Davin Joseph Injury: Bucs G Will Be Placed on IR, Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be without Davin Joseph for the rest of the 2012 season after he suffered a devastating knee injury on Friday night against the New England Patriots.

UPDATE: Saturday, August 25 at 4:52 p.m. ET by Richard Langford

Unfortunately, it appears there will be no surprise good news for Joseph in regards to his knee injury. The Bucs tweeted out the following grim update.

"

Davin Joseph will have surgery on his left patellar tendon Monday and will be placed on injured reserve.

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@TBBuccaneers) August 25, 2012"

The move to injured reserve will officially end Joseph's season. 

UPDATE on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 10:47 a.m. ET by Alex Ballentine

Despite the bad news, Davin Joseph appears motivated to come back as soon as possible. 

The guard reached out to fans through his personal twitter account, thanking them for their support and promising a return to action.

"

Thanks for all of the support, positive vibes, and prayers. Overall, it could be worse. God has a plan. I'll be back ASAP.

— Davin Joseph (@DavinJoseph75) August 25, 2012"

--End of Update--

UPDATE on Friday, Aug. 24 at 11:11 p.m. ET by Jesse Reed

Unfortunately for Joseph and the Bucs, the latest report isn't good. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

"

Bucs Pro Bowl guard Davin Joseph's knee injury will end his season, per a source with knowledge of his condition. Bound for Injured Reserve.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 25, 2012"

It's hard enough losing one of your top offensive linemen at any point in the season. Losing Joseph here in the preseason is a bitter pill to swallow, and the Bucs will need to scramble to find someone to replace him.

--End of Update--

According to Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times:

"

Early prognosis on Davin Joseph is not good. #Bucs bracing for a move to injured reserve: tampabay.com/blogs/bucs/con…

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) August 25, 2012"

Rookie head coach Greg Schiano is experiencing a true baptism by fire here, as his approach on offense is predicated on pounding the rock. That's why the team pursued free-agent left guard Carl Nicks with ferocity this past offseason. 

Joseph isn't simply a road-grader, though. He is also a nice pass-blocker, and Josh Freeman will miss his presence on the line for sure. 

Taking Joseph's place in the game was Ted Larson, who started 14 games for the Bucs the past two years. He isn't a scrub, but he's nowhere close to being in the same league as Joseph. 

Perhaps it's time for the Bucs to hit free agency once again if Joseph is indeed lost for the season. The only trouble with that idea is that at this time of the year, the cupboards are pretty bare. 

Stay tuned for more news on Joseph's injury. We'll keep you updated as the information comes in.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78