Talks Bucs.

Joe is going through his past recordings and interviews before deleting them all to save memory space for the new season, and Joe found an interview this offseason with the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo of SiriusXM Radio and MLB Network fame. Joe asked Russo a few questions about the Bucs and as one can expect, Russo had an opinion.

JoeBucsFan.com: What did you think about Dirk Koetter’s job in his first season as the Bucs head coach?

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo: I thought he had a pretty good year. They won nine games. They have to be happy the way they beat Carolina in Week 17. You didn’t want to end the season with a three-game losing streak. I would think he is a step in the right direction. Any time the Bucs are over .500 it is good. I was a little disappointed they lost to Dallas and the Saints because you win either one of those two you are in the playoffs. But overall, as a fan, you have to be happy with what Koetter did. Winston is a little erratic still but you have to be happy with the way he played in 2016.

Joe: Was going to ask you what you thought of Winston’s progress.

Russo: A little erratic, a little erratic. The Dallas game was a perfect example, he was up and down. A little emotional, he got that personal foul penalty in that game. Dumb penalty. Saints game too, he’s a little up and down. But he is a young player. He cares. He seems to stay healthy. The Bucs have a quarterback, you would think, for years to be good enough to take them to the playoffs on multiple occasions. I’m not sure he’s good enough to take them to a Super Bowl. I am not sure he is on that level, but he is a good quarterback. Obviously, the Bucs are in good shape there. [The Bucs] might have a good combination. Koetter is a good offensive coach and the Bucs have a quarterback. Now [this] season, the Bucs are not going to catch anybody by surprise. Everybody knows they are going to be good but they can still be sloppy at home. They don’t’ have a great home field advantage. They need to be better in their own building. They can be kind of spotty there. They need to improve that. They need to be better at home. But 2016 was a positive one for the Bucs. But steps are being taken. They could be a dominant team. The defense is getting better. You have to be happy if you are a Bucs fan.

Joe: Ira [Kaufman] is on your show Wednesdays (5 p.m.) during the football season. It seems you aren’t buying what Ira is selling on Gerald McCoy.

Russo: McCoy, he loves the guy. But I love Ira. Ira can sell whatever he wants to me. But he’s not going to tell me that the Pro Football Hall of Fame is better than the baseball Hall of Fame. That is not what he’s going to tell me. He’s not going to get away with that but overall, Ira can tell me whatever he wants. I love the guy and glad to see he is doing well with you. I am glad to see Ira has found a home. We love Ira.