"Don't laugh. I mean it. You're a linebacker."

It felt like a kick in Joe’s groin.

Talking about strong safety Jermaine Phillips’ transition to weakside linebacker, Raheem The Dream this morning was not upbeat about what Joe and many fans believe was among the most ill-advised moves of the offseaon.

“It’s going fair,” Raheem The Dream said, when asked how Phillips is progressing, during an interview on 620 WDAE-AM, The Sports Animal.

The Dream went on to say Phillips is plodding through his learning curve when it comes to using his hands, taking on guards, etc., and the real test will come in the first preseason game at Tennessee on Aug. 15.

Joe has said over and over that it would take a near miracle for Phillips, at 30-years-old and injury prone, to successfully transition in one season into a starting quality weakside linebacker on a good defense.

But perhaps Joe is a moron. After all, general manager Mark Dominik said the Bucs’ strongest unit on the squad is the linebackers.