Bucs DE Jacquies Smith hopes to play in the regular season opener.

The closest thing the Bucs have to an edge rusher was acquired last year when Tampa Bay went dumpster diving and maybe found a jewel by pulling Jacquies Smith off the street after he was released by the Bills.

Smith racked up 6.5 sacks last year — by Bucs standards for defensive ends, that’s Reggie White territory.

And the Bucs are hoping that with a full offseason learning Lovie’s defense, Smith just may be that elusive double-digit sack man.

And what do you want for Christmas?

(Sorry if Joe is getting too acerbic here, but it’s past the point of comedy this team cannot find a way to get double-digit sacks from the edge since George W. Bush’s first term of sleeping in the White House. The excuses have just about run dry.)

Smith has been rather quiet this preseason, largely because he is nursing a bum shoulder. Joe got a chance to talk to him today and while Smith said he’s toast for the final meaningless preseason game Thursday in Miami, he believes he will suit up come Sept. 13 against the Titans.

“I think I will be ready,” Smith said. “It’s all up to our doctors — until they give me the OK. I am feeling stronger and better. I am just going off of what they say.”

While it was refreshing to hear Bucs OC Dirk Koetter remark about this game Thursday being “meaningless,” Smith told Joe for him, preseason games are important.

“You want to get after it and get in as many reps as you can,” Smith said. “You want to be out there working hard with your teammates. Every rep is valuable. You never know when it might be your last rep. It kind of hurts not being able to go through the preseason process like I want to.

“I think the preseason does help out a lot, game speed. It kind of gets you ready for the upcoming season. Missing some of those reps I think hurts.”

Joe asked Smith if the time off might be better in the long run because that is less punishment his body will endure and the regular season is long. Smith thought the opposite was the case, that not being able to practice, much less play in preseason games, hinders him more than anything.