Joe’s a been a bit harsh with the Bucs regime for not re-signing Roy Miller. Why? Miller came cheap, and the Bucs raved about him and called him “custom-built” for the nose tackle position.

So it seemed like a no-brainer to Joe to keep Miller and not mess with the No. 1 ranked run defense. (Miller came off the field on most passing downs.) But it new light has been shed on the situation.

Miller is hurt. He missed the Jaguars’ first five OTA practices with tendinitis in his knee. And it wasn’t a new injury, Miller told Jacksonville.com recently.

“We’ve been slowly bumping up everything, from conditioning to lifting weights. I’m feeling a lot better than I played [in Tampa Bay] with it last season,” Miller said. “I really believe in the training staff here and they’ve got a great plan for me.”

Joe already knew Miller played through back problems, weight problems, and a torn MCL during his time with the Bucs, and now knee tendinitis can be added to his Tampa Bay woes through four seasons.

Much like Michael Bennett, who was revealed to have a major shoulder injury after he signed in Seattle, Miller is damaged goods.

This doesn’t mean Miller — or Bennett — won’t be very effective football players  in 2013 (just like the Bucs expect injured Darrelle Revis to return to $16-million-a-year form). But it does give Joe some fresh perspective on the decision to wave goodbye to Miller.

Bucs linebacker Adam Hayward knows how to keep a guy in line — player or coach.

It’s one reason he was named special teams captain under the New Schiano Order last season, and Hayward takes his leadership role seriously, so he explained to the Buccaneers team video crew recently.

“When somebody needs that kick in the butt, a few of us will do it,” Hayward said.

In that quote, Hayward was referring to delivering discipline when he sees players taking a routine approach during OTA practices. He doesn’t like that mindset, which can happen, Hayward says, when players are familiar with a coaching staff.

Interestingly, the video shows Hayward appearing genuinely excited about the aggressive approach of Dave Wannstedt on special teams.

Joe wonders how strong — and valuable — Hayward’s leadership voice is and whether it will lose some of its punch if he’s not starting at outside linebacker.

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There are all sorts of horror stories out there about former NFL players, who shortly after their careers are over are scraping the bottom of the career barrel, having trouble making the transition from football to civilian life when the fat checks of the NFL quit rolling in.

That happened with former Bucs defensive end Stylez White. Just three years ago, White was the Bucs starting right defensive end. His contract was not renewed by the Bucs, and White went from living the high life to working for $9 an hour, writes Joe’s good friend Rock Riley of Bright House Sports Network.

“I was doing it all in a hotel in Ohio,” said White. “Front desk, banquet setup, everything and I realized it wasn’t for me.”

White was trying to figure out what to do with his life after he was let go by the Buccaneers following the 2010 season.

“I was the rap video,” said White, who loves to have a good time but can’t blow money the way he used to. “I was a bottle service guy. It gets old and expensive. There’s no way to teach you to curb your spending since the paychecks aren’t coming in anymore. You gotta learn. I did.”

Per Riley, White is trying to become a personal trainer and hopes to open a gym in St. Petersburg soon.

What’s sad about this is this happened to a smart guy. White, if you have ever met him, is not dumb. Sadly, White’s story is too common, despite many, many programs the NFL hosts for players from the moment they get into the league to tutor them in how to not get caught in this ugly trap.

It’s a good thing that White has learned to adjust to civilian life. A lot of guys don’t and their stories have a much sadder ending.

Buccaneer Man Eric Wright thinks his greatness is like a spring tulip ready to bloom.

That’s the gist of what he told the Custodian of Canton, Tampa Tribune NFL writer eye-RAH! Kaufman, at Bucs practice Wednesday.

“I feel like I’m a pretty exceptional player,” said Wright, a second-round pick by the Browns in 2007. “The world has yet to see that in its entirety. I need to do everything I can to make this team win.”

Joe’s rooting for the letdown cornerback. Make no mistake about that. But Joe remains perplexed that the New Schiano Order gave Wright another chance after he was fingered by the NFL as a substance abuser, Twittered about spa days while the Bucs were preparing for a road game in New Orleans, and had trouble staying healthy with a bum Achilles and other ailments.

One can only assume Greg Schiano and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik believed Wright was better than the free agent cornerbacks on the market in March.

Wright very well may be better, but, to use Wright’s words, “The world has yet to see that in its entirety.”

Hopefully, Darrelle Revis will be back healthy for Week 1 and rookie Johnthan Banks is a mature SEC product (he turns 24 in October) out of the gate. If those guys are playing good ball, the Bucs won’t be forced hang too much of their hopes and dreams on Wright.

Stud Lavonte David, who calls the Bucs’ defensive signals, says he’s working to figure out all the moving parts on D.

It saddens Joe how overlooked Lavonte David is by many Bucs fans.

Joe’s labeled players “manbeasts” at various times, but David truly performed like a manbeast in his rookie season in 2012. David was second in the NFL in solo tackles — second — plus he made the Bucs’ defensive calls out of the gate. Amazing!

Even Bucs icon Derrick Brooks said David is a better player now than Brooks was after his first season.

Interestingly, David, the signal caller, says he’s still learning the New Schiano Order defense. In this team video, David explains, “I’m gettin’ there,” when asked about understanding the ins and out of the defense.

“I’m being more vocal and I’m trying to learn more about each guy at their own position to make myself better,” David said.

David is scary good, and wherever he’s trying to be “gettin’,” it’s going to be something damn special if he can reach that goal.

Though it’s terribly early, it sure seems as though Tiquan Underwood is getting some serious push from Kevin Ogletree for the No. 3 wide receiver position.

It seems in Mike Sullivan’s offense, sort of a hybrid of the Giants’ offense, the No. 3 receiver is more of a weapon than the tight end.

Now one can debate the merits of that, but it’s pretty obvious by now, by actions and words, that tight end is not a top priority for Sullivan.

Who the No. 3 wide receiver may be for the Bucs, that’s a different kettle of fish. The subject came up in an NFC South chat hosted by the four-letter.

Dr. Tym, J.D. (Denver, CO.)

PY!!! Who do you have your money on in the Underwood/Ogletree battle royale for slot receiver?

Pat Yasinskas

Thought Underwood looked good in practice Wednesday. But I think that will be one of their most competitive camp battles.

Granted, it is early. It is way, way, way early. It’s the first day of June. The Bucs have only had two sessions of OTAs. They have yet to put on pads. Training camp is seven weeks away (we’re slowly getting there, folks). But in the practices Joe has seen, Kevin Olgetree and Tiquan Underwood really are putting on a show and, obviously, one should be the proverbial No. 3 wide receiver.

Maybe. What Joe means by that is, the two receivers are going at it so well, there may be specific packages to use both Ogletree and Underwood as a No 3 receiver on certain plays.

Bucs coach Greg Schiano preaches competition. At least when it comes to the No. 3 receiver slot, that competition is really bringing out the best in both Ogletree and Underwood.

It appears Ronde Barber may replace John Lynch as TV color analyst for Bucs preseason broadcasts this summer, likely to be televised on WFLA-TV Channel 8.

Joe did some digging last night and, while chasing one story, stumbled upon another.

It all started when Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune Twittered that the Bucs are in negotiations with Ronde Barber to be the color analyst of Bucs preseason TV broadcasts.

@RCummingsTBO: Nothing official yet but there’s a good chance Ronde Barber will be the color analyst on Bucs preseason broadcasts this year

That started Joe working the phones, and as a result, Joe learned through three independent sources, two in the local television industry, that the Bucs’ preseason games are expected to be broadcast by WFLA-TV Channel 8, moving from WTSP-TV Channel 10, which had the local preseason rights the past two seasons.

Bucs safety John Lynch, per Joe’s sources, will not return as the Bucs color analyst for preseason TV games and will be succeeded by Barber. Lynch, who resides in Denver, grew weary of traveling four consecutive weeks 3/4 across the country each August . Now a regular-season game analyst for FOX, Lynch didn’t need the practice and certainly didn’t need the extra income, Joe was told.

Joe also learned the Bucs and WFLA have signed a TV contract but a third party — presumable the NFL? — has to rubber stamp the contract.

What is unknown is how many times games will be televised and how blackouts will be handled. Ch. 10 had broadcast some games multiple times on tape-delay when home games were not allowed to be broadcast live by NFL blackout rules.

Joe has picked up a theme pulsating through the minds of several returning Buccaneers: the New Schiano Order is flexing its coaching muscles like never before.

Last year was very much about regime change and culture change, as Davin Joseph put it, ditching “country club” life under Raheem Morris. But now players are seeing that it’s all about coaching. The Schiano way has been established, and players returned for 2013 with the infinite Schiano rules and processes mastered, and their bodies in great shape.

Donald Penn summed it up well for Joe this week.

“It’s a little bit easier on Coach Schiano because he doesn’t have to really push his way because we already learned it last year so now it’s just a lot of, you know, coaching football now. Helping guys get better instead of trying to coach what he wants to get done.”

“Last year we were all looking around, blind-eyed trying to see what he wanted. Now we know what he wants and we’re trying to get everybody going and to get everybody to follow the lead.”

Penn also emphasized that the veterans are leading newcomers so they can adapt quickly to details.

Joe’s not sure what this will mean, but it should mean that the 2013 edition of the Bucs really has no excuses. The talent is here, everyone knows what to do, and the coaches can focus on their craft.

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For reasons not entirely known to Joe, some Bucs fans would love to do more upsetting to rock star general manager Mark Dominik’s head than shave it.

Well, Dominik will be getting his head shaved. And no, not because he was cornered by louts prowling Tampa streets on his daily run and sheared by a bunch of irrational Bucs fans.

Dominik is going bald voluntarily and for a truly noble cause. Dominik is among a group at One Buc Palace who are having their heads shaved in an effort to raise funds to battle pediatric cancer, writes (Scott Smith?) on Buccaneers.com.

Next Friday, the Buccaneers will take part in the “Cut for a Cure Charity Challenge,” the Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s latest initiative. In order to raise money for the battle against this deadly disease, and to strengthen the community’s resolve, Dominik and a surprise group of well-known Buccaneer representatives will have their heads shaved at team headquarters. The names of those joining the team’s G.M. in giving up their locks for the cause will be revealed next week leading up to the actual event.

Dominik and the Buccaneers are proud supporters of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and its indispensable efforts. The focus of the Foundation is to fund research for less toxic, more targeted therapies with the support of the nation’s leading hospitals. Last year, the Wall of Hope, which was on display at One Buccaneer Place through September, helped bring attention to that cause. This year, some very prominent Buccaneer figures will become walking reminders of the fight against pediatric cancer, at the same time generating funds to help in that effort.

Dominik is a better man than Joe. Clearly, Joe has and will always donate monies to good causes. Shaving Joe’s head? No, sorry.

It’s sure going to be weird to see Dominik with a cue ball of a head. He’s normally well-coiffed, well-tanned, like a guy coming out of central casting for an NFL executive; TV-ready.

For a short time at least, Dominik might look like he’s auditioning for a part in Coneheads II.

Because of a messed up passport, rookie free agent running back Matt Brown finds himself back with the Bucs.

As longtime readers of Joe know, Joe is about topics, not transactions.

Every once in a while, a reader here will leave a comment, “Where is the story about [scrub the Bucs just signed]?” To which Joe usually responds, “What story?”

This is also why you will not read stories about a draft pick signing. Why? It’s not news. In the current CBA, salaries for rookies are structured. If a draft pick is silly enough not to sign, well, that’s news.

And only if there is a local guy signed by the Bucs after Memorial Day as a rookie free agent will you see that here. Maybe. At best, a rookie free agent signed this late may be a practice squad guy. There is a reason a rookie is still walking the streets looking for work in the final days of May, well after the draft and well after the rookie free agent pool has been picked over by 32 NFL teams.

But this signing by the Bucs of rookie running back Matt Brown is interesting to Joe because if not for a screw-up, Brown would be playing in the CFL, so reports hardcore NFL analyst Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports.

Sometimes, when you don’t get the things you want, something better comes along. That’s what former Temple running back Matt Brown found out when he recently prepared to travel to Saskatchewan and sign with the Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. Brown, the 2012 Big East special teams player of the year, was most likely undrafted because of his size — it’s hard to know what to do with a 5-foot-5, 169-pound running back in the NFL — but the CFL came calling. Problem was, Brown couldn’t make his flight from Baltimore because his passport had expired.

Brown then went about the process of updating his passport in Philadelphia, but that’s when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers called his agent, and asked him to come down to sign a contract. That’s what he did on Wednesday, and now, the return specialist is in the NFL.

Now if the name Matt Brown rings a bell, Joe wrote about him yesterday, and the Bucs gave him a tryout during rookie minicamp and he didn’t cut the mustard at the time.

While Joe wishes all rookies well in their pursuit of their NFL dreams, the odds of a guy who is only in the NFL because he had a screwed up passport and didn’t want to run afoul of ICE (the way the Department of Justice and the IRS are targeting innocent Americans, would you?) are, well, long.

It was a virtual certainty that former Bucs great Ronde Barber would land someplace where he would be paid (handsomely) to talk about football for a living.

And that has happened. The mastermind and founder of TheBigLead.com, Jason McIntyre, learned of Barber’s move this morning.

Barber’s agent, Mark Lepselter, confirmed the Fox deal to me. “Ronde is excited to be joining the network,” he said. Lepselter wouldn’t elaborate on Barber’s role at Fox.

Later, Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune learned from Lepselter about Barber’s duties.

@RCummingsTBO: Ronde Barber joining FOX Sports in hybrid role per agent Mark Lepselter. Will likely do both game and studio analysis

This really is a no-brainer and we are likely to see a lot of Barber on the tube.

Fox this summer is launching Fox Sports 1, a 24-hour network to finally give fans beleaguered by the four-letter an option, sans NFL Network, MLB Network, NHL Network and the Big Ten Network and the soon-to-debut SEC Network — all worthy outlets but each pigeonholed.

Joe wouldn’t be surprised if Barber is a regular co-host of a weekday football roundtable show on Fox Sports 10.

What does a true young superstar like Doug Martin work on in his second offseason?

Joe asked the Muscle Hamster just that this week, and speed, health and playbook were his three answers — in order.

Remember, Raheem Morris and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik talked a lot during the asinine NFL lockout about how a great percentage of players improve most from Year 1 to Year 2 in the NFL (something second-year guys that year lost out on.) So it’s reasonable to think Martin, who got off to a somewhat slow start last season, might be in line to completely blow up in 2013.

Joe found it interesting that Martin referenced speed. His legs are young enough to get faster, and he hasn’t racked up a big enough pounding yet to be worn down.

Joe wonders what the Bucs strength staff came up with to improve Martin’s burst.

Joe was a guest last week on Joe’s good friend Derek “Old School” Fournier’s Internet radio show, you know, of WhatTheBuc.net fame.

Without trying, Joe rankled the host during this show.

“Old School” asked Joe about the linebackers and Joe stated, as he has written before on this very corner of the interwebs, that the only thing Joe can remember linebacker Adam Hayward contributing to the Bucs is going all-MMA on his position coach Bryan Cox on the sidelines.

“Old School” got angry with Joe and started to chew him out, to which Joe responded, “Name a play that Adam Hayward has made as a linebacker?”

So Joe asks his readers the same: Name a play Adam Hayward has made as a linebacker? At least Quincy Black, even when he was struggling terribly at strongside linebacker before he got coached up by Cox, would have an interception now and then.

When weakside linebacker Geno Hayes stunk (when not playing with scissors or playing tough guy with security guards at a nightclub); when Black was terrible, when middle linebacker Mason Foster was overwhelmed as a rookie, Hayward still couldn’t break the starting lineup. What does that tell you?

A weak link on the Bucs defense is strongside linebacker, a position where many fans assume Hayward is listed atop the depth chart.

This is not lost on the co-hosts of “Movin’ the Chains,” Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio. In breaking down the Bucs Thursday, per the request of a former Bucs season ticker holder, Kirwan and Ryan suggested the Bucs’ defense would be better off if someone beat out Hayward for the starting job at strongside linebacker.

Pat Kirwan: Who is the starter who I would like to see lose a job to make the team belter? On the defense… this is not being down on a guy. This is about your team gets better when there is competition and when there is a guy penciled in as a starter loses his job because someone emerges as better.

Let me ask you one more while we are on [the defense]. Is there anyone that can handle Adam Hayward? Or is Adam Hayward just good enough to stay there? I love Lavonte David, and Mason Foster has weathered the storms. After the first year they were wanting to get him out of the middle.

Tim Ryan: I think Adam Hayward is a special teams player. I think Jonathan Casillas, the guy they got from New Orleans can certainly get in there and battle with him and certainly Dekoda Watson is a wild card. I think both of those guys have as good of an opportunity as does Adam Hayward to man that third linebacker spot.

Kirwan: I agree with you.

Look, this is not a knock on Hayward. He’s been with the Bucs since 2007. But honestly, if a Bucs fan has to struggle to remember Hayward making any impact plays at linebacker in six seasons, five games starting at strongside linebacker last year, Joe believes it is fair to suggest the position is ripe to be upgraded

And, hey, if Casillas and Watson — part of Bucs coach Greg Schiano’s coveted competition at strongside linebacker — push and motivate Hayward to play better and earn the starting spot, it’s a win-win.

After Fatgate exploded over the holiday weekend, when a report surfaced suggesting Bucs Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn may not be around One Buc Palace after 2013 because he’s too fat, none other than Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik weighed in (pun intended) on Fatgate after the Bucs OTA practice Wednesday.

In short, Dominik is happy with Penn and believes a playoff berth may just get Penn to eat pineapple again (and maybe loads of pork at a Hawaiian luau.)

Remember Dominik haters, it was Dominik, as the Bucs pro player personnel director, who targeted Penn off waivers when the Vikings cleaned their plate of him.

“I have been with Donald since he has been here as a member of the organization and I am very excited about what he has done in the offseason and what he has done in terms of his conditioning,” Dominik said. “Looking forward to a great season from him.

“I am sure [the inaccurate report about his weight] is disappointing to Donald. All I can tell you is what he had done and what he is doing is right on par with what [we] had hoped. I think everything else has been exaggerated.

“I thought [Penn had] a pretty good season. We were 7-9 as a team so it wasn’t enough, right? I am sure we are all looking to get this team back in the playoffs.”

This should put to rest all the chewing of the fat about Fatgate and the possibility that Donald Penn will eat himself out of a job.

As Joe has stated before, if Penn is not on the Bucs roster in 2014, it will be because of the size of his contract, not the size of his belly.

Former Bucs QB Shaun King weighed in on the Bucs’ quarterbacks situation. He says Josh Freeman shouldn’t be in a contract year, and he says if Greg Schiano and Mark Dominik are concerned about their job security, then Mike Glennon might play early in the season if Freeman struggles.

Shaun King is a big fan of his beloved hometown Buccaneers, but he’s no fan of the way the Bucs have been constructed under rockstar general manager Mark Dominik. So it’s no surprise that King isn’t sold that Josh Freeman will make it to midseason as the Bucs starting quarterback.

King, an NFL analyst for NBC Sports Network and one of three Bucs QBs to lead Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship game, was asked on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday whether he thinks Mike Glennon can unseat Josh Freeman before opening day.

King said he simply can’t rule it out but seemed disgusted that the New Schiano Order has even made the question possible.

“I’ll say this. I’m a Josh Freeman fan. If I was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Mark Dominik, I would have already extended Josh Freeman,” King said. “I think when you look around the league there aren’t a lot of guys that are better than Josh that aren’t elite guys. There are only so many Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys out there. Josh is in that next group. And he’s young enough where if you stick with him, more than likely he’s going to be a lot better than a lot worse. So I wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with.

“You have to think about how Josh finished last season and does Schiano and Mark Dominik that their job is on the line. If Josh doesn’t play well in the preseason and he gets off to a rough start, your looking at a schedule early and they have some tough games early, I would not be surprised if they went to Mike Glennon.”

As for Glennon, Joe (or anyone else) really can’t say with certainty how quick of a hook Schiano could have with Freeman. So much of that is related to Glennon’s readiness and the standard Schiano sets for Freeman.

Joe, too, lobbied right after last season for the Bucs to re-sign Freeman. Not at a ridiculous price, but something fair that would give the Bucs some security in 2014 and beyond. Freeman’s current contract ends after this season.

Regardless, it’s not a fun topic for Joe to entertain. If the Bucs turn to Glennon this season, then the streak of no playoff wins will continue. (You can catch the entire King interview below..)

Joe sort of sides with popular sports radio personality Adam Schein when he says there may be no quarterback in the NFL who has more pressure on his shoulders than Josh Freeman.

Entering the final year of his contract with a rookie third-round pick standing behind him eager to take snaps, it’s almost like the Bucs drafted Mike Glennon as a safety net. If Freeman has a 2011-like season, he could be playing elsewhere.

This is nonsense to Pete O’Brien of USA Today. He’s of the belief that Freeman’s job is safe and he will get another contract from the Bucs. What Freeman is playing for, O’Brien believes, is not a job, but a payday.

The real pressure on Freeman is not to fend off rookie Mike Glennon, who was drafted in the third round, but to prove to Schiano and the Bucs he is worthy of a new, very expensive contract after the season.

Freeman isn’t shying away from the pressure or competition.

“That’s the way it works on any team. You want to have the best, most talented team you can possibly have,” Freeman said. “They feel like, and it’s obviously true, that Mike is a very talented player. You want the best possible option behind you.”

Joe has written before that the notion of Glennon somehow leading the Bucs to the playoffs this season is patently absurd. The Bucs’ best chance for playing meaningful games in January clearly rests with Freeman.

Joe knows that Schiano, contrary to rumors, likes Freeman and Freeman seems to like Schiano. Of course, everyone on a football team is in love with each other so long as the team wins, just ask Chucky and Meshawn.

And the best way for the Bucs to win is with Freeman. In 2013.