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Luke Rhodes

Buccaneers Down To 53 Man Roster

September 2nd, 2016 at 11:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have trimmed down to 53 with more than 24 hours to go before the deadline. According to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, the following players have been dropped from the roster: "<strong

Among the cuts, Vitale’s is one of the most surprising. The Bucs are planning on carrying five tight ends, yet the sixth-round pick out of Northwestern apparently did not show enough to make the cut. The Bucs will have Cameron Brate, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Luke Stocker, Brandon Myers, and UDFA Alan Cross on the roster to open up the season instead. Myers and Cross were both considered to be on the bubble somewhat, but they have impressed Dirk Koetter & Co. to the point where they are going to carry five tight ends and bounce a sixth-round pick in order to keep both of them. Myers was inactive for the Bucs’ final five games of 2015 as a healthy scratch.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucs Agree To Terms With 19 UDFAs

May 2nd, 2016 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers’ rookie free agent class is a large one, with 19 undrafted players agreeing to terms with Tampa Bay, according to a team release. Here’s the full list of undrafted free agents who have agreed to sign with the Bucs:

NFC Draft Notes: Eagles, Lions, Falcons, Bucs

April 16th, 2016 at 12:15pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at some AFC draft notes earlier today. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…

  • Jeff McLane of Philly.com backs a previous report that the Eagles had discussed a trade for the Titans‘ top pick. McLane believes the Rams are targeting California quarterback Jared Goff with the first selection, meaning the Eagles could still make a deal to acquire North Dakota quarterback Carson Wentz.
  • ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein can’t envision the Lions trading up for Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The writer has a hard time seeing the talented lineman falling past the Chargers at the third pick, and considering Detroit’s need for depth, he ultimately concludes that it wouldn’t be worth the cost of assets. As an alternative, Rothstein points to Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley as a potential target with the 16th pick.
  • The Falcons only have five picks heading into the draft, so D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the team will have to be creative with their approach. The writer wonders if the front office could potentially trade the 17th pick for additional assets. Atlanta could also target Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, who has fallen from the top-five following a knee injury at the Fiesta Bowl.
  • William & Mary linebacker Luke Rhodes has “drawn significant interest” from the Buccaneers, tweets Jenna Laine.

Draft Rumors: Jaylon Smith, Cowboys, Broncos

April 15th, 2016 at 7:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith – once considered a sure bet to be one of the top picks in this year’s draft – is expected to sit out next season as a result of the torn ACL and MCL he suffered New Year’s Day, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Smith’s medical re-check Friday didn’t look much different than the report from the combine, when he failed multiple teams’ physicals, tweets Rapoport. The news isn’t necessarily a death knell to Smith’s career, however, as Rapoport adds that “many teams” believe he’ll return to full strength come 2017. While Smith’s first-round hopes appear dashed, he’s still a possibility for Day 2 (the second or third round), per Rapoport (via Twitter). That, however, will hinge largely on a team’s willingness to make a high-risk, high-reward selection in the early going.

Here’s more of the latest draft news:

  • The Cowboys have visited with and/or worked out Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Shepard put up tremendous production last season (86 catches, 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns) and could be a fit for the Cowboys in the second round.
  • In addition to the previously reported Lions, Auburn offensive tackle Shon Coleman has visited the Buccaneers, Panthers, Patriots, Titans and Vikings, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
  • Clemson second-team all-ACC linebacker B.J. Goodson has had six visits, three of which have been with the Jaguars, Broncos and Dolphins (reported earlier this week), writes Wilson.
  • The Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chargers and Chiefs are all interested in Bowling Green receiver/returner Ryan Burbring, per Wilson (on Twitter).
  • Arizona State guard Christian Westerman has worked out for the Bengals and Saints, he told Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, adding that he has an upcoming workout for the Broncos (Twitter link).
  • The Texans are showing “steady interest” in William & Mary linebacker Luke Rhodes, Wilson writes. They also have interest in Toledo defensive lineman Orion Jones, a source told Wilson.
  • Connecticut safety Junior Lee has privately worked out for both New York teams – the Giants and Jets – as well as the Colts, reports Wilson (Twitter link).

AFC Draft Updates: Lynch, Broncos, Bengals

April 12th, 2016 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

A previous report had indicated the Broncos were expected to bring in Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch this week, and Troy Renck of the Denver Post confirms (via Twitter) that visit is taking place on Tuesday. The Broncos, of course, continue to consider all their options at QB in the wake of Peyton Manning‘s retirement and Brock Osweiler‘s departure.

  • UCLA guard Alex Redmond, who is drawing plenty of attention leading up to the draft, visited the Bengals on Monday, per Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • Florida wide receiver Demarcus Robinson is paying a visit to the Raiders on Tuesday, tweets Mike Kaye of First Coast News.
  • Houston offensive lineman Alex Cooper also visited the Raiders on Tuesday, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. Cooper participated in Houston’s local prospect workout on Saturday. Cooper started every game for UH at three different positions (left tackle, right tackle, and right guard) and served as a team captain.
  • The Colts are working out William & Mary middle linebacker Luke Rhodes, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • Purdue offensive lineman David Hedelin is drawing interest from the Chiefs, Lions, Falcons, Broncos, Patriots, Washington, and Dolphins, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.