As promised, Joe is offering up Christmas morning answers to some select reader questions. Just for kicks, Joe solicited queries recently and here are responses to some:

Q. With Albert Haynesworth being on the outs with Lord Shanahan I think it would be worthwhile for the Bucs to float a fourth or third round pick to Washington to pick up Haynesworth’s team friendly contract.  I know that he is a petulant child in a beast body with tons of baggage, but he has been embarrassed and could be looking to prove that he remains a force in a 4-3 defense.  I think the upgrade to our pass rush would far outweigh the diva attitude and with the structure of his contract cutting him would not be out of the question in case of a serious meltdown.  Am I crazy or does this make good football sense?   Thanks for your great Bucs coverage and hard work,

Chris Kaelin in Lakeland

A. Chris, first thanks for e-mailing and thanks as always for reading Joe. It seems you have answered your own questions. If a guy is going to get paid as much as Facestomper is and he still whines and complains and bitches and basically quit on his team, what’s to suggest he won’t do that with the Bucs for less cash? Facestomper was hardly a force with the Titans… until it came contract time. Dude has a bad history of being a malcontent. Remember his own teammates turned on him in Washington? That’s pretty significant.

Also, look at what Mark Dominik has been able to do with the draft. Facestomper will only be a quick fix at best. Maybe Facestomper will be around three years if all the stars align properly. The way Dominik is drafting players, he could get a guy for much less cash in the third round and that guy will be with the Bucs for five years or more and likely get more production than Facestomper.

The Bucs are already loaded at tackle. GMC has shown he can play in the league. When healthy, Brian Price has shown he can be disruptive and Roy Miller isn’t all that horrible if put in the proper scheme.

Joe sees where you are coming from, but just say no to Facestomper.

Q. Hello Joe, Im a big fan of you and your website, I read it daily like some people read the bible. Is this the offseason where Team Glazer will spend and trade to put this team over the top for next year and beyond? An if they did that who would you like to see them get rid of, aquire via trade or free agency. Will wait for a response. Thanks. GO BUCS.

Justin

A. Millions of people can quote the bible, so Joe hopes you’re not that obsessed with JoeBucsFan.com. But that’s very flattering nonetheless. As for Team Glazer’s offseason plans, Joe thinks there’s still two games left that will be judged to determine the team’s next steps. If the Bucs lose the next two convincingly and finish 8-8, then the reality is they would have closed the season 1-5 with a ton of question marks and without beating a winning team. If they go 10-6 and make the playoffs, and some of the young studs make more big strides, then it’s a slighly different ballgame. You get the idea.

As Joe’s written countless times, if the salary cap returns next year, Team Glazer will be miles below the minimum spending level. So they’ll have to spend a bunch of offseason dollars just to reach the bottom.

Joe thinks all the “lasting contender” stuff the organization talks about is a nice sound bite. But if this young team has a decent finish, Joe thinks Team Glazer would be nuts to not make moves toward a deep playoff run in 2011. … Too early to talk specifics, but it would sure be nice to get a great change of pace back in here (not Huggins) and upgrades at defensive end, among other spots.

Q. Joe, as my house nears foreclosure and I search for a better job, your site really is a great escape from the day. I’m glad I found it in the summer. This is really the only place I go for Bucs news now. I figure if you don’t think I need to know about it, then it’s probably bullsh*t anyway. 🙂  … I’m wondering how you manage the site. Are you making a living off this? Is this all fun for you? And does One Buc Place like this site? Peace.

Ricardo in South Tampa

A. Good luck keeping your house, Ricardo. You might want to get some legal help with that. And thanks for your loyal readership. As some readers know, “Joe”  is written by two professional sportswriters. It’s definitely a daily effort, but a part-time one. This is a profitible business worth a lot of money, but does each Joe make minimum wage here? No. This is a labor of love that is fun nearly all the time. As for the folks at One Buc Place, Joe gets his share of feedback from over there — good, bad and ugly. Joe’s gotten some of his best laughs hearing from players wives and family members. Like Joe politely says to everyone, if you don’t like it here, go somewhere else.

Q. Joe, do you feel like a thief linking to other people’s stories and videos? Pretty sad that you think that’s interesting. You’re pathetic.

Phil in Palm Harbor

A.  Thief? Really? Joe doesn’t know a sportswriter in the world that doesn’t want people to link to his or her work and comment on it. Joe produces plenty of his own material — you’re obviously not reading regularly — but is committed to delivering Bucs fans team news from all sources. Sometimes Joe will use another’s story to introduce his own take, as well. Aggregate sites, that link to and comment on published work, are commonplace in politics, sports, business, etc. So get over yourself.

Q.  I always read you slobbering on Twitter about Courtney the Bartender who you claim looks like Brooklyn Decker. Why don’t you get her picture and share it with all of us you drunk?

— Jim in Brandon.

A. Jim,

What’s not to love about Courtney the Bartender? The girl is hot, looks exactly like Brooklyn Decker, wears minimal clothing while working at a St. Pete chicken wing joint, professes her love for football and quenches Joe’s thirst with cold beer without Joe having to ask for one. That’s Joe’s perfect woman.

But Joe respects women, no matter how much he may ogle over them. Joe’s not about to get a compromising photo of Courtney the Bartender bending over in various poses pouring beer while she’s working. That’s just wrong.

If the mental picture of Brooklyn Decker wearing limited clothing serving you cold beer as if reading your mind, and talking football isn’t enough, Joe doesn’t know what to say.

Earlier in the week Joe got the impression Bucs coaches were reaching for excuses not to play LeGarrette Blount in the fateful loss to the rebuilding since 1957 Detroit Lions.

It seems Joe wasn’t the only one who smelled this stench.

Video star Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune nearly blows a gasket in this TBO Bucs vlog, co-hosted by his colleague Woody Cummings, railing on the same thing Joe took Bucs assistant coaches to task for.

Richardson, too, believes the Bucs coaches should just man up and admit they, in so many words, dropped the ball in keeping Blount on the bench in critical situations.

Check out Richardson’s point-by-point breakdown and see if you agree.

Gregg Rosenthal has some harsh words for Bucs coach Raheem Morris in this NBCSports.com video, even going so far as to invoke the words “Herm Edwards” over the way the Bucs played last week.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

What is Frank Okam looking at?

There are no defensive tackles under the tree.

Raheem Morris will keep on rolling with Al Woods and Frank Okam learning on the job.

These men must step up and improve not just to win Sunday but, hopefully, to prepare for the game of their young careers in New Orleans on Jan. 2.

At his news conference today, Raheem said he expects improvement from his former practice squad guys that no mortal expected to be attempting to plug the middle for the Bucs. 

“They got no choice but to get better,” Raheem said. “You’re talking about a bunch of guys who went from really doing two reps in practice or three reps in practice a day to going out there and getting 40 reps in a game. We’ll see improvement with just those guys practicing and playing and preparing every day.”

It’s nearly Christmas and Joe’s going to drink the pewter and red egg nog for a couple of days. Yes, they have to get better. They should get better. Perhaps they are better already. Maybe Gerald McCoy can talk to God again and put in a good word for them.

In case there’s nothing under your tree, Joe’s going to answer your questions for Christmas.

What a gift! 

Now is your time to hit Joe up with all kinds of questions. Bucs stuff, media stuff, questions about JoeBucsFan.com, Joe’s obsession with cheerleaders, whatever. Joe’s going to answer some select questions here on Christmas morning.

E-mail your query to joe@JoeBucsFan.com. You must put “Ask Joe” in the subject line, otherwise Joe will delete your e-mail thinking it’s some sort of covert penile enlargement solicitation.  … Joe needs no such products.

Joe reserves the right to edit all e-mails to make you sure you don’t sound stupid.

Now Joe’s not one to be talking NFL draft when his team could be playing a virtual playoff game in New Orleans in nine days.

But, since eye-Rah! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune brought it up, Joe will go there. Kaufman penned a piece stating he’s sure the Bucs will make drafting a top young defensive end their priority in the 2011 draft.

When the 2011 draft rolls around, the Buccaneers will be looking for an edge.Even if a lockout takes place this spring, the NFL has already announced the draft will proceed as scheduled in April. One year after addressing the interior of their defensive line, the Buccaneers will undoubtedly focus on upgrades at defensive end. … 

Unlike last year, the Bucs won’t be picking No. 3 in the draft. They figure to be sitting near the middle of the opening round, meaning some of the top-rated defensive ends could already be off the board by the time they turn in their selection.

There are other pressing needs—linebacker, offensive line—but landing an impact defensive end is the top priority for a young, hungry club on the rise.

Joe’s wouldn’t be so sure about the Bucs snatching a defensive end high in the draft. The Bucs might be much better off investing in a pair of established ends in free agency and grabbing a hard-hitting linebacker or safety early.

So much will ride on Ronde Barber’s decision to return and whether the Bucs take the mindset of trying to make a Super Bowl run coming off a winning season, or just being content to take one more step on their perceived “lasting contender” ladder.

Will the Bucs raise a white flag (again) Sunday and bench running back LeGarrette Blount when they need him the most? The theme of this breakdown of the Seahawks-Bucs with Pat Kirwan and Jason Horowitz is Blount. Watch and listen to how Blount will (or won’t) allow the Bucs to win Sunday in this CBSSports.com video.

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe also wants you to know 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.

I recall a critic who once said I can’t write an article without talking about Derrick Brooks or Warren Sapp. I hope that person doesn’t catch this one, because I’m going to mention one of those guys and more!

Because we are not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we ARE allowed to make excuses. Now whether we make them or not, the Bucs had the Lions beat. There was no excuse needed for that game. You play with a little more fire and throw some caution to the wind, and we’re talking playoff opponents now instead of playoff chances.

But when your injured reserve list could be the starting lineup on a fantasy football roster, its time to stop calling it an excuse and calling it a reason. Think I’m kidding? Here is the Bucs IR team line up. “Now starting on defense…”

DE Brandon Gilbeaux, DT Brian Price, DT Gerald McCoy, DE Kyle Moore, LB Jon Alston, LB Quincy Black, DB Aqib Talib, S Cody Grimm, S Tanard Jackson (suspended reserve)!

Not a bad lineup, huh? Of course like their real counterparts, this team would get a penalty for not enough men on the field, theres only 9 there. Somehow I get the feeling that won’t be a problem by Week 17. Maybe some of the offensive players like Jeff Faine, Davin Joseph, Demar Dotson and Kareem Huggins can switch to defense!

I’m kidding to a degree, but every knowledgeable Bucs fan watching the Lions march down the field not once but twice was thinking the very same thing. This team has finally felt the damage of all the injuries.

It was amazing for the Bucs to lose Tanard Jackson and replace him with Cody Grimm. It’s incredible that Jeff Faine and Davin Joseph can go down and be replaced by Jeremy Zuttah, Ted Larson and Derek Hardman. Simply put, that is fantastic coaching. But it can only go so far; you can be amazed how far rubber bands will stretch before they breaks.

The really remarkable part of the whole situation is the ‘negative Bucs fan’ guy who doesn’t believe that injuries should be used as an excuse. Like I said, I can understand why Raheem Morris doesn’t want his team to use them, but as for us, well it’s really easy to understand.

How far do you think the Bucs would have gone in 2002 had Dexter Jackson been declared ineligible. Then, John Lynch lost for the season. Say goodbye to Greg Spires, and bye-bye to Booger McFarland. See ya later Brian Kelly, and Warren Sapp. Nice to know ya Cosey Coleman and John Wade. Finally, have a good time Alshermond Singleton. Somehow 12-4 would be a stretch, heck 8-6 in week 15 would be a major undertaking, just like it is now.

To clarify, so there is no misunderstanding, I do not assume that the 2010 Bucs players on IR are anywhere near as good as their 2002 Super Bowl counterparts. Not even close, but for comparisons sake, those are the same positions that got hit. Kind of makes you think, huh?

Truth be told, I would not be surprised if the Bucs can compete against the Saints in week 17 if they can make it that far and still be in contention. It seems it takes these young players that the Bucs are plugging in a week or two to learn the nuances of their position.

But when you continue to play musical chairs with the Bucs starters, there is going to be a limit to how far the Bucs can go before they, like the proverbial rubber band, just snap.

If the St. Louis Lambs get past Troy Smith and the 49ers at home in a 1 o’clock game Sunday, that means the Seahawks will have absolutely nothing to play for against the Bucs.

NOTHING!

When Seattle lines up on the field in Tampa, they’ll know their fate. With a St. Louis win, no matter what happens against the Bucs, the Seahawks and Rams will play for the NFC West title the following week in Seattle.

This could become beautiful news for the Bucs.

Yeah, Joe knows all these NFL players are all professionals allegedly playing their hearts out, but you can’t tell Joe that a crappy team like the Seahawks playing a meaningless game on the road the day after Christmas 4,000 miles from home is going to give its all.  

That ain’t happening no matter how hard Seahawks coach Pete Carroll tried to spin it to the Seattle Times.

Q: It would be human nature wouldn’t it, to have a let down?

Carroll: “That’s why you ask those questions. Yeah. That’s why you ask that. That’s what everybody thinks. We don’t want to be normal in that regard. We don’t want to be human nature. We want to be above and beyond, and that’s part of it. That’s how you separate. When you are able to do that, you are able to take the variables, the factor, the media, the hype, the buildup, the matchups, all of that stuff, and leave that aside and play the game that you’re capable of playing, that’s the challenge. And that’s one of the great challenges that I’ve come to really covet and teaching and trying to stand for, and then once you get there, it’s a very special place to be. We’re not there yet. We’re learning. We’re learning how. But these next couple weeks will have a chance to kick us into the right position where you start to deal with what it’s like to be on top and what it’s like to be a champion. It’s exciting to me.”

Nice try, Pete. Not sure what the hell you just said, but Joe’s hoping your team is as clear thinking as you are.

Joe hopes Josh Freeman gets to try and execute a fake spike on the Seahawks at the close of the first half. That would surely re-ignite Carroll’s post traumatic stress disorder.

There’s no doubt feet-obsessed Jets head coach Rex Ryan wishes he never bought a video camera and preferred more mainstream erotica.

The blitz he’s getting — and will get — from the New York media is 10 times as nasty as what Josh Freeman saw from the Jets last year.

Freeman recovered. But Joe doubts Ryan will. Although if cross-dressing biter Marv Albert could emerge unscathed, than anything is possible. 

Joe couldn’t care less about the Jets, but Ryan’s foot fetish escapades made their way into Raheem Morris’ news conference today. Veteran Tampa Tribune NFL scribe eye-RAH! Kaufman was determined to give Raheem ample opportunity to open up about any sexual fixations he might have.

eye-RAH! Kaufman: Raheem, the New York papers are having a field day with Rex Ryan, you got any fetishes you want to own up to?

Raheem Morris: I can’t talk about my guy, man. My guy, that’s his own personal business. And I know he chose to put it out there publicly, but Rex is a great football coach and he’ll continue to be that way.

eye-RAH! Kaufman: What do you got?

Raheem: (Chuckling) What’s wrong with you, Ira?

 So there you have it. Raheem didn’t confirm or deny any fetishes. Joe will keep an eye on this developing story.

Yes, Joe goes 24/7 on the Rays and the Bucs. Some call it RaysIndex.com. Some call it JoeRaysFan.com.

Joe just calls it a daily must-read for all Rays fans. Join today’s chatter on a breakdown of the Rays roster for 2011.

THE PESSIMIST is a diehard Bucs fan whose negative writings appear occasionally on JoeBucsFan.com. His views surely do not necessarily reflect those of Joe. However, Joe sure gets a kick out of them.

By THE PESSIMIST’s count, the Bucs will have a prayer for the playoffs by this time next week if they can beat the crappy Seahawks on Sunday and the Saints lose to the Falcons on Monday night in Atlanta.

That’s supposed to be exciting. That’s supposed to have the town on the edge of its seat. That’s supposed to have men turning down the spirit of giving from their wives just to go to the game. That’s why we’re all fans and deal with the Bucs’ shenanigans — to get in the playoffs and have a shot at the Super Bowl. Even THE PESSIMIST wants victory every day.

So this is why THE PESSMIST is furious at all the fans he hears on sports radio and around the water cooler, and those spouting off in comments sections and message boards, flapping about next season already.

Some even say there’s no point to the Bucs making the playoffs because they’ll get crushed. “We’ve accomplished so much this year already. No good will come of a first-round playoff beating.” 

Yeah, keep watching BayNews 9 and fixing your makeup.

THE PESSIMIST is sure that only in this retard,  wussy, we-have-blackouts-with-a-winning-record town would such a thing go on. Even the media is asking Raheem questions about next year when they should be focused on what real fans care about.

Next year? The freaking owners are committed to this lockout garbage, which while it might not kill the season, it’s got a great shot of eliminating OTAs and minicamps and cutting short training camp. With all the Bucs rookies and young guys, this team could be screwed next year without all that offseason structure and training.

Forgetting about that, wait-til-next-year doesn’t fly in the NFL unless a team sucks. (And the Bucs don’t suck. Not yet anyway with an 8-6 record and a shot at the dream.)

Ronde Barber could retire in March. Aqib Talib could punch a meter maid in April. Josh Freeman could really break his thumb in the preseason, not whatever the hell he did last time. Barret Ruud’s replacement could be worse than he is. The Bucs may run out of miracles on the offensive line. …There’s no guarantee.

This is it. The Bucs are right on the cusp after Christmas and they’re being written off by their own fans. Shame on you brainless idiots. You know who you are.

And where’s the official team pep rally for this weekend’s monster game? Where’s Gasparilla-killing Mayor Pam Iorio and the rest of the yentas running the city staging a huge “Go Bucs” event on Sunday morning? Show up at a park with a bullhorn. Do something!!

What about all those government types trying to bully the Glazers this week? Why didn’t they draft a motion to sign Julius Peppers? Go abolish hunger and homelessness, you timewasters.

Where’s the damn excitement? The 12th man at the stadium Sunday? What a joke. You’d struggle to find 12 dudes in a bar who care.

After eeking out a win in Washington, the unsung hero of the game was defensive end Michael Bennett, who moved inside to play tackle in the second half when the Bucs brought Skins running back Ryan Torain back to earth.

Torain had Jim Batsed the Bucs in the first half running for about 150 yards.

Raheem Morris praised Bennett’s versatility and effectiveness against Washington’s zone blocking scheme.

But Raheem also went on to say that was sort of a one-shot deal and Bennett would move back to defensive end while fresh off the practice squad Frank Okam would emerge to play against Detroit on Sunday.

Detroit ran the ball well, the Bucs lost, and the rest is history.

Speaking on 1040 AM today, longtime Tampa Tribune beat writer Woody Cummings said Raheem “might have overthunk” himself and “is regretting” the decision on Bennett’s role against Detroit.  

Raheem has been second guessed all over the place after Sunday’s brutal loss. It’s Thursday already and it hasn’t stopped. Joe agrees that it wasn’t Raheem’s best game.

That written, it’s pretty amazing that a debate over using Bennett or Okam at defensive tackle as a key to a game is even happening. Nostradamus couldn’t have predicted that.

A media member tried to corner Raheem Morris into picking a Bucs Rookie of the Year yesterday during the head coach’s news conference. Of course, Raheem didn’t take the bait but his body language showed a little extra love for one of his newbies.

Raheem rattled off contributions of a majority of Bucs rookies, but when he got to Cody Grimm, he seemed to be taken back feeling a special kind of pride.

“Cody Grimm, you know, (smirk) He was looking like, you know, he was trying to make a Pro Bowl, rather than a guy just filling in for a starter,” Raheem said.

There have been many big losses on the Bucs roster this season, but perhaps Grimm has been the biggest.

The run defense, and a little bit of attitude, have evaporated in his absence.

Your stocking might be stuffed with a shiny new toy, but what about your garage?

Great deals are plentiful at Ed Morse Port Richey Auto Plaza. Click below to browse online.

Joe is starting to understand where his good friend Justin Pawlowski of WDAE-AM 620 is coming from.

It seems the Bucs coaching staff, after realizing the error in their ways and hearing the outcry from fans about why LeGarrette Blount was on the bench in a crucial drive that ended in a field goal are now on the offensive in another matter.

The same coaches are now saying they are concerned about Blount fumbling the ball, so writes Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

Williams didn’t do much to secure a victory, though. He ran twice for a total of 3 yards, leaving the Bucs with a third-and-7 they failed to convert before settling for a field goal with 1:39 to play.

“There’s just no margin of error for that,” Bucs running back coach Steve Logan said in defense of the decision to turn to Williams, who has lost just one fumble in his past 394 carries.

“We really take pride in being a zero turnover team here. We’re a plus-nine in that area right now and that’s one of the reasons we’ve had the success we’ve had so far this year.”

As Cummings rightly points out, numbers show Blount is not a risk to fumble the ball. He’s only put the ball on the ground twice, once was when the ball was punched out of his hands from behind.

So there is no merit to the premise that Blount is a fumbling risk.

The gorgeous Jenny Dell returns for her weekly numerical gibberish on the Bucs in this BSPN video. Enjoy Jenny while you can, horndogs. She will grace Joe’s site just one more time until September, provided there is a 2011 season.