I just got off the phone with Fox Sports analyst Tony Boselli, a former Jacksonville standout offensive lineman, and we spent most of the conversation talking about the Bucs.

Boselli will be the analyst for Tampa Bay’s road game against Detroit and he has some interesting observations about this year’s Bucs team.

When it came to RB Cadillac Williams, he was moved by his comeback from the knee injury, but believes the loss of Earnest Graham will hurt this team.

“I don’t think that team should be in a position to count on this guy to be a major contributor for a playoff run,” Boselli said. “If they get something out of him, it’s great, but you better be counting on a guy like Warrick Dunn, who I have a ton of respect for, but he’s getting up there in age. He’s at that age that it makes it hard for a back to perform at a high level game in and game out.

“You have Clifton Smith who has trouble holding onto the ball and is more of a return guy, so that area, the running back position, is a little bit of a concern right now. I’m not sure what you get out of Cadillac this year. I think anytime you come off a major knee injury, even if you are cleared to be 100 percent, your knee is strong is enough to play, that is a whole different thing than being back and being the football player that you need to be to compete at a high level.”

Boselli does believe Tampa Bay will make the playoffs as a wildcard, but is unsure what the Bucs will be able to accomplish once in the playoffs because of its conservative offense.

“The defense is never going to let a game get out of control. If you look at the Kansas City game where they got down early, the defense turned it up and allowed the offense to get back into the game,” Boselli said. “That’s part of the problem. Even when they get a lead, they shut it down a little bit and let their defense play really good football and just not make many mistakes on offense.

“Because of that, I think they will be a wild card team and they will be able to contend because they are only a game back in the NFC South and they are strong. If you get into the playoffs, I can see them probably winning in the first round and see what happens after that. I can also easily see them losing in the first round. Whatever they do, it’s going to be a very tight game.”

As a result, Boselli believes Detroit has a chance of beating Tampa Bay this weekend.

“I think it’s going to one that if I’m a Detroit fan, you start saying maybe this is one we can win,” Boselli said. “Tampa is a team that plays close games and isn’t super explosive offensively because of the style they play. Even if they get up, it doesn’t seem like they pour it on. With Earnest Graham done, and Tampa coming up to Detroit, you wonder what is that backfield going to look like. I’m not sure what you have with Cadillac. Warrick Dunn for two weeks in a row will have to be the feature back and carry the load and that’s a lot to ask of an older guy.”

Boselli is a community leader in Jacksonville.  Aside from owning a few businesses, he runs a foundation called the Boselli Foundation The foundation works with at risk youth to help them cultivate high self-esteem and to succeed at home, at school and on the playing field.

For information, click here Tony Boselli Foundation