks in recent Bucs history. Below is a transcript.

“Coach told me to come back to Tampa. I’m really excited.

“We had a good relationship for sure [at Kansas State]. He was the defensive coordinator but he still helped me out. We had competition in practice. He ran the defense and I tried to beat it. He understood what kind of a person, player and competitor I am and what kind of a football player I am. I’m really happy to come to the Buccaneers.

“When I first decided to enter the draft, people said I was making the biggest mistake of my life. I remember Mike Mayock saying I would be drafted in the third round if I was lucky. Other teams told me I was a second or third round quarterback, maybe a mid-second or late first. I took it upon myself to show them what kind of a player I can be. I’m glad the Buccaneers saw it.”

What about the reputation of Big XII quarterbacks?

“If you lined us up on the same level playing field, I would come out on top. They are all tremendous football players but because my team’s record was not the best I got written off.

“Definitely there was one team that stuck out. I was leaving the stadium and I wanted to play there at all costs and it was the Bucs. Former NFL players told me, don’t get your hopes on one team so I tried to not do that but when I visited Tampa, I would be really upset if I didn’t get a chance to play for the Buccaneers. It all worked out.”

If Bucs' bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman blows up in the Bucs' face, all fingers will be pointed at Raheem The Dream.

Bucs coach Raheem The Dream spoke to the press after he doomed the franchise for the next five years by drafting Bucs bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman. The following is a transcript, heard via WDAE-AM.

“I’m really excited. We got our guy. We had a target on him. I had a unique relationship with him. He’s a potential franchise guy. I’m excited to build around him.”

Why not defense?

“Anytime you get a chance to get a franchise quarterback, a guy who creates excitement and is big and is accurate. He can be your guy of the future. You go get him.”

“Hey, when Peyton Manning was drafted, the Colts needed help on defense.

“You never say when a guy will be a franchise quarterback. He will tell you. We will take four quarterbacks to camp. They will compete. We’ll make a decision (on a starter) then.

“Whenever you get a chance to take a franchise quarterback, and you trust him, you go get him. There are other needs, but you go get him. We are strong on defense. We have more picks. We are excited.

“We involved everybody (on the decision to draft Freeman).

“I was lucky to be [at Kansas State] when he came in as a freshman and he led the team and beat teams. You felt like you had a chance to win when you had this guy leading you. I am excited about him doing that here.”

Was this pick for the long term?

“When you draft a quarterback in the first round you make a bold statement. He is here for the long term.”

What about short term?

“I don’t want to hold him back nor rush him. Let him practice. He’ll learn things (from other quarterbacks). If it’s like San Diego a few years ago (with Drew Brees and Philip Rivers), good for us.

“There’s a lot of pressure with my job period. I am paid to make these decisions and I made it.

“In trading up, I got a little nervous; [other teams] knew what we wanted. We were worried about plenty of teams. We were worried about someone jumping in front of us to get a 6-6 quarterback who is accurate.

“Bad decisions, can you coach. Those things you can correct. You can’t correct arm strength, accuracy, field presence. Everything you don’t like about him is correctable. Everything you like about him is special.”

Who starts this year?

“I am creating a competitive environment. I have a ton of quarterbacks on this roster that can play. If he becomes the best quarterback, there’s a good chance you will see him play.

“I went to Kansas State and he was a 6-5 freshman who was special. I saw the last two years on tape and was impressed. So was everyone else. It was impressive. We liked him; the scouts liked him. We got him.

“I developed a nickname for him. He was the first one on the field and the last to leave. He has all of that going for him. He was highly touted coming from high school. He was always asking questions. I compared him to Brett Favre. He was poor, hungry and desperate.

“We’re talking about a quarterback and [defensive coordinator] Jim Bates is fired up. If he plays well, we will all be here a long time. We are fired up.

“He’s my guy. I wanted him and I got him. He’s my guy. I went and got him. I’m fired up about him and you will be too.

“A quarterback has to work on everything: running a huddle, learning to read defenses. He’s been coached up. He’s pretty sharp. He’s more talented than I thought. He did that in this building. We’re excited about it. I am married to him.”

“There’s always a danger of having too much information on a guy so I tried to step back and give him a chance to be around people. He is the solution.

“This is the guy the last couple of weeks we have targeted all along and I’m excited to get the guy you targeted. I am fired up.

[As for who will start], “the best man will win. He will compete.”

How about Luke McCown?

“He’s in the best situation. He’s with a rookie quarterback. We’ll see how it plays out. We know Josh is our franchise guy. He’s the long-term answer.”

What about [Son of Bob]?

“Same thing.”

What about Byron Leftwich?

“Same thing. Whoever wins the battle will be great.”

What about Josh Johnson?

“Same deal. I can’t wait. We are ecstatic because we got the guy we wanted. It was fun to see him grow and lead us (at Kansas State). It will be fun to see him lead us now.

“The waiting game was tough.”

Any infighting on the pick?

“No.”

Do you expect Freeman to be like Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco and start right away?

“No, you can’t expect that. They were in different situations.”

Aqib Talib played against him in college. Did you talk to him about Freeman?

“Aqib gave us some information. He said he got picks against him but no one else could. Aqib said that [Freeman] could make big time throws.”

What about the critics of the pick?

“Critics? They have their opinions. They just give Josh Freeman ammunition to prove them wrong.”

Joe is so depressed right now he’s seriously thinking of looking for a 24/7 shrink. He’s almost in tears that Abbott and Costello down at One Buc Palace decided to Pearl Harbor the Bucs for the foreseeable future in drafting Bucs’ bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman.

To rub salt in the wound, Abbott and Costello traded up to get him.

In a Chucky-like move, the Bucs now have five quarterbacks. Joe sees one going for sure.

Goodbye Son of Bob.

Son of Bob was nowhere to be found at One Buc Palace during offseason workouts and an OTA. Though he had an excuse, coaches generally do not like it when a high-priced quarterback, known most for completing passes to players wearing different color jerseys, doesn’t show up to work out with the team.

Joe math: Josh Johnson + Luke McCown + Byron Leftwich + Josh Freeman = negative-Son of Bob.

Joe just thought he’d share some things about the Bucs bust-in-waiting, Josh Freeman.

From NFL.com via NFLDraftScout.com.

Must improve his footwork. His height makes him take long strides in his drop. Fails to step into his throws or square his shoulders at times, relies on his arm strength too often. Inconsistent accuracy from the pocket and throwing on the run. Needs to anticipate downfield throws better, sometimes getting the ball to his receiver a second early or late. Prone to turnovers, makes poor decisions trying to make plays that aren’t there. Does not feel backside pressure. Lacks touch on shorter throws. Ball comes out of his hands poorly at times, negating his arm strength. Sometimes pats the ball before the throws. Loose with the ball in the pocket and as a runner. Doesn’t move the pile as you’d expect in short-yardage situations, but his height allows him to be effective.

Compares To: JASON CAMPBELL, Washington — Freeman is a bit bigger and has more bulk. Both came from programs that really did not highlight their athletic talents, but like the Redskins did with Campbell, a team will have to show patience. He has a great arm that can rival Matthew Stafford’s but has to work on his delivery and release. With such a weak draft class at this position, he could be the third quarterback chosen in the first round. If Detroit trades down from the top spot, it is because they are convinced that Freeman will be around at number 20.

From NationalFootballPost.com:

Notice, there isn’t a prerequisite of a rocket arm or elite athletic ability for a quarterback to be successful in the NFL. Quarterback success is all about decision making, accuracy and timing in the pass game. Therefore, when identifying a possible number or statistic to aid in the evaluation of a college quarterback, nothing may be more helpful than considering his completion percentage. It boggles my mind to see a quarterback drafted high based on his pure physical skill set, especially when he never completed a high percentage of passes in his college career. What makes you think a QB who never completed 60 percent of his passes in college will be able to complete 60 percent of his passes in the NFL?

To add some substance to my thoughts, I want to look at every quarterback drafted in the first round from 1997-2004 who didn’t complete 60 percent of his passes during his final college season to show the alarming rate of failure.

More NationalFootballPost.com:

Tier Seven (Third-Round Talents)
QB Josh Freeman, Kansas State (6-6, 248)
QB Stephen McGee, Texas A&M (6-3, 225)
RB Rashad Jennings, Liberty (6-1, 231)
WR Mike Wallace, Mississippi (6-1, 199)
WR Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia (6-2, 210)
TE James Casey, Rice (6-3, 246)
TE Chase Coffman, Missouri (6-6, 244)
OT Xavier Fulton, Illinois (6-4, 302)
OT Gerald Cadogan, Penn State (6-5, 309)
OG Tyronne Green, Auburn (6-2, 309)
C Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas (6-4, 301)
DE Paul Kruger, Utah (6-4, 263)
DT Mitch King, Iowa (6-2, 280)
DT Fili Moala, USC (6-4, 305)
DT Alex Magee, Purdue (6-3, 298)
OLB Jason Williams, Western Illinois (6-1, 241)
CB Joe Burnett, Central Florida (5-10, 182)
CB Victor Harris, Virginia Tech (5-11, 198)
CB Gregory Toler, St Paul’s (5-11, 191)
CB Christopher Owens, San Jose State (5-10, 181)
FS Rashad Johnson, Alabama (5-11, 203)
SS Patrick Chung, Oregon (5-11, 212)

ESPN’s Merril Hoge via Twitter:

Freeman QB RAW very inconsistent not good when you want him to play in NFL!

SI.com’s Ross Tucker via Twitter:

I honestly think Freeman would have fallen to round two if it were not for Raheem Morris.

More Hoge from his blog:

Josh Freeman: Kansas ST, talk about raw, he is athletic and makes things happen when he runs but it’s not his first thought to run which makes him a gamble in the NFL but more importantly he would force things at times which could mean he was not sure of what coverage a team was in or he would single a WR out and throw the ball to him no matter what the coverage was saying. Neither one of these habits are very good. I felt his accuracy was ok and I did feel he was tough and his offensive line was not very good and they got into some games were it was a blow out. His best bet is to get drafted on a team with a great QB coach so he can spend a few years on the bench learning from his coaches and the QB’s in front of him and then will have a better chance to make an impact.

How did THE PESSIMIST react to the news that the Bucs drafted this slug Josh Freeman? He screamed so much a moron in the neighborhood — actually stupider than Mark Dominik and Raheem The Bad Dream — called the cops on THE PESSIMIST because people thought he was beating up his wife!

The Bucs football lack of a brain trust is not being run by Mark Dominik. It’s being run by Mark Dumbinik! Let’s reset things, shall we?

First Mark Dumbinik kicks Derrick Brooks to the curb.

Then Mark Dumbinik throws away a second round draft pick on a tight end who has a bad habit of missing games, has a bad knee, and his best-known catch has been a staph infection.

To complicate matters, Mark Dumbinik then signs said tight end to an obscene contract.

And if that wasn’t enough, Mark Dumbinik and Raheem The Bad Dream trade up to get an absolute stiff — TRADE UP!!!

What is wrong with you two clowns? WHAT EXACTLY IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO CLOWNS???

All off season, all we heard from Raheem The Bad Dream was how great Luke McCown is, how he never got a chance, how his teammates love him.

Then you breathe heavy as if you saw a clandestine video of Carmella when discussing Josh Johnson, how he’s the greatest thing since Steve Young, he just needs some work.

And you go out and trade up and get a quarterback in the first round????

LIARS!!! Pure and simple, LIARS!

In the past 15 years, of the 11 junior quarterbacks drafted, only two are even close to being successful: Aaron Rodgers (jury still out) and Ben Roethlisberger, a possible Hall of Famer.

The rest were garbage.

In the past couple of decades, here are the quarterbacks drafted in the first round who did not complete 60 percent of their passes their final year of college:

Jim Druckenmiller
Ryan Leaf
Akili Smith
Cade McNown
Michael Vick
Joey Harrington
Patrick Ramsey
Kyle Boller
Rex Grossman
J.P. Losman

Add Bucs bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman to that list. He threw for only 58 percent of his passes last year.

If THE PESSIMIST can figure this out, how come Mark Dumbinik couldn’t figure it out? If THE PESSIMIST can figure this out, how come lying Raheem The Bad Dream couldn’t figure this out?

This is a nightmare come true. A nightmare.

Simply put, THE PESSIMIST will never let this go. NEVER. Mark Dumbinik and Raheem The Bad Dream, you better pray like you’ve never prayed before. Because if the Bucs bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman doesn’t somehow have a divine transformation, you two just killed your careers with this pick.

It’s clear as crystal with this pick that Mark Dumbinik and Raheem The Bad Dream are over their heads in their current positions.

THE PESSIMIST now has to find his bottle of Bushmills and hope this day was just some drunken bad dream.

THE PESSIMIST is sick to his stomach!

This stiff you are looking at in this post is the future of the franchise and will be the reason why the Bucs will be a subpar team for at least the next five years. How fitting the Creamsicle unis are coming back this year.

Folks, remember the Yucs? Well, here they come again, led by Bucs bust Josh Freeman.

Joe has learned THE PESSIMIST will be checking in a little bit later. But first, he has to deal with the cops that were just called to his residence, so THE PESSIMIST might be a bit delayed.

Personally, Joe just cannot believe how stupid of a pick this is. Joe doesn’t know whether to cry or throw something.

This is a great day Bucs fans and it will be even better if the Bucs don’t draft Josh Freeman.

And Joe has some good news on that front. Please go to Joe’s Twitter account where he will have updates throughout the draft while watching the live stream of the NFL Network’s draft coverage on NFL.com.

[UPDATE: Twitter is the sign of the times. The Rams first round draft pick was leaked on Twitter minutes before Jason Smith was announced by NFL commish Roger Goodell.]

Christmas in April has come. Now what will the Bucs do with their presents?

Today will be a busy day. Some of you are likely to be at the CITS partying. Others will be at home on the couch like Joe.

As you have come to expect from Joe, he will be here to serve your Bucs needs. But rather than put up 20 posts in the hours leading to the Bucs selection at No. 19, Joe will have Twitter updates.

After the Bucs make their selection, you can then expect the waves of commentary and analysis on JoeBucsFan.com. And if NFL bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman is selected by the Bucs, rest assured THE PESSIMIST will have a few choice words.

And by all means make sure you monitor all of Justin Pawlowski’s draft analysis for Joe for background information. No one — NO ONE — in the Tampa Bay area provided more extensive coverage leading up to today than WDAE-AM’s Pawlowski in his exclusive JoeBucsFan.com draft analysis, totaling some 60 articles and podcasts.

In short, enjoy the draft and relax: Joe will do the heavy lifting for you today (and tonight).

(SHAMELESS PLUG: If, for whatever reason, you do not have NFL Network, get on the ‘net. NFL.com will be streaming live the NFL Network feed of its draft coverage. More Mike Mayock and less Chris Berman is a good thing! Trust Joe: The NFL Network’s coverage of the draft is far and away superior to BSPN’s.)

This modern-day Akili Smith better not be wearing a Bucs jersey.

Joe hopes that before you read this, you will have either yacked from the partying you did last night (or this morning) or that you haven’t yet had breakfast (or a late-night snack).

Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, claims the Bucs are locked in on selecting NFL bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman.

Joe will give you time to run to the toilet now.

OK, back? Here goes:

Per a league source, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are leaning strongly toward drafting Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman.

But the Bucs fear they might have to trade up to get him, for fear that the Jets would take him at No. 17.

God help us all.