You think you are excited for the 2012 NFL season to kick off? You should see the Bucs players at One Buc Palace. They have been bouncing around the Bucs locker room the past few days, and it’s not because there was country music blaring or because someone leaked a false rumor that Rachel Watson was prancing about the place.

No, there is a game to be played in a matter of hours. A real game. Against a real opponent. Joe got a chance to chat with one of the Bucs prized free agents, left guard Carl Nicks, to discuss how the Bucs almost feel like high school players again as they smell a new season about to start.

Nice to finally have a real game to play just a few hours away?

It feels real good. I’m tired of hitting these guys. Tired of looking at these guys. Going to be great to start the season, it’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to it.

How weird will it be for you that you are playing an NFC South division opponent, only you will be in a new uniform yourself?

I don’t think it’s going to be weird because I have been here a while When I first got here it was weird. But the months have seen like years so it doesn’t feel weird at all now.

Is the offense going to go as far as the offensive line will go?

I’m pretty well convinced that if we [offensive line] have a good game every week, we will win the game. It starts up front. I’m not putting any added pressure on the offensive line but we take pride in setting tempo and protecting Josh so it is all on us in a lot of ways. Short-yardage, goal line, pass protections, screens, every aspect that we are involved in.

You just said you didn’t want to put any added pressure on your linemates. But when Davin Joseph went down, did that put any added pressure on the left side of the line, on you and Donald Penn?

No. In this league, injuries happen all the time. Even though Davin is one of the best guards in the NFL, our team has such great depth, the next man hops up and that is how it is. Ted [Larsen] is more than capable.