The asinine lockout orchestrated by NFL hatchetman Roger Goodell has damaged the game in ways that cannot yet be calculated.

But there is one element that has caused irreparable damage to players and Bucs coach Raheem Morris discussed this yesterday when he sat down with Joe’s good friend, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, live from the Chris Thomas studio of WDAE-AM 620.

While many NFL pundits believe rookies, specifically potentially rookie free agents, will have their growth stunted by the absence of OTAs and what looks to be an abbreviated training camp, Raheem suggested to the WDAE listening audience it is second-year players who will have their development delayed.

“It’s a second-year player [that is hurt by the lockout],” Morris said. “Once [a rookie] has it figured out, he has a chance to come here and get better and get a general understanding of what we want. E.J. Biggers came in and cleaned up his footwork [in the offseason] Josh Freeman improved.

“You make your biggest jump from your first year to your second year. [Not having the players come in because of the lockout], that’s where you really get hurt.”

This is a very interesting perspective from Raheem and makes a great deal of sense. This is also depressing for Joe. The Bucs had a wonderful crop of rookies last year. If Raheem is accurate, and there is no reason to suggest it’s not accurate, it may not be until 2012 until the current second-year Bucs players are able to make the jump to strong NFL veterans.