If Elbert Mack can make interceptions in games like he has in practice, the Bucs secondary will be OK.

While slotted now as a nickel back, the little guy from the little school who plays big but never had a college scholarship offer in high school, Elbert Mack is being grooomed to replace Ronde Barber, writes Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Sooner or later Barber will retire.

And thus far in training camp, Mack has done nothing to make his old position coach Raheem the Dream think he can’t handle the task.

“He’s got to go in the game on third downs and stand up,” said Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris. “Everybody’s looking at him. ‘Here’s the sub, throw it at the sub.’

“You’re going to be as good as that guy can be. As long as he keeps practicing like he is right now, who knows? Who knows what he can be?”

In Joe’s eyes, all one needs to know about Mack is that he led the NCAA in interceptions two years ago. That tells Joe Mack has a nose for the football. And Mack has shown over the past two seasons that he hasn’t lost that smell of leather.