This creature better not be starting again next season at strong safety.

There are a lot of things the Bucs need to work on now that Raheem the Dream is back for the 2010 season. It’s not too difficult to find these with a 3-13 team.

But Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times suggests there are five critical areas that the Bucs need to address before the season kicks off. Those are assistant coaches, free agents, the draft, offensive identity and competition for specific positions.

The competition element is what has Joe intrigued.

Change is a fact of life in the NFL, especially when a season ends with a 3-13 record.

That means the Bucs must be sure to upgrade at certain positions. There will be different players in the starting lineup in 2010. The task is identifying which positions must be upgraded most and addressing those needs by tweaking the roster and ensuring that those who end up starting truly earn their jobs.

Expect the defensive line to be overhauled. It’s possible the secondary could be addressed, with S Sabby Piscitelli struggling and CB Ronde Barber, 34, being a year older. Receiver is another position that lacks depth.

This may sound crass, but there’s no way around it for Joe: If Sabby the Goat is in the starting lineup next year at strong safety, the only possible excuse would be that there are a myriad of injuries.