Yesterday afternoon on WDAE-AM 620, Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud made a surprise appearance with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig. Ruud was pitching his celebrity golf outing but talk also turned to the Bucs.

On Jim Bates’ defense:

“It’s a good system, a sound system. It has answers for everything. For me it’s simpler. By the end of last year Monte was putting a lot on me checking the defense. Now I just line up and go.

“We will still do a little Tampa-2 but not as much as we used to. This will free me up to get more tackles. I think I will get more sacks. In Monte’s package, the blitz [would free] up the SAM or the nickel to get one-on-one coverage. With this defense, there will be more of a variety with different blitzes. I hope I can get free’ed up to get some shots [at the quarterback].

“Jim’s defense and Monte’s defense are similar but you can understand Jim a little bit better [laughs]. Jim is flying around the field and chest bumping guys. I really like the addition of Jim Bates.

“I hope I can have the same kind of success that Zach Thomas did with Bates in Miami. It’s a dream for a linebacker to play this defense.”

When Duemig asked Ruud if the defense will now be his defense since Brooks is gone, Ruud was hesitant.

“I dunno. Time will tell. When I got here it was Derrick’s defense. And before that it was Hardy Nickerson’s defense. I think I will have more of a leadership role. But when you no longer have a Hall of Famer back there a lot of responsibility shifts to you. I don’t know if this is my defense or not.

“You don’t get handed a leader, you earn it. Your actions give you the right to speak your mind. If you are proving it, people respect that. Brooks earned the right to say what he wanted. I’m not quite there yet.”