Gates open at 11:30 a.m. for another fantastic day of live greyhound racing. Derby Lane, on Gandy Boulevard in St. Pete, is a Tampa Bay institution. More important, Joe always has a blast out there playing poker, wagering and dining.

Bucs fans who want to be filled with a massive dose of hope and re-ignite their wildest dreams about the 2013 season really need to read this Darrelle Revis feature story in the New York Times.

Writer Ben Shpigel was in Tampa a couple of weeks ago for a couple of days spending all kinds of time with Revis. Joe had talked to Shpigel and hoped the feature would have been longer, but it is fantastic. Here’s an excerpt:

“Our goal was never to bring him back to where he was,” said Brett Fischer, the owner and founder of the Fischer Institute. “It was to bring him back even better.”

Early on, Fischer explained that objective to Revis, not to pump him up, but because he believed it would happen. Revis, Fischer said, approached his rehabilitation with a ferocity that bordered on obsessive. He began his upper-body weight lifting months earlier than usual. He demanded the training staff correct every mistake until his form was pristine. He adhered to a strict diet, eating three organic meals daily from a catering service.

Revis still abides by that dietary change. One afternoon, the rookie cornerback Johnthan Banks hollered, “KFC? Taco Bell?” to him from across the locker room. Revis laughed and said, “You know I don’t eat that stuff no more.”

Later, Banks said: “I knew the answer before I asked him. I was just doing my rookie duties.”

Another rookie duty for Banks is following around Revis, whom Dominik has taken to describing as the E. F. Hutton of cornerbacks. “When Darrelle talks,” Dominik said, “people listen.” Banks credits Revis with pointing out flaws in his technique. Leonard Johnson, a second-year cornerback, said Revis helped him to recognize hash-split alignments and better read receivers’ hips.

Joe wrote recently about how Revis inspires confidence and looks ready for opening day. He’s going to be an electric presence once game-week practice starts this afternoon.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated talks all things Darrelle Revis in this theMMQB.com video. Also, King has a hunch that will make the Mike Glennon Mob really, really, really happy.

The Bucs have been busy establishing their practice squad, and it’s got familiar names on it: tight end Danny Noble and wide receiver Chris Owusu.

Both spent significant time on the main roster last season.

Cornerback Deveron Carr, offensive lineman Jace Daniels, linebacker Ka’lial Glaud, defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo, and offensive tackle Mike Remmers are also in the mix, per CBS Sports.

Practice squad guys earn at least about $5,000 per week, but can be paid much more. Joe suspects Owusu commanded significantly more cash than the minimum to re-join the Bucs after getting cut yesterday.

Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik went discount shopping this afternoon for cut players who may help out the Bucs and signed a defensive tackle and a wide receiver, but those moves were bad news for wide receiver Tiquan Underwood and linebacker Najee Goode. To make room for the new signees on the 53-man roster, the Bucs released Underwood and Goode.

Per a release from the Buccaneers:

Chris Jones (6-2, 306) comes to Tampa Bay from Houston, where he was a sixth- round selection (198th overall) in 2013. A native of Brownsburg, Indiana, Jones played collegiately at Bowling Green, where he played in 50 straight games, making 43 consecutive starts. A three-time All-Mid-American Conference selection, he earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors his senior season, when he recorded 12.5 sacks, the third-most in the NCAA. He was named third-team All-American by the Associated Press.

Russell Shepard (6-1, 195), joins the Buccaneers after spending this past offseason with the Eagles. He entered the league as a college free agent with Philadelphia this season. Shepard played collegiately at Louisiana State, where he saw time at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. He finished his career with 733 rushing yards, 565 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns (five rushing, five receiving). A Houston native, Shepard came to LSU as the nation’s top-ranked dual-threat quarterback.

Joe is starting to think the Bucs are in a bad way at No. 3 receiver. Kevin Ogletree had played well in training camp, but had a nasty habit of dropping passes time after time in games. What good is a receiver who cannot catch? Joe wasn’t aware a Michael Clayton clone was so desirable.

Yes, cutting Underwood is a surprise as he is somewhat productive, when healthy. Remember, he was cut last year after a really good training camp and preseason, only to be picked back up by the Bucs.

Perhaps it was Tom Crabtree’s twisted up ankle? Perhaps not.

Regardless, rookie Tim Wright made the Bucs’ roster as a fourth tight end. An undrafted free agent out of (all together now) Rutgers, Wright played wide receiver in college and is trying to make the transition to TE. He’s listed at 6-4, 220, and he looks that skinny in person.

Wright was granted some reps with the first team in practice and he talked to Joe about it a few weeks ago.

Joe kept an eye on Wright after that but really never saw him show much.

Joe gets that a guy like Wright might be a very worthwhile conversion project, so Joe’s surely not down on Wright being a Buccaneer. But it’s an interesting move — and a nice paycheck for Mr. Wright next week.

Baggage-toting running back Peyton Hillis won the respect of the New Schiano Order, landing a final 53-man-roster spot yesterday. Now Hillis will battle to wear a helmet on Sundays as part of the 46-man, game-day roster.

(When the hell will the NFL ditch the stupid rule of not activating every player for every game?)

Injuries are playing in Hillis’ favor. Starting fullback Erik Lorig didn’t play all preseason after his calf injury this summer got better then worse then better again. Lorig only recently returned to practice. Hillis was a college fullback and has logged significant time there as a pro. Rookie Mike James is no fullback, and Brian Leonard is too small to log any significant time there.

Then there’s the mysterious question of how much faith the Bucs actually have in Hillis.

Do they believe he can be a punishing short-yardage back? Is Greg Schiano in love with his downhill, hit-the-hole ability, something LeGarrette Blount didn’t like to do? Will Mike Sullivan look to get creative with three running backs, Doug Martin, Leonard and Hillis, who can catch the ball well out of the backfield?

Joe’s not sure what the Bucs have in Hillis, but they do have fantastic depth at running back. It’s light years better than the nightmarish Kregg Lumpkin mess of 2011.

It seems Bucs kicker Lawrence Tynes, per Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com, is troubled by how the Bucs handled his MRSA infection and stops just short of hinting a Bucs employee is the source of the MRSA.

(Look, Joe is not mocking someone with MRSA. Joe was once hospitalized with a staph infection coming from his foot and it was ugly and painful. The Tynes saga is simply interesting and growing more so by the day.)

Tynes wouldn’t reveal the full details of how he believes he contracted the infection but said, “The individuals that have tested positive for staph or MRSA, we feel very strongly about where it came from.”

Asked about a report the team’s trainer, Todd Toriscelli, is dealing with MRSA, Tynes merely replied, “I’m not a doctor. I just feel bad he’s been dealing with a serious infection of some sort for the past four months.”

Tynes later absolved Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik of any ills, he believes Dominik is pressured by an unknown source to place him on the NFI list.

This should get interesting.

Greg Schiano loves to say the ball is “the program.” Schiano is all about the football. Ball security is everything under the New Schiano Order, and fumbles are the best way to get excommunicated. Drop passes also are standout crimes against the regime.

After all, Schiano’s core beliefs are Trust, Belief and Accountability. If he can’t trust you with “the program,” then he won’t believe you can help him and you’ll be held accountable.

Wide receiver Chris Owusu, a speedster who was on the Bucs roster late last season, was a star of training camp, a man on the rise. But Owusu dropped passes in the preseason opener and fumbled away a punt and juggled a kickoff. He injured his ankle in that game and was cut today. When you have one career regular-season catch, you don’t get any slack.

Joe wouldn’t be surprised if Owusu lands on the practice squad or returns next month, but Joe’s confident Owusu’s ball security issues led to his demise.

The depressing part of Cutdown Day to the final 53-man roster is that some really good dudes get caught in the wash. Today for the Bucs, that was safety Cody Grimm.

Grimm, a linebacker in college at Virginia Tech, was moved to safety and likely rushed into playing time too soon due to injuries in 2009. Grimm would never mistake anyone for Ronnie Lott. But he was a ballhawk in that he was always around the ball. He was pretty good against the run.

But Grimm was always hurt. Mostly leg injuries, and that is a death knell for an NFL player. With the additions of Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron in the past two years, and Ahmad Black seeing a lot of playing time, the handwriting was on the wall for Grimm. He sort of knew it when Joe spoke with him last week after the Bucs win in Miami.

“Anything can happen. One week you make it and not the next week you are not,” Grimm said. “It’s a numbers thing in the NFL. You can’t worry about it. If you put good things on tape, someone will see it.”

Of course, it didn’t help Grimm’s cause when he was pinched for two public intoxication arrests. A starter may be able to get away with not being a Buccaneer Man but not a guy on the bubble.

At any rate, Grimm has always been cool with Joe. Always willing to take time to talk about the game or practice, and even answer tough questions that many players would blow off. Joe respects that.

Akeem Spence

In either a testament to how thin/weak the defensive line was last year or to the prowess of Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik — or both — three third-day drafted rookies make the Bucs squad.

That would be defensive tackle Akeem Spence and defensive ends Steven Means and William Gholston.

That’s pretty remarkable either way you slice it, no matter how you look at it.

Of all the rookie defensive linemen, Joe thought the guy hanging by a loose string was Gholston. He really didn’t flash much in training camp or during preseason games. He is a raw talent.

Joe believes Means will be a pass-rushing specialist, at least for the time being. Spence, of course, is expected to start.

Joe just wonders how much of the Da’Quan Bowers implosion factored in to keeping three late-drafted rookies?

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano have spoken.

Cuts were made today, and here’s your 2013 Buccaneers 53-man roster:

Defensive linemen

Gerald McCoy
Daniel Te’O-Neshiem
Adrian Clayborn
Akeem Spence
Da’Quan Bowers
Derek Landri
Trevor Scott
Steven Means
William Gholston

Linebackers

Lavonte David
Mason Foster
Adam Hayward
Jonathan Casillas
Dekoda Watson
Najee Goode

Long Snapper

Andrew Economos

Kicker/Punter

Rian Lindell
Michael Koenen

Defensive Backs

Darrelle Revis
Johnthan Banks
Michael Adams
Leonard Johnson
Danny Gorrer
Rashaan Melvin
Dashon Goldson
Ahmad Black
Keith Tandy
Mark Barron

Wide Receivers

Vincent Jackson
Mike Williams
Kevin Ogletree
Tiquan Underwood
Eric Page (PR/KR)

Tight Ends

Tom Crabtree
Luke Stocker
Nate Byham
Tim Wright

Offensive Line

Donald Penn
Gabe Carimi
Carl Nicks
Jeremy Zuttah
Davin Joseph
Tom Larsen
Demar Dotson
Jamon Meredith

Running Backs/Fullback

Doug Martin
Brian Leonard
Peyton Hillis
Mike James
Erik Lorig

Quarterbacks

Josh Freeman
Mike Glennon
Dan Orlovsky

Oh, Joe just loves the unconditional love and defense that athletes’ wives have for their men. While the husbands have to choose their words carefully, the wives are unbridled.

Throw in social media, and it gets fun. Today, Bucs kicker Lawrence Tynes, who has both an ingrown toenail and a MRSA infection, learned of his fate with the Bucs and his wife Amanda was none too pleased.

@AmandaTynes9: The Bucs informed my husband via EMAIL that he will be placed on NFI. Wouldn’t expect anything more from such a classy organization. #blkout … NFI” is an injury/illness sustained outside or away from team related activities or facilities.

The NFL is and can be a cold, hard business. Joe is a bit surprised that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik didn’t call Tynes’ agent to inform him of the news, assuming Tynes’ wife is accurate.

Joe appreciates Amanda Tynes’ loyalty, but there really is no way to know exactly where and how Tynes got infected.

Joe trusts NFL insider Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com, hence this is why Joe is running with Marvez’s report. Per the Miami-based writer and radio host for SiriusXM NFL Radio, Rian Lindell has bested Derek Dimke for the Bucs’ place kicker job.

Following his release by Buffalo earlier this month after 10 years there and 13 NFL seasons overall, Lindell was signed by the Buccaneers to press the untested Dimke during the preseason.

Lindell, 36, distanced himself from Dimke during Tampa Bay’s preseason finale against Washington. Dimke, a first-year player who hasn’t performed in a regular-season game, missed an extra point and 45-yard field goal attempt.

Lindell is the third kicking option for Tampa Bay since Connor Barth suffered a season-ending Achilles’ tendon injury during a July charity basketball game. The first replacement was former New York Giant Lawrence Tynes, who later became sidelined by a MRSA staph infection that has landed him on the non-football injury list.

This is a bit surprising to Joe because in the locker room after the game against Washington, players were saying goodbye to Lindell. despite kicking a 50-yarder against the Skins. Apparently, the former Bills kicker was of the impression he wasn’t making the cut?

Say what you will about Lindell, but his kicking percentage in Buffalo, one of the toughest places for a place kicker, was pretty darned good. That gives Joe hope.

In the aftermath of the Bucs’ loss to the Redskins in the preseason finale, Joe talked all things Bucs yesterday with former Bucs guard Ian Beckles on the Ron and Ian show on WDAE-AM 620.

Enjoy the Bucs chatter while Joe and Bucs fans wait for the final 53-man roster to announced this afternoon.

Details. Details. Details. They’re the hallmark of the New Schiano Order.

Greg Schiano stands out among NFL coaches for how much the Bucs work on the fundamentals of tackling daily. Tha’s a damn good thing, Joe believes, and it likely was a significant factor in the Bucs’ No. 1 rush defense last season.

Tackling, however, didn’t show up against the Redskins on Thursday, as most Bucs fans have now seen following last night’s initial local TV broadcast of the game. The fundamentals breakdown troubled Joe. Even if you’re a second- or third-teamer, you should be able to tackle, future beer truck drivers included.

Schiano called the effort “our worst tackling game in a long time,” in the Buccaneers Radio Network audio below. Schiano also goes into some of his impressions of Thursday — positive and negative. And Schiano raves about the competition within the Bucs, which he says will make today’s final cut difficult.

As for the tackling, Joe thinks that’s the least of the Bucs’ worries. This was a sound tackling team last season, and Joe suspects it should be at least that good again. Hopefully, the Bucs will find someone to make up for Michael Bennett’s numerous tackles for loss.

The popular “Loudmouths” series on SNY-TV out of New York tackles the messy latest in the Jets QB saga. The Bucs and Jets kick off in 8 1/2 days.

Hmm, let the speculators unite. Greg Schiano spoke this afternoon and acknowledged Mike Glennon’s rough night last night, but Schiano made sure everyone listening knew he thinks Glennon is a standout player.

“I thought he was solid. I thought he learned, got better,” Schiano said of Glennon’s preseason. “Last night wasn’t his best performance, and I told him, ‘Hey, every once in a while, you’re going to have one of these. Don’t have too many.’ But this guy’s not your typical rookie. That’s, you know, he didn’t have a great night.”

The “not-your-typical-rookie” line could be a window into Schiano’s mindset. The leader of the New Schiano Order is a man of details, so surely praise that high is worth noting.

It’s especially notable when, frankly, Glennon has looked like a typical rookie quarterback through training camp and preseason, though he does appear quite composed when things don’t go well. Also, it’s worth noting that Schiano often characterizes likely starters Akeem Spence and Johnthan Banks as making typical rookie mistakes when talking about their development, as if to say they’re typical rookies despite their strong play.

If Glennon isn’t a typical rookie, then what is he in the coach’s mind? And what does that mean?

Dan Orlovsky’s quotes the other day all of a sudden seem more meaningful.

Joe hopes this is all moot, and that Josh Freeman can beat back the Mike Glennon Mob with a great opening day and consistent play. 

You can hear Schiano’s full audio today below, via WDAE-AM 620.