Buccaneers Trim Roster To 53
The Buccaneers have moved their roster to 53 players by making the following transactions:
Waived:
- DE Mehdi Abdesmad
- G Josh Allen
- DE Sterling Bailey
- DE Tavaris Barnes
- LB Richie Brown
- LB Riley Bullough
- CB Mariel Cooper
- WR Donteea Dye
- DE Hendrick Ekpe
- RB Russell Hansbrough
- CB Vernon Harris
- G Jarvis Harrison
- WR Shaq Hill
- K Zach Hocker
- WR Josh Huff (story)
- S Marqueston Huff
- FB Austin Johnson
- S Isaiah Johnson
- T Korren Kirven
- LB Jeff Knox
- G Michael Liedtke
- T Marquis Lucas
- WR Freddie Martino
- RB Jeremy McNichols (story)
- CB Jonathan Moxey
- CB Cody Riggs
- G James Stone
- WR Derel Walker
- TE Tevin Westbrook
- WR Bobo Wilson
Waived/injured:
- QB Sefo Liufau
Released:
- LS Andrew DePaola (story)
- DE George Johnson (story)
- LS Garrison Sanborn
Placed on IR:
- DE DaVonte Lambert (story)
- DT Stevie Tu’ikolovatu (story)
Placed on Reserve/Suspended List:
- RB Doug Martin
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/17
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LS Taybor Pepper
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LS Jeff Overbaugh
- Waived/injured: Patrick Scales
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: P Will Monday
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: OL Gabe Ikard
Denver Broncos
- Waived/injured: DL Jimmy Bean
Detroit Lions
- Released: WR Keshawn Martin, TE Tim Wright
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: LS Derek Hart, WR Colby Pearson, RB William Stanback
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Earl Wolff
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Akeem Dent
- Waived from IR: CB Ezra Robinson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: LB Josh Mauga
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: K Travis Coons
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Michael Bart, LB Christian Kuntz, LB Nick Usher
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Audie Cole
- Placed on IR: TE Clay Harbor
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Daniel Gray
- Placed on IR: OL Adam Gettis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Mehdi Abdesmad, DL Hendrick Ekpe
- Waived: RB Blake Sims
- Placed on IR: Justin Trattou
Bears Sign LB Kelvin Sheppard
The Bears announced that they have signed linebacker Kelvin Sheppard. To make room, rookie linebacker Hendrick Ekpe has been waived. 
Sheppard recently auditioned for the Dolphins alongside fellow linebacker Rey Maualuga, but both players left Miami without a contract. The 29-year-old was with the Dolphins in 2014 and 2015 before moving to the Giants in 2016.
With Miami, Sheppard made 30 appearances with the club and started 15 times in two seasons. Last year, the 29-year-old appeared in each of the Giants’ games last season and made 11 starts, but he finished with just 47 tackles, failed to force any turnovers and earned a poor grade (39.1) from Pro Football Focus.
Sheppard may not be able to reprise the career-high 102 tackles he had in 2015, but he could still be a quality depth option for Chicago to evaluate. The Bears project to start Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman at the inside linebacker spots, though Trevathan is questionable for Week 1 with a knee issue (same goes for reserve outside linebacker Pernell McPhee). Before the addition of Sheppard, 2016 fourth-round pick Nick Kwiatkoski and former UDFAs Christian Jones and John Timu were the team’s top reserve ILBs.
Bears Pick Up 13 UDFAs
The Bears have inked 13 undrafted free agents to deals, including…
- Joel Bouagnon, RB (Northern Illinois)
- Rashaad Coward, DL (Old Dominion)
- Hendrick Ekpe, LB (Minnesota)
- Tanner Gentry, WR (Wyoming)
- Franko House, TE (Ball State)
- Isaiah Irving, LB (San Jose State)
- Dieugot Joseph, OL (Florida International)
- Mitch Kirsch, OL (James Madison)
- Andy Phillips, K (Utah)
- Alex Scearce, LB (Coastal Carolina)
- Jhajuan Seales, WR (Oklahoma State)
- Freddie Stevenson, FB (Florida State)
- Levonte Whitfield, WR (Florida State)