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With the preseason over, roster cuts already taking place and the start of the regular season only days away, we were able to cover all sorts of ground in Friday’s NFC South chat.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

Kent (Melbourne): Pat- Should the Bucs be looking for a running back with speed. Do you think they could use a change of pace back.

Pat Yasinskas: If I were them, I'd be keeping a close eye on what New Orleans does with Joique Bell. If he's available, grab him.

Jacob (Michigan): Any surprise to Kyle Moore and Tyrone Mckenzie being cut?

Pat Yasinskas: More surprised at McKenzie. He was real popular with his teammates, but I guess coaches didn't share the same view.

coached (couched): Can Cam win the job? And remain starter?

Pat Yasinskas: He already won the job. They'll keep him as the starter unless he gets hurt or is just flat-out horrible. There may be some ups and downs, but they're prepared for that and just want to see him grow as the season goes on.

Eliot (NY, NY): Do you think Matt Ryan will put up career numbers or do you think 'taking the gloves off' is too big of a step?

Pat Yasinskas: Yes, I think they really will let him do more this year. Plus, he has more to work with.

Nate (Anchorage, AK): Armanti Edwards? I know you say it's a long shot, but what makes you say it at all? Where does he stand right now?

Pat Yasinskas: He needs to catch the football. Like I said, it's a long shot. They've got a high draft pick invested in him. But it's shaping up to be like Dexter Jackson (the receiver, not the safety) with the Buccaneers. But Hurney probably gives Edwards one more year.

Brock (Boulder, CO): Is Jacquizz Rodgers going to be a factor this year?

Pat Yasinskas: Yes, you'll see him worked in as a change-of-pace back. They're hoping he can be what Norwood never could become because of the injuries.

Dwayne (Who Dat Nation): I think it would be in the SAINTS best interest to place Chris Ivory on PUP. That way, Ingram, Thomas, Sproles, and Bell can carry the running game for the first six weeks. In week seven they'd get Ivory back with fresh legs for the stretch run. Agreed?

Pat Yasinskas: I suspect that's how it will play out.

Daniel (Nashville): Who ends up with more yards rushing Ingram or Thomas?

Pat Yasinskas: Ingram.

Here’s the complete transcript of Friday’s NFC South chat.

We were tied up with Friday’s NFC South chat as this emerged, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a few interesting cuts a little bit ago.

They’ve parted ways with linebacker Tyrone McKenzie, defensive end Kyle Moore and defensive tackle John McCargo.

McKenzie is the most interesting of the bunch because it appeared he had a shot at the starting job at middle linebacker at the start of training camp. McKenzie even ran Tampa Bay’s defense and helped draw up practice plans for players-only workouts during the lockout. But, once camp started, it quickly became obvious the Bucs had rookie Mason Foster ticketed for the starting job.

What’s unclear now is who will be Foster’s backup? Adam Hayward has experience at the position and a couple of young players, Derrell Smith and Simoni Lawrence, have done some good things in the preseason. Outside linebacker Quincy Black is expected to be the middle linebacker on passing downs as Foster will come out when the Bucs go to their nickel package.

The releases of McCargo and Moore aren’t as surprising, but each comes with a bit of a storyline. The Bucs took a shot by bringing in McCargo, a former first-round pick, who has had a disappointing career. They took a look at him, but they obviously feel they’re in good shape at defensive tackle with Gerald McCoy, Brian Price, Frank Okam, Roy Miller and possibly Al Woods. There was some question about Price’s health early on, but he appears ready to contribute.

Moore was a fourth-round pick in 2009, the first draft for general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris. He struggled with injuries and the Bucs used their top two picks this year on defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers. They also have Michael Bennett and Tim Crowder.

Time for a run through the headlines from across the NFC South.

Atlanta defensive tackle Corey Peters will miss this week’s exhibition game after suffering a knee injury in Sunday’s practice. But the good news is Peters will not require surgery. With Peters sidelined, 2009 first-round pick Peria Jerry likely will get the first-team work.

Tight end Greg Olsen had a strong debut with the Panthers. It’s pretty obvious new coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski want the tight ends to be a bigger part of the passing game. Jeremy Shockey also will play a role in that, but the early signs are that Olsen will be the main tight end.

New Orleans cornerback Tracy Porter on Sunday practiced for the first time since camp opened. Porter had been sidelined after offseason knee surgery. His absence has given Patrick Robinson, last year’s first-round pick, some work with the first-team defense. Once Porter is fully back, Robinson is expected to take over the role as the nickelback.

Kyle Moore, who did not record a sack in his first two seasons with Tampa Bay, had two in the preseason opener. Still, with the arrival of rookies Da’Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn, he’s fighting to earn a roster spot.

It sounds like the Bucs plan to continue letting outside linebacker Quincy Black wear the radio helmet and call the defensive plays. There are two reasons for that: The Bucs don’t want to overload rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster. Plus, they plan to use Black as an every-down linebacker, while Foster will come off the field in some situations.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The frequent criticism -- even from fans -- is that the Buccaneers haven’t brought in any high-profile free agents.

Quarterback Josh Freeman doesn’t agree with that and said Sunday that the Bucs already have what they need.

“We’re only continuing to get better,’’ Freeman said. “We’re solid on all fronts. Our offensive line is as solid as I’ve ever seen them. They’re looking awesome. We had all the time in the world the other night in the preseason game. You look at Mike Williams, LeGarrette Blount, Arrelious Benn and Kellen Winslow and I think we’ll be extremely strong on offense.’’

Freeman went on to praise the defense, which added defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers in the draft.

“People will say you don’t have a big deep threat and you don’t have this or you don’t have that,’’ Freeman said. “If you start worrying about what you don’t have, then you’re not going to make the most out of what you do have.’’

You’ll hear much more from Freeman and general manager Mark Dominik in our Camp Confidential profile on the Bucs, which is scheduled to run Wednesday.

Meantime, a few other notes and observations on the Bucs.

• The team made a few transactions. Receivers Aundrae Allison and Maurice Price were signed. Receiver Raymond Webber was placed on injured reserve and quarterback Mike Coughlin was released.
• Receivers Mike Williams and safety Sean Jones were the stars of Sunday’s practice. Each made several splash plays.
• Cornerback Aqib Talib (hamstring), defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (shoulder) and Benn (knee) remain “iffy’’ for Thursday’s preseason game with New England, coach Raheem Morris said.
• A television crew from NFL UK was in town filming interviews to prepare for Tampa Bay’s October game against Chicago in London.
• Morris had a quick one-liner about defensive end Kyle Moore’s two sacks in the preseason victory against Kansas City. “It could have been three,’’ Morris said.
• Morris praised the way outside linebacker Quincy Black handled calling the defensive plays in the preseason opener. The Bucs have given that duty to Black because they don’t want to overload rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster.

It looked a little bit like Josh Freeman turned into Drew Brees on Friday night.

Playing just a little more than a quarter, Freeman completed passes to seven different players as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened their preseason with a 25-0 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Freeman completed nine of 13 passes for 73 yards and also ran for a touchdown before leaving with the Bucs holding a 13-0 lead.

Some other observations on the Buccaneers.

• Tampa Bay’s defense had as much to do with the fast start as the offense. Rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster, who appears to be headed for a starting job, recovered a fumble to set up Freeman’s touchdown. On Kansas City’s next possession, safety Sean Jones recovered a fumble and the Bucs followed that up with a field goal. Tampa Bay’s second-team defense even recorded a safety late in the second quarter.
• Nice to see the Bucs throw a pass to running back LeGarrette Blount. They’ve talked about getting him more involved in the passing game. Looks like the Bucs are serious about that.
• Second-year receiver Dezmon Briscoe had four catches for 60 yards. The coaches have been high on Briscoe since late last season and he has a chance to open the season as the starter opposite Mike Williams. Arrelious Benn is coming off major knee surgery. Benn is progressing well, but the Bucs don’t want to rush him. With Briscoe, they might be able to buy Benn some more recovery time.
• Not a bad outing by backup quarterback Josh Johnson. His agent might want to copy the tape and ship it around the league because Johnson can become a free agent next season.
• The Bucs used their first two draft picks on defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers in hopes of improving the pass rush. The rookies have yet to make an impact, but third-year defensive end Kyle Moore had two sacks and reserve linebacker Dekoda Watson had 1.5.

Let's take a run through some headlines around the NFC South.

Tampa Bay defensive end Kyle Moore makes it sound like it’s going to cost rookie Adrian Clayborn some money to get his jersey (No. 94). Moore better get as much as he can because the arrival of Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers means he’s not even guaranteed a roster spot. Of course, if Moore had produced more than zero sacks in his two-year career, he might have a guaranteed roster spot and his jersey number might be safe because the Bucs might not have felt the urgency to go out and draft two defensive ends.

Joe Person has projected the depth chart for the Carolina Panthers. I’ve only got one small disagreement with him. I’d go ahead and slide Cam Newton straight up to No. 1 at quarterback. If there is a veteran on the way, it’s not going to be anyone who is a serious candidate to start over Newton and Jimmy Clausen. The only way the Panthers open the season with a veteran is if the lockout wipes out all or most of training camp and Newton and Clausen have had virtually no time to work in the new offensive scheme. If there is a normal training camp, I'm not sure the Panthers even carry a veteran on the roster. They also have second-year pro Tony Pike, who they invested a draft pick in last year.

Nice gesture by the Buccaneers on Saturday night as they honored Derrick Brooks with a formal retirement party. This was a big step in mending a relationship that was fractured when the Bucs released Brooks in 2009. There has been some thawing, but there still needs to be more. The Bucs need a friendly relationship with the best player in franchise history and Brooks needs to start embracing the team again. No sense in going through life with bitterness in your heart (see Doug Williams). Matter of fact, if things keep going the way they currently are, I think Brooks gets into the team's Ring of Honor before Williams.

Chris Harris has a list of his top-10 rookies for fantasy purposes. Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Cam Newton all are on the list.

Heath Evans wrote an op-ed piece for The Huffington Post. If this seems like an unusual place for the fullback of the New Orleans Saints to surface, give his article a read. It’s not the usual football story, not even close.

The Saints are getting together for some workouts at Tulane University. As you might have guessed, quarterback Drew Brees is running the show. Josh Freeman's been leading a similar effort for the Bucs.

There were a few house-keeping transactions made around the NFC South today as Carolina put defensive end Everette Brown, linebacker Jason Williams and guard Travelle Wharton on injured reserve and Tampa Bay did the same thing with Quincy Black and Gerald McCoy.

For those keeping sore at home, that means the Panthers lead the NFC South with 14 guys on injured reserve. But before we start sounding like all of Carolina's problems are because of injuries, let's also note that the Buccaneers now have 12 guys on injured reserve. The Bucs are 8-5 and the Panthers are 1-12.

The New Orleans Saints are 10-3 and they have nine guys on injured reserve and the Atlanta Falcons are 11-2 and only have three guys on injured reserve. So, yes, there definitely is some correlation between injuries and success (or lack of it) on the field.

But let's analyze how much of an impact having guys on injured reserve have had on each team. You can find the complete injured reserve list at the bottom of the roster on each team's website and I'm not going to list every guy here. For this discussion, I'm not including guys like Atlanta's Sean Weatherspoon, who have missed significant playing time. I'm only talking significant players who have been placed on the injured reserve.

Carolina. Running back DeAngelo Williams is the biggest name on the list, but he at least played a portion of the season. I think not having right tackle Jeff Otah or linebacker Thomas Davis all season have been the biggest injury influences in Carolina. Of course, it would have been nice if the Panthers had middle linebacker Dan Connor for a longer stretch. Would the Panthers have been better if they didn't have so many injuries? Absolutely, but they wouldn't have been all that much better. Was a healthy Matt Moore any better than Jimmy Clausen? In fact, I'll argue that the Bucs have been hit harder, especially in recent weeks.

Tampa Bay. I'm looking at names like Jeff Faine, Davin Joseph and Aqib Talib and seeing high-level starters. McCoy was the team's first-round draft pick and had turned the corner after a slow start. Fellow defensive tackle Brian Price, a second-round pick, missed almost the entire season. I'm also looking at names like Cody Grimm, Kareem Huggins and Kyle Moore and seeing guys who would be nice contributors if they were healthy.

New Orleans. Things are a bit misleading here. Nine guys on injured reserve might sound like a lot. But cornerback Randall Gay and running back Lynell Hamilton might be the only two the Saints really have missed.

Atlanta. There is no way around it. The Falcons have been lucky when it comes to injuries. Yes, Weatherspoon, cornerback Dunta Robinson, receiver Michael Jenkins and backup running back Jason Snelling have missed time with injuries. But there are only three guys on injured reserve and running back Jerious Norwood is the only name of any significance. But Norwood's been out for so long and had so many injury problems in the past that the Falcons wrote this guy off long ago.

The thing I like best about what Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris have done this year is how they've embraced the team's youth movement and stayed firmly with it.

Gee, if John Fox had tried that, he might not be so far out the door in Carolina.

Anyway, the latest example of Tampa Bay's dedication to sticking with youth came Tuesday as the team announced a series of roster moves. It shouldn't really be this way, but the biggest one of the moves in the eyes of the Tampa Bay fan base is the team cutting fourth-year safety Sabby Piscitelli.

Yep, the Bucs cut a guy who never did much of anything and it's big news. That's partly because the Tampa Bay fan base, for reasons I could never figure out, long ago bought into the theory that Piscitelli was going to be the next John Lynch or at least the next Jermaine Phillips. He wasn't anywhere close to either.

The guy came out of college without a spectacular résumé and wasn't a first-round draft pick. Despite that, the Bucs gave him a lot of chances, probably far more than they should have. Maybe it was because Piscitelli looked the part. He had good size and could run a bit.

But the Bucs found out early on that Piscitelli had absolutely no ball skills, no intangibles and no instincts. At best, he's a guy you keep around on special teams to run downfield on kickoffs and punts. But even Piscitelli's tackling wasn't that good and it was a bit of a surprise when he made it out of training camp this year after griping about how he hadn't been given a chance to compete for a starting job.

The only real surprise here is that Piscitelli's release came on the same day the Bucs put rookie safety Cody Grimm on injured reserve. If nothing else, it looked like Grimm's injury was going to get Piscitelli some playing time the rest of the season.

But this is why I salute the Bucs. They knew Piscitelli had no future in Tampa Bay, so they pulled the plug and set up a situation where some guys who possibly could have futures in Tampa Bay will get a chance even though the team is in the playoff hunt. The Bucs promoted safety Vince Anderson and signed safety Larry Asante from Cleveland's practice squad. They'll throw those guys out there with Corey Lynch, another young safety, and see if someone rises up. If not, they'll likely have to find two safeties in the offseason because there is no guarantee Tanard Jackson will come back from a one-year suspension.

This approach shouldn't come as a total shock. All season long, Dominik and Morris have been trying methodically to upgrade their roster by wisely using their practice squad and the waiver wire. It's paid off with running back LeGarrette Blount being the prime example. It doesn't work in every case, but, if you come across a player here and there who can become a starter or at least a long-term role player, it's worth it.

In a few other moves that also fit this pattern, the Bucs placed guard Davin Joseph and defensive end Kyle Moore on injured reserve. They also promoted wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe and guard Brandon Carter from their practice squad.

ATLANTA -- I just hit the ground, opened my e-mail and got the Friday injury reports. So let's take a quick look at the injuries of significance around the division.

Falcons. Defensive end John Abraham (groin) is questionable and was limited in Friday's practice. Receiver Roddy White (knee) is probable and fully participated in practice.

Buccaneers. Defensive end Kyle Moore (shoulder) was declared out for Sunday's game at Baltimore, meaning Tim Crowder will get another start. Linebacker Quincy Black (ankle) is probable.

Panthers. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen (concussion) has been cleared to start Sunday against Cleveland. Running back Jonathan Stewart also is expected to play. Guard Travelle Wharton is doubtful.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- I'll be covering the game between the Saints and Cowboys later this afternoon. But the other three NFC South teams issued their Thursday injury reports early.

So let's take a look at the injuries that matter most elsewhere in the division.

Panthers. Rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen practiced for the second straight day as he attempts to come back from a concussion. But coach John Fox wouldn't say for certain if Clausen will play, or start, Sunday against Cleveland. If Clausen is healthy, he almost certainly will start because Brian St. Pierre was limited in practice for the second straight day. The only other options are rookie Tony Pike and practice-squad player Keith Null, who joined the team earlier this week.

Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is very healthy as it gets ready for Sunday's game at Baltimore. Defensive end Kyle Moore was the only player who didn't participate in Thursday's practice.

Falcons. Defensive end John Abraham, who sat out with a groin injury last week, practiced on a limited basis. Receiver Roddy White (knee) also was limited.

Some good news on the injury front for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Right tackle Jeremy Trueblood and fullback Earnest Graham will be back in the starting lineup when the Bucs take on the San Francisco 49ers later this afternoon.

Trueblood missed the past three games with a knee injury, while Graham sat out the past two games with a hamstring injury.

Linebacker Quincy Black (ankle) and defensive end Kyle Moore (shoulder) each will miss their second straight game. Adam Hayward is expected to start in Black’s place while Tim Crowder will start for Moore.

The other inactives for the Bucs are fullback Erik Lorig, tackle Will Barker, tackle Derek Hardman, wide receiver Preston Parker and defensive tackle Ryan Sims. Rudy Carpenter will be the third quarterback.

TAMPA, Fla. – The Panthers and Buccaneers just announced a few lineup changes for today’s game.

Center Jeff Faine, who is returning from injury, will start for the Bucs. There had been some thought that Jeremy Zuttah, who had played center in Faine’s absence, would move to left guard. But that’s not happening. Ted Larsen will start at left guard and James Lee will start at right tackle in place of Jeremy Trueblood, who had been injured, but is active today. Erik Lorig will start at fullback in place of the injured Earnest Graham.

On defense, Tim Crowder will start at end in place of the injured Kyle Moore. DeKoda Watson will start at strongside linebacker in place of Quincy Black.

For Carolina, Mike Goodson will get the start at running back because DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Tyrell Sutton all are out with injuries. Nick Hayden will start at defensive tackle in place of Ed Johnson.

TAMPA, Fla. – No major surprises among Tampa Bay’s inactives, but the Bucs will be without several injured starters.

Defensive end Kyle Moore, linebacker Quincy Black and fullback Earnest Graham are inactive. Injured defensive tackle Ryan Sims also is inactive. Receiver Sammie Stroughter, defensive back Myron Lewis and offensive lineman Will Barker also are inactive.

Rudy Carpenter has been designated as the third quarterback.

We’re going to resume our series of NFC South position rankings with the defensive ends.

This is not exactly a position of strength entering the season, but I think that could change as time goes on. There are a lot of young defensive ends around the division and some of them are bound to rise up as the season goes on. For the moment, though, there aren’t a lot of sure things.

Once again, I’m basing my rankings on talks with coaches, scouts, front-office folks and players. Here we go.

1. [+] Enlarge
   AP Photo/Jeff RobersonWill Smith is the most dominant defensive end in the division. He had 13 sacks for the Saints last season.
   Will Smith, Saints. This is the easiest decision in this bunch because Smith really is the only sure thing among the defensive ends in this division. He’s coming off a big season and still is in his prime. At the moment, it’s safe to say he’s the only pass rusher in this division that really scares people.
2. John Abraham, Falcons. Let’s make it clear the decision to go with Abraham, who is coming off a disappointing season and not getting any younger, is not a lifetime achievement award. Atlanta coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff could have attempted to get an elite pass rusher if they thought Abraham was through. They chose not to. Abraham’s looked great in camp and there are other folks around the NFC South that think he’s going to bounce back this season and produce double-digit sacks.
3. Charles Johnson, Panthers. I’m projecting here, but somebody has to step up on Carolina’s defensive line now that Julius Peppers is gone. You’ve heard some preseason hype about some young Carolina pass rushers and we’ll get to them. But Johnson is the guy the Panthers believe is ready to be their most complete defensive end.

NFC South Position Rankings

•  Offensive line | DT | DE
•  Linebackers | Quarterbacks
•  Tight ends | Receivers
•  Safeties | Cornerbacks

4. Alex Brown, Saints. This guy’s not going to come up and suddenly put up huge numbers, but he’s going to be a nice upgrade over the inconsistent Charles Grant. Look back at Brown’s time with Chicago. His numbers were very steady. He’ll put some heat on the passer from time to time. His sack numbers never have been spectacular, but he disrupts a lot of passes. He’s always going to play the run well.
5. Kroy Biermann, Falcons. This guy’s getting a lot of hype because he’s had a sack in each of the first three preseason games and Dimitroff and Smith are convinced Biermann’s ready for a breakout season. There are some other talent evaluators around the league that think Biermann doesn’t have all that much upside. But I’m going to take the word of Smith and Dimitroff and trust what I saw out of Biermann in camp and the preseason and give him a high ranking.
6. Greg Hardy, Panthers. This guy’s been getting tons of preseason hype and some fans are comparing him to Peppers. That’s a stretch. But I’ve been told by the Panthers and people who’ve been watching Hardy from a distance that this guy’s for real -- as long as he can keep focused on football.
7. Tyler Brayton, Panthers. We’ll twist a common phrase from coach John Fox and say Brayton is what he is. That’s a pretty solid all-around defensive end. In a lot of ways, he’s a lot like New Orleans’ Brown.
8. [+] Enlarge
   AP Photo/Steve NesiusLawrence Sidbury has potential, but he recorded just five tackles -- including one sack -- during his rookie season.
   Lawrence Sidbury, Falcons. We’ll jump back to projecting here. Sidbury didn’t do much as a rookie, but there are people around the league who think he has a lot more upside than Biermann.
9. Jimmy Wilkerson, Saints. He’s pretty much in the same category as Brown and Brayton. In fact, Wilkerson probably would be higher on this list if he wasn’t coming off a major knee injury.
10. Everette Brown, Panthers. Carolina drafted Brown last year thinking he might be the eventual replacement for Peppers and that still could happen. The Panthers believe Brown has lots of upside, but his development has not been rapid.
11. Chauncey Davis, Falcons. One talent evaluator thinks Davis is enormously underrated. In Atlanta’s defensive-line rotation, where it doesn’t really matter who starts, Davis is going to get a lot of playing time. He’s good against the run and isn’t a bad pass rusher, although his lack of height sometimes keeps him from really disrupting passes.
12. Stylez G. White, Buccaneers. He’s the best Tampa Bay has right now. The Bucs have tried to light a fire under him in the preseason by publicly questioning his practice efforts. They’re also disappointed he hasn’t stepped forward at all as a leader of a very young defensive line. But White’s never been a great practice player and has been reasonably productive in the regular season.
13. Jamaal Anderson, Falcons. No doubt this guy has been a huge bust as a defensive end and maybe you can’t even call him a defensive end anymore. He started rotating inside last year and could get even more work at tackle this year. This guy’s not going to give you any pass rush from the outside, but he can play the run.
14. Kyle Moore, Buccaneers. He seems to have landed the starting spot opposite White. Part of that is because Moore’s been decent, but part of it is because the Bucs have no one else who is ready.
15. Bobby McCray, Saints. New Orleans let him go after last season and brought him back at a reduced salary. There’s no guarantee he’ll make the regular-season roster. McCray’s a guy that’s supposed to be a pass-rush specialist in a rotation. He ended up starting a lot in place of Grant last year and produced 1.5 sacks. Maybe, in the right situation, McCray can be a pass-rush specialist, but he’s never really lived up to that reputation.
16. Michael Bennett, Buccaneers. This guy’s unknown and undersized, but he’s had some flashes as a pass rusher in the preseason. He could be used in a rotation as a situational pass rusher. But, keep an eye on how White’s season goes. If White struggles, Bennett could end up starting later in the season as Tampa Bay continues its youth movement.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Time for some observations on the Bucs from their 19-13 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

• [+] Enlarge
  Al Messerschmidt/Getty ImagesBackup quarterback Josh Johnson had a decent start in place of injured Bucs starter Josh Freeman.
  The Bucs showed some signs of having a bend-but-don’t-break defense. That’s super. But let’s keep it in perspective. Jacksonville’s offense, minus Maurice Jones-Drew, isn’t going to break any defense.
• Rookie defensive tackle Gerald McCoy looked pretty good. He got good pressure on David Garrard on an incompletion in the second quarter. Right after that, McCoy did a nice job running Garrard out of bounds after a snap sailed over the quarterback’s head. That play resulted in a 10-yard loss.
• Where else might the Bucs get a pass rush from? Believe it or not, Kyle Moore was in Garrard’s face as he threw a second-quarter interception (more on that in just a second). Looks like Moore’s going to have a starting job.
• On to the previously-mentioned interception. It was made by (drum roll please) … Barrett Ruud. Yep, the middle linebacker made the kind of big play he needs to make to get himself that big contract he wants. Ruud even ran 80 yards after making the grab. Do that in the regular season a few times and Ruud's wish will come true.
• Return man Clifton Smith, who missed a chunk of last season after concussion problems, fumbled the first time he touched the ball this preseason. Not really a good sign for Smith because the Bucs have other options in the return game.
• Josh Johnson had decent numbers (9 of 14 for 122 yards) while starting in place of injured starting quarterback Josh Freeman. But I still don’t think it would be a bad idea for the Bucs to pluck a legitimate backup quarterback off the waiver wire before the season starts.
• Then again, maybe the Bucs are just like the Vikings. After all, they’ve got a quarterback who spent virtually all of training camp hanging out in Mississippi. That’s Jevan Snead, the guy they cut on the first day of training camp and re-signed when Freeman got hurt.
• I thought the biggest positive for the Bucs was rookie receiver Mike Williams. He’s been making big plays since he arrived in Tampa Bay. It’s great when he can do that with Freeman, but it’s even more impressive that he’s still making big plays when he’s catching passes from another quarterback.
• The Bucs just gave an injury update on Sabby Piscitelli, who went down in the fourth quarter. The team said he has a mild concussion.