Bruce Allen can tap dance with the best

“Shape up your bag. Don’t worry about mine. My thing together. And a doing fine.”

If you missed Bucs general manager Bruce Allen’s media session yesterday, The James Brown lyrics above, from the former No. 1 song “Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothing,” sum up Allen’s press conference quite well. 

Joe is still giving a standing ovation to Allen for the spectacular tap dancing exhibition yesterday at One Buc Place. Bravo.

One stunning comment Allen made – and you won’t find anywhere else – was that prior to the 2008 season he was counting on Cadillac Williams to perform in the second half of 2008. Yes, that Cadillac Williams, the guy who had the horrific knee injury in September 2007.

When questioned about not pursuing running back Michael Turner in 2008 free agency, Allen said Turner was off his radar because the Bucs were excited about the return of Earnest Graham in a starting role, the signing of Warrick Dunn and “Cadillac for the second half of the season.”

This admisssion stunned Joe. (And it’s no surprise Allen didn’t include ex-Bucs running back Michael Bennett, who was cut in November and should see significant action for the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.)

So are we to believe that Allen and Jon Gruden were banking on Cadillac’s return from a horrific knee injury AND that he would be effective late in December, when the Bucs have struggled mightily under Chucky? How foolish was that?

Joe recommends PewterReport.com and TBO.com for lengthy excerpts of Allen’s news conference. Perhaps Allen will appear next on Dancing With the Stars.

By BOB FOX

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox takes a weekly look at the playoff picture. Fox writes for numerous sports publications. He brings an insightful take on the road to the Super Bowl. Fox picked three of four winners last week.

JoeBucsFan.com playoffs analyst Bob Fox stays on the Eagles bandwagon, where he's been for months. Fox was 3-1 in last weekend's games.

If the divisional round of the NFL playoffs is anything at all like the Wild Card round, then hold on folks, it’s going to be a wild ride. Last weekend, two road teams won, and I expect at least two to win this weekend.  This is the round that will take a team one step away from getting to the Big Dance — Super Bowl — right here in Tampa. Also, remember one thing this weekend as you watch the games, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants were a No. 5 seed last year.

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
The Cardinals surprised me last week against the Falcons at home, not because they threw the ball well, but because they ran the ball well and effectively stopped the vaunted Atlanta run game behind Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. The Cards will face a very stiff test this weekend as they will face another two headed monster in the ground game, as the Panthers bring DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart out to try and churn up big yardage. Bucs fans remember the damage that both Williams and Stewart did on a Monday night not long ago as they both had over 100 yards rushing against Tampa Bay. The Panthers also have the crafty Jake Delhomme at QB and WR Steve Smith just always seems to make huge plays at the end of games. The Cards will try and counter with a resurgent Edgerrin James at RB and also Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at WR.  Both Fitzgerald and Boldin both had touchdowns on long pass plays last weekend, but Boldin is listed as questionable because of a hamstring injury. Bottom line, I see the Panthers holding serve at home behind their strong run game, and also the big play ability of Smith.  The Cards offense will put up points from the passing game, but it won’t be enough to take a bite out of the Panthers.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
This game will be the rubber match between these two NFC East rivals, as both have beaten each other this season. The Giants do seem to be affected by the Plaxico Burress suspension, as their offense doesn’t seem to have the same balance.  Yes, the G-men still have bruising Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward to run the rock (both ran for over 1,000 yards in 2008), but the absence of Burress has hurt the passing game somewhat. The Eagles will try and put as many men in the box as possible, similar to what they did in Minnesota vs. Adrian Peterson and the Vikings, plus still use their exotic blitz packages in the passing game. The Philly offense will be once again led by QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook. I expect both to once again have big games. The Eagles won their game against the Giants in 2008 in New Jersey, and I think that they will once again find a way to beat their nemesis on the road. Like all games, turnovers will be a big key in this game, as will special teams play. 

AFC

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans
Nobody has impressed me more than the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL playoffs thus far.  The Ravens defense is SCARY good, paced by S Ed Reed and LB Ray Lewis. I also want to send a shout out to S Jim Leonhard of the Ravens, who also has been making some key plays for the Ravens defense and also is a fine punt returner. Baltimore’s offense has been very steady lately behind rookie QB Joe Flacco and tough WR Derrick Mason, plus a nice ground game led by Le’Ron McClain and Willie McGahee. But the Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC for two big reasons: an excellent defense and a nice ground game led by Chris Johnson and Lendale White. Veteran QB Kerry Collins has been unspectacular, but effective. Both teams have excellent special teams. I expect this one to perhaps come down to a field goal, and I think the veteran Baltimore defense has the edge in making a big play that will be the difference-maker.

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Chargers are a perfect 2-0 in Pittsburgh in playoff games  The last time Ben Roethlisberger played a game after suffering a concussion, he was terrible.  Still, albeit with apprehension, I like the Steelers to win in a close game. The Chargers almost won again in the 2008 regular season in Pittsburgh.  I think they will have a chance again behind QB Phillip Rivers, RB/KR Darren Sproles and TE Antonio Gates. It looks like RB LaDainian Tomlinson will miss the game with a severe groin injury. But the Steelers have an excellent defense behind folks like LB James Harrison (The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year) and S Troy Palamalu. Big Ben has some weapons as well on offense with WR’s Himes Ward and Santonio Holmes, plus RB Willie Parker seems to be playing better as of late, with Mewelde Moore as another option for toting the rock. I think either team could win this game, but I will give the edge to the Steelers because of more playmakers on their defense.

Let's cheer for Skins loyalty! Doug Williams, ex-Bucs and Redskins QB, has thrown his support to Todd Bowles for the Broncos head coaching job, not Raheem Morris. Bowles and Williams were teammates in Washington.

Joe wants to issue a big “Thank You” to Doug Williams for publicly endorsing Dophins assistant head coach Todd Bowles for the Broncos head coaching job.

Any effort that could help keep Bucs defensive coordinator Raheem Morris from getting the position is a good thing.

Williams, the ex-Bucs quarterback and current team personnel executive, made his case for Bowles to the Denver Post today. Williams and Bowles were teammates on the Super Bowl champion Redskins in 1988.

“He’s got this presence,” said Williams. “Todd is a tall guy. If you watch him explain stuff, you’ll find he uses his hands a lot, and he knows how to get their attention. He knows how to work a room. Guys who play in this league, they’re pretty smart too. That’s where the respect comes from.”

Bowles has spent the last nine seasons as an NFL defensive assistant coach with the Jets, Browns, Cowboys and Dolphins. He’s spent three years working for Bill Parcells — two years while Parcells was head coach in Dallas and this season in Miami, where Parcells is in charge of football operations.

“He’s probably learned what it takes to build a winner. No one can argue with the track record of what Bill has done,” Williams said. “That’s not a bad horse to hitch your wagon to.”

Frankly, the Bucs are completely screwed if Raheem Morris takes off for Denver. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed.

Joe informed you yesterday that word out of Denver is that Morris has made the Broncos final four candidates. Today, TampaBay.com is reporting he may have made Denver’s list of top-3 choices.

You know him. You love him (unless you are employed by the Bucs). He is Justin Pawlowski, one of the finest radio hosts in the area and Tampa Bay’s very own Mike Mayock.

Justin’s back today, broadcasting his highly-acclaimed show from the immortal Chris Thomas studio on WDAE-AM 620 from noon to 3 p.m.

Justin’s must-listen show will either keep Bucs fans glued to the radio or so upset they want to throw their empty bottles of Caybrew in disgust. Either way, it’s solid radio for football fans (which means any red-blooded male living in the Sunshine State).

Justin should have plenty to talk about. Not like there was a dearth of fodder in the local sports scene in recent days.

Tune in!

"Hey, we can do this one more time, man. We need each other. Your work's not done here, and neither is mine."

Those of you dreaming of a new Bucs starting quarterback next season need to step into reality. The odds of it happening are slim.

Bruce Allen and Jon Gruden want Jeff Garcia back because, in their minds, Garcia’s return assures them of a winning 2009 season. Not a successful season, but a winning season with a prayer of getting lucky in the playoffs.

Of course, that assumes Garcia stays healthy, and Bruce Almighty and Chucky can fulfill their their fantasies, including adding a top flight running back, resigning key free agents, like Jermaine Phillips, and improving defensively under Raheem Morris.  

Expect Bruce Almighty to gush over Garcia at today’s news conference at One Buc Place. He’ll be courting the free-agent-to-be with kind, loving praise. Allen plays head spinmaster with the media this morning during a state-of-the team address. 

As for the Bucs sticking with Garcia, it’s Chucky’s way. He prefers veteran quarterbacks. The Bucs have no salary cap issues, which means Gruden will be starting a veteran in 2009.

The odds of Chucky riding his job on the back of a young QB are about the same as him sharing a smoothie with Joey Galloway next week. It ain’t happening.

The odds of Chucky riding his job on the back of a young QB are about the same as him sharing a smoothie with Joey Galloway next week. It ain't happening.

As for Chucky going with a different veteran quarterback, the pickings are very slim.

Brett Favre likely could be had but may have no interest in playing here. And he isn’t coming off a strong season like in 2007. Kurt Warner’s a free agent, but Arizona will surely resign him. Daunte Culpepper, who Gruden brought in for a look before, might be available from the Lions, but he’s surely not better than Garcia. Donovan McNabb? He’s not a free agent, and Philly wouldn’t let him walk. Jake Plummer might be the only one out there – way out there.

As for Garcia, he’s a realist of very strong character, and a man who isn’t interested in embracing major change in his life. He turns 39 in a few weeks, and he’s got an infant daughter at home alongside a pregnant Playboy Playmate of the Year wife expecting their second child in the Spring.

After multiple conversations with Garcia this season, Joe believes Garcia has no interest in starting over with a new team. And he has no interest in being a backup quarterback.

So what options are left for him other than a return to Tampa Bay? Even if Garcia wanted to try and be the No. 1 quarterback for a new club, who would want him at 39 years old? A contender won’t need him, and a rebuilding team won’t let a guy that age be its top QB. And surely he’s unlikely to go to one of the many teams with a new coach in 2009.

Maybe – a big maybe – Mike Singletary makes a run at Garcia thinking he can get the 49ers quickly into contention with a veteran quarterback in a crappy division. San Francisco is Garcia’s hometown club, but it’s still a remote chance that SIngletary would want to hang his coaching future on a 39-year-old.

Keeping pregnant Carmella and their daughter happy is important to Jeff Garcia. And that might mean staying in Tampa.

The pickings are as slim for Garcia as they are for stubborn, veteran-loving Chucky.

Garcia and Chucky are a perfect match in 2009. They need each other.

They’re both on razor thin ice clinging to jobs they desperately want to keep.

If he really wanted to impress the poolside hotties, Warren Sapp should have challenged Michael Phelps to an arm wrestle or a coconut patty eating contest

It was the swimming stud versus the sackmaster. The chisled body versus the round mound. And, sadly, it was more exciting than the Bucs red zone offense.

Yes, eight-time gold medal winner Michael Phelps met up with Warren Sapp in a Miami Beach hotel pool recently. And it seems Sapp didn’t like sharing the limelight.

Although Sapp looks lean – for him – next to Phelps he looks like Barney the dinosaur.

The paparazzi freaks at TMZ.com have the video. Check it out. Sapp challenges Phelps to a swimming race, and Phelps give him a sizeable head start.

The rest is history. (Props to BucStats.com for digging this up.)

Cadillac Williams thinks he can return to take the field for the Bucs in 2009. Joe isn't so sure.

Though Joe isn’t holding his breath, Bucs running back Cadillac Williams vows that he will play next season after blowing out his left knee in the season-ending loss to the Raiders, reports Fred Goodell of the Associated Press via NationalFootballPost.com.

“This process should be much easier,” Williams said, adding that former Tampa Bay teammate and current Carolina kick returner Mark Jones suffered a similar injury when he was with the Bucs.

Cadillac claims he was feeling nearly 100 percent when he suffered the injury. He sure ran like the old Cadillac Joe remembered.

Joe is optimistic Cadillac can pull it off. But realistically, no one can truly expect him to contribute next season.

Sportswriters aren’t known for their talent on the small screen, but Jim Armstrong, longtime columnist for the Denver Post, shows in this video that he’s pretty darn good. To be fair, Armstrong was often seen on Around the Horn, on ESPN.

Here he talks about the Broncos’ head coach search, stating the Broncos are sure to hire a defensive coach who will accept limited input on personnel and be a communicator who can eliminate Denver’s “dysfunctional front office,” quoting Denver owner Pat Bowlen.

That sure sounds like Raheem Morris is on the very short list, one of only four defensive candidates being considered. And today the Denver Post is reporting the Broncos’ choice for head coach is among the seven candidates already interviewed. So the math alone gives Morris a reasonable shot.

Joe is nervous that Morris could actually get the Denver job, although it’s unlikely. The Bucs organization would be devasted by losing Morris and being forced to scramble to find a coordinator who can run the Bucs defense, as it is contstructed.

Stylez talked about Raheem Morris on ESPN Radio

The Bucs defensive lineman formerly known as Greg White visited the Killer B’s show on ESPN 1040 AM for about one hour recently.

Joe tuned in hoping the B’s would ask White lots of interesting questions about Bucs football. Sadly, but not surprisingly, that wasn’t the case. Of course, there was lots of blabbering about the University of Miami.

White, however, was asked about Raheem Morris. “It ain’t broke,” White said about the defense. He also said he expects Morris to have the defense be more agressive and “let playmakers make more plays, like Aqib [Talib] and Gaines [Adams].”

Overall, Joe believes White was implying that Monte Kiffin wasn’t necessarily setting up his best players for maximum success. What that’s worth, Joe isn’t quite sure.

But White’s performance was down in 2008, from 2007. Maybe the 29-year-old didn’t like the defensive line rotation used throughout the season. It’s worth noting the Bucs parted ways with D-Line coach Larry Coyer last week.

She worked hard to earn the respect of her teammates. And now Rachel Watson has been chosen by them to represent the Bucs at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Joe is oozing with pride. Bucs cheerleader Rachel Watson has made the Pro Bowl cheerleading squad. Joe has long been an admirer of Rachel, and he’d be honored to accompany her to Hawaii. Rachel, when you read this, please e-mail Joe right away.

(For that matter, Joe would be honored to accompany Rachel to a bingo parlor in Pinellas Park.)

Unless the Rams front office is blatantly lying, the Bucs likely won't be searching for a new defensive coordinator (again).

Well, even the best can be wrong.

Tuesday, Adam Schefter of NFL.com, one of the top NFL writers in the country with few equals, reported Bucs defensive coordinator was a target of the Rams for their head coaching vacancy.

The next day, Wednesday, Morris was reported as having been surprised to learn of this. Even Rams beat writers thought this to be a surprising twist in the Rams coaching search.

Now it can be put to rest. Per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, after speaking with Rams general manager Billy Devaney, wrote that the Rams do not have any interest in Morris.

Contrary to some reports, Devaney said the team does not plan to interview Tampa Bay assistant head coach Raheem Morris.

So now it appears that if the Broncos pass on Morris, the Bucs will have in effect secured their first victory of 2009.

Joe is happy and now hopes, so long as the Broncos select someone else, the Bucs can concern themselves with beefing up the Bucs front seven on defense.

After his defense was largely responsible for the worst record in NFL history, Joe Barry is on his knees begging for a job; any job.

Joe has read in recent days that the Bucs might be interested in bringing Joe Barry back into the fold. However, it’s starting to become rather clear that this propaganda is not being leaked by the Bucs, but by Barry himself.

Barry was thought to be a rising NFL coaching star a few short years ago, specifically when he was surrounded by other solid Bucs defensive coaches like Monte Kiffin, Rod Marinelli and Mike Tomlin.

But then that nasty little thing called nepotism crept into his life, and his father-in-law, Marinelli, decided to hire Barry as the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator. As we all learned once again, nepotism can be lethal (just ask Bobby Bowden how nepotism can stain a career).

Barry’s stint as the Lions defensive coordinator can be summed up in one word: failure.

Actually, that should be in uppercase with an exclamation point.

Barry’s defense this past season was largely the reason why the Lions set an NFL record by being the first team to post an 0-16 mark. To suggest Barry’s defense failed is an understatement.

The Lions had the worst defense in the NFL, and it wasn’t even close. Barry’s defense gave up 517 points, an average of 32 points a game. By comparison, the second-worst defense in the NFL was St. Louis, which allowed 465 points. Barry’s defense gave up the most yards per game, as well, 404 (compared to Kansas City which allowed 393 yards a game).

So apparently, Barry is floating his name out to anyone who will listen and happens to own a keyboard, saying he’s interested in an NFL gig, any NFL gig. Case in point, Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune’s recent post on TBO.com.

“No, I have not interviewed at all – with anybody. Not even close,’’ Barry said Wednesday. “I have some irons in the fire, and I’ve talked to half a dozen teams about things, but I have not interviewed with anybody.

“At this point I’m just kind of hanging out and letting the dust settle for a week or two to see where the best fit for me and my family will be. If it’s Tampa, that would be great. I would love it.

“Tampa’s always been special to me and I think the world of the Glazers and the fans and the Buccaneers organization. If I could come back here, I would absolutely cherish it.’’

Barry went on to suggest to Cummings:

… he says he’s keeping all his options open.

Gee, ya’ think?

Barry’s tenure at Detroit suggests that he rode the coattails of Kiffin, daddy-in-law and Tomlin. It’s not like the Lions were an expansion team and had no benefit of free agency. They had some high draft choices and hand-picked free agents, some of which played for Barry when he was a Bucs assistant.

Joe hopes an option with the Bucs is not available. Joe doesn’t blame Barry for wanting to return to Tampa. But given the quality — or lack thereof — Barry’s defense displayed in recent years in Detroit, Barry may want to think about other options locally.

Joe understands there may be an opening at Freedom High School.

Yesterday, Adam Schefter of NFL.com reported the Rams asked the Bucs for permission to interview defensive coordinator Raheem Morris for the vacant St. Louis head coaching position.

This caught both the Tampa Bay area MSM, as well as the St. Louis MSM, by surprise. Maybe for good reason. Morris claims this is news to him.

Communicating with Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, Morris texted Cummings claiming the Rams had not contacted him.

“I seriously have not heard,’’ Morris said in a response to a text message about the situation.

Cummings does note that it’s possible, since Morris was returning from Denver after interviewing with the Broncos for their head coaching position, that he hadn’t received such a message yet.

Jim Thomas, the Rams beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, seems to reinforce Morris’ text to Cummings claiming the Rams have been looking elsewhere.

There were unconfirmed reports Tuesday that the Rams also had requested permission to speak with Tampa Bay assistant coach Raheem Morris. If so, that would represent another change in the Rams’ search paramaters, because league sources told the Post-Dispatch three days ago that the team was not interested in Morris.

Of course, NFL teams love the cloak and dagger mentality of the coaching search. Just from a modicum of research, it appears the Rams are interviewing virtually anyone and everyone who has paced a football sideline. Soon, Joe expects Countryside High School coach John Davis to fly to the Gateway City to interview with the Rams. Throw in the fact the Rams have a new front office, and it’s possible few if any reporters have solid contacts within it, it wouldn’t shock Joe if Morris indeed was to be interviewed by the Rams.

Poor judgement by the Tampa Tribune and TBO.com caused friction in the Garcia family. It seems Carmella Garcia was not involved.

It’s just like the mainstream media to ruin a good thing.

All season long, Joe was pleased present you with hand-picked blog excerpts from Bob Garcia, Jeff Garcia’s dad and a legendary retired college and high school football coach in Gilroy, Calif.

His writings, via the Gilroy Dispatch, provided excellent insight into Jeff Garcia’s mindset. And even Jeff himself, back in October, told Joe he was cool with how Joe was reporting his father’s commentary to Bucs fans.

But don’t expect anymore Bucs talk from Bob Garcia.

After the Tampa Tribune and TBO.com foolishly and needlessly chose to quote a blog excerpt that included Bob Garcia taking a shot at Derrick Brooks, it seems Jeff Garcia told his dad to stop talking Bucs.

((Note: TBO.com didn’t have the decency to link to Bob Garcia’s blog.))

In his latest blog entry, Gilroy Dispatch sports editor Josh Koehn tells Bob Garcia he won’t ask him Bucs questions.

Garcia: I’m doing all right, just got a little chewed out by my son a little bit.
Koehn: Really?
G: Well, that last article we put out, Tampa Bay, I don’t know which paper it was, ran it in its full content. I feel bad that I mentioned, like, Derrick Brooks, a pulled hamstring, that he looked like he was in a wheelchair. He was really trying — it kind of hurt him.
K: Well, you mentioned he had an injury and everything.
G: I know it. Anyhow, whatever. I feel bad about that. I really did.
K: Well, we’re not trying to —
G: We’re not trying to rip anybody. Whatever. … I except full responsibility for what came out of my mouth. What the hell? What more can I say?

So thank you Tampa Tribune and TBO.com Bucs beat writers for ruining a good thing with your poor judgement. You did not serve Bucs fans well. You silenced a great source of information. Sometimes knowing what not to print is just as important as knowing what to publish.

An accomplished FOX TV reporter in Denver, Josina Anderson, studied Raheem Morris’ qualifications to become Broncos’ head coach.

A Denver Reporter Takes A Long, Hard Look At Raheem Morris

Anderson, unfortunately, throws race into the mix, trying to use Barack Obama analogies. But that aside, she talked to Simeon Rice, Bucs WR Bryan Clark (a former Bronco) and NFL execs and agents to put together a written analysis.

It’s the kind of stuff that the Tampa Bay media should have been all over when Morris was put on the head coaching radar. But the local scribes and TV reporters got soft. Too much holiday cheer, perhaps. In the old days, a local media outlet or two would have sent a reporter along to Denver with Morris. Oh, well. Joe is here now to help.

Anderson offered a rare glimpse at the respect Jon Gruden and Bucs players have for Morris.

Besides this season, there were several times Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden gave Morris the opportunity to address the entire team in preparation for upcoming games.

[Bryan] Clark continued to stress Morris’ preparation and his attention to detail-citing one game as one example.

“When we played the Saints that’s obviously a heavy passing team. Rah’ told all his players his mindset was that [Drew] Brees was launching a personal attack on the defense if he felt he could run up the score on them. On the sidelines he said, I can’t repeat the language but to paraphrase he said, ’if these guys think we are that soft and we are that sorry to win this game by passing, they obviously don’t know who they are messing with.’ Jo, you could see it in his eyes, veins bulging, blood rushing; and the guys responded to it. At the end of the game I remember Jermaine Phillips caught the interception to seal the deal. Rah’ went nuts. But Rah’ wasn’t so much happy about the interception as he was that Jermaine let the Saints know that if they play the Bucs they are going to have to find another way to beat us because it’s not passing.”

Matter of fact Simeon Rice told FOX31 Sports that if Bowlen hired Morris as head coach, a certain future Hall of Famer and former Bronco and Buccaneer maybe both enticed and invited to come out of retirement.

“John [Lynch] may even come back. I’m telling you, you guys would love [Morris] out there. He is cool. He is a fresh look, and he is the closest thing to Tomlin out there-and Tomlin is a damn good coach in a new league,” said Rice.

When asked whether Denver is ready to have a black coach as the head coach Rice said,

“It has nothing to do with the black or white card as much as it has to do with age. But with Raheem, he is a leader. A guy like Raheem is going to address things earlier. Older coaches take a longer time to get over themselves sometimes.”

Anderson sat down for a video intervew with Morris, which Joe highly recommends. He’s intense and well spoken. Again, the lTampa Bay MSM has offered so few opportunities to get to know this guy.

Anderson: How do you speak to your critics too that say that: this is just a Rooney Rule interview; that you are too young for the interview; that you’ve only been a newly named coordinator for over a week or so? How would you speak to those critics and say you know what I am ready for this job?

Morris: You really don’t. You just let your work speak for itself. You go do the best job you can do, and that’s all you can do. There are always going to be critics. There’s always going to be people that have a reason for whatever is going on. You don’t really worry about that. That’s gray matter. I’m way too mentally tough to deal with that.

Joe recommends the unedited interview at the bottom of page. (((Note: As usual, Joe expects TBO.com to post all this information on its Web site within a few hours of it appearing on JoeBucsFan.com. Keep up the good work, fellas.)))

Now Raheem Morris is in line to interview with the St. Louis Rams.

Either newly annointed Bucs defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is a popular fellow, a Rooney Rule pawn or a disgruntled Bucs employee. Either way, it’s becoming less and less likely he will keep his new title with the Bucs for long.

Per Adam Schefter of NFL.com, the St. Louis Rams have received permission to interview Morris for their head coaching vacancy.

This a day after Morris wowed Broncos brass in an interview to replace recently fired Denver coach Mike Shanahan.

The Rams have yet to schedule the interview with Morris, but will attempt to shortly, Schefter reports.

Simply put, Joe is convinced that if Morris leaves, the Bucs truly will be in a terrible pinch.

Joe would love to see San Diego running back/return specialist and potential free agent Darren Sproles playing for the Bucs next season.

If the recent regular season has taught Joe anything, it’s that running backs, not quarterbacks, are what Chucky needs to stock up on, so long as he uses them.

The Bucs had a terrible time keeping running backs healthy, if not out of your friendly neighborhood IHOP allegedly creating havoc in the wee hours of the morning.

First, Earnest Graham went down.

Just before that, Michael Bennett was cut loose, after he allegedly went all gangsta in a Tampa IHOP.

Then Cadillac Williams went down.

In the end, the Bucs were left with Warrick Dunn who by that time had little gas left in his big-hearted yet aging body.

The Bucs can’t count on Cadillac to return. Dunn, at this stage of his career, is not an every-down back. That leaves the ranks pretty thin after Graham.

Joe isn’t sure about other Bucs fans, but Joe couldn’t help but drool at the thought of potential free agent running back Darren Sproles after watching Sproles tear through the Colts defense Saturday. Why if Joe didn’t know any better, he’d swear that the San Diego stud was blessed before the game by no less of a cleric than Father Dungy.

Joe can’t believe the Chargers would be crazy enough to keep both Sproles and LaDainian Tomlinson because it would chew up too much of the salary cap. Joe’s guess is that one of the two will hit the free agent market and Sproles will be that running back. What makes Sproles all the more valuable is that he can return kicks, too. Imagine both him and Clifton Smith returning kickoffs for the Bucs?

So Joe would suggest it be wise if the Glazers Boys break out the checkbook on Sproles and that Bruce Almighty load up on defensive linemen and linebackers in the draft.

A new favorite of Chargers fans, ex-Bucs RB Michael Bennett faced questions from the San Diego media regarding his role in a Tampa fight involving Bucs players and a restaurant patron

Former Bucs running back Michael Bennett talked about his playoff performance on Saturday that has Chargers fans ecstatic. And Bennett also discussed the civil law suit that has Bucs fans scratching their heads wondering if the speedster was cut by Tampa Bay because he is accused of flashing a gun during a fight at a Tampa IHOP in October.

Yes, before Christmas, Joe first broke the ugly details of the IHOP disturbance. The local and national print media woke up to the story in the past few days.

Questioned by the San Diego Union-Tribune on Monday, Bennett called the law suit “hocus pocus.”

The suit alleges he and former offensive lineman Anthony Davis – who the Bucs cut days after the IHOP incident – seriously beat the plaintiff and Bennett threatened him with a holstered gun.

A Tampa police report states Bennett was not identified in two photo lineups by witnesses at the scene. 

One witness interviewed by police said a man wearing a green outfit punched the plaintiff in the jaw, according to the report, and Bennett later told police he was wearing “a green hat and green longsleeve shirt with a white undershirt.”

No charges were filed by police, and Bennett told the Union Tribune on Monday that he was “the peacekeeper” at IHOP, where Davis was enraged and out of control.

Joe promises to keep you informed as the civil suit progresses through the court system.

And Joe is rooting for Michael Bennett on the field. Chargers fans are giddy about Bennett’s 31 yards (four carries and a seven-yard reception) in his San Diego debut against Indianapolis on Saturday. A former Pro Bowl running back, Bennett came on in the second half after LaDainian Tomlinson left the game injured.

Bennett showed the speed and power Bucs fans saw from him throughout the 2008 preseason. As stated many times in September, October and November, Joe disagreed with Chucky sticking Bennett in his doghouse before needlessly cutting him two months ago.

Prepared and confident, Raheem Morris interviewed for the Broncos head coaching job in Denver on Monday

Newly-crowned Bucs defensive coordinator Raheem Morris sounded like a man eager to replace Mike Shanahan as Broncos head coach on Monday. Morris was in Denver to interview for the position.

In a chat with the Rocky Mountain News, Morris, expressed his desire to wear orange.

“I got a chance to study them a little bit,” Morris said. “You always want to come prepared when you come in to meet with people … They’ve got a lot of potential, things they can do a little bit better, but everybody does. Hopefully, I can be the one to help them do it.”

Joe is pleased to read about Morris’ confidence and attention to detail, and that he wasn’t just going through the motions in Denver. It’s no wonder that NFL executives are high on his future.

Joe always chuckled at those in the media who thought Morris, just 32-years-old, was a great candidate but might not want to take over for Monte Kiffin because the shoes were too big to fill. That never made sense to Joe. If a guy is confident and capable, he’ll want the best job he can find.

And now the evidence is here, as Monte’s shoes are only half as big as Shanahan’s.

Joe believes Morris has very little chance to get the Denver job and the Bucs will have the chance to let him play head-coach-in-training this year in Tampa.

One local Tampa Bay scribe predicts Alex Smith will be wearing the red jersey of the Bucs next season, not the 49ers.

With the risk of reading like a paid advertisement, there is only one Sunday night sports wrap-up show worth staying up late to watch, and it can be found on WFLA-TV, Channel 8.

It’s not because the show has a lot of highlights. Joe’s not staying up until midnight on a Sunday night to watch only a handful of highlights when he can get significantly more highlights far earlier in the evening on various channels on his DirecTV, much less on the internet shortly following a game.

What makes the Channel 8 show worthwhile is the significant amount of analysis from various Tampa Tribune team beat reporters. Again, this is not to pimp WFLA (though Media General is welcome to advertise with Joe). Joe would say the same thing if other reporters from other papers, including the Tribune’s, would pop up on other late Sunday night shows. That doesn’t happen, aside from Pewter Report writers on WFTS.

At any rate, on Sunday eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune discussed the many holes the Bucs need to plug and the various moves Bruce Almighty and Chucky may make between now and the start of training camp in July.

Joe had to catch his breath when Kaufman suggested the next Chucky quarterback experiment would be Alex Smith. When Joe finally picked himself off the floor and dusted himself off, he realized Kaufman was making sense.

Kaufman did not try to make a case for Smith being a good quarterback. He isn’t. In fact, the top overall pick in the 2005 draft by the 49ers has been nothing short of horrid. But Kaufman laid out the reasons he thinks Smith will be wearing Pewter and Red next year:

* Smith will come cheap. Adding the soon-to-be free agent (who was set to make nearly $10 million next year) will hardly spark a bidding war. So the Bucs could get a bargain basement deal.

* Apparently per Kaufman, Chucky was smitten with Smith when the quarterback was coming out of Utah, after leading the Utes to an undefeated season and a win over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

* Chucky, per Kaufman, loves reclamation projects and isn’t scared to take a chance on a player, especially if said player comes cheap.

* Stating the obvious, Kaufman noted how Chucky loves to collect quarterbacks like Hugh Heffner collects blondes. (Actually, that’s Joe’s line.)

Joe is certain there will be a shakeup among Bucs quarterbacks for the 2009 season. Though Kaufman makes a lot of sense, the thought of Alex Smith potentially being the Bucs starting quarterback sends cold shivers up Joe’s spine.

It’s almost enough for Joe to swallow hard and accept Son of Bob as the starting quarterback.

Well, on second thought…

“Bryan, Joel, everyone, thanks for having me back. I love you guys.”

Here at JoeBucsFan.com, our writers don’t always share the same views.

Hey, what fans agree all the time? C’mon.

After much crying over the Bucs’ implosion and a holiday weekend of college football, pro football and quality beer drinking, Joe presents a couple of takes on Chucky’s future, more specifically how the Glazers view the status of their handpicked, expensive coach.  

By LEE DIEKEMPER
Managing Editor

Call it a hunch, but Chucky will return next year.

Chucky has three years left on a contract worth a reported $5 million a year. At the time he signed the new contract following the 2007 season, the deal put him among the top five highest paid NFL coaches.

That, in itself, is absurd, but it also means Chucky will remain as Bucs coach.

Please understand Joe is not a Chucky hater, though he can find plenty of things to hate. Joe will continue to bleed Bucs red if Chucky is the coach, or someone else.

Note that the last year of a head coach contract is virtually meaningless. Rarely do coaches reach the final year of a contract unless the coach is fired or has his contract extended. The vast majority of teams do not want lame duck coaches. So in essence, Chucky has two years left on his deal.

Sure, if the Glazer Boys unloaded Chucky and he was picked up by another team, the Glazer Boys would be off the hook for his salary. Keyword: “If.”

JoeBucsFan.com Managing Editor Lee Diekemper says the Glazer clan is watching all their nickels this year along with the rest of the National Football League.

Just because Chucky is fired doesn’t mean he’d agree to work for another team at likely a smaller salary. Joe can’t imagine a team would hire a coach who was canned for $5 million a year. Chucky also would likely spend a season out of football, which might attract more teams and better choices for his next coaching gig.

Remember that rich people don’t stay rich by being foolish. Five million dollars a year is a boat load of money no matter if you are Joe, Paul Allen, T. Boone Pickens, Warren Buffet or the Glazer Boys. With NFL teams hurt by the economy, and actually some teams including the league office laying off people, not all owners are ready to toss money away on unemployed coaches.

No less a well-connected authority than Chris Mortensen of BSPN has stated in his talks with NFL owners that they are counting their beans a little more closely this year.

(Granted, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen axed Mike Shanahan, who has three years left on his contract. Remember the Broncos aren’t having trouble selling season tickets. The Glazer Boys are.)

Should Chucky go? Joe is of the mind that, as much as he appreciates what Chucky has done for the franchise, yes. It’s time. He got the Bucs their only Super Bowl, for which Joe will forever be in Chucky’s debt. No matter what happens to Chucky, he should never have to buy another meal or a beer in Tampa for that reason alone.

Chucky’s record since speaks for itself. It’s not good. In fact, it’s worse than Father Dungy’s, who was axed by the Glazer Boys (not without merit) for lesser sins.

Joe just doesn’t see the franchise improving under Chucky. Competing for a NFC South title and losing in the first round is not what Joe calls “improving.” And the Chuckyodytes who scream “who else would you have coach?” doesn’t hold water. Quick, raise your hands if you heard of Mike Smith, John Harbaugh or Tony Sparano prior to last year?

For that matter, how many people knew of Chucky before Al Davis picked him as the Raiders coach?

Should Chucky go? Regrettably, yes.

Will Chucky go? Regrettably, no.

By STEVEN ISBITTS
Editor

Getting in the heads and hearts of the Glazers is tough. They don’t talk to the media much, and they rarely show their cards when they do. Malcolm’s boys must be incredible poker players.

What we do know about the Glazers is they are savage, savvy business people who are not afraid to go after what they want. They outbid George Steinbrenner for the Bucs and threatened to leave town to force a new stadium deal. (Not that anyone cares, but they took on the wrath of an enitre country with a blood-thirsty media to buy Manchester United).  

And, of course, the Glazers take their head coach shopping seriously. Look at their willingness to fire Tony Dungy and pay a king’s ransom of cash and draft picks for Chucky, and their relentless pursuit of BIll Parcells in past years. 

JoeBucsFan.com Editor Steven Isbitts says the Glazers will show Chucky lots of love while they search for their next great leader, much like Chucky does with his quarterbacks

The take here is that the Glazers would be pleased to have a new coach now, if they found what they wanted. And they would spare absolutely no expense — they’d rather make cuts in other areas or raise prices. 

But the Glazer brain trust hasn’t found that guy. So Chucky will be their man again in 2009.

For now, the Glazers will rely on Chucky and Bruce Allen to find ways for the team to stay competitive, inject some youth into the lineup and, with a little luck, make the playoffs. That’ll keep the seats nearly filled and buy time. It’s the safe option, in an unsafe environment.

One look at the ’09 schedule, and the Glazers see a horrendous year for rebuilding the Bucs. Tampa Bay’s schedule is brutally difficult, including a forfeited home game in England against the Patriots. The Glazers know that rebuilding and finishing 3-13 in a poor economy is a great recipe for blacked out home games, major revenue loss, and overall great risk.

Imagine if a new coach and rebuilding is a flop? The Bucs could be mired in the NFC South cellar for years.

Look for the Glazers to give Bruce Allen and Chucky the green light to run the team however they wish in 2009 (Let’s hope that’s not into the ground). Joe believes the Glazers still have some faith in their dynamic duo, and they’ll buy their sales car-salesmen pitch that the team is just a stud running back and a pass rusher away from going 11-5 next year.

Joe is confident Gruden is done after next season, unless he gets to the second round of the playoffs, without excepton.

And another thing, the Glazers will do everything necessary to make sure Raheem Morris knows loud and clear that he’s in their future plans for head coach.

Former Bucs QB Jeff Carson nailed all four Wild Card playoff games, picking Arizona, San Diego, Baltimore and Philly

Time to applaud former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson, who is known to many for his work on Bright House Sports Networks, ESPN 1040 AM and coaching young quarterbacks. 

Carlson was the only JoeBucsFan.com expert to serve up a perfect record of picks, 4-0, for last weekend’s playoff games. Joe guesses the lesson learned is not to mess with the pros.

Joe provided expert picks for the opening round playoff slate, and the wide range of selections created the opportunity to make fun of some and praise others. All the picks are below.

Kudos to JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox for finishing 3-1. And Justin Pawlowski, of The Sports Animal, saved face with a 2-2 mark. Both nailed their best bets. As for the others, there’s always next week, fellas.