Bucs preview courtesy of Tampa Bay resident and occasional TBL NHL correspondent Lee Diekemper, proprietor of this fine blog.

It’s hard to wrap one’s arms around this team. No more Derrick Brooks. No more Warrick Dunn. Chucky Gruden is up in the booth with Jaws and the godless hordes of the four-letter who have done more to kill Monday Night Football than Lisa Guerrero ever could.

Warren Sapp, Mike Alstott, Simeon Rice and John Lynch are long gone. [Ed. And so is Carmella! Noooooo!]

The Bucs have an… offense?: Rather than rely on a smothering, punishing, loud smack-talking defense, if the Bucs do anything it will be the offense (gasp).

This very well could be the best offense in the franchise’s history: Very good offensive line. World class receiver with great hands (Antonio Bryant), talented yet underachieving if not injury-prone tight end (Kellen Winslow) and a deep backfield (Derrick Ward, Earnest Graham and a healthy Cadillac Williams).

Take that Mr. Offensive Genius Chucky!

Then, the cruel, cold sting of reality wakes one up. Who will be the quarterback? Bryon Leftwich: Left on the NFL scrap heap, Leftwich — he called himself not the NFL’s slowest quarterback, but the NFL’s slowest black quarterback — came off the bench for a decent Steelers road win over the Redskins. One game out of the bullpen doesn’t make a season as a starter.

Luke McCown: Largely worthless with Cleveland, had one memorable win with the Bucs, a come-from-behind rally to beat the Saints in the Superdome equally memorable for Sean Payton calling a stupid gadget play deep in Saints territory late that resulted in a turnover and set up the Bucs winning-score. But can Bucs fans trust a guy that, given a critical game against Atlanta late last season with Jeff Garcia unavailable, Chucky chose instead an injured (and currently unemployed) Brian Griese?

Josh Freeman: Came out early but should have stayed at Kansas State trolling for talent at fraternity parties and bars, taking full offfield advantage of being a starting college quarterback. He wasn’t among the elite quarterbacks in the Big XII last year. Why on earth does anyone expect him to master NFL defenses this season? Thus far Freeman has had limited work with the Bucs first string.

As many teams have demonstrated over the years, you can only hide a quarterback so long.

Headscratching moves on defense: Moving solid strong safety Jermaine Phillips, 30, to weakside linebacker to replace Brooks, a position Phillips has never played. Huh? New coach Raheem Morris, 32, stated Wednesday Phillips is facing some challenges already in training camp learning his new position. You don’t say?

Counting on Angelo Crowell. The Bucs signed the former Bills linebacker, he of a terrible knee injury, to help fill holes by the cuts of Cato June and Brooks. Thus far in training camp Crowell has been hampered by a strained hamstring. Hurt again. Who could have guessed?

The Bucs got rid of all but one starter at linebacker (Barrett Ruud) yet their defensive line was the position which needed a house cleaning. For some reason the Bucs decided, for the most part, to keep the defensive line intact (albeit adding two mid-round draft picks). The defensive front was nothing less than a sieve late in the season, which led to the Bucs losing their last four in 2008 thus missing the playoffs.

This means the secondary, average to possibly above average led by dinosaur Ronde Barber and helmet-wielding Aqib Talib, may just get lit up with limited pressure up front.

Kind plea to Bucs defensive coordinator Jim Bates: Please teach defensive end Gaines Adams a move to the quarterback besides trying to run around the offensive tackle. Being able to fist-bump guys on the sideline before one gets to the quarterback generally isn’t the quickest route.

The rigors of depression:Not too many big name celebrities are Bucs followers. Jenn Brown maybe, though not a big name. She’s a Clearwater girl as is a source of Howard Stern’s lust, Brooke Hogan. Yes, the Hulkamaniacs are likely Bucs fans too. Tiger Woods pops in on games periodically but that stemmed mainly from his friendship with Chucky.

While national celebrities may be in short supply at Raymond James Stadium, Bucs fans had their own treasured celebrity to gawk at each Sunday, though sadly no more.

When the games got ugly last year, Bucs fans could be pleasantly distracted by the Bucs cheerleaders (Rays slugger Evan Longoria certainly was). Specifically Rachel Watson, who may have been the most beautiful of all NFL cheerleaders. Sadly, Watson, who once posed in Maxim, will not return as she pursues her career as a grade school teacher (obligatory “Hot for Teacher” video.) The male population of the Tampa Bay area has yet to recover from this alarming news.

Given the rash of Florida teachers-on-students crimes (?) the mind races.

In some circles, this transaction, along with the fact Jeff Garcia’s Playboy Playmate wife Carmella DeCesare will no longer be on the sidelines, has created as many waves of angst as the release of Brooks.

More depression: The Bucs may have found an incredible steal with Oregon State wide receiver Sammie Stroughter. Not so long ago Stroughter was lighting up PAC 10 defenses, specifically USC’s. But while he should have been enjoying the heights of his college playing days (and the fruits that come with it) Stroughter came down with a bout of depression so severe he nearly lost everything.

Now with his depression seemingly in check, Stroughter, who slipped all the way to the seventh round, has done nothing but impress Bucs coaches. Hard not to pull for a guy who’s battled through that.

Outlook: It will be a new day in Tampa Bay. For years if not decades, it was a team that relied on its defense, dating all the way back to Lee Roy Selmon, Batman Wood and Mark Cotney under the watchful gaze of John McKay and his ever-present golf hat. Now with a defense very much suspect, the Bucs may have to play keepaway with its strong running game.

The first 3/4 of the season is as treacherous as any team in the league: Dallas, at Buffalo, New York Giants, at Washington, at Philadelphia, Carolina, New England at London, Green Bay, at Miami, New Orleans, at Atlanta, at Carolina. If somehow the Bucs are 6-6 entering December, Morris just may be coach of the year.

Don’t bank on it.

Sooner or later teams rely strictly on a punishing running attack are exposed unless its defense rises to the occasion or its quarterback blossoms.

Neither scenario appears likely.

2009 NFL Previews

NFC East: Cowboys | Eagles | Giants | Redskins

NFC North: Bears | Lions | | Vikings