University of Buffalo head coach Jeff Quinn, who as Cincinnati Bearcats offensive coordinator coached against Greg Schiano for years, explains in this video how the Bucs did a pile of research on their fifth-round pick, DE Steven Means.

Means had a post-draft news conference for the Buffalo locals and there’s plenty of him in the video, but Quinn’s interesting stuff from interacting with the Buccaneers scouting staff runs from 11:20 to 14:10.

Illustrating the Bucs’ research and confidence in Means, Quinn points out how rare it is that a fifth-round pick like Means was not invited to the NFL Scouting combine.

There’s also an interesting nugget from Means, who will graduate from his class. Apparently he didn’t engage in any celebration on Saturday night when he was drafted. Means explains he had a paper to write and partying isn’t his thing.

Adam Schein

If Josh Freeman didn’t feel any pressure after Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik reworked the Bucs secondary from the outhouse to the penthouse, he should have. There really is only one Buccaneer that must advance his game, the most important player on any football roster: the quarterback.

Josh Freeman.

It seems Adam Schein believes there is only one other NFL player, coach or front-office man that has more pressure on him for this season than Freeman. The popular sports radio and television personality ranks Freeman as having the second-most pressure of any NFL employee for the 2013 season, so Schein wrote on NFL.com.

2) Josh Freeman
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are ready to rock and roll. I talked to general manager Mark Dominik after the trade for Darrelle Revis on my SiriusXM show, “Schein on Sports,” and he echoed my sentiment that the Bucs have turned a huge weakness (pass defense) into a strength. In addition to trading for the All-Pro cornerback, Tampa Bay signed safety Dashon Goldson to team with Mark Barron in the back end.

There’s also a positive development on the offensive side of the ball: Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks will be back on the line as they return from injury.

What does all of this mean? Freeman has to deliver at quarterback. He has the weapons and supporting staff, with Mike Sullivan calling plays. Remember, Greg Schiano inherited Freeman, which makes it easier to dump him. If Freeman doesn’t even out his play and improve his leadership during a contract year, I think Mike Glennon, whom Dominik adroitly drafted over the weekend, will be in the mix for 2014, either as a starter or competing with another vet who isn’t currently in Tampa.

It doesn’t take a witchdoctor to read the tea leaves. The Bucs defense is greatly improved on paper, specifically the back end. Freeman has the receivers, has the offensive line, and has the elite running attack surrounding him.

If Freeman leads the Bucs to the playoffs, Joe is certain a new contract full of zeros comes his way. The Bucs miss the playoffs and, well, Joe really doesn’t want to think about it now.

Just win, Josh.

Is it Hall of Fame inductee Warren Sapp or Father Dungy entering the Buccaneers Ring of Honor this season?

How about rightfully re-preserving the memory of Ricky Bell, as was done in the gone-but-not-forgotten Buccaneers Krewe of Honor?

Regardless, the Buccaneers will introduce the newest Ring of Honor member on Thursday.

Oh, the drama.

UPDATE: Apparently, there isn’t much drama. In one of the no-brainers of no-brainers, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times has learned Warren Sapp will enter the Ring of Honor.

The leader of the New Schiano Order says he gives everyone a shot at returning punts and kicks, so it’s no surprise to learn that Greg Schiano was on the phone after the draft calling an old friend, Rutgers punt returner Mason Robinson.

Robinson will be one of the tryout players at the Bucs’ rookie minicamp this weekend. He’ll be hoping to score a contract that will keep him training with Tampa Bay through the spring and into training camp.

Punt return specialist Mason Robinson said Greg Schiano, now the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, called him after the Draft and invited him to the team’s rookie mini cap, which starts this Friday and runs through Sunday.

Robinson said Jacksonville also contacted him, but through his agent. Schiano, his former coach at Rutgers, called directly.

“He said they didn’t have any openings to offer a contract right now, but that they might have a couple of spots that could be open and that’s what I’m going to do, go down there and try to make it,” said Robinson.

Joe’s research on Robinson reveals that he was a high school track star and had two major knee surgeries at Rutgers, but he was healthy last season as a sixth-year senior. His returner stats do not look impressive, but you can’t count out anyone from Rutgers becoming a Buccaneer.

Yesterday, Joe brought the words of Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune who believed, if Bucs icon Ronde Barber were to come back, it would almost certainly be in a backup role.

Well today, ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas has even more depressing look at the situation. He’s of the belief that for Barber to come back, he would have to play some special teams roles. That may end the Bucs playing days of the best cornerback to wear a Bucs uniform.

Ronde Barber. The Buccaneers say they still want the veteran defensive back to return for another year. But in what capacity? He’s not going to start at free safety because the Bucs signed Dashon Goldson. A return to cornerback is possible, but Barber likely would be behind Darrelle Revis, Eric Wright and rookie Johnthan Banks. Backup safeties and fourth cornerbacks almost always have to play special teams. Do you honestly see Barber doing that at this point in his career? If he wants to keep playing, there might be a place or two where he can still be a starter and that could mean he won’t play his entire career with the Bucs.

The NFL is not high school nor college. Loyalty, for better or worse, is “What have you done for me lately?”

Lately, Barber has been waffling, struggling, on what decision he should make; return to the Bucs, try to land someplace else, (which he has all but ruled out) or retire?

While Barber has been contemplating his future, the Bucs went out and got the best safety on the free agent market, traded for the best cornerback in the NFL (when healthy) and spent their highest draft pick this spring on another corner.

Joe cannot blame the Bucs here. To let an offseason go by while waiting for Barber to make a final call and not to upgrade what was a grotesque pass defense would have been irresponsible.

Joe would love to see Barber come back for one more last lap in the sun. It’s beginning to look more and more as if that final turn has already happened.

After the Bucs drafted cornerback Johnthan Banks with their second-round pick last week, Bucs honchos were quick to praise the maturity of Banks and how he’s a prototype Buccaneer Man.

Beaming Greg Schiano told media, “He’s one of us, guys. I can’t say it better than that. This guy is going to fit right into our football team, skill set, personality, character.” Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik called Banks a “very mature” 23-year old (Banks turns 24 in October) and referenced that Banks is married with a son.

Joe found an interesting story out of The Oklahoman about Banks’ pain when he decided to turn pro after his junior season in 2011. Banks, projected as a mid-round draft pick, wanted cash to support his family, but that wasn’t enough.

Finally, though, Johnthan Banks broke down one night and tearfully confessed he’d changed his mind.

Several of his goals remained unaccomplished. Banks wanted to earn his degree, which he’ll now complete this spring.

A Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist as a junior, Banks wanted to win the 2012 award.

It’s hard to imagine Banks isn’t NFL-ready, and he’s far more mature than most rookies when you factor in his age, personal life and four years of starting in the SEC.  That’s a damn good thing given the unreliability of Eric Wright.

Here’s a 2013 interview with Banks below:

The Bucs will say otherwise, of course, but it doesn’t take a sleuth to figure out the Bucs are trying to force feed quarterback Josh Freeman to become an upper-echelon quarterback, not a bottom rung kind of guy.

He has all the toys a quarterback could want, plus a bruising front wall of an offensive line and a retooled defense to help him hold leads.

Someone with pull at One Buc Palace must not believe Freeman can lead the Bucs to January games given the Bucs drafted third-round quarterback Mike Glennon.

This is not lost on the “Total Access” crew at the NFL Network, as Daniel Jeremiah explains to Paul Burmeister why he thinks Freeman is on the proverbial hot seat now that the Bucs have Glennon.

Not only do Phil Simms and Rich Gannon think a lot of Glennon, so too does NFL Films Xs and Os guru Greg Cosell. He details why below.

When Joe learned the Bucs drafted Michigan State defensive end Will Gholston, let’s say Joe was intrigued. The guy is built like an Adonis and images of Simeon Rice began dancing in Joe’s head.

Then Joe began researching Gholston. How, with a beastly body like his, did he get such poor numbers against garbage Big Ten teams (Joe’s a Big Ten guy, grew up with the Big Ten and never in his life has he seen the conference so miserable. The MAC may have been better in 2012!)?.

It seems Gholston’s play fell off after a promising 2011.

Then Joe found this video of Gholston and was blown away by his personality. What’s going on here? Something wasn’t adding up.

So Joe turned to Jim Miller.

Many of you know Miller, a former Bears and Steelers quarterback, as the unofficial 12th man of SiriusXM NFL Radio. He is always substituting for someone, morning, noon, afternoon or night. Joe half-expects to turn SiriusXM NFL Radio at 3 a.m. and hear Miller.

But the reason to reach out to Miller is that Miller, a Michigan State product himself, is the color analyst for the Michigan State football radio broadcasts. If anyone knows Gholston, it would be Miller.

Per Miller, Gholston came from a rotten upbringing and Miller believes Gholston is still coping from a nightmarish childhood.

“I think he is a real good kid,” Miller said. “He comes from a really rough background [in Detroit].”

Miller noted that as a child Gholston was passed from one relative’s home to another relative’s home and endured homelessness at times.

“At one point he lived out of a car,” Miller said.

But football, Miller said, specifically his high school football coach, Donshell English, turned Gholston’s life around where he was able to attend Michigan State on a football scholarship after being named Michigan’s top high school football player.

After his senior season in 2010, Gholston played in the Under Armour High School All-America Game in St. Petersburg.

“At times, he is tremendous,” Miller said of the Spartans defensive end. “At other times, he struggles. I think it is because he is still growing as an individual.”

Then there was an incident in 2011, when Gholston was suspended by the Big Ten for an incident in the annual Michigan State-Michigan game for swinging at Michigan offensive lineman Taylor Lewan. There was much more to it than that, Miller said.

The two were in a near street brawl at every snap, Miller noted.

“Out of 70 snaps, 35 of them Lewan could have been called for illegal hands to the face,” Miller said. “I am sure they were [verbally] going back and forth [all game] and that is when it crossed the line.”

The line crossed was Lewan dropping  a racial slur on Gholston who responded with a punch and was pulled from the game for one play and later suspended by the Big Ten Conference for a game. Greg Johnson of The Grand Rapids Press, who covered that game for MLive.com, documented the incident.

Gholston was penalized for two personal-foul penalties in Saturday’s 28-14 win over Michigan, one after pulling on U-M quarterback Denard Robinson’s facemask and one after punching U-M lineman Taylor Lewan. The punch came after Lewan dragged Gholston to the ground by his facemask.

In a release from Michigan State following the incident, Gholston said, “Although provoked, my response was inappropriate.”

Miller said Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, a disciplinarian of the highest order, only pulled Gholston out of the game for one play following his punch to Lewan, which seems to suggest Dantonio didn’t much blame Gholston for retaliating after having a racial slur dropped on him, in addition to being slammed to the turf by the facemask.

Upon his return, in the next two games, at Nebraska and home against Minnesota, Miller said Gholston played like a man possessed.

“He made 32 legitimate tackles in the next two weeks,” Miller said. “He was all over the field.”

As for Gholston’s lackluster, uneven 2012 season, Miller chalked that up to Gholston still growing up, and being distracted by the brighter lights (and big money?) of the NFL.

“He may have had some ‘agentitis’ in the ear,” Miller said.

Despite not dominating like Miller and other Sparty partisans believed he would last year, Miller thinks the Bucs got a steal in Gholston.

“Some people question his worth at times, but ending up with Greg Schiano, [the Bucs] will get the most of his talent,” Miller said. “He has the DNA, he is an athlete, nobody denies that. He is a freak athletically, now. He is gifted with the genetics. He is very long-armed and is the prototypical defensive end in a 43 front or he could be a five-technique.

“The key is for Greg Schiano to harness that talent. He still needs to grow and mature but he can be a phenomenal, phenomenal football player. I think it is a great pickup by Tampa Bay.

“His upside is tremendous.”

Hat tip to Nick Kostos.

Wide receiver D. J. Monroe

The Bucs announced the undrafted free agent signees today who will take part in the rookie mini-camp held this coming weekend at One Buc Palace:

Deveron Carr, CB, 5-11 190, Arizona State

Jerry Johnson, WR, 6-3 211, UCLA

Evan Landi, TE, 6-3 236, South Florida

Rashaan Melvin, CB, 6-2 193, Northern Illinois

D.J. Monroe, WR, 5-9 175, Texas

Willie Moseley, LB, 6-5, 251, Buffalo

Brice Schwab, OT, 6-7 302, Arizona State

Akeem Shavers, RB, 5-11 203, Purdue

Adam Smith, G , 6-5 325, Western Kentucky

Branden Smith, CB, 5-11 182, Georgia

Nick Speller, OT, 6-5 334, UMASS

Jason Weaver, OT, 6-5 305, Southern Mississippi

Tim Wright, WR, 6-4 220, Rutgers

Couple of players that jumped out at Joe: First is Monroe, who is listed as a wide receiver but played running back at Texas. The Bucs likely signed him more for his return ability than anything else.

As a sophomore, Monroe was a member of the Longhorns All American 4 x 100 meter relay track squad that finished sixth in the nation. In high school, Monroe won the Texas Class 4A 100-meter dash in a time of 10.45.

Smith, the Bulldogs cornerback, was featured by Joe during the East-West Shrine Game practices held in St. Petersburg this winter.

J.P. Peterson isn’t all that enamored with the Bucs draft picks, including defensive tackle Akeem Spence.

Joe knows by the comments just on this here corner of the interwebs that not all Bucs fans are singing Hosannas at the Bucs braintrust for the totality of players selected in last weekend’s NFL Draft.

One person with a microphone who is of kindred spirit is Tampa Bay electronic media czar J.P. Peterson. The part-time host at WDAE-AM 620 panned the Mark Dominik-Greg Schiano two-headed monster’s draft picks, in particular the defensive picks, or lack thereof.

The defensive line has 2 first round picks in Adrian Clayborn and Gerald McCoy and a high second rounder in Da’Quan Bowers. But all have been injury prone and none have proven themselves as elite or even semi-dangerous pass rushers. When you watch the tape Michael Bennett was the most effective rusher and the Bucs didn’t even make an effort to keep him. The additions of 4th round picks Akeem Spence and William Goldston do not scream pass rusher. Spence had 3.5 sacks in 3 years at Illinois while Gholston had 10 in 3 years. 5th round pick DE Steven Means, from Buffalo…and not the Bills…had 18.5 in his career but against offensive tackles who will soon be accountants. Give Drew Brees and Matt Ryan enough time and they can torch any secondary.

As for the linebackers the Bucs signed Jonathan Casillas who couldn’t start for the Saints defense…one of the worst in NFL history. WLB Lavonte David is a budding star but MLB Mason Foster struggles in coverage and to get off blocks. SLB Quincy Black is no longer on the roster. Adam Hayward will finally get a shot but these seems like a position that needed upgrades and got none.

Joe believes J.P. makes some good points about the defense, though Spence is not, never has been and isn’t expected to be a sack monster. He is the clone of Roy Miller, a tilted tackle who is expected to eat up blocks in the middle and set Gerald McCoy free to ravage the opposing quarterback, a trait that worked well last year. GMC apparently impressed his NFL brethren enough to get elected to the Pro Bowl.

Now Joe will have a story tomorrow from both a college and NFL insider who is really, really high on Gholston, so we shall see. Joe found it interesting that Dominik said Gholston can play in the middle on passing downs a potentially smart move with a giant like that.

Joe also thought Peterson nailed it with Casillas. Joe had learned from an insider at One Buc Palace prior to the draft that Schiano wanted depth at linebacker. He basically got none.

As for Casillas, if he couldn’t start for a garbage defense in New Orleans (unless they faced Josh Freeman), how can or why should Bucs fans have feel secure that Casillas can do anything with the Bucs?

Joe stumbled across a pretty cool biographical video of new Bucs defensive end Will Gholston. Go ahead and enjoy it, as well.

When Bucs fans began rattling off options at cornerback in 2013, it appeared positive.

Obviously, there are Darrelle Revis and second-round pick Johnthan Banks, plus returning starter Eric Wright and second-year guy Leonard Johnson, the corps of corners looked solid.

Oh, and then there was the wild card factor of Ronde Barber’s potential return.

But Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune came out with sobering news this morning while appearing with “The Commish,” Justin Pawlowski, of WHFS-FM. In short, Cummings noted that Barber’s days as a corner are over and if he returns, he will certainly be a backup safety.

Justin Pawlowski: I was pretty good in math back in high school and through college. My math and my addition is still here. Let’s see, I’ve got Darrelle Revis, I’ve got Johnthan Banks, I’ve got Eric Wright at corner. Where does Ronde Barber fit in to this mix?

Woody Cummings: Ronde Barber is a safety now and maybe not even a nickel safety but a dime safety. A lot depends on how Ahmad Black shakes out this season and if he can stay on the field and avoid trouble. And also you have Cody Grimm coming back. Not sure what they think of Cody Grimm at this point, I’m not sure what they think of Cody, if he’s just anything more than a fourth down player. Ronde Barber is not going to be a corner for this team; he’s going to be a safety. He would be a depth piece if he comes back.

Proof is in the pudding. A year ago, they couldn’t have been any more desperate at cornerback than they were at some point last year and they didn’t move Ronde. Now part of that may have been they didn’t feel that Ahmad Black was good enough there or maybe not sharp enough. I cannot see that move happening [Barber moving to corner]. I’ve been told by enough people in the organization that he is now a safety ,and if he is going to play for [the Bucs] he will be a safety and my guess he plays again, he will be a backup safety.

Pawlowski: OK, either way, if he comes back as a corner he’s the fourth and if he comes back as a safety he’s the third or fourth safety. Is Ronde going to come back and sit on the bench?

Cummings: I don’t know. I wish I knew, I assume we will find out here very shortly, but I don’t know. He has drug this out quite a ways. I don’t have an answer to it. I have said this before, “If I am Ronde Barber, I am coming back with this team even as a backup for no reason other than I want another shot at the playoffs, I want another shot at a Super Bowl.” I think this team is certainly good enough to make the playoffs and possibly even win their division. They are good enough to go a round or two in the playoffs and if you get in the playoffs, anything can happen.

Look, if he can come back as a backup, he might be able to string out his career a year or two. Maybe he could be part of another Super Bowl team. I don’t think he would have a problem with that but maybe Ronde is looking at it differently. Maybe he is looking at being a starter and nothing else. Maybe he doesn’t feel the grind and all the time put in physically to prepare for a season, especially at his age, is worth it, if he is not starting on Sundays.

But you know, the other thing you have to think about if you are Ronde is injuries always happen. People always go down. You could start the season as a backup but end it playing 12 or 14 games as a starter.

My gut tells me he is coming back but I just don’t know to be honest with you.

But the walls are closing in. The Bucs big time beefed up their secondary. Joe has no issue with this. The Bucs, without any definitive word from Barber, had to proceed as if Barber was gone. To do otherwise would have been irresponsible.

Second-round pick Johnthan Banks ability and experience against big receivers is part of what has Anthony Becht setting very high expecations for the 2013 Bucs.

That didn’t take long.

The Bucs finished their draft about 36 hours ago and expectations are rising fast.

Buccaneers Radio Network analyst and former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht talked about the Bucs’ draft on WDAE-AM 620 today, and Becht was clear that the Bucs now have to be a 10-win team — at least.

“Ten wins, for me, is baseline,” Becht said. “Whether that gets you in the playoffs or not, we’ll see. But you how, you gotta come away from this thing with 10 wins.”

Regarding the draft specifically, the length of 6-2 cornerback Johnthan Banks, and how he uses it, was part of what had Becht giddy about Banks’ selection with the No. 43 overall pick. He said Banks is “great against the big receivers,” who are a big growing part of the current NFL.

You can hear the whole audio below. Becht also reveals interesting research on fourth-round pick Akeem Spence and his feats of strength.

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Former Georgia CB Branden Smith is now in the mix

Like all breathing Bucs fans, Joe witnessed how painful the Bucs’ pass defense was last season. So despite the addition of rehabbing superstar Darrelle Revis, stud rookie Johnthan Banks, and the retention of unreliable Eric Wright, Joe still has a keen watch on the position.

Depth behind those top three includes Danny Gorrer, Leonard Johnson, Myron Lewis, James Rogers and Anthony Gaitor, so Joe sees a real opportunity for an undrafted free agent cornerback to win a roster spot.

Now Joe doesn’t get too dreamy about these undrafted guys, but Joe will methodically introduce readers to interesting prospects.

Georgia cornerback Branden Smith, signed by the Bucs over the weekend, has an interesting background, and that’s not because his weed arrest had a happy ending.

He ran a 4.38 40 yard dash time at his Pro Day, and the guy has returned kicks and punts, run the ball, and gotten low level SEC honors for his cornerback play. Keep in mind that after Banks was selected, rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano were oozing respect and love for SEC cornerbacks.

Arizona State corner Deveron Carr, another new Bucs cornerback hopeful, seems a little less impressive.

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