There is an injured Buccaneer as training camp opens. That would be Luke Stocker, who’s been plagued by nagging ailments throughout his career.

Greg Schiano said today that a tweaked muscle will cut Stocker’s action this week.

“Luke has a little calf,” Schiano said.

 Joe’s only down on this because of Stocker’s history. He’s got to stay healthy.

One name to watch among the many tight ends in Bucs camp is Zach Miller. He caught 45 balls for 470 yards and five touchdowns with Jacksonville from 2009-2011. But a shoulder injury sent him to injured reserve early in the 2011 season, and hamstring and chest muscle injuries got him waived before the start of 2012.

Joe chatted with Bucs tight ends coach Brian Angelichio about Miller today. The scouting report? “I think he brings an element in the passing game, has a good catch radius, can get down the field. I think he’ll continue to get stronger and get back the more he gets playing and in the system. But he’s a guy who’s played football.”

Man, it’s a massively busy day at One Buc Palace. Players are showing up. Assistant coaches are talking. Contracts are being signed. Football is upon us, folks.

Embattled Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman took a few moments before a team meeting to talk turkey with the Bucs pen and mic club and Freeeman confessed, yes, there is room to improve. When asked about his rash of late-season interceptions in 2012, a ghastly nine in three games, Freeman said that notorious mark is “unacceptable.” He noted the offense needs to improve on third downs.

“The way you do that is to get better on first and second downs,” Freeman said.

No one seems more geeked about the Bucs’ offense that defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who has to go up against the Bucs defense each and every day. GMC just shook his head when asked about the potential of the offense.

“Even at their third level, they are tough to stop,” GMC said.

Will Darrelle Revis, aka The Boy Wonder, play during the preseason?

“I haven’t decided yet,” Greg Schiano said late this morning at One Buc Palace.

This is intriguing. Can Revis really be ready to jump into opening day after all that time off?

Tanard Jackson pulled it off two years ago, though that seemed to be the only good game he played.

Schaino went on to say Revis is healthy and will participate in training camp tomorrow as part of a specific schedule tailored to getting him ready for Week 1.

Nobody’s messing with the New Schiano Order this season.

Greg Schiano has announced that the Buccaneers roster got a 100 percent score on Schiano’s dreaded conditioning test, given to players this morning after they reported to camp. Of course, some players were excused from the famous 110-yard sprints — 16 times — such as Davin Joseph, Carl Nicks and others returning from injury.

Attendance was perfect, as well.

“They’re all here and they’re all in shape,” Schiano said.

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Greg Schiano says new Bucs offensive lineman Gabe Carimi, a former Bears first-round pick, looks in great physical condition.

The Bears considered Gabe Carimi a bust with physical and off-field issues.

Greg Schiano isn’t buying it — because of what he’s seen from Carimi, and because of what Bucs offensive line coach Bob Bostad told him. Schiano explained to Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620 that Bostad simply didn’t believe Carimi was not a Buccaneer Man.

“But when you talk to Bob, and you get the insight of ‘Hey, unless this guy’s made a 180-degree change in the person that he is, which he hasn’t, this is one of us,'” Schiano said. “That’s why it’s exciting for us. Because physically he looks great. He had the knee [injury], but he’s doing really well now. So we’re excited and, you know, you give up a sixth-round pick, that’s not much of a risk.”

Joe’s most excited by Schiano’s claim of Carimi looking great “physically. If this, Carimi’s third year, is his time to shine at right tackle, then the Bucs, if healthy, should have the best offensive line in football.

What happens when you put Tampa Bay sports radio icon Steve Duemig and Joe in the same studio to talk all things Bucs for an hour?

Find out at 5 p.m. on WDAE-AM 620. The new, weekly “JoeBucsFan Hour” kicks off this evening. You don’t want to miss this.

WFLA-TV Channel 8’s sports raconteur Dan Lucas sits down with Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune to talk about Bucs news as players report for training camp today in this TBO.com video.

When Bucs players report to training camp this morning, one will be wearing both an unusual smile and have an additional task to take care of, different from the rest of his teammates.

All the hang-wringing and angst over Mike Williams and his contract negotiations can now end. He and the Bucs have agreed to a six-year, $40.25 million deal.

So that added responsibility Williams has today? Signing his contact when he shows up at One Buc Palace.

“Mike has earned this contract through his hard work and production,” Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik said in a team statement.

In Joe’s eyes, the cash couldn’t have gone to a better teammate than Williams. Good dude who produces.

So the Bucs report to camp this morning and hit the practice fields tomorrow. In essence, the football season is upon us. With the possible exception cornerback and defensive tackle, where rookies Akeem Spence and Johnthan Banks are expected to start unless they completely meltdown in training camp and preseason, there really is but one defensive position that is sort of wide open.

The notorious strongside linebacker position.

Now Dekoda Watson, a superior special teams player, seems to be the favorite to win the position. It appears the job is Watson’s to lose, so writes Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times.

The third linebacker in a 4-3 defense is becoming a less-prominent role. But the Bucs have an opening at strong-side linebacker, a role that is critical on early downs, particularly against the run and short passing routes.

Fourth-year veteran Dekoda Watson is expected to get a chance to show he’s ready to take the next step in his career, getting the first crack to replace injured Quincy Black. “It’s early right now,” said Watson, who has started three games in three seasons. “I’m not going to sit here and say that I’ve got the position or anything. All I’m saying is that I have the opportunity.”

But Watson must hold off another young, hungry player, Jonathan Casillas. A free-agent pickup from the Saints, Casillas is a formidable foe. He feels he could be a fit.

Joe asked Bucs types the past week or so about this position and while Joe was told strongside linebacker in the Bucs defense may not be the most vital position in the Bucs defense, Joe was quickly told it’s not like they can throw a slug out there and win games.

Last year, Quincy Black finally began living up to his contract (imagine what coaching can do for a player?) until the injury and nerve damage in his shoulder and neck area likely ended his career. Joe doesn’t believe in coincidences. Middle linebacker Mason Foster, who Joe thought may have been eating February pineapple with his play in September, began to fade late in the season. One reason, Joe believes, was because the Bucs didn’t have anyone remotely worthy to fill Black’s void.

When a bad player is on the field, he tends to drag others around him down.

It’s a good thing that Casillas is pushing Watson. This might give Bucs fans reason to relax; Watson is so rocked up he looks like he could do TV ads for exercise equipment. Watson certainly looks the part of an NFL linebacker.

In a move that may signal the Bucs are not all that happy with depth at defensive tackle, the Bucs gave former Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris a spin around the block this morning, so reports Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.

Why does this tell Joe the Bucs may not be happy with defensive tackle depth? Harris has been out of the league since 2011.

Most NFL teams don’t normally bring veterans out of mothballs unless they are borderline desperate.

In 2011, Harris played his one and only season with San Diego racking up 13 tackles, all solo. Previous to 2011, the former 2004 first-round pick played seven seasons with the Bears.

Raheem Morris used to call Adrian Clayborn “BoyDog,” half man/half beast.

And Clayborn played his rookie season like a German Shepard in a K-9 unit (a unit of one, unfortunately.) Clayborn’s motor was stunning, never letting up as he learned the pro game and led the Bucs in sacks.

Clayborn lost nearly all of last season to a blown knee, but nearly every piece of chatter out of One Buc Palace pegs Clayborn as a man who has transformed his body (now a Rottweiler?) and is drooling to attack offensive linemen and quarterbacks.

Speaking tonight on WDAE-AM 620, Greg Schiano stood strong for his defensive line and told Steve Duemig that Clayborn is “as tough as they come.”

Schiano also raved again about backup DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim and praised Gerald McCoy emerging as not just a Pro Bowler but a leader.

Many believe the Bucs’ defensive line is a major question mark and a weakness. It certainly seems like Schiano disagrees.

Greg Schiano says he likes competition, and now he has more.

The Bucs signed troubled running back/fullback Peyton Hillis, per Schiano’s comments to Steve Duemig on WDAE-AM 620 this evening.

Schiano said Hillis looked great in his workout today and is chomping at the bit to get back on the field. Since his standout season in Cleveland back in 2010, Hillis has stood out for his bad attitude. And he’s also a fumbler.

Schiano said he’s excited about what Hillis will bring to the running backs corps that also added veteran third-down back Brian Leonard, a former Schiano guy at Rutgers, as well as rookie Mike James out of Miami. But Schiano made it clear that Doug Martin is not being threatened.

No subject gets Bucs fans worked up more than Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman. At times, he looks like the second coming of Ben Roethlisberger. Other times, he looks like the second coming of Rob Johnson.

At his best, Freeman is among the elite of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. At his worst, he makes Bucs fans run to the nearest liquor store and demand the return of Trent Dilfer.

Some fans have had enough of the Freeman rollercoaster and simply want to turn the page. Well, for said fans, Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune has bad news for you. Barring a complete and utter collapse by Freeman and the Bucs this season, a Walter Football-type collapse, Freeman will return as your Bucs starting quarterback in 2014, and very likely, beyond, as Cummings told Howard Balzer and Dan Leberfeld, co-hosts of “Press Coverage” on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“Josh had a pretty darn good season last year if you break it down. He had two or three bad games and they came at the end of the year which scarred the whole thing. He threw for most passing yards – more than 4,000 yards – in Buccaneers history and threw for 27 touchdowns. He was really moving along very well until very late in the season.

“If he has that kind of a season again the Bucs will be in a tough situation. He is certainly capable of putting together 15 or 16 superb games. It is a matter of consistency. I think the fact he is in a system, the same system for a second year in a row for the first time in his career, truly the same system. I think that will benefit him. He now has four years of experience. He is a very confident kid. It is very hard to predict how this is going to go.

“I can say this: If he just does his job he will do just fine. He has all the ability in the world. At the end of the day, after putting in so much effort, time and of course, money, into developing Josh Freeman, I have a hard time believing that no matter what kind of season he has unless he has 14 horrid games and this team goes 4-12 or something, I have a hard time believing this team will let him go. I think at the end of the day he will remain a Buccaneer. His play will determine for how long he will remain a Buccaneer whether it’s a one-year deal, maybe a two-year deal or a $100 million five-year type deal. At the end of the day, I think [the Bucs] probably stick with Josh Freeman and you know what? At the end of the day, I say he will earn that right.”

Well of course, if Freeman earns the right to return as Cummings suggests, Joe is of the belief the Bucs would have been fighting for a playoff berth or in fact will be playing in the postseason this January.

Even if Freeman has an average year, Joe’s pretty sure Freeman will be franchised if his agent tries to play hardball with Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

If Freeman plays more like his 2011 season than his 2010 season, and the Bucs fail to make the playoffs, all bets are off.

It wasn’t a shock to Joe when he learned that the walking suspension, cornerback Eric Wright, failed to pass a physical after being traded by the Bucs to the 49ers on Friday. If teams want to fail a guy on a physical, they can, even if said player is the model of health.

Just reading how the 49ers are trying to spin the Wright affair is amusing, as documented by Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. It almost seems as if 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh threw San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke under the bus. Harbaugh refused to say what element of his physical that Wright flunked and all but told reporters to talk to Baalke about why he traded for Wright and shipped him back to the Bucs in a matter of hours.

Were the 49ers aware of his recent DUI before the trade?

“I mean, really, the better guy to talk to is Trent,” Harbaugh said. “He’s got a clear understanding of the specific transaction. So I’ll defer to him on that.”

Joe finds it simply impossible to believe Harbaugh has no idea why Wright flunked his physical. Nothing like dodging the question and passing the blame off on a suit above you in the front office.

Harbaugh has been outspoken in the recent past, mocking his division-rival Seahawks for all their players getting popped for Adderall (?). Maybe the 49ers forgot about Wright’s suspension last year for testing positive for Adderall (?) and this, in part, is why the 49ers flunked Wright’s physical in order to keep their distance?

It sure smells to Joe that after the 49ers had a weekend to think over the transaction, both Harbaugh and Baalke decided they really aren’t desperate enough to bring in a malcontent like Wright to poison the locker room.

At 5:30 p.m. today, the leader of the New Schiano Order steps into the crosshairs of the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, on WDAE-AM 620. Surely, this is a must-listen radio event. The Big Dog will fire off some great questions.

And the intense Bucs talk goes in a different direction tomorrow, when Joe himself joins Duemig for a full hour starting at 5 p.m. Count on gripping debate and plenty of insider knowledge to be shared.

By now, many Bucs fans have heard unconfirmed reports of bad-attitude, 27-year-old running back Peyton Hillis getting a tryout with the Bucs today.

The guy hasn’t done squat since his strong 2010 season in Cleveland, other than alienate teammates and the rest of the NFL, which is why Hillis is unemployed.

Joe really can’t give much of a crap about this. First, the Bucs give all kinds of players tryouts all the time, and sometimes a tryout is merely rockstar general manager Mark Dominik doing an agent a favor — one Dominik can cash in on later.

Second, Hillis doesn’t make sense for the Bucs. Forget the fact that Hillis is a fumbling machine — a capital crime under the New Schiano Order. Rookie Mike James needs all the carries he can handle during the preseason, as does veteran back Brian Leonard, who is a total newcomer to the Bucs offense. And then there’s Michael Smith, who needs to stay, um, active. There’s also Spudd Webb rookie Matt Brown on the roster.

No, Joe’s not reading into a Hillis tryout. Even if they add him to the 90-man training camp roster, there won’t be much to it.

When Joe pounds the streets on hot June days selling the best advertising value in the history of Tampa Bay marketing, Joe chats with a lot of serious Bucs fans. And outside of being gripped by Josh Freeman fears, these fans most want to know if Darrelle Revis’ knee is really healthy.

Joe gets it. Revis’ knee is arguably the most important joint in recent Bucs history, surpassing Cadillac Williams’ and those of Tanard Jackson  and Jeremy Stevens.

Imagining a healthy Revis on opening day helps Joe sleep at night, even better than envisioning the warm embrace of Rachel Watson while Joe cradles a frosty beer.

The latest on Revis isn’t really news, but Joe knows it will soothe many fans seeking any sign that the secondary savior, the $16 million man is more than ready.

The photo above is of the side of the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway and was released by the Bucs on Facebook yesterday. Mr. Revis himself even fired it off on Twitter, all pumped up about leading the “No Fly Zone” to his 368,000+ followers.

Joe can’t imagine Revis and the Bucs would engage in these kinds of fan-arousing tactcs if Revis wasn’t truly ready to ball.

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It’s easy to see why Bucs fans are geeked about the coming season. When you have newcomers like Batman and Robin added to current stalwarts Lavonte David, Gerald McCoy, Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin and Mike Williams, it’s been a while since the Bucs have had so much star power.

This has even caught the eye of eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune. When he appeared on “The Opening Drive,” co-hosted by Bob Papa and Amani Toomer last week, Kaufman admitted it’s been quite a while since he’s seen a Bucs team with this much talent.

“They have a very exciting team. They have eight guys on this roster who have been to the Pro Bowl – eight! Not many teams can match that. And they are all like 27 years-old. This team is ready to win. Rebuilding is over. They are laying in the weeds and I don’t think Greg Schiano minds being under the radar now.

“I think Revis will fix a lot of their secondary problems – not all of them, but a lot of them. You can do a lot of things when you have a guy like Darrelle Revis on your side. It is up to Bill Sheridan to be creative otherwise his job will be in jeopardy.

“I just think this is a good football team with weapons up and down the line. I haven’t been this excited about a Bucs team in 10 years.”

There are reason for optimism, as well as doubt. Can the Bucs finally break through, put the Dixie Chicks and Saints on the canvas and win the division? That’s a helluva tall order.

Then there is the NFC West, arguably the best division in the NFL.

The road that leads to answers of all Bucs questions opens in roughly 48 hours. That’s when the Bucs hit the practice fields at One Buc Palace as training camp, and indirectly the football season, starts anew.

Joe doesn’t hide his appreciation of Bryan Cox. The Buccaneers” pass-rush coach (last year he was front-7 coach) is a colorful character. 

Cox was that way during his Pro Bowl playing days, and he is as a Bucs assistant coach.

Cox told Joe he has no bigger aspirations in coaching and just likes to get after it and teach the game. Joe believes that attitude lets Cox be his own man while still being a loyal member of the New Schiano Order. Plus, the postgame cigar dangling from Cox’s mouth in the locker room is more like a Cuban missile than one of the country’s trademark smokes. Joe finds that amusing.

Cox’s impact has been felt in a big way, and his style is appreciated. Take the comment on Buccaneers.com from Bucs rookie defensive end Steven Means, who describes Cox as a physical coach, as in hands on guys in the meeting room.

That’s just beautiful.

Not seen in the video linked above is Joe asking Means about how coaching techniques are different in Tampa than what he experienced in college. Means said other than a little more detail and focus on hands and hips work there’s little change in the pros– except for how Bucs coaches “make you” get it right.

That sounds like Cox at work.

Well, well, well. The walking suspension known as cornerback Eric Wright failed his physical with the 49ers, thus the trade that sent him from the Bucs to the 49ers last week has been voided.

Unable to dump him on someone else, Bucs rock star general manger Mark Dominik simply cut Wright today.

Now does this mean Wright is physically unable to play? Well, that’s news to the Bucs.

Joe’s going to take a wild stab here and guess after the trade was consummated, the 49ers took the weekend to reassess bringing in a guy with as much baggage as Wright, and decided, “Nnnaaahhh!”

Now Eric Wright is unemployed and has all the time in the world to veg in a California spa.