Joe caught up with safety Steve Cargile after he was cut by the Bucs today. Cargile is a veteran out of Columbia University who has bounced around a handful of clubs since earning his Ivy League economics degree in 2004. He’s also worked for his share of stud NFL coaches, including Bill Parcells, Mike Shanahan and Tom Coughlin.

On what was a downer of a day for him, Cargile told Joe about his experience and Raheem The Dream’s locker room.

Joe: Your former teammate in Denver, John Lynch, was touting you on multiple Bucs preseason broadcasts. And you played well in your time here. Was today’s news a surprise?

Steve Cargile: I wouldn’t say it was a surprise. You learn quickly that anything is possible in the NFL. It’s a disappointment because I believe I showed in Tampa that I can play in this league. …I didn’t know the exact situation coming in and my chances. But I definitely thought I played well enough to make the team.

Joe: You were in Bucs training camp in 2006. Did you have any history with Raheem Morris?

Cargile: It was Raheem and Mike Tomlin who made the case to bring me into Tampa that year. But Raheem was gone to Kansas and Tomlin in Minnesota when I got here.

Joe: Did you get any positive feedback today? Or did the Bucs just say, ‘See you later.’

Cargile: I don’t think they said see you later. I sat down with my position coach today and he was very positive about my performance. If the situation comes up again here, I don’t think they’d be hesitant to bring me back. They felt comfortable with me in the defense. And I felt comfortable with the defense.

Joe: You’ve been in camps and on the rosters of several franchises, the Cowboys, Giants, Broncos, Monte Kiffin’s Buccaneers, among others. How does the atmosphere of the 2009 Bucs compare?

Cargile: I think there’s a good attitude. I liked Raheem for the head coach for the short time I was here. It’s an excellent coaching staff. Compared to other organizations I’ve been around it’s looser in Tampa. Not looser in an bad sense. It just not a military format where everybody has to be some specific way. The expectations are there, it’s just a loose environment. It’s different.

Joe: Coming into the NFL from an Ivy League school, what kind of challenge is that too overcome?

Cargile: It’s tougher for anyone from a small school, especially when you’re a free agent. It’s been a tough road. …I got a break [in Denver] but not as many opporutnities as I believe I deserved. You need to make the most of all opportunities, but you need some luck and some breaks. I’ve always been one of those guys on the bubble. I just need one of those times again to get one of those breaks.