Joe and NFL Draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM 620, have hooked up with the good folks at Courtside Grille in Tampa (Westchase) for a draft party on Friday kicking off at 6 p.m, although The Commish says he’ll be there at 5:30 to talk football and start drinking beer. 

No party favors, hookers, or giveaways. Just the draft on the big screens — with audio — on Courtside Grille’s huge covered outdoor deck. They’ve got some solid beer specials (The Commish was drooling over had his eye on some sort of 100-ounce beer bong for $17) and first-rate food.

So come on out and talk football and watch the draft. It’ll be a blast, and Joe’s sure you’ll find a TV with the Lightning playoff game on, and there’s free WiFi for all.

Super Bowl-winning coach Brian Billick and Laura Okmin discuss the Bucs selecting Adrian Clayborn in this FoxSports.com video.

He’s got 143 catches over two seasons and hasn’t missed a game, but Kellen Winslow’s chronic knee issues and suspect blocking are a serious concern, so says Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings of  The Tampa Tribune.

During an interview on The Fabulous Sports Babe Show on 1040 AM yesterday, Cummings said he believes the Bucs may view Winslow now as “just a third down player.”

Cummings says the Bucs would love to draft a tight end, especially considering Jerramy Stevens fishbowled his way out of the league and John Gilmore is a free agent turning 32.

Prospects Kyle Rudolph, Luke Stocker and Lance Kendricks are still out there for the Bucs on Day 2.

Joe thinks it would be a serious blow for the Bucs if Winslow’s role is limited. Joe can’t even count the number of times he’s heard Bucs opponents before and after games talk about how their teams game-planned to stop Winlsow. Him just being out there helps open up the offense.

Don’t think that when Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers was sitting there for the taking at No. 20 last night that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik didn’t pause. In fact, earlier this offseason, Dominik was all over Bowers as a Bucs defensive end but secure in the fact that drafting him was folly.

That’s the story from coffee-slurping, popcorn-shoveling, fried chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving Peter King of Sports Illustrated who broke down each team’s first round pick from last night.

20. Tampa Bay: Two months ago, the Bucs never thought they’d be passing on Da’Quan Bowers. In fact, when I saw GM Mark Dominik at the Scouting Combine in February and mentioned Bowers’ name, he shook his head and said he’d never be there at 20. Well, Bowers is there at 33, sunk by a bum knee. And Adrian Clayborn now becomes the speed guy around the edge the Bucs are desperate for.

Simply put, Bowers’ alleged bone-on-bone knee condition is way too big of a risk for the money that is shelled out to first round picks.

Joe is of the mind that, much like last year when Dominik drafted two defensive tackles in the first two rounds, if Bowers is still there when the Bucs pick tonight, Dominik just might be able to justify Bowers’ pick with low-second round cash.

OK, Joe has read all the excuses people are piling on about Bucs first round draft pick Adrian Clayborn and why he didn’t have a good senior season: He was overrated. He didn’t play against anyone (Joe had to pick himself up off the floor after reading that). He has a baby arm. He punched a cabbie.

Seems as though Gil Brandt is laughing like Joe.

Brandt, who was the architect of the famed “America’s Team” of the 1970s Dallas Cowboys, makes a good living as an NFL analyst for NFL.com, Sirius NFL Radio and still pulls in a paycheck from the NFL.

Brandt, as he told the Iowa Hawkeyes blog BlackHeartsGoldPants.com, fell in love with Clayborn’s motor after a come-from-behind loss to Northwestern in Chicago on the last week of the season.

“I just happened to be looking at the (2010) Northwestern game,” said Brandt, who spent three decades as the vice president of player personnel with the Dallas Cowboys. “I thought at the end of the game, when the game was on the line, he came from the right side, the quarterback’s backside, and he was really hustling to make a play. I think that’s a good mark when you see a guy late in the year, who’s gotten a lot of accolades — rightfully so — and he’s working hard to be a better player.

“You classify that as a hustle play or a competitive play. That play meant a lot to me as far as evaluating.”

Clayborn didn’t get to Northwestern’s Dan Persa on that play. He was a split-second late. Persa threw a touchdown pass that lifted the Wildcats to a 21-17 victory last November.

But that’s not the point to Brandt. What he saw was Clayborn — whose hustle as a senior was questioned in recent months in the NFL draft blogosphere — playing with max effort on the 82nd snap of the season’s 10th game.

Call Joe what you will, but Joe enjoyed the 3:30 p.m. Saturday Big Ten games and the noon games on Big Ten Network when he wasn’t distracted by Courtney the Bartender, of course. Clayborn showed Joe enough smarts and enough big plays that gives Joe reason to believe he has a chance to be a force with the Bucs.

The Adrian Clayborn pick by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik seems to have split the Bucs fanbase.

Many, largely consisting of those who don’t watch college football outside of the SEC, railed in outrage that Dominik would stoop so low as to pick a Big Ten player, as if Clayborn played in a JUCO league.

Others, who are open-minded and watch football from all corners and who have watched Clayborn play, nodded in approval of Dominik’s choice.

And who better to know an NFL prospect than former Bucs great Derrick Brooks?

Brooks, the greatest Bucs linebacker that ever played and now a pinball football executive, co-hosted “The Opening Drive” this morning with Bob Papa heard exclusively on Sirius NFL Radio. Brooks gave Dominik a golf clap for picking up Clayborn.

Bob Papa: I really thought the Da’Quan Bowers freefall would stop at the Bucs. I thought the Bucs would put the stop sign on and snag him. But they got quite a prospect in Adrian Clayborn.

Derrick Brooks: He’s a tough, hard-nosed kid that will go hard. I knew they liked him and they liked his toughness. The thing I liked about him is he has fluid hips which gives him the ability to make a change of direction from the right end. He’s physical at the point of attack. He will provide pressure fom the defensive front. When we got better, we did it on defense from front to back, started with Warren and myself.I see the Bucs adding that piece. I like the pick. I like the fact they went with Adrian Clayborn.

There you have it. It’s one thing to mock Dominik. It’s one think to mock Clayborn. It’s one thing to mock those who don’t play in a conference entirely located in the old confederacy.

It’s quite a different thing to mock Mr. Derrick Brooks.

Many readers know of JoeRaysFan.com and Joe’s proud partnership he has with Cork Gaines, the proprietor of the absolute best Rays blog on the interwebs, RaysIndex.com. It just so happens that Cork, who grew up in Carrollwood, is a Hawkeye.

No matter where Cork is, whether it is New York or back home in the Tampa Bay area or his current residence in Austin, Tex., Cork always finds a way to watch his Hawkeyes, and the Bucs, each and every weekend.

By Cork Gaines
RaysIndex.com

As a proud graduate of the University of Iowa, I did not miss a single play by Adrian Clayborn this year. So you can imagine that I am damn excited that he will be in a Bucs uniform this year. Here are a few thoughts on what I saw this past season…

THE GOOD: This guy is going to be an instant fan favorite. He is colorful and demonstrative. But he is also the “underdog” type. That is, he not a workout freak. He doesn’t have the best body. He is not the strongest guy and he is not the fastest. But his motor never stops. And every time you look up he has beat a bigger, stronger offensive lineman (or two) and is chasing the QB. He is a football player and he just has a knack for making plays.

THE BAD: Where you have to worry is that sometimes, grit and guts and determination can get you by in college, but not in the NFL. That being said, it was the Big Ten, so the offensive linemen Clayborn was beating were not slouches. There is some thought that he could really dominate in the NFL if he ever dedicated himself to get in shape. But how many guys suddenly morph into gym rats after they go to the NFL and get the big paycheck?

THE TELLING: If I had to pick one guy to compare Clayborn to, it would be Warren Sapp. Clayborn is not a physical specimen, but he is stronger than he looks, and has some deceptive quickness. He is a character and just seems to have a knack for getting to the quarterback. Sapp had his fair share of sacks. But how many more plays did we see where Sapp had broken through and forced the QB to scramble out of the pocket with Sapp on his heels? If Clayborn is playing well, we will see a lot of those.

As long as he makes plays, he will instantly be one of the most popular guys on the team and we will see a lot of “Clayborn” jerseys in the stands on Sundays.

Adrian Clayborn passed his first Buccaneer interview with flying colors.

The newest Buccaneer was intense and fired up on the phone tonight with draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski on WDAE-AM 620.

“I wanted to be a Buc from the start. That two-hour wait was worth it,” Clayborn said. “I just got off the phone with [Gerald] McCoy a minute ago. I’m ready.”

Clayborn said coming to One Buc Palace before the draft “was my best visit.”

He went on to say he “can’t wait to get into the playbook” and that Bucs fans will see a defensive end who gets after the quarterback and “kick offensive lineman’s asses” in the running game.

And Joe’s favorite quote, “If you’re not playing violent on the defensive line, there’s something wrong with you. Go somewhere else,” Clayborn said.

No wonder Raheem fell in love with this guy. Joe can’t wait for training camp. Oh, the agony of watiing.

Say hello to Adrian Clayborn, your new Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end.

Joe loves to read between the lines, so Joe found it telling that Raheem Morris mentioned two other defensive ends during his brief post-draft interview on WDAE-AM 620 tonight with Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski.

Sharing his love for new Bucs DE Adrian Clayborn, Raheem specifically mentioned Tim Crowder and Michael Bennett as defensive ends Clayborn would be working with daily.

Joe just finds it interesting that Crowder and Bennett were on the tip of Raheem’s tongue, and Kyle Moore, Alex Magee and Stylez White weren’t.

Maybe it’s meaningless. Maybe it’s not. Joe’s a big fan of high-motor Crowder and Bennett, so Joe’s not complaining.

Speaking at the official Bucs draft party to Justin Pawlowski of WDAE-AM 620, Bucs rock star general manager raved about the newest Buccaneer, defensive end Adrian Clayborn.

Dominik said Clayborn was No. 1 on his draft board.

“When you see Adrian Clayborn play you see what a tough, physical agressive player he is,” Dominik said. “He is. He’s a finisher. He may not be your prototypical looking defensive end. But I’m not looking for prototypical, I’m looking for production. And he gives that every day.”

“Everybody in the building thought Adrian Clayborn was the perfect fit for the Bucs.

“I’m not a measurable guy like that, I go back to the tape,” Dominik continued, referring to Clayborn having one arm shorter than the other. “And he’s just as good off the field as he is on.”

Joe’s fired up to see Rambo take the field.

Now Joe must say up front here that he’s leaving room for the possibility that he just heard Raheem Morris incorrectly, but Raheem’s comment made Joe laugh and it’s likely Raheem really said it, so Joe’s going with it.

In an interview on Buccaneers.com moments after the Adrian Clayborn pick tonight, Raheem talked about Clayborn briefly, “I felt we got a guy we consider a Rambo type of guy,” Raheem said “… he plays tough and physical against the run.”

Let’s hope Rambo Clayborn leaves the combat knives at home and doesn’t let Aqib Talib anywhere near the rocket launcher.

Mark Dominik said the Clayborn pick was “unanimous in our draft room. …Those are the type you like the best.” And Dominik cited Clayborn’s improvement as a player, even if his stats didn’t show that.

Joe will have plenty more to come through the night.

Update: 10:39 p.m. — Yes, Raheem repeated the Rambo comment in an interview with Justin Pawlowski on WDAE-AM 620. So there it is, the Bucs drafted Rambo. Sacks = kills.

So Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik got his defensive end, the stud from Iowa, Adrian Clayborn.

Two years ago, Clayborn was a man possessed, terrorizing quarterbacks and opposing offenses. Joe vividly remembers Clayborn playing like a one-man team, single-handily tearing apart Penn State on a chilly Saturday night in Happy Valley.

The thing Joe likes about Clayborn is his quick hands. Once against Michigan State at Iowa City, Clayborn was blowing up his blocker but Clayborn was able to get pressure. This Michigan State left tackle was shoving Clayborn to the outside of Spartans quarterback Drew Stanton.

Clayborn was already past Stanton but had the presence of mind with his left hand to reach back and flick the ball out of Stanton’s hands.

Fumble. Loose ball. Iowa ball.

To Joe, that wasn’t just quick hands to pull off that move, but it showed savvy and intelligence.

Of course, who could forget Clayborn the way he went wilding on Georgia Tech in the 2010 Orange Bowl, receiving the game’s MVP?

Here’s what Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski of WDAE-AM 620 had to write about Clayborn for Joe earlier this spring.

Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
6-3, 281-pounds, 4.83
1st/2nd Round

Why The Commish would take him: I think you take Clayborn because of how well-rounded he is and how good he is in multiple areas. Clayborn has been a 3-year starter for Iowa, a captain, had a great work ethic, been productive, and has shown fantastic instincts. He has excellent technique against the run and in getting to the quarterback. Clayborn can be very good with the bull rush, but also shows many different moves to get to the quarterback.

Why The Commish would stay away: There are a few concerns with Clayborn. First, it?s been reported that he has one arm shorter than the other arm which has forced him to only play RDE in his collegiate career. It?s also been reported that he has Erb?s Palsy that some teams are concerned about. In 2010, Clayborn saw his production really fall off after a great 2009 season. I?ve heard people say that opposing offenses were keying on him, but you could say the same for Ryan Kerrigan and JJ Watt, and they were both very productive. There are also some character concerns as Adrian Clayborn was arrested for assaulting a taxicab driver.

Commish’s Final Say: There are obviously many positives and negatives with Clayborn. I do think the Bucs have a good amount interest in him and he could end up being the pick. I do think there is risk, but Clayborn does have the talent to end up being very good in the NFL.

Comparison: Charles Grant, New Orleans Saints

Whoa, the hated Falcons just pulled off a stunner, trading four picks including two No. 1 picks to Cleveland for the 2011 No. 6 overall pick. Then the Falcons grabbed stud wide receiver Julio Jones.

Hmmmmm, Roddy White and Julio Jones will face the Bucs twice a year. It sure would be nice for the Bucs to have a talent like Aqib Talib to cover one of those guys.

Mark Dominik did say the Bucs can never have enough cornerbacks, but Joe suspects Talib is smiling somehere about now as his odds of remaining a Buccaneer might have improved.

Call this Joe’s last word before the Round 1 of the draft.

Joe hears all the pundits talking about the Bucs drafting defensive ends. Oh, the Bucs need to drive up that sack total, they say. Hell, Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud today guaranteed the Bucs would draft two DEs during an interview on The Fabulous Sports Babe Show on 1040 AM.

Mark Dominik even talks strongly about getting heat on the quarterback.

Beat scribe Stephen Holder and NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski had the Bucs taking Da’Quan Bowers, a pass rusher on injured legs, in their latest mock drafts. Others, like Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune, don’t think the Bucs will hesitate to snag a tight end.

Call Joe a nut case, but Joe still has nightmares of the Bucs getting gashed over and over and over again by the likes of Ryan Torain and seemingly every other running back with a pulse. They were Jim Batsed so many times last year Joe went through seven remote control devices.

It got better with violent Cody Grimm laying hats on guys like most other Bucs won’t/can’t do. But the run defense still is brutal. Mad props for Raheem Morris for cobbling together 10 wins on such a poor run defense.

The Bucs probably won’t draft a run stuffer, since they allegedly have them in youngsters Roy Miller, Brian Price, Gerald McCoy and Frank Okam, one of Joe’s personal favorites. So in Joe’s mind, the Bucs, unless they’re looking for DEs that play the run like beasts, seriously need some help at linebacker.

You want a weakness the Bucs must address, it’s the run defense. Call it No. 1 on Joe’s list. Joe’s begging the club to fix that by any means necessary, even if it means the dreaded F word(s): free agency.

Joe’s almost frightened to look past this year’s Super Bowl much less look forward to 2015. Shoot, for all Joe knows, Skynet caught a virus and will be delayed a month from implementation.

So long as John and Sarah Connor and Jack Bauer keep the world safe and free from the soccer heathens, it appears the Tampa Bay area has a 50/50 shot of hosting the 2015 Super Bowl.

That’s the word from Richard Danielson of the St. Petersburg Times.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn said he couldn’t be happier at the news.

“We’re in the finals; it’s us against Arizona,” he said. “I fully expect that we will do what we do best, which is put on great Super Bowls and big events.

“Coming on the heels of the (2012) Republican National Convention, it puts us in the spotlight once again,” Buckhorn said. “We’ll just have to get our best game up and be ready in October.”

After seeing what the Bucs are becoming, one win shy of the playoffs last season, the Rays continuing to play damned good, fun baseball, the Lightning pulling off a thrilling series against Pittsburgh to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, and now this, well, it’s a good time once again to be a sports fan in the Tampa Bay area.

Excellent Mike Williams interview here by Jay Crawford of BSPN. Among other topics, Williams explains how he dealt with anger after not being drafted on Day 1 or Day 2 last year.

Continuing to pound the drum today that his insider sources tell him the Bucs will cut Aqib Talib soon, Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud also sounded the alarm to Bucs fans that Barrett Ruud will be part of the Bucs’ future.

Speaking during an interview on The Fabulous Sports Babe Show on 1040 AM, Stroud said the Bucs head coach is in love with Ruud, his starting middle linebacker who’s now a free agent. “He loves him,” Stroud said.

Stroud went on to explain how “people don’t understand” how valuable Ruud is.

Joe has mixed feelings on Ruud. But that said, how much will the Bucs break the bank to keep him? Surely, if Ruud is so valuable, another team might have the same love for him in a draft year that’s poor for middle linebackers.