Joe caught up with fourth-year Mr. Everything on the Bucs offensive line, Jeremy Zuttah, after practice today. Zuttah talked about playing in Kansas City, how it’s frustrating to be perceived as a backup, and more.

JoeBucsFan.com: How do you think you played the other night in Kansas City?

Jeremy Zuttah: I thought I played pretty well. I’m getting used to center against a 3-4 defense still, so just trying to get better every day.

Joe: As far as blocking against a 3-4 when you don’t go up against that in practice, what’s that adjustment like?

Zuttah: Right now we’re just focused on getting better. We go over the schemes in the meetings, but we’re not really scheming now for the first preseason games. We’re just going out there to try and play fast, and you get used to it as you go.

Joe: You’ve successfully started at three positions and you’re a very valuable guy. Is it ever frustrating that you’re probably looked at more as a valuable backup than as a starter?

Zuttah: Yeah, it’s definitely frustrating. I mean nobody’s goal is to be a backup in this league. So I’m just going to keep my head down and try to get better and hopefully things will work out for me one day.

Joe: Is there a key to your preparation to be ready at three different positions?

Zuttah: I think the way we prepare I think it’s easier to know everything than to try and focus on one position. It’s not too hard to learn one position, so why not learn them all and know what’s going on around you at all times.

Joe: Has much changed for the offensive line yet with the new O-line coach?

Zuttah: We still have the same offensive coordinator, and the type of plays we’ve had are pretty much still the same. I mean I’m not sure if when the season starts we’ll start calling more toward one area or another, but we still have everything.

Joe: Is zone blocking still around?

Zuttah: Oh, yeah. We used that [in Kansas City].

Joe heard sweet music today from Cody Grimm out at One Buc Palace. A massive key to the Bucs defense, specifically the run defense, Grimm is feeling great.

“I’ve made a ton of progress,” Grimm said with a smile.  “I really needed to run on it [in training camp]. The ankle’s a lot looser. I feel great.”

The Bucs practiced in shorts today under the broiling sun and practice ended a bit early. There was also plenty of national media swirling around.

Dezmon Briscoe continues to be a big target with great hands. And Joe was thoroughly impressed by Ronde Barber running sprints after practice and staying on the field to tutor youngsters and relative no-names.

Check back with Joe tonight and tomorrow for more from today’s practice at One Buc Palace. Joe’s got a couple of great interviews with Micheal Spurlock and Jeremy Zuttah to share.

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe brings you THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the team goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t.

No doubt it was a sad sight last night seeing beloved Cadillac Williams in a Rams uniform scoring a touchdown and looking pretty darn quick during an 11-yard run.

When Cadillac officially went to St. Lous early in August, Facebook was on fire with differing opinions about the man who carried a big load for the Bucs for the past couple of seasons, and going back to 2005. It’s hard to say who is right or wrong.

Cadillac was adored by many Bucs fans who love toughness out of their football heroes. We were crazy for our No. 40, Mike Alstott, and were able to overlook his fumbling problem for a few years because he scored touchdowns, was the definition of class, and with his Brad Pitt looks gave back to fans as fans gave to him.

We feel the same about No. 24; but is Cadillac Williams still a strong football player? Sure, last year showed us as much when he is not relied upon to be the main guy. Cadillac thrived in all areas as a third-down back. But much as Alstott had a downside, Williams two knee surgeries obviously had taken their toll.

People say Cadillac should be kept because he is a leader, yet most who played with him say he was quiet in the clubhouse. He wasn’t a team captain. He may be a leader to by his example, but experience doesn’t make one a ‘leader.’ One only needs to view the whole Cadillac Williams tribute Video on BucStop.com to see the way No. 24 ran in 2005 when he was a rookie. It wasn’t the same as in 2010, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, first and foremost, are a business.

We don’t like to think of it as such, but we’re reminded of it every time one of our favorite players is bid adios by the organization. It was hard to swallow when Derrick Brooks was let go, but the Bucs needed to move on one day, they just felt 2009 was as good as any. Looking back even farther, Joe Jurevicius, Warren Sapp, Hardy Nickerson, all at some time had to sit at the desk of someone telling them they were great in their time, but time did, after all, move on.

And no, the decisions weren’t always correct. John Lynch was let go even after offering to take a pay cut. The Bucs felt Lynch had his best days behind him, with his shoulder and neck issues. Tony Dungy (Colts), Herm Edwards (Jets) and Lovie Smith (Rams DC) all passed on him, too. Denver took a crapshoot, and hit big. Lynch played at a pro bowl level for several more years.

Up until this decade, Bucs fans have never really known what it’s like to lose local sports heroes. Oh sure, Jimmy Giles was cut and picked up by the Lions, as was Kevin House, and Doug Williams left for the USFL, but it wasn’t the same as when our Pewter guys were let go. But were now feeling what it’s been like for other team’s fans.

I can promise you Buffalo Bills fans weren’t too thrilled to see Thurman Thomas close out his careerin a Miami Dolphins uniform. Or Dallas Cowboys fans watching the NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith play his days out with a Bird on his hat. I won’t even get into the Green and Purple stuff.

But life goes on for the NFL, its fans, and its teams.

Someone else will move forward to play second string to LeGarrette Blount, and he will do just fine. There was a time when Cadillac Williams had to be taken off the field on thrid down because he could not pass protect better than Michael Pittman. In time, that job became Caddy’s.

We wish Cadillac well, and share our fond memories, and remember his courage and tenacity when we run into hurdles in our lives.

Before Joe heads to Bucs practice today, Joe enjoyed a warm yet sad feature on Adrian Clayborn in the St. Pete Times.

Rick Stroud did a nice job sharing thoughts from Clayborn about his brother’s murder and more. Here’s one excerpt quoting Raheem Morris sharing a take from Donald Penn on Clayborn’s alleged Erb’s Palsy limitations. 

“Penn asked me the other day, ‘Which one of those arms don’t work again?’ ” Morris said. “He said, ‘He just punched me with both of them and they both hurt.’

“He’s a different guy with hand usage with technique. He has different things about him, his inside move, his outside move, his speed rush, his lean, his anger; it’s awesome.”

Joe suggests you click through above and read the story. Joe hasn’t watched Friday’s Bucs-Chiefs game a second time yet, but Joe was glad to see Clayborn get loads of snaps. Joe’s guessing it was at least 25.

Joe can still here the bawling of Bucs fans when one brings up the name E.J. Biggers. For many of these Bucs fans, Biggers should have been flogged in public and cut from the Bucs because — cue the tape, please — “WWHHHAAA!!! ‘Megatron’ beat him!”

Who is “Megatron?” Joe is told that is Calvin Johnson. (Honestly, Joe has never heard Calvin Johnson referred to this aside from on this very site in the comments and from Raheem.)

So for the Biggers haters, even though he’s a damned fine cornerback and likely will start next season after Ronde Barber retires, if he retires, Joe has good news for you via Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

Seems rookie cornerback Anthony Gaitor is opening some eyes.

Q: With Aqib Talib possibly in some legal trouble, or facing a suspension. Have you seen any upside to E.J. Biggers, Myron Lewis, or Anthony Gaitor this summer.

Jason Charity, Yokota AFB, Japan

A: E.J. Biggers has definitely come on the last couple of years and is proving himself capable of being an effective starter. He’ll likely be the Bucs third corner this year, which means he’ll cover the right corner in nickel downs when Ronde Barber moves into the slot. Lewis has been a little bit slower to develop, but the Bucs have high hopes for him. We’ll get a better read on Gaitor during the preseason. He’s a player worth watching.

— Woody Cummings

While Joe is a big Biggers fan, Joe, like Cummings, is intrigued by Gaitor. This very well could be something to watch the next three weeks if Gaitor continues to play well.

Joe isn’t convinced Elbert Mack’s position is rock solid on the club.

Last year when blackout talk was sadly popular, Raheem Morris routinely said he only was concerned about the fans in the stands supporting the Bucs. They were the greatest fans in the world, Raheem would say, and the head coach would express empathy for the economic forces at play keeping many fans from buying tickets. 

You get the idea.

But in 2011, it seems the tone of the head coach has changed. During a radio interview prior to the Bucs’ night practice last Saturday, Raheem talked about how he wanted to see a full house in the building, stressing that it was a free event and there were no excuses not to come out and enjoy the team, the fan-friendly practice and the fireworks.

Joe made a mental note but didn’t write about that comment at the time. It seemed like it could be a one-off take. Of course, the night practice was a popular event, but the stadium was nowhere near half full.

Last night, speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network following the Bucs’ blowout preseason win in Kansas City, T.J. Rives interviewed the head coach and closed the chat by saying he would see the coach at home against New England next week. Raheem responded by saying he’d see him in “a packed stadium.” (This just in. The Bucs will be nowhere near sold out on Thursday.)

To Joe, it seems like the head coach is sending a message to the community, — show up and support this damn youngry, 10-6 team — and Joe thinks this is a bad idea. First, Raheem’s only job is to win football games, so his time is best spent worried about stuffing the run. Second, it’s a battle he can’t win. Fans will do what fans will do, for whatever reason they feel like doing it.

If Raheem escalates the attendance talk, it will only backfire on him. The media will ask him more attendance questions, and the fire will be hard to put out.

Joe fears Raheem is taking a cue from one of his mentors and best buddies, Rays manager Joe Maddon, who loves to take measured pulic shots at the Rays support at the gate and the subpar quality of Tropicana Field.

At least Maddon has two division titles under his belt and ownership that likely cheers every time he rips the stadium and support. Raheem has nothing of the sort in his corner, Joe’s quite sure.

Joe’s calling attention to this simply because he wants Raheem to ditch the rhetoric before it takes away from his exciting young team. Another few one-liners and the wrong media types will take notice.

Raheem Morris is always saying his players must strive to play “fast, hard, smart, and consistent.” On Friday in Kansas City, rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster didn’t have to be as smart.

In a nod to Foster being greener than the honeydew Joe’s enjoying with his eggs this morning, Raheem snatched the playcalling duties and the headset from Foster and gave them to Quincy Black during last night’s game. Earlier in the week, and before that, Raheem — and Mark Dominik –had expressed confidence in Foster’s ability to handle all the traditional duties of the mike linebacker.

Roy Cummings of TBO.com penned the explanation from Raheem:

“I thought about it after a while and decided to give the head set to Quincy because he’s going to be out there on every snap,” Morris said of Black, who plays middle linebacker in the Bucs’ nickel defense.

“That takes something else off of Foster’s plate, which allows him to play a little faster and that was awesome. It allowed him to be more explosive and play faster and just play on instinct instead of calling the defense.”

Wise move by the head coach/defensive coordinator.

Without months of playbook study and OTAs, courtesy of the asinine lockout, there was ro reason to think a rookie would be ready to lead the defense after two weeks of practice. Foster must have felt like a huge leash was taken off his neck.

He responded with a fumble recovery and playing fast and physical along with the rest of the Bucs’ first-team defense.

Former Buccaneer Dave Moore marveled on the team’s radio network at the dimension Foster brings saying the rookie plays a style that’s necessary for success in Raheem’s defense. “He covers a lot of ground and he plays very physical,” Moore said.

In all, Joe was pleasantly surprised by Foster. Despite being heralded as a superstar-in-waiting and anointed starter, the guy was still a late third-round pick in a draft class that wasn’t considered exceptional. There’s a lot to prove, and a lot of hope.

Hey, the Bucs played a stellar game against the Chiefs and humiliated them on their home turf. Bravo! Joe couldn’t be happier.

But one major thing Joe was looking for Friday night was the Bucs’ run defense improving.

Joe’s not sure the Bucs showed much in that area.

First, the Chiefs No. 1 superstar running back, Jamaal Charles, didn’t play. Their No. 2 back, potential Hall of Famer Thomas Jones, had two carries for 25 yards. And their No. 3 guy, Jackie Battle, sports a 2.9 yard career rushing average and he ran for 3.1 yards a carry.

Sure, the Bucs were swarming, forced a fumble from Battle, and Joe’s not knocking them, but Joe’s just not ready to say the Bucs are any closer to ending 2+ years of poor run defense.

In the opening series, either Frank Okam or rookie E.J. Wilson (Joe’s pretty sure it was Wilson) got so turned around and off balance on Dexter McCluster’s eight-yard run, Joe feels bad for him when the coaches watch game film in his presence. The poor guy looked like Joe getting shuffled out of Mons Venus after accidentally walking into the undressing room.

Thankfully, Cody Grimm was there to clean up the mess with an open field tackle on McCluster that forced a punt. And Grimm was there to take down Thomas Jones after his 17-yard scamper. Jones took great offense at Grimm’s physicality.

Sensing a trend? It’s eerily similar to last year. The Bucs run defense is scary ugly without Grimm.

Joe looks forward to the Bucs playing a team that pounds the rock with a quality back.

Wearing a Bucs t-shirt, his trademark fat gold chain and seemingly flanking Raheem Morris and Josh Freeman on the sidelines, Aqib Talib was the head Bucs cheerleader tonight.

Give that man a towel, tattoos and some pink hair, and he could have been Dennis Rodman cheering on his teammates (pick a team) as they ice another playoff game. Joe’s glad to see Talib being a vocal leader and embracing the team spirit.

Sadly, the Bucs’ real cheerleader hotties don’t travel to road games. (Anyone see the somewhat obese woman wearing Kansas City colors that rode a spotted horse out onto the field as part of the Chiefs pregame hype? Joe’s glad he lives in Tampa.)

Gerad McCoy, Arrelious Benn, Kellen Winslow, Myron Lewis, and Luke Stocker joined Talib among the Bucs in street clothes Friday, as Team Raheem stayed cautious with its wounded, though Joe didn’t know Lewis was banged up — again.

Joe isn’t one to get aroused by a kickoff specialist, but Roboleg Koenen, the Bucs new punter/kickoff guy is probably going to win the Bucs a game this year.

Yes, Joe is aroused.

By Joe’s count, in the first half Koenen had three touchbacks, including one booted out of the end zone. And the game-opening kickoff was halfway into the end zone and returned probably only because the Chiefs wanted to get their kickoff team some work. Elbert Mack proceeded to crush the Kansas City returner at about the 10 yard line.

Joe was pleased yet nervous about seeing healing Cody Grimm on the kickoff coverage team, but that’s all but worthless at this point thanks to Roboleg and the NFL rule that’s moved kickoffs up to the 35 yard line.

It was comfortable for Joe to watch backup quarterback Josh Johnson tear up the Chiefs tonight.

Johnson was Mr. Everything tonight. he led the Bucs in total offense, both through the air in passing and on the ground with rushing. His 24-yard run to bring the ball near the goal line was not an accident, so Johnson told the Bucs radio network after the game.

“On the run, it was a naked play,” Johnson said. The Chiefs defense “covered all of my reads and I saw a seam and tried to let my natural ability take over. Coaches have told me to do that. I hoped to get the team in position to make a score.

“Coach gave me a lot of opportunities to put some drives together. I was finally happy to get to play someone else.”

Johnson almost seemed a bit surprised he played that well as he noted it was difficult to go an entire offseason without a chance for OTAs or a minicamp or to hang at One Buc Palace studying tape.

“Not having an offseason was critical for us quarterbacks,” Johnson said. “We didn’t have a chance to get out mental reps in or get our feet wet. Now [in training camp] it’s everything times-10. Fortunately, we have the same coaching staff and are not struggling with a new playbook.

“It’s been different.”

The way JJ is playing, he’s putting together a reel for other teams to grab him next season when his contract is up.

It was a beautiful moment late in the first quarter with LeGarrette Blount catching pass for six yards after a play-action fake to him. Yes, Blount catching a pass! Then he powered three yards up the gut to set up third down and a long yard.

Blount took the third down handoff in the backfield and lowered his head — no dancing, no hesitiation — to grab three yards up the middle for a first down.

Blount came running off the field to his head coach going bonkers and slapping him in celebration.

Frankly, this is the Blount the Bucs need to win a playoff game this season. The guy is too talented to be a first- and second-down back that never catches the ball and can’t convert on short yardage — at 250 pounds.  That was fine last year when he was a rookie thrown into a new system and churned out 1,000+ yards and five yards a carry. 

Blount showed tonight that he’s evolving. Joe’s giddy at the thought of what this guy can do in 16 games with more touches behind a very high-priced offensive line.

Now Joe admits he had an adult beverage or two watching the game — no more than two — and Joe was at home as to not be distracted by Courtney the Bartender.

But for a moment, Joe thought he had his Fat Cat beers — a solid choice, Joe has to add — spiked.

Joe actually saw a pass rush. Really! From guys wearing Bucs jerseys. Imagine!

Friends, a good defense starts up front. And the Bucs were getting pressure, getting disturbance in the backfield, making Chiefs quarterbacks sweat. And this was without Gerald McCoy, this was without Brian Price.

Kyle Moore — Kyle Moore! — even had a good night. Up until tonight, Joe thought Moore was a ghost, always talked about but never seen.

Moore said his success was because of his teammates on the defensive line, so he told the Bucs radio network.

“Man it felt good,” Moore said. “We worked together, it was great. As a defensive end, I would never get in the backfield without pressure from the middle. As a defensive line, we showed a few people we can rush.”

Moore all but called out former Bucs defensive line coach Todd Wash in lauding his new defensive line coaches, specifically Keith Millard.

“We are playing better, we are growing as a defensive line, we are starting to gel, we are feeling each other,” Moore said. “We actually have a coach that was a player and knows how to pass rush. He knows the mentality to get to the quarterback. All we can do now is improve.

“We are learning our new rules and our new schemes and developing a new attitude. If we continue, we will get a lot of sacks and a lot of pressure on the quarterback.”

Man, how refreshing is that to hear… and to see? Damn, Joe is just geeked to know the Bucs put this much heat on quarterbacks and got into the backfield often despite missing so many defensive linemen.

Let Joe make this perfectly clear: Joe LOVES Arrelious Benn. The Bucs wide receiver was just coming into his own last year when he blew up his knee which made Joe sick, still does to this moment.

Joe’s not sure whether it’s the fact Benn played for a college that Joe damned near went to or that Benn is one of the nicest guys Joe has dealt with in the NFL. Joe just likes the guy.

But the way Dezmon Briscoe played late last year, in training camp this year and tonight in the shutout of the Chiefs, Joe can see right now that Benn will be in a fight for his gig thanks to the way Briscoe is playing and this is not lost on the Bucs quarterbacks.

“Briscoe is a nice pick up for us,” Josh Johnson said after the game of the Bucs radio network. “He’s been putting the work in. You can tell he is hungry from being on the practice squad and he is taking advantage of every opportunity given to him. We know as quarterbacks that if we get the ball to him he will make the catch.”

Briscoe, who led the Bucs in receiving with four catches for 60 yards, even caught the eye of Raheem Morris.

“He kind of knows what’s going on and now he’s fitting himself into the role,” Morris said at halftime.

“It’s good to produce on the field,” Briscoe told the Bucs radio network.

The way Briscoe is producing, Benn will have to work to make the starting lineup. The old saying is if you snooze you lose. Getting hurt was not Benn’s fault at all. But in his void, Briscoe is shining.

Bucs 25, Chiefs 0

Well, Game 1 of the preseason is done and the Bucs dominated the Chiefs in every way imaginable at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Stay tuned with Joe into the wee hours of the morning as Joe will have updates and stories about the win.

Preseason Game 1
Bucs at Chiefs
Kickoff: 8 p.m.
TV: WTVT-TV Channel 13 locally.This is a nationally televised game so tune in to your local FOX affiliate. The game will be rebroadcast on the NFL Network at 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Monday.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 91.
Weather: Per Accuweather.com, thunderstorms are supposed to begin right at kickoff and may continue on and off until perhaps the fourth quarter. Temperature at kickoff is expected to be 83 and may get to 79 by the end of the game. Wind is expected to be mild.
Odds: Per Sportsbook.com, Bucs -3.
Outlook: Well, as hard as it is for Joe to get excited about preseason football, at least it’s not football in your underwear. And for a good part of the offseason, Joe was wondering if this game would ever happen thanks to the asinine lockout. But here we are, so Joe will raise a pint… or more. … But there will be some things to watch and Joe has pointed these out. Here are some more: Mike Williams and Josh Freeman have both looked otherworldly in training camp. Whether that is because they wear boxers or briefs, Joe is not sure. This will give us an idea tonight. … Also, Joe wonders if all that cash Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik dropped on a punter is worth it. Of course Joe believes field position is imperative. However, part of the reason that Dominik signed Michael Koenen was for kickoffs. But with kickoffs now five yards closer to the goal line this season, Koenen better put every damned one of his kicks into the end zone for his salary. … Then there is the backup running backs. Can Packers outcast Kregg Lumpkin, who Dominik has been pumping up like the second coming of Terry Metcalf, really replace Cadillac Williams? These are just a few of the things Joe will be watching for.

There have been shakeups with the men (no women transactions to Joe’s knowledge) who cover the Bucs for a living. Joe, who one Bucs beat writer described as “an ombudsman,” likes to discuss the ways various outlets cover Tampa Bay’s favorite professional sports team, in case you haven’t noticed.

There have been three significant happenings in recent days that will impact Bucs fans in their consumption of Bucs news.

* One less paper will cover the Bucs. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune has decided to not cover the Bucs with its own staff, which makes Joe chagrin in a number of ways, but this isn’t really surprising. Joe’s going to get a little “inside baseball” so bear with Joe.

In case anyone hasn’t noticed, newspapers are dying a not-so-slow death, at least how we currently think of them, which brings no joy to Joe whatsoever. Joe’s an old (?) newspaper guy himself and still freelances with various papers so this trend has hit Joe hard, both personally and financially. The current 19th century model of newspapers soon will go the way of the buggy whip. Now Joe has often been asked if the Tampa Tribune, for example, is going to die. Joe enthusiastically responds always, “NO!”

Now the paper version, the 19th century version of the Tribune, and other papers, may very well die in the near future but the “Tampa Tribune” name, like many other papers, will continue to live if not thrive on the interwebs.

But as papers are losing revenue more and more each year and the current business model continues to become more and more cost prohibitive, newspapers have had to devise ways to survive, sometimes drastically. So the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, owned by the New York Times chain, has decided to focus strictly on local sports, read: prep sports.

This depresses Joe as the most underrated Bucs beat writer, Tom Balog, will no longer cover the Bucs. Instead, he will be on the University of South Florida football beat.

The Lakeland Ledger, which has dapper Rick Brown as its Bucs beat writer, also is owned by the New York Times chain. It just surprised Joe that the chain would have two beat writers (Balog and Brown) cover the team for two different papers. Joe has no idea if this will happen, it’s pure speculation on Joe’s part, but Joe suspects the Sarasota Herald-Tribune will use Brown’s Bucs copy, or use Bucs content from the Tampa Tribune since the two papers have a content-sharing partnership.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s decision to drop Bucs coverage makes it the third paper in three years to stop covering the Bucs. The Orlando Sentinel stopped it’s Bucs coverage in 2010 and the Bradenton Herald discontinued Bucs coverage in 2009.

* Charlie Campbell of PewterReport.com is leaving the publication. Campbell, truly one of the good guys, has accepted a position with WalterFootball.com and will be a senior draft analyst for the publication.Charlie has always been way cool with Joe and Joe hopes and wishes the best for Charlie. His last day with Pewter Report is today.

* Lastly, Joe stands and applauds his good friend Justin Pawlowski of WDAE-AM 620. In case you haven’t heard, Justin has been named one of the personalities to host the Bucs pregame and postgame shows on the Bucs radio network, along with former Bucs linebacker Ryan Nece. Joe knows that Justin craved this gig and Joe is very, very, very happy for him.

Well done, Justin! Kudos, my friend!

Much has been made of Josh Freeman going back home to play against his hometown Chiefs. Freeman grew up in the Kansas City suburbs and was a Chiefs fan growing up.

But it’s also a homecoming of sorts for two other Bucs. Cornerback Aqib Talib and wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe played their college ball at the University of Kansas, located in Lawrence, basically a suburb of Kansas City.

(Geography lesson: Kansas City is sort of split in half as it covers two states. The Kansas side is Kansas City, Kan. and of course the Missouri side, where Arrowhead Stadium is located, is Kansas City, Mo. There is a street that divides Kansas City known as “State Line Road.” Houses on the western side of the street are located in Kansas, houses on the eastern side of the street are in Missouri. The running joke by Kansas City residents is “I sleep with my wife in [pick a state] and go to the bathroom in the morning in [pick the other state].”)

Joe chatted with Briscoe this week at Bucs training camp and the Bucs wide receiver, who arguably is having the best training camp outside of Freeman, discussed how excited he is to play for the Bucs.

“Going from Cincinnati to Tampa, there was a big age difference. There were a lot of older guys in Cincinnati. The Bucs team, as everyone knows, is a lot of young guys. I’m a young guy and I want to surround myself with those kind of players. We are youngry.”

“From the get-go, I wanted to be drafted by the Bucs. I told my family that. It didn’t quite happen but it all worked out.”

On wide receivers coach Eric Yarber saying he is the best route-runner on the Bucs.

“Best route-runner? That’s a compliment. Coach Yarber has helped me with my fundamentals. He tells me little things like keep your toes off your nose, that type of thing. It has really helped.

“Playbook-wise, this is very easy. In Cincinnati, it was veyr difficult knowing the route concepts but I learned this playbook really easy. It’s easy for me to line up and tell me what to do and I can do it.”

On Josh Freeman:

“Freeman is a great leader. He tells us if we are not running routes correctly and he will help us and if he overthrows a ball, he admits it. It’s little stuff like that that helps. It shows how much of a competitor he is and how much he wants to be perfect.”

On his fellow wide receivers:

“All of our wideouts, we are close, we may be the closest [unit] on the team.”

On his expectations for this season:

“I expect to make the playoffs and contribute by making plays.”

On why it was a difficult transition from Kansas to Cincinnati but the transition from Cincinnati to Tampa Bay has been smooth:

“The transition from Cincinnati to here was very easy. Cincinnati runs a number system and it was hard to adjust to the different types of routes. But here, it’s easier and you can play faster when you are not [bogged down] by thinking too much.”