Jaydon Mickens

Bucs Notes: Brown, David, Mickens

Bucs wide receiver Antonio Brown caught three passes for 31 yards in his Tampa Bay debut last week, a shocking 38-3 defeat to the Saints. And while he tries to focus on returning to form on the field, his ongoing civil case continues to evolve. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Britney Taylor, who has sued Brown for sexual assault and rape, has filed a motion seeking to amend her complaint to include a claim for punitive damages (Twitter link).

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details, Taylor filed a three-page affidavit along with the motion reiterating her allegations. She avers that in June 2017, Brown masturbated in her presence and ejaculated on her back without her knowledge or consent, and that he raped her less than a year later.

The trial is presently set for December, but it is likely that it will be postponed, which means that Brown will be available for Tampa Bay through the end of the season and into the playoffs. However, the league has consistently maintained that it will suspend Brown again for any evidence that comes to light as a result of the litigation, and if a jury ultimately finds that Brown committed the offenses that Taylor alleges, the NFL will almost certainly levy additional punishment. But by that time, the Bucs may no longer be interested in Brown’s services.

Now for more on the Bucs:

  • Tampa’s loss to the Saints has triggered a shakeup to the team’s O-line. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was first to report (via Twitter), the club is shifting Ryan Jensen from center to left guard, while A.Q. Shipley — a longtime favorite of HC Bruce Arians — will get the nod at center. As James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets, there was significant miscommunication last week between LT Donovan Smith and LG Joe Haeg, which led to the change. Regular LG Ali Marpet is still sidelined with a concussion.
  • The Bucs were said to be exploring an extension for LB Lavonte David this summer, and the last we heard, the two sides had not made much progress. Greg Auman of The Athletic says both player and team still want to continue their relationship, but with a number of players eligible for free agency this offseason, Tampa cannot just write a blank check (Twitter link).
  • Return specialist Jaydon Mickens was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list yesterday, but it sounds like he was in contact with someone who tested positive and did not test positive himself. Mickens took to Instagram to say “I ain’t hurt. Ain’t nothing wrong with me. If you don’t understand why I ain’t playing, just go look it up. It’s some bulls—. But look, we’re about to go ahead and win this game” (h/t Jenna Laine of ESPN.com on Twitter). Assuming he did not test positive, Mickens could be back on the field next week.
  • DC Todd Bowles has drawn rave reviews for his work with the Bucs’ defense, and for good reason. His unit ranked sixth in defensive efficiency in 2019 and is currently the top defense in the league in that metric for 2020, despite last week’s blowout loss. Although Bowles was ousted as the Jets’ HC following the 2018 season, league-wide respect for his abilities did not diminish, and as Dan Pompei of The Athletic writes, there were eight teams interested in his services before he joined the Bucs. If his defenses continue performing at a high level, he could get another crack as a head coach in the near future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/20

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team 

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/20

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

  • Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DB D.J. Reed

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/20

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived: DB Jeff Hector

Cincinnati Bengals 

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers Promote Franklin, Mickens

The Buccaneers promoted cornerback John Franklin and wide receiver Jaydon Mickens from the practice squad to the active roster on Tuesday. To make room, the Buccaneers waived wide receiver Ishmael Hyman and tight end Jordan Leggett.

Franklin has been playing cornerback on the Bucs’ taxi squad for the past six weeks, but he also played quarterback in college. After running the scout team offense in practice last week to mimic Deshaun Watson, it’s possible that Franklin could also see time under center in the Bucs’ season finale or at some point next year, if he sticks on the roster.

Johnathan Franklin did an unbelievable job being Deshaun Watson last week at quarterback,” said head coach Bruce Arians. “He gave our defense a tremendous look. [He] made me think about, ‘Hmm, what do we want to do with him?’ He’s really a corner, but he’s been a quarterback and he’s been a receiver. He’s a really good athlete – it’s just finding a niche for him.”

Four new players have debuted for the Bucs over the last couple of weeks as they take a look ahead towards their 2020 plans. Franklin and Mickens have a chance to join that group. Mickens already has 16 regular season games under his belt thanks to his time with the Jaguars.

Mickens entered the league as UDFA with the Raiders in 2016 and spent his entire rookie season on Oakland’s practice squad. Since then, he’s spent time with the Jaguars (taxi squad and active roster) and had a stay on the Panthers’ training camp roster over the summer. In 16 games for the Jags, he recorded six receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns. He also averaged 8.9 yards on 39 punt returns and 21.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.

The Bucs will wrap up the 2019 season against the Falcons on Sunday.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/19/19

Today’s practice squad moves:

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: WR Jamal Custis

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Workout Updates: 9/24/19

Here is the latest from the workout circuit:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Panthers Set 53-Man Roster

The Panthers have officially set their 53-man roster, and there are few major surprises on the list. One of the most notable names is running back Cameron Artis-Payne, who spent the past four years in Carolina. The team also moved on from fellow offensive veteran Aldrick Robinson, who finished last season with five touchdown receptions for the Vikings.

Otherwise, the other notable names include recent draft picks, like 2018 seventh-round wideout Terry Godwin and 2017 fifth-round cornerback Corn Elder.

The rest of the Panthers’ roster moves are below:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/Injured:

Placed on IR:

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/19

Here are today’s minor moves, which feature a few recognizable names:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers