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BY IRA KAUFMAN

Let’s get real here. Let’s get down and dirty.

New uniforms are nice, but those fresh duds you’re wearing won’t help you cover Michael Thomas this fall. Tom Brady’s chat with Howard Stern is an entertaining diversion, but it won’t mean a thing when Cameron Jordan collapses the pocket and Malcolm Jenkins lurks in the passing lane.

This most highly-viewed Buc web site is about football, not fashion.

Dying to know where Giselle will be shopping in Tampa Bay? Follow the money and head in another direction.

To that end, I spoke to Anthony McFarland this week regarding his favorite football team. Booger still lives in the Bay area and he plays golf with Derrick Brooks when he’s not watching tape of draft prospects.

So many former Bucs, including Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber, Trent Dilfer, Keyshawn Johnson, John Lynch, Shaun King and Chris Simms, found a second career in broadcasting. In my view, McFarland has few peers when it comes to offering candid and informative insights on the state of this franchise.

Booger McFarland talks Bucs with Ira Kaufman

Intense Scrutiny & Draft Strategy

While joining the 2006 Colts and earning a second Super Bowl ring, McFarland saw first hand what a Hall of Fame quarterback like Peyton Manning can mean to an organization.

What about the Brady effect on the 2020 Bucs?

“Football has always been a show-me game,” McFarland says. “We all like to talk about what we do. When you look at Brady, he’s got the pelts on the wall. He’s got all the skins and his reputation precedes him.

“More importantly, Brady has the ability to show everyone what it’s like to be a consummate professional. Everybody’s going to be watching — all the young guys and coaches who have heard about him so much. Now we get to see the interior workings. What he eats for breakfast and lunch. How he ties his shoes, what he wears to practice.

“Now he has an opportunity to show everyone what it’s like. Even though he’s done it for 20 years in New England, he’s got to ramp it up to another level in Tampa because everyone’s watching. What time does he get in the building? How long does he spend in the weight room? How long does he spend doing all the little things we hate doing? That’s what a guy like Tom Brady brings.”

If McFarland was placed in charge of Tampa Bay’s draft strategy, the Bucs would walk away with an offensive tackle, a running back with soft hands and a safety with their first three picks.

“Running backs come a dime a dozen,” he says. “To me, it’s about a certain type of back, a guy who can catch and play in space, a guy you can split out and create a mismatch. I think the Bucs take a tackle at No. 14, then figure out the rest.”

Brady’s presence has raised expectations significantly for the 2020 Bucs, but we’ve seen this scenario before. Tampa Bay closed 2016 with a rush to finish 9-7, only to be followed by three consecutive losing seasons.

“In 2016, who were those expectations put on?” McFarland says. “Now, expectations are put on a top 3 receiving duo, a Top 10 tight end duo, an offensive line that’s above average and arguably the greatest quarterback of all time playing point guard.

“On top of that, you have a young defense where the arrow was pointing up at the end of last season and a coordinator who’s going to be aggressive. This is a young team that’s going to do more for the quarterback than people expect. Every now and then, you get the best of both worlds — a young team with veteran pieces in the right positions. As a result, the team not only plays harder, it plays smarter because you tend to take on the persona of those key vets.”

March Champions & Jameis

McFarland expects Jameis Winston to sign somewhere as a backup and succeed as a starter in 2021.

“Look at what happened with Ryan Tannehill,” he says. “And Jameis is a much better quarterback than Tannehill … much better.”

According to Booger, Buc ownership has already claimed victory before the gates open for Week 1.

“From a business standpoint, the Glazers have already won,” he says. “If the Bucs go deep into the playoffs, that’s icing on the cake. For the next few years, Raymond James Stadium will be sold out and the Bucs will be on prime-time TV. If they go 8-8 this year, if they are competitive but still miss the playoffs, the stadium will be rocking. Nationally, people may say it’s a failure, but you know what the Glazers are going to say? ‘Hey, let’s do it again next year.’ ”

Ira with his good friend Sean Sullivan, general manager of Bill Currie Ford, Tampa’s first family of Ford. Sean will help you personally in any way he can. It’s the Bill Currie way.