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There’s been a lot of talk about Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano bringing so many of his Rutgers assistants to the Buccaneers and the tone is generally skeptical.

The Bucs haven’t officially announced their full staff of assistants yet, but it has been widely reported that Schiano has hired at least six coaches that were on Rutgers’ staff with him last year. It also was reported that he has hired P.J. Fleck, who had just left Rutgers to become offensive coordinator at Northern Illinois. So we’ll say Schiano is bringing seven assistants that were with him at Rutgers last season. Schiano also has officially hired defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, who recently had been hired for the same job at Ohio State.

That’s really not all that unusual. I just took a look back to 2010 when Pete Carroll left Southern California to take over the Seattle Seahawks. He brought eight members of his Southern California staff and hired wide receivers coach Kippy Brown away from Tennessee. So roughly half of Carroll’s first staff, and we’re including strength and conditioning coaches, came from the college ranks.

Butch Davis, who was hired as a special assistant to Schiano, talked about how it was important for Schiano to bring some coaches he had worked with before. That sort of includes Davis. Schiano was his defensive coordinator at the University of Miami.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to bring in a bunch of coaches from the college ranks. These are guys Schiano knows he can work with and has enjoyed success with.

In some ways, that’s better than what predecessor Raheem Morris did when he got the job in 2009. He hired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski and defensive coordinator Jim Bates from outside. He had never worked with either, although he knew Bates through Bates’ son. But Morris was going mostly on reputations, not first-hand experience.

Jagodzinski was fired before the first training camp ended and Bates was fired 10 games into the first season.

Although there’s been speculation from the day Greg Schiano became the head coach in Tampa Bay that Butch Davis would be joining his staff, that still hasn’t happened.

But it now appears imminent. Alex Marvez reports that Davis has been hired as a senior defensive assistant. Local reports say the deal hasn’t been completed, but appears likely.

If a deal with Davis is finalized, it likely would silence some of the criticism Schiano has taken because most of his reported hires so far have been his former Rutgers assistants — of whom few have any NFL experience.

But Davis has been a head coach in the NFL and on the college level. He also was defensive coordinator for Dallas during the Jimmy Johnson days. Davis was also the University of Miami head coach when Schiano was Hurricanes defensive coordinator and the two have remained close.

Although initial speculation was that Davis would be the defensive coordinator, it appears that won’t be the case. His role might be more as a liason between Schiano and a new defensive coordinator. The Bucs made a similar move when they hired Jimmy Raye II as a senior offensive assistant.

Neither coordinator is in place and one or both could come from the college ranks. But the presence of Davis and Raye, who has a long history as an NFL assistant, would bring a lot of NFL experience and respect to the staff of Schiano, who never has been an NFL head coach.

So what if Schiano’s bringing in a lot of Rutgers assistants? They’re guys he knows and with whom he has enjoyed success. Throw in the NFL experience of Davis and Raye and this could turn out to be a pretty good staff.

It almost certainly would be better than the staff of former coach Raheem Morris. After firing offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski and defensive coordinator Jim Bates early in his tenure, Morris’ staff was viewed as largely inexperienced and ineffective in league circles.

When Bates was fired, Morris, who had not officially been a defensive coordinator on the NFL level (he was selected to replace Monte Kiffin, but was elevated to head coach before he ever called a play as coordinator), took over as the defensive coordinator. When Jagodzinski was fired, quarterbacks coach Greg Olson was quickly promoted and the trickle-down effect took a toll on the rest of the offensive staff.

If Schiano, who has history as a college defensive coordinator, surrounds himself with Davis and Raye and coordinators, the Bucs suddenly will be a lot stronger at the top of their coaching staff.

It certainly appears as though new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano is having a challenging time putting together a staff of assistants.

The latest example of this comes from this report that says the Green Bay Packers denied permission for the Bucs to speak to tight ends coach Ben McAdoo about becoming offensive coordinator.

McAdoo is at least the second offensive coordinator candidate the Bucs have been blocked from interviewing. The Arizona Cardinals previously denied permission for offensive assistant John McNulty, a former Schiano assistant at Rutgers, to interview for the job.

It also was reported Monday that University of Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn turned down a position with the Bucs, presumably as the defensive line coach.

The Bucs have not made any official announcements about any hirings of assistants. The only assistant known to have accepted a position is wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck, another former Rutgers assistant.

The Bucs appear to be in line to add several other Rutgers assistants, but nothing definite has happened yet. There also has been speculation from the moment Schiano was hired that he’d be joined by former NFL and college head coach Butch Davis as defensive coordinator, but nothing has been announced on that move.

Although Tampa Bay was extremely thorough in its search for a head coach -- the process took more than three weeks -- it appears the late start has put Schiano at a disadvantage when it comes to filling out a staff. Most assistant jobs have been filled across the league, and teams are trying to hold onto what they have. Quinn turned down a chance to get back into the NFL, and Rutgers reportedly is doing its best to keep as many assistant coaches as possible.

One of the knocks on former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris was that he lacked a strong stable of assistants, especially after firing experienced coordinators Jim Bates and Jeff Jagodzinski during his first season. It’s starting to look like the late start might make it tough for Schiano to assemble a quality staff.

Since the hiring of Greg Schiano as Tampa Bay’s coach Friday, there has been speculation that Butch Davis could join his coaching staff. It’s completely logical because Schiano, who was an NFL assistant for only three seasons, needs some strong NFL experience on his staff.

Predecessor Raheem Morris took lots of criticism (most of it justified) for not having a very experienced staff, especially after firing offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski before the 2009 training camp ended and defensive coordinator Jim Bates midway through that same season.

Davis was a head coach for the Cleveland Browns. He also was a college head coach at Miami and North Carolina. Davis and Schiano have history together. Schiano was defensive coordinator at Miami when Davis was there.

Now, the tables could be turned. The reports are unclear if Davis is being considered as a defensive coordinator or assistant head coach.

I say, Schiano should go after him hard and let Davis fill both roles. Davis knows how to run a defense and Tampa Bay’s needs lots of work. Davis also could be a good asset as an assistant head coach because he knows how the NFL works and, at least initially, Schiano’s going to need some help in that area.

I’ve been saying all along the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been wise to move slowly in their coaching search.

They promised an exhaustive search and they’re coming through on that. It appeared to be ending Sunday night when the Bucs reportedly were working out a contract to bring in Oregon coach Chip Kelly. But that changed Monday morning when the news broke that Kelly had decided to pull out and stay at Oregon.

The Bucs have interviewed at least eight other known candidates and only one of them, Joe Philbin who wound up with the Miami job, is off the market. It’s possible the Bucs could want to interview some more candidates that have been tied up with the postseason and New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell could be one of them.

But the Bucs are approaching a point where continuing to be exhaustive can be counterproductive. The week of Senior Bowl practices starts Monday in Mobile, Ala. It’s not imperative the Bucs have their new coach there to see the college prospects. The scouting department can handle that.

However, the Bucs are getting close to running the risk of putting their new coach at a big disadvantage. For those who haven’t been to the Senior Bowl, let me describe it a bit.

Sure, it’s about the players. This is the first real step in beginning to determine where they’ll be ranked on draft boards. But the Senior Bowl is more than that. It’s also a convention for coaches and there’s as much networking going on there as there is at a job fair.

When John Fox was about to get the Carolina job back in 2002, I watched him on the sidelines during Senior Bowl practices. Coach after coach walked up to him and handed him their business card or a piece of paper with their name on it.

Later in the week, I sat with Fox and his agent in the Mobile airport, waiting for a flight to Charlotte. As we talked, Fox pulled out the stack of cards, he had received. I’m guessing the total amount of cards was somewhere around 200. A day or two later, Fox was hired and there’s no doubt he called some of the numbers on those cards as he filled out his staff.

Cards are being handed out in Mobile right now as teams with new coaches try to fill their staffs and other teams try to patch holes on existing staffs and the supply of coaches without jobs is going to dwindle very soon.

The Bucs, Raiders and Colts currently still have vacancies for head coaches. If the Bucs don’t hire a coach soon, he’s not going to have a deep pool of candidates to hire as assistants. Putting together a strong staff is one of the most important things a coach does.

Former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris hired an initial staff that included Jeff Jagodzinski as offensive coordinator and Jim Bates as defensive coordinator. Jagodzinski was fired before the end of Morris' first preseason and Bates was gone by the middle of that season. One of the knocks on Morris in league circles was he didn't have a very good group of assistant coaches.

The Bucs have pledged to learn from past mistakes. But, if they don't hire a coach soon, they may once again end up with a group of assistants that's less than stellar.

Very interesting Insider piece by Trent Dilfer. He puts Tampa Bay’s Greg Olson at the top of his list of underrated play callers in the NFL.

I’m glad Dilfer points this out because I don’t think Olson has gotten the recognition he deserves. Last year, he got plenty of production out of an offense that featured quarterback Josh Freeman, receiver Mike Williams and running back LeGarrette Blount, who each were in their first season as a starter.

I wasn’t crazy about Olson’s play calling in the season opener against Detroit, but head coach Raheem Morris is at least partly responsible for the decision to go to the two-minute offense early and abandon the running game. Against Minnesota last week, Olson stuck with Blount and the running game in the second half and it paid off.

Olson is a very good play caller and will only get better as the Bucs develop some of their young receivers to complement Williams. Is Olson the best play caller in the NFC South?

Probably not. That honor belongs to New Orleans head coach Sean Payton, who calls his own plays. But you can’t call Payton underrated because he’s been known as an offensive guru for a long time.

I’m not sure you can call Atlanta’s Mike Mularkey or Carolina’s Rob Chudzinski underrated for different reasons. Mularkey’s had good results with the Atlanta offense the past three seasons, but the deep passing game has yet to click this year, so there still are some questions to be answered. Although Chudzinski is in his first season as Carolina’s coordinator and off to a good start, it’s not like he’s flying under the radar. He came into this job with a lot of respect from around the league and was fairly well known by fans.

That’s not quite the same rise Olson has had. He started off as Tampa Bay’s quarterbacks coach in 2009, but suddenly was thrust into the coordinator’s job when Jeff Jagodzinski was fired in training camp.

The ESPN.com Power Rankings for up-and-coming assistant coaches are out and two NFC South representatives made the top 10.

Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Greg Olson came in at No. 7 and Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski is No. 8. It’s important to note that Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams were not eligible. We set the guidelines on this to not include guys who previously have been head coaches.

Olson led the division based largely on his work with the Tampa Bay offense and quarterback Josh Freeman last season. Originally brought in as the quarterbacks coach, Olson was thrust into the offensive coordinator job when Jeff Jagodzinski was fired in the middle of training camp in 2009. The Bucs struggled to a 3-13 record that season and didn’t play the rookie Freeman until the second half of the season.

But 2010 was a different story. In Freeman’s first full season as a starter, the Bucs went 10-6 and Olson got the most out of rookie receiver Mike Williams, rookie running back LeGarrette Blount and a bunch of other young players. If the Tampa Bay offense can build on that this season, we might be hearing Olson’s name connected to some openings for head coaches next year.

Chudzinski made the list because several of us looked at the crystal ball and projected good things for a guy who is making the move from being San Diego’s tight ends coach to Carolina’s offensive coordinator. I had Chudzinski No. 8 on my ballot and AFC West colleague Bill Williamson, who covered him in his San Diego days, had him at No. 4. I think I speak for Williamson when I say it remains to be seen how Chudzinski will fare in Carolina.

But the man has a great reputation around the league and a lot of people expect him to succeed. As daunting as the task of revamping the offense of a 2-14 team may sound, I think Chudzinski could be in good shape. Carolina has some talent on the offensive line and at running back. With or without Steve Smith, they also have some talent at running back. The key will be the development of quarterbacks Cam Newton and Jimmy Clausen. If Chudzinski can bring one or both of those guys along, his résumé will get a lot stronger.

The coaching carousel is still spinning in the NFC South. Let's take a look at the latest moves.

The Carolina Panthers reportedly have interviewed Mike Shula for a position on their offensive staff. Presumably, it's for quarterbacks coach since Rob Chudzinski already is the offensive coordinator. Shula has been the quarterbacks coach in Jacksonville most recently. He also was a head coach at Alabama and an offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay. He also has coached tight ends in the past. The Panthers also are expected to interview John Matsko for the offensive line job today. Matsko recently was fired by Baltimore.

Atlanta quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave was hired away to be offensive coordinator in Minnesota. D. Orlando Ledbetter has a list of possible candidates to replace Musgrave, but I'd scratch one name off that list. Jeff Jagodzinski has been fired as coordinator in Tampa Bay and as a head coach in the United Football League. Although he coached Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan in college, I don't think Jagodzinski is a hot NFL property these days.

Rip Scherer, who was Carolina's quarterbacks coach on John Fox's staff, is headed to the college game. He reportedly will go to Colorado as quarterbacks coach.

Time for a quick afternoon trip through some headlines around the NFC South.

Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman said he plans to spend a lot of time working with young teammates Arrelious Benn, Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount in the offseason. That sounds great in theory. But here’s one thing to keep in mind. If there is a lockout, there will be no official offseason program. That could hurt a young team like the Bucs a lot more than some veteran teams.

D. Orlando Ledbetter writes about how Atlanta cornerback Dunta Robinson is looking forward to playing in the postseason for the first time in his career.

Jeff Jagodzinski, who was offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay for a few minutes, has been fired by a United Football League franchise.

The Panthers reportedly have requested permission to talk to New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell about their head-coaching position. Makes sense because Fewell is a hot name and he grew up near Charlotte. Fewell also is getting some interest from Cleveland. It’s likely the Panthers are in the process of setting up interviews with several other candidates. General manager Marty Hurney, who will lead the search, is generally very thorough and doesn’t rush into decisions.

Let's start off today's series of team-by-team mailbags with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

David in Shanghai writes: Having watched all of the Bucs’ games, it's clear to me that Caddy is not the problem. The offensive line is just not getting it done. No one other than Barry Sanders could find a hole. It also seems he's had 4 or 5 big runs called back due to penalties away from the ball (bad luck).Part of it may be the play calling or formations. As a casual observer it seems obvious to me by the way they set up whether the Bucs are going to run or pass. Still, you could say that's true of other teams, such as the Saints late last week, but they are still able to run it. I really feel it's the line that is failing. Caddy is running hard, there's just nothing there. I admit I am pulling for him since he was drafted by the team and is an inspirational story, but I feel I'm right here. It has been disappointing reading other media (not you) suggesting he is the only problem. I would think the coaching staff could see the truth.

Pat Yasinskas: This is one of many letters about Cadillac Williams and Tampa Bay’s struggles in the running game and we’ll use this as a starting point for some other letters with some shoot-off questions. First, I’m sure the coaching staff does see what’s really happening and that’s part of the reason Williams still is the starter. That tells me they don’t think he’s the whole problem. I agree with that, but I do have to be fair and say Williams may be part of the problem. He’s had two major knee injuries and may not be what he once was. But I think he still could be an effective running back when things are working well around him. As far as the Bucs being obvious with their offense, I don't think many teams would put eight men in the box because quarterback Josh Freeman has brought the element of a deep passing game to this offense.

Damione in Tampa writes: Good question for you Pat. Is it time to start drafting offensive linemen? The o line is a supposed strength, but there’s always a reason (excuse) why they haven't looked the part. The firing of O coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, an injury to Jeff Faine, etc. But could it be the line just isn't as good as advertised? Derrick Ward’s recent success makes me wonder.

Pat Yasinskas: I think you might have hit on something when you suggested maybe this line isn’t as good as advertised. Really the only guy on this line that might be of Pro Bowl caliber is guard Davin Joseph. Faine’s out now with an injury. He’s been a decent center, but never a great one. The other guard spot has been an issue. Keydrick Vincent is just a guy. Had Arron Sears not had personal problems, he and Joseph could have formed a very nice guard tandem for the better part of a decade. Having to part ways with Sears hurt the Bucs more than a lot of people realize. As for the tackles, they are what they are. Left tackle Donald Penn got a boatload of money because the Bucs needed someone to protect Josh Freeman’s blind side. Penn’s adequate as a pass blocker, but he’s never going to be a Pro Bowler and neither will right tackle Jeremy Trueblood. So, is it coming to the time when the Bucs should draft some offensive line help? Yes, I think so.

Todd in Indianapolis writes: Why aren't we talking about Pete Mangurian losing his job? I just don't understand how the O-Line goes from a strength to a rebuilding project in the 2 years he has been the coach. The line has a lot of talent. They are all starters in this league.

Pat Yasinskas: Wow, you want to put all the blame on the offensive line coach? I think that’s a stretch. Mangurian is a guy with a good reputation. True, his line isn’t performing well, but I think there’s a lot more at play here. He’s working within offensive coordinator Greg Olson’s system and, as I said above, I think a lot of people might have been overrating this line when they called it a strength and the loss of Sears factored heavily into that. Joseph’s pretty good. But I think an offensive line need at least one blue-chip guy to be very good. I don’t think the Bucs have that guy.

Chris in Harrisburg, Pa., writes: With all these fines being handed out on viscous and illegal hits, how come Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins didn't receive one for that cheap shot at Josh Freeman's knees late in the game? I mean, he was clearly out of bounds and Jenkins takes a shot at his knees. Talk about intent right?

Pat Yasinskas: The week isn’t over yet and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we hear Friday that Jenkins gets fined. He was flagged on the play and it was pretty flagrant. It didn’t fall into the helmet-to-helmet category that drew so much attention early this week. The league acted quickly on those plays. But, usually, most fines become public on Fridays.

Just when it looked like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had made it through a preseason without anything crazy (like firing a coordinator) happening, we’ve got some developments out of One Buccaneer Place that are a little out of the ordinary.

It’s not quite as chaotic as the firing of offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski just before last season. But, still, the Bucs just unloaded the punter they drafted (Brent Bowden) and released receiver Reggie Brown, who they once thought enough of to make a trade for him with five years left on his contract.

To replace Bowden, the Bucs signed Chris Bryan. He’s the guy who spent four years playing in the Australian Football League before going to Green Bay this offseason. Although Bryan averaged 42 yards a punt in the preseason, the Packers let him go.

The release of Brown was a bit more surprising. Although the Bucs were carrying seven receivers and it was obvious someone had to go, I didn’t think it would be Brown. As recently as a few weeks ago, team officials were talking about him being a possible starter opposite Mike Williams. That job now could go to Arrelious Benn or Sammie Stroughter.

To fill Brown’s roster spot, the Bucs signed running back LeGarrette Blount. You might recognize the name. He’s the former Oregon running back who gained notoriety after punching an opponent and confronting fans at the end of a 2009 game against Boise State. Blount was suspended for the rest of the season. The suspension was later reduced and he played in a December game against Oregon State and in the Rose Bowl.

The Bucs have been pretty vocal about character recently, and they’ve prided themselves on having a controversy-free preseason. Well, preseason is over and, even though Blount served his suspension and made apologies, his mere presence is going to create a media stir for at least a few days.

Blount wasn’t drafted and spent this preseason with the Titans before being released.

The Bucs also announced they’ve added receiver Dezmon Briscoe, tackle Will Barker and tackle Derek Hardman to the practice squad.

I just received a press release that’s not really relevant to the current NFC South. But it’s kind of interesting, on many levels.

The Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League are going to hold a press conference in Council Bluffs, Iowa Wednesday night. There, Omaha coach Jeff Jagodzinski will announce he’s signed quarterback Jeff Garcia.

For those with short memories, Garcia and Jagodzinski had stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, although Garcia’s stint was a bit longer than Jagodzinski’s. Garcia, now 40, was a fairly competent quarterback for the Buccaneers for two seasons.

Jagodzinski joined the Buccaneers after Garcia left and didn’t last long. Raheem Morris hired Jagodzinski to be the offensive coordinator, but was fired before the season even started.

Not sure the Nighthawks are ready to cough up huge salaries, but my UFL sources tell me they’ve had some talks with Scott Milanovich, Casey Weldon, Jim Pyne, Marcus Jones and Tyji Armstrong.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 30

TAMPA, Fla. -- New construction in these parts largely has halted due to the economic situation over the past couple of years. So what’s that structure going up on the practice fields right behind One Buccaneer Place?

It’s the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There still is a lot of work to be done. But, unlike last year, you can see a foundation. Just look at the quarterback, Josh Freeman. When it comes right down to it, he really is all the Buccaneers are looking at. Yeah, guys like Gerald McCoy, Donald Penn, Barrett Ruud and Aqib Talib might also be viewed as possible cornerstones in the blueprints. But Freeman is the 6-foot-6 beam the Bucs are counting on to support this entire franchise.

Count last year as a redshirt season for Freeman and the Bucs. The team went 3-13 and Freeman really didn’t get to play until the second half of the season. Now, he’s been through an entire offseason. Now, the offense is his. Now, it’s time for Freeman and the Bucs to grow and make some sense out of the youth movement the franchise decided to begin last year.

“The most obvious thing that I hope people are noticing is we are giving Josh Freeman tools around him that he can grow with,’’ general manager Mark Dominik said. “We have Kellen Winslow and the tight end is important whether you have a young quarterback or an experienced one. And we wanted to put in a receiving corps that can grow together so their timing can be consistent. When you look back through NFL history, you see that consistently with the successful teams. You put two or three receivers together with the same quarterback for five, six or seven years and they become a timing machine and that’s what we wanted to do.’’

To that end, the Bucs drafted receivers Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams in the first four rounds. They also traded for receiver Reggie Brown and they still have Sammie Stroughter, who might have been the steal of last year’s draft class.

Yeah, the Bucs also did some work on the defense. They used their top two draft picks on defensive tackles McCoy and Brian Price in an attempt to stop getting abused by running games. Their linebackers aren’t bad and the secondary has some potential. This defense isn’t anything close to the defense of Tampa Bay’s glory days, but it has possibilities.

The offense isn’t anything like in the glory days and that’s the way the Bucs want it. With Freeman, the Bucs believe the offense can be better than it ever has been. The belief is Freeman can be the first true franchise quarterback this team has had since Doug Williams.

The potential is there and the Bucs have put some parts around Freeman. Now it’s time for him to put this franchise on his back.

“Nothing can replace game time,’’ Dominik said. "But I will say, for an offseason, for a young quarterback, I could not have asked for more. He did everything we expected and more. I don’t remember him missing an offseason day and he was a sponge in the meeting rooms. His leadership has come through in that way. He’s got a natural charisma that you see guys want to bond with him and follow him.’’

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. What’s the receiving corps going to look like? That still is being sorted out, but Williams, the fourth-round draft pick, appears to be on his way to a starting job. He’s shown a knack for big plays ever since his arrival and seems to have developed a quick chemistry with Freeman. Benn started a little slower, but has come on of late. But Brown might open the season as the other starter.

Pair Williams and Brown with Winslow and Freeman suddenly might have a better cast of receivers than he did late last year when No. 1 receiver Antonio Bryant was pouting his way out of Tampa Bay. The Bucs have been cautious with Winslow and his knee throughout camp, but the belief is he’ll be ready for the regular season and that will provide Freeman with a go-to guy.

But the Bucs aren’t going to be running the West Coast offense they did with Jon Gruden and they certainly aren’t going to use the ball-control system that Tony Dungy ran. They’ve got a quarterback with big-play ability and they’re going to take their shots down the field. Williams, Brown and Benn all can go downfield and make catches in the possession game. But the real downfield threat might be Stroughter. He had an excellent rookie season, already has a rapport with Freeman and can make a lot of things happen as the slot receiver.

2. How much will the arrival of the two rookie defensive tackles help? McCoy and Price should be an instant upgrade over former starters Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims, who got pushed all over the field last year. The Bucs also plan to use Roy Miller in the rotation. That’s a pretty promising trio of young defensive tackles.

But it remains to be seen if this group can be dominant right from the start. The standard for defensive tackles in Tampa Bay is Warren Sapp. He might be ticketed for the Hall of Fame, but the fact is Sapp struggled as a rookie and took time to develop into a force.

The Bucs think McCoy should be fine from the start. Price got off to a great start in camp, but an injury has forced him to miss some time and that may set him back a bit. The Bucs are going to ask a lot of McCoy, Price and Miller. They want them to clog things up against the run and free up Ruud to make plays. They also need a strong interior pass rush because there’s no real force on the outside. Ready or not, McCoy and Price will have the opportunity to shine right from the start.

3. Is this team headed in the right direction with coach Raheem Morris? The Bucs were in a state of chaos through much of last year. Morris fired coordinators Jeff Jagodzinski and Jim Bates early, changed defensive schemes early in the year and ran a quarterback competition that’s only real purpose was to make sure Freeman didn’t get on the field too soon. The results weren’t pretty.

But Morris’ second offseason has been one of peace and quiet and it only takes a few brief glances out at the practice field to see that the Bucs are much more organized than last year. Morris knows he made mistakes last season and he’s learned from that.

He’s running the defense now and believes he put Freeman in good hands with offensive coordinator Greg Olson and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. The Bucs still may need another offseason to get the talent level to where they really want it, but there are some parts in place and Morris needs to start showing some progress.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Aqib Talib, cornerback. The physical talent always has been there with Talib. But his first two seasons were rocky because of off-field issues and a feeling that he wasn’t always focused on football. However, the coaching staff is quietly buzzing because a new side of Talib has emerged throughout the offseason and carried over into camp. He’s more focused and more mature. The Bucs are keeping their fingers crossed on this one, but there is a belief that Talib can become a Pro Bowler very quickly if he stays on his current path.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Stylez G. White, defensive end. The Bucs know White never has been a very good practice player. But they thought he might come in with some inspiration this camp because he has a chance to be the top pass-rusher on team that doesn’t have any proven star in that area. That hasn’t happened. White’s been very ordinary in practice and doesn’t seem interested in being a leader for a young defensive line. Is that enough to cost him a starting job? Probably not because the Bucs really don’t have much behind him. They’re hoping White steps things up when the regular season arrives, but they’re a little worried that might not happen.

OBSERVATION DECK

• The Bucs signed running back Derrick Ward to a big contract last year, but that move hasn’t worked out at all. Cadillac Williams has a firm grip on the No. 1 spot on the depth chart and is a favorite with the coaching staff. Ward is not. He’s been unimpressive throughout his time with the Buccaneers and could not hold onto the ball in the first preseason game. Kareem Huggins has outperformed Ward in camp and probably will earn a roster spot. That’s something that’s no longer a guarantee for Ward. But Huggins is undersized and the Bucs may have to hold onto Ward as insurance because Williams has a long history of injuries.
• If you’re looking for the strongest unit Tampa Bay has, look at the linebackers. Geno Hayes and Quincy Black have had fantastic camps. Ruud already was pretty good and should be helped by the arrival of the young defensive tackles.
• The competition for the job at nickelback is ongoing. Elbert Mack held that role last year, but the Bucs would like to find an upgrade. E.J. Biggers has shown some flashes and could unseat Mack. Rookie Myron Lewis is the guy the Bucs really hoped would claim that spot. But he’s been sidelined with an injury and the lack of practice time might prevent him from getting immediate playing time.
• Michael Clayton and Sims are two veterans on the bubble when it comes to roster spots. Sims has gone from being a starter to fighting for the fourth spot at defensive tackle. He might hang on just to give the team some experience in the interior and he’s not going to cost the Bucs a fortune because he’s scheduled to make $1.2 million. Clayton clearly isn’t going to be a starter. He’s got $3 million in guaranteed salary this year, so the Bucs may keep him and hope to get something out of their investment. But it won’t be much more than a fourth or fifth receiver and special-teams player.
• With all of the buzz about Huggins, Clifton Smith has been somewhat forgotten. But don’t rule out the possibility of Smith getting some time in the backfield, mainly as a situational player. Smith has the ability to make things happen in the open field and the Bucs may use him as a receiver out of the backfield. Smith is coming back from concussion problems last season and he should solidify the return game. Smith made the Pro Bowl as a return man as a rookie in the 2008 season.
• Look for Keydrick Vincent to claim a starting guard spot from Jeremy Zuttah. Vincent started in Carolina last year and is a solid run blocker. Put him with center Jeff Faine and guard Davin Joseph and the Bucs can be very good in the interior of the line. Zuttah might be best suited to serving as the top backup at both guard spots and center.

John in Denver writes: This past off season the focus has been on the Falcons pass rush. My take has been that the overwhelming consensus has been they should have taken a DE. The Falcons focused more on the interior. My questions is why doesn't that count? A surge in the line is a surge in the line. If the DT's are causing havoc then the DE's should have more opportunities. Am I missing something? Why no love for the DT's?

Pat Yasinskas: It’s a natural question for the national media. The Falcons didn’t have much of a pass rush last year and they didn’t go out and get any big names at defensive end. That said, you’ve got a point. They should be stronger in the middle of the defensive line and that should help the guys on the outside. That’s the logic the Falcons followed and we’ll see how it works out.

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Jacob in Atlanta writes: You used the word peripatetic to describe T.O. recently. Here's what dictionary.com says: ?adjective 1. walking or traveling about; itinerant. 2. ( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to Aristotle, who taught philosophy while walking in the Lyceum of ancient Athens. 3. ( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to the Aristotelian school of philosophy. I hardly think T.O. and Aristotle are similar!

Pat Yasinskas: Actually, it was my colleague, good friend and mentor Len Pasquarelli who used that word to describe Terrell Owens. Len has a much more expansive vocabulary than I do. I never would have used the term “peripatetic’’ to describe anyone because I’ve got no idea what the word means. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed the word until you brought it to my attention.

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Glenn in Rock Hill, S.C. writes: My question is do you see Derrick Ward breaking out this year being in a system for a full offseason and seeing it go into effect from training camp throughout the year(Jeff Jagodzski incident)?

Pat Yasinskas: No question the Bucs didn’t get as much out of Ward as they were hoping for when they signed him last year. But part of that was because Cadillac Williams made such a strong return from injury and is a favorite of the coaching staff. That staff wasn’t enamored by what it saw out of Ward last year. There still is some talent there, but Ward needs to show a lot more in camp to earn more playing time.

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Mike in Pittsburgh: In reading a lot of previews for the Panthers, I notice that people are down on the linebacking corps after Thomas Davis's injury. While I agree it is a loss, I also remember that the Panthers D played its best football *after* he went to IR (This is not even mentioning Na'il Diggs was out with injury frequently too). Point being, our great depth at the position really helped us out there. Now, we've added two good pieces in Eric Norwood and Jamar Williams, yet people still seem to think that losing Davis is the difference between our LBs being average and great. Am I alone in thinking this is something of an overreaction?

Pat Yasinskas: There’s no question losing Davis hurts. He’s a great player. But it’s not like the cupboard is bare. Jon Beason is a top-notch linebacker and linebackers always seem to play well in John Fox’s defense. There might be a little dropoff without Davis, but Norwood, Williams, James Anderson and Dan Connor give the Panthers some decent options.

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Vinnie in Atlanta writes: I like the Falcons' and Bucs' new unis, but the throwbacks they wore last year were cool. I could see visions of Steve Bartkowski in the Falcons' throwbacks, and who doesn't like the creamsicle Bucs' throwback if only for a couple of games. Are there any plans to wear these unis this year? As you know, teams do this to sell more merchandise.

Pat Yasinskas: Yes, the Bucs plan to wear their throwback uniforms for the game against Atlanta when they induct John McKay into the team’s Ring of Honor. The Falcons will not wear throwbacks for that game. But stay tuned. I think there might be an announcement coming about Atlanta wearing throwbacks for a home game.

TAMPA, Fla. -- If it seems like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been working later than the rest of the NFC South, it’s only because they have.

While the Saints, Falcons and Panthers (except for Steve Smith, who had a flag football game Sunday) stopped their offseason programs last week, the Bucs just wrapped up Tuesday afternoon. It was all by design, part of a master plan by coach Raheem Morris to get his rookie class as involved as possible.

With that in mind, Morris pushed his offseason program back as far as possible and, unlike every other team in the division, waited until the very end to go through a full minicamp.

“It’s been a good offseason,’’ Morris said. “There’s been a lot of progression instead of taking steps back.’’

Morris’ words might be even more true than he realizes. The Bucs really do have a different look about them this year. Tuesday’s practice sessions were more crisp than a year ago and there are a lot of reasons for that.

Start with the fact that the guys who were coordinating the offense and defense a year ago are gone. Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski didn’t even make it to the regular season before getting fired. Morris ousted defensive coordinator Jim Bates in the middle of last season and took over supervising the defense.

Throw in the fact that the Bucs were going through a dog-and-pony show with their quarterback competition at this time a year ago as Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown, who weren’t really in the team’s long-term plans, were getting the first-team work.

Josh Freeman is now firmly established as the starting quarterback and he and offensive coordinator Greg Olson have had an entire offseason to work together. But the continuity isn’t just developing on offense.

Morris will continue to run the defense and he said that he’s spent a lot of time with middle linebacker Barrett Ruud.

“That’s my quarterback,’’ Morris said.

Ruud and Morris have gone out to dinner multiple times and talked extensively about their visions for the defense. We’ll have to wait a few months to see the results and, with so many young players, the Bucs remain a work in progress.

But, this time around, they at least look like a team that at least has a plan. That’s something you couldn’t see a year ago.