This morning on SiriusXM NFL Radio, co-host of “The Blitz,” Jim Miller, the former Bears quarterback who is also a Bears analyst for Comcast SportsNet Chicago, claimed newly acquired Bucs offensive lineman Gabe Carimi was “damaged goods” coming out of Wisconsin. And that’s largely why he flamed out so quickly with the Bears, Miller said.

Freshly sheared Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik disputed that notion as he met with the Bucs pen and mic club this afternoon following the Bucs assistant coaches media day at One Buc Palace.

Dominik said that he and his staff graded out Carimi as a “late first-round” pick, “about where he was drafted,” Dominik said. Dominik waved off the label of damaged goods saying Carimi never missed a game with the Badgers.

Later, Dominik claimed Carimi, who started but two games at right tackle his rookie year due to a knee injury, suffered more from “rusty technique than lack of skill.”

Joe strongly believes that if anyone can turn around Carimi, it is the man who developed him into an Outland Trophy winner, current Bucs offensive line coach Bob Bostad.

It’s been two years since rockstar general manager Mark Dominik was a guest on The Jim Rome Show and told a national audience that the Bucs’ medical staff knows knees, isn’t scared of knees, and can manage the nastiest knees in the business.

It’s not just talk. There’s plenty of track record there for team trainer Todd Toriscelli and his award-winning staff.

The Bucs squeezed 48 consecutive games out of Kellen Winslow’s torn up knee, guided a truly stunning comeback (twice) of Cadillac Williams’ horrific knee injuries, and intelligently passed on Antonio Bryant in free agency (the Bengals weren’t as wise). There were other success stories, as well. And the Bucs are counting on Darrelle Revis’ successful knee rehabilitation, and on the damaged knees of Adrian Clayborn and DaQuan Bowers, who scared off the rest of the NFL on draft day with his bad knee.

Joe noted in passing earlier that this well known knee bravado likely was a big piece of the Gabe Carimi trade puzzle. Guard-tackle Carimi, who the Bucs dealt for last night, had serious knee issues since early in his rookie year in 2011, after being selected by the Bears in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Joe’s not sure whether longterm it’s a good or bad thing that the Bucs are so confident in guys with bad knees. This season surely should answer that question.

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Yesterday Joe was giddy — partially due to a sugar high from eating frogurt — that the Bucs got former Bears first-round pick, offensive linemen Gabe Carimi for a measly sixth-round pick in 2014.

The reason Joe is optimistic about this trade is that Carimi is reunited with the man who developed him into an Outland Trophy winner, current Bucs’ offensive line coach Bob Bostad, a true wizard among offensive line coaches.

If Carimi can be turned around by Bostad, he could push if not replace Demar Dotson at right tackle and may be the long-term answer as a successor to Donald Penn at left tackle when Penn’s days are finished.

Penn, now 30, will be a free agent after the 2015 season under the current terms of his contract.

It seems Sam Monson of ProFootballFocus.com is of the same mind as Joe, but viewing through a different prism. No, Monson doesn’t believe Carimi could replace Dotson or Penn. Instead, Monson believes Carimi will replace right guard Davin Joseph.

@PFF_Sam: It’s a shame the Bucs are so foolishly in love with Davin Joseph at RG. I think Carimi could well be better, and a 6th is a bargain deal

Well, Joe doesn’t call the Bucs’ connection to Joseph “foolish.” When healthy, he’s one of the best right guards in the game and he’s a team captain. Joe’s not sure how that is “foolish.”

Now if Monson was referring to Joseph’s difficulties staying healthy for a full season, that’s a different animal. Look, Joe loves Joseph’s play and he’s one helluva cool cat. Real stand-up dude. But even Joseph will admit he needs to stay healthy, a tough task playing in the trenches where brutal hand-to-hand combat is the norm.

Like Penn, Joseph is not a spring chicken. Earlier this year he spoke openly of how he isn’t sure how many more years he has left in the tank. He, too, will be 30 this November and his salary escalates after the 2014 season (Joseph is signed through 2017).

Either way, if Bostad can work his magic, Joe is confident the Bucs got a steal last night.

Former Outland Trophy winner and new Bucs tackle Gabe Carimi had a woeful first two years in the NFL. Many may remember him baptized by fire as a rookie, when San Francisco defensive end Aldon Smith owned Carimi and embarrassed him by sacking bratty Jay Cutler 5.5 times on Monday Night Football in 2011.

If that wasn’t insulting enough, Carimi has been hampered by a bum knee, so Jeff Dickerson of BSPN Chicago writes.

The 29th overall selection in the 2011 NFL draft, Carimi started just two games at right tackle for the Bears as a rookie before he suffered a season-ending knee injury that required multiple procedures to correct. Carimi’s knee appeared to cause him problems in his second season, but he did manage to start the first 10 games of 2012 at right guard before losing his job to veteran Jonathan Scott. Carimi spent the final weeks of the season playing both guard and tackle.

Now Joe has no idea if Carimi’s bum knee was the sole reason Carimi has stunk thus far, or if he simply has been poisoned by Mike Tice. Joe knows one thing: If Carimi is physically able to play, then Bucs offensive line wizard Bob Bostad, who developed Carimi at Wisconsin, should be able to get some use out of him.

Joe also knows the Bucs highly regard the team’s training and medical staff. Maybe with a top training staff (an area which the Bears have a very chequered past) and solid coaching from Bostad it was worth Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik investing a sixth-round pick in Carimi.

New Bucs offensive lineman Gabe Carimi talks with his college position coach, Bob Bostad, when both were at Wisconsin. The two reunite as the Bucs acquired Carimi today and Bostad is the Bucs’ offensive line coach.

What is it with Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik and the Bears? Twice already Dominik has stolen draft picks from the Bears and now, it appears Dominik may have stolen a starting tackle.

Yes, the Bucs traded a measly sixth-round pick in 2014 to Chicago today for former Bears first round pick, tackle Gabe Carimi. Now to be fair, Carimi has been downright awful thus far in the NFL. There’s a reason the Bears have simply given him away.

But after Dominik swindled a second-round pick from the Bears for Gaines Adams, and got a seventh-round pick out of Brian Price (who the Bears gave up on shortly thereafter), one would think headstrong Phil Emery would stay clear of Dominik.

Well, maybe that is why Emery is headstrong?

The leaguewide look at Carimi must be pretty awful because Emery couldn’t have been that dumb not to shop Carimi around, hoping to get something more than a sixth-round pick, especially as valuable as offensive linemen are.

But Joe thinks there is a good chance this could turn out to be the steal of the year. Why?

It just so happens that the guy who developed Carimi into a first round pick at Wisconsin is on the Bucs’ staff, offensive line coach Bob Bostad, largely regarded as one of the top offensive line coaches walking the face of the earth.

If anyone can turn around Carimi it would be Bostad. Who knows Carimi better than Bostad? Outside of possibly Carimi’s mother, no one.

Now if somehow Bostad can right Carimi, the former Outland Trophy winner (for best interior college lineman) should certainly push Demar Dotson at right tackle, and may become Donald Penn’s successor down the road.

No, Joe’s not saying Carimi should replace Penn, but Penn isn’t exactly a spring chicken. How many more years does Penn have left in the tank?

It seems like the Bears were trying to get rid of Carimi since he got worked over by 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith for 5.5 sacks in a Monday Night Football game in 2011.

Yes, Joe is on a sugar high because he just downed some frogurt. But if Bostad can turn around Carimi, then Bostad truly does possess a magic wand.

UPDATED 9:05 p.m. Perhaps all the recent Demar Dotson “catapulting” love comes with an asterisk.

Per the Chicago Sun Times, the Bucs have traded with the Bears for right tackle/right guard Gabe Carimi, a former first-round pick out of Wisconsin. BSPN claims the Bucs coughed up a sixth-round pick in 2014.

The Bears selected Carimi out of Wisconsin with the 29th overall selection in the 2011 draft. He was expected to be the Bears’ long-term solution at right tackle, but injuries derailed that.

Carimi started 10 games at right tackle last season and three at right guard. But despite all the playing time, he was never healthy after dislocating his right knee cap in Week 2 of the 2011 season and needing multiple surgeries.

Carimi did attend the Bears’ voluntary minicamp in April, saying that his main goal this offseason was getting back to 100 percent. He has been working with trainer LeCharles Bentley, a two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman, in Arizona.

Of course, Joe (and everyone else) needs official confirmation of what the Bucs dealt for Carimi to assess the move — and Carimi has to pass a physical.

Carimi is scheduled to earn $1,016,458 in 2013, per Rotoworld.com.

All we can say now is that the Bucs have added an injured yet talented tackle/guard to their talent-laden offensive line. And Dotson just got some serious competition if Carimi can get healthy.

Last summer, fullback Erik Lorig told Joe the new Bucs’ offense would feature more fullback than in past seasons. Then Lorig went out and caught four balls out of the backfield during the Bucs’ opening day victory against the Panthers.

But Lorig was primarily a blocker after that game. (Why?)

It’s clear Lorig has the talent to be a weapon beyond blocking for one the NFL’s great running backs, Doug Martin. Lorig’s also an intriguing dude because he played tight end at Stanford — and defensive end — and is one those cerebral types who can master all kinds of stuff.

Earnest Graham has gone out of his way to praise Lorig’s elite athleticism.

So it stood out to Joe when Lorig said, “I can play a lot of positions,” during a recent interview for Buccaneers.com.

Lorig went on to rave about Earnest Byner being a complete running backs coach. “He has all the intangibles when it comes to coaching and he’s teaching us stuff all the time.”

Joe’s wondering what the Bucs might have in store for Lorig this season. He could transform into an 0ld yet new weapon for Josh Freeman.

In his weekly column for the National Football Post, longtime NFL scribe Dan Pompei has a nugget on Bucs coach Greg Schiano and how head-over-heels Schiano is about Darrelle Revis.

Schiano, who was a defensive backs coach at Penn State and later with the Chicago Bears, studied Revis’ tape before Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik grabbed Revis in a trade this summer.

Schiano, per Pompei, believes Revis is the best cornerback he has seen in a quarter-century.

Bucs coach Greg Schiano thinks Darrelle Revis is the best cornerback he has evaluated in 25 years. He referenced Aeneas Williams and Deion Sanders as others who were highly impressive because of their coverage skills. “Darrelle is all of those things,” Schiano said. “He’s big, physical, a cover guy, he’ll tackle you. And he works his rear end off. His passion for preparation is something I love.” He said Revis will afford the Bucs the opportunity to take a receiver out of a game and play 10 on 10 — not every snap, but some of the time. “That allows you to do some things,” he said.

That’s the thing with Revis. If he is healthy, he can cover a good chunk of the field. With two stud safeties like Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron further narrowing the field of coverage in some ways for rookie Johnthan Banks and reserve Leonard Johnson, that should make Banks’ transition to the NFL much smoother.

Joe will be very anxious to see Revis in pads, as Dominik expects when training camp begins the end of next month.

In the WDAE-AM 620 audio below, former Bucs quarterback Shaun King makes a stellar case for why Tony Dungy should be among the top four Buccaneers of all-time, part of the team’s mythical “Mt. Rushmore.”

It’s worth the listen. It’s almost impossible to argue against King’s argument.

Of course, King talks some current-day Bucs and defends his steady criticism of rockstar general manager Mark Dominik during the interview with electronic media czar J.P. Peterson.

“He’s been there four years. How did the secondary get to that point? When you’re the general manager and you’re competent and able to select guys and develop guys, like your secondary, no area on your team should get to the point that Tampa’s secondary was last year,” King said. “I mean having said that, we’ll see what happens. I stand by everything I’ve said about Mark Dominik. And what I tell people is, ‘Don’t tell me I’m biased. Tell me when I’m wrong.”

King, one of three QBs to lead the Bucs to the NFC title game, also is getting frustrated that many fans are questioning his anti-Dominik motive.

“I get really upset when people come up to me and ask me, ‘Do I have something against the Bucs?’ or am I biased? I love the Bucs more than anybody that I know,” King said. “I grew up a Buc fan. I’m from St. Petersburg. Like there was no greater experience in my life than to come back and play for the team I rooted for.”

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Joe’s still pissed at arguably the worst pass interference call — and most costly — in Bucs history.

Remember Kellen Winslow, Jr.?

He was the Buccaneer who pouted after a Preston Parker touchdown. He was the man who didn’t want his “toes on the line,” the man who preferred mixing CDs to working for the New Schiano Order, the man who quit the Patriots, the man who gave the Bucs two darn good season and one poor one, the man whose Bucs touchdown was stolen by game officials, which seriously changed Buccaneeers and NFL history, the guy who told Joe to stop calling him Sergeant.

Winslow is now heading to New York Jets camp, so reports ProFootballTalk.com.

Joe sure hopes Winslow finds a way to land on the Jets roster and play on opening day against the Bucs. That would have some great potential entertainment value.

The former Cowboys WR turned Buccaneers hopeful was singled out for some love

Early reports on Bucs wide receiver Kevin Ogletree make it seem like he’s no Reggie Brown. Phew! (If you don’t remember Brown, well, that’s a good thing.)

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik praised Ogletree and lumped him in with key studs on the Bucs offense on NFL Network yesterday. The nugget was lost in the euphoria surrounding Dominik’s claim that Darrelle Revis would be in pads on Day 1 of training camp.

“An addition we’ve brought in, Kevin Ogletree, who’s really kind of showed up a lot in this offseason program,” Dominik said, referencing Ogletree among key talent around No. 5. “So we feel like we’ve got a lot of pieces in front of Josh Freeman. And being the second year in the system for him with Coach Sullivan and with Greg Schiano as head coach, we’re excited about where that’s going.”

Ogletree has looked sharp to Joe, as well, though it’s only underwear football in June. But Joe is always on high alert for these clues on what the Bucs’ brass is evaluating.

Joe doesn’t care much who’s going to win the No. 3 receiver job. It’s just good to hear the positive feedback. The Bucs need the depth.

Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik shook up the NFL last offseason by signing a troika of free agents that were expected to turn the team around.

Carl Nicks was tremendous until he could no longer stomach his ugly toe injury (Joe saw that toe with his own eyes and it was gross). Vincent Jackson couldn’t have played much better. He was arguably the Bucs’ best player and consummated his stellar season by eating pineapple.

Then there was Eric Wright.

His September pick-six of Eli Manning may have been the Buccaneers highlight of the year, but Wright quickly began giving up big plays and compounding them with dreadful tackling. Throw in multiple injuries and getting suspended for Adderall (which gave him an excuse to lounge at a California spa while his teammates slugged it out trying to remain in the playoff hunt), and it’s not difficult to see why Bucs fans turned on him so.

Wright’s back, but he does have to win a job from guys who consider themselves returning starters. Per Greg Schiano, it seems those who were praised for their cornerback play in the season-ending win in Atlanta, Danny Gorrer and Leonard Johnson, won’t just roll over and make way for Wright, so notes Brad Briggs of National Football Post.

“There’s some guys that finished the year that they think it’s their position, and Eric thinks it’s his position, so we’ll see,” Bucs coach Greg Schiano said. “I’m not sure exactly how everything will turn out, nor do I care. I know I like the guys that are right now competing. That’s the most important thing, and we’ll let it all play out.”

Schiano has to be loving the attitude of those competing with Wright, and Wright deserves no incumbent respect.

But it will be rather disturbing — and scary — if Wright can’t beat out Gorrer or Johnson. It would be as if the Bucs made a mistake with him two years in a row.

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Prickly Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com is not enamored with Bucs safety Dashon Goldson.

No, this isn’t some silly waste of time to kill on an otherwise good sports radio show (Joe loves his good friend “The Commish,” Justin Pawlowski, but that non-sports segment chases Joe to SiriusXM NFL Radio each time he hears it). This is actually the point of a column by prickly Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com, in which he picks the most overrated/underrated players on each NFL team.

For the Bucs, he believes Dashon Goldson is overrated.

Overrated: S Dashon Goldson. He’s a good, solid player, but he was exposed some in the postseason in coverage. The Bucs paid him a lot of money — star money — and he is not that.

Perhaps. But as horrible as the Bucs’ second-worst secondary in NFL history was last year, and with starting safety Ronde Barber deciding to retire, the Bucs virtually had no choice but to get the best safety on the market to plug that hole.

If Goldson really was that overrated, why did San Francisco franchise him the previous season? Trent Baalke doesn’t make many errors that large.

As for underrated, well, Prisco goes with Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman.

Underrated: QB Josh Freeman. The guy sets franchise records for yards and touchdown passes and some want to get rid of him? Please.

Joe isn’t so sure about this either. In the immortal words of Bill Parcells, you are what your record says you are. Freeman’s record is below .500 and his record against teams with a winning record is a disturbing, 6-15. That scares the hell out of Joe.

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A newly sheared Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik joined “Total Access” last night and dropped big news on NFL Network.

Dominik said he is “fully confident” Darrelle Revis, rehabbing from reconstructive surgery on his torn ACL, will be practicing on Day 1 of training camp in full pads.

“He’s in great shape right now,” Dominik said of Revis. “He’s running full speed, he’s cutting, he’s doing all the things we’d want him to do from a training standpoint, a rehabilitation standpoint.

“We’re going to keep him at our pace, but the whole point is that he’ll walk out to the first day of training camp, he’ll have the pads on and he’ll be ready hopefully for the Jets Week 1. We’re expecting that.”

It’s great the Revis has progressed so far so fast. If Revis is ready to go full tilt for training camp, that’s a very, very good sign.

Dominik’s complete interview is included in a video embedded in the link above.