Buccaneers Make Roster Cuts
Here is how the Buccaneers trimmed their roster to the 53-man limit Tuesday:
Released:
- DL Eric Banks
- DL Adam Gotsis
- CB Bryce Hall
- WR Jacob Harris
- G Michael Jordan
- G Sua Opeta
Waived:
- CB Tre Avery
- QB Connor Bazelak
- DL C.J. Brewer
- S Will Brooks
- DL Mike Greene
- WR Garrett Greene
- G Luke Haggard
- WR Jacob Harris
- WR Dennis Houston
- DL Nash Hutmacher
- LB Nick Jackson
- WR Rakim Jarrett
- DL Dvon J-Thomas
- RB Jase McClellan
- T Tyler McLellan
- T Lorenz Metz
- OL Raiqwon O’Neal
- OLB Warren Peeples Jr.
- WR Trey Palmer
- LB Jose Ramirez
- S Shilo Sanders
- G Ben Scott
- TE Tanner Taula
- RB Owen Wright
Waived/injured:
- CB JayVian Farr
- CB Tyrek Funderburk
- LB Antonio Grier
- C Jake Majors
- G Raiqwon O’Neal
- CB Roman Parodie
Waived/Non-Football Illness:
Sanders, the son of NFL legend and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, signed with Tampa Bay in May after he went undrafted. Shilo, who had been competing for a spot at the back of the Bucs’ safety depth chart, was ejected from the club’s preseason finale on Saturday for throwing a punch following heavy pushing and shoving with Bills TE Zach Davidson. He was also flagged for pass interference in the game.
Agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Sanders was headed to the waiver wire, and they hope their client will get claimed on waivers. A fresh start would likely be welcomed by all parties, although it will be interesting to see if any outside suitors put in a claim given the manner in which his Tampa tenure came to an end.
Jarrett, who joined the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in 2023, has recorded 13 catches for 184 yards in his brief time with the team. He will now hit the waiver wire. Provided no claim is made, a spot on the practice squad could be in store given Jarrett’s familiarity with the organization. The Bucs will hold P-squad spots for Jackson and Bazelak, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine and Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. Bazelak staying on would provide finality for Kyle Trask, whom the Bucs released earlier this week. Teddy Bridgewater will be Tampa Bay’s backup, and it looks like Bazelak — a rookie UDFA from Bowling Green — will be the third-stringer.
Weight issues stalled Watson’s practice work, and the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud indicates he ballooned to 470 pounds entering the offseason program. Weight trouble hindered Watson, who did not see any preseason action due to the issue. The Bucs opted to cut Watson, who would have been the heaviest player in NFL history had he played in a regular-season game, rather than stash him on the reserve/Non-Football Illness list. They will not hold a practice squad spot for him, Stroud adds.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/14/25
Once the regular season ends, teams that are eliminated from the playoffs can sign players – typically young members of their practice squads – to reserve/futures contracts. Teams that lose in the playoffs are also eligible to sign such deals. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts from around the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- G Brady Latham, DT Ralph Holley
Green Bay Packers
- CB Isaiah Dunn, WR Lediatrick Griffin, CB Kaleb Hayes, C Trey Hill, TE Johnny Lumpkin, DL Keith Randolph, DL Nesta Jade Silvera
Los Angeles Chargers
Minnesota Vikings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-
S Marcus Banks, WR Marquez Callaway, CB Dallis Flowers, DL Mike Greene, OL Garret Greenfield, LB Antonio Grier Jr., LB Daniel Grzesiak, OL Luke Haggard, WR Dennis Houston, LB Deion Jones, WR Tanner Knue, OL Lorenz Metz, OL Raiqwon O’Neal, QB Michael Pratt, TE Tanner Taula, RB D.J. Williams, S Rashad Wisdom
Holley is a former Western Michigan Bronco who started his professional career with the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL in 2022. He then signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts for the 2023 season and played a key role in their 2024 Grey Cup championship. Holley led all CFL interior defensive linemen with 8.0 sacks, drawing attention from multiple NFL teams before signing with the Browns, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Steward was an undrafted rookie out of Troy in 2024 who spent the year on the Bears’ practice squad. He was pursued by multiple teams once the regular season ended, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, but ultimately chose to stay within the NFC North with the Vikings.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/24
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: T Jackson Barton, T Charlie Heck
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: RB Chris Collier, CB Ka’dar Hollman
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: DE DeShawn Williams
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DE Byron Cowart, WR Collin Johnson
- Placed on IR: RB Travis Homer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: RB Gary Brightwell, TE Blake Whiteheart
- Elevated: CB Tony Brown, TE Geoff Swaim
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DE Carl Lawson, LB Nick Vigil
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Tim Patrick, WR Allen Robinson
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: QB Sean Clifford, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Elevated: RB J.J. Taylor, LB Zeke Turner
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: CB Sam Webb
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: LB Shaquille Quarterman
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: TE Nikola Kalinic, WR Xavier Smith
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: QB Tim Boyle
- Elevated: WR Dee Eskridge, WR Erik Ezukanma
- Placed on IR: WR Grant DuBose
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: OLB Bo Richter, TE Robert Tonyan
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Isaiah Stalbird
New York Giants
- Elevated: CB Art Green, LB Ty Summers
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: WR Parris Campbell, TE Jack Stoll
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DL Mike Greene, WR Sterling Shepard
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Luke Gifford, RB Jabari Small
Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.
Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.
The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.
With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/24
Saturday’s minor transactions and gameday practice squad callups:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: T Jackson Barton
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: CB Ka’dar Hollman, RB John Kelly
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: TE Feleipe Franks
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: TE Princeton Fant, LB Nick Vigil
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: RB Tyler Badie, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Tom Kennedy, WR Tim Patrick
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: QB Sean Clifford
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB D’Angelo Ross
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: DE Genard Avery, S Ronnie Harrison
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: CB Christian Braswell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: OLB K’Lavon Chaisson, CB Sam Webb
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: S Tony Jefferson, LB Shaquille Quarterman
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: RB Myles Gaskin, DL Jonah Williams
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: S Ugo Amadi, LB Isaiah Stalbird
New York Giants
- Elevated: LB Tomon Fox, LB Ty Summers
- Placed on IR: WR Gunner Olszewski
New York Jets
- Elevated: DE Jalyn Holmes
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: S Tracy Walker
- Placed on IR: RB Christian McCaffrey (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: T McClendon Curtis, RB George Holani
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DT C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Luke Gifford
Washington Commanders
- Signed to active roster: LB Nick Bellore
- Elevated: CB Bobby Price, DE Carlos Watkins
Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.
Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/24
Here are all the NFL’s minor transactions for Saturday, including the gameday callups leading into the first Sunday of the 2024 season:
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Chris Blair, CB Kevin King
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: OL Will Clapp, DE Kameron Cline
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DE Byron Cowart, LS Scott Daly
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: WR Kendric Pryor
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: WR Jaelon Darden
- Elevated: CB Mike Ford, T Germain Ifedi
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: FB Michael Burton, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: DE Chris Smith
- Elevated: WR Tom Kennedy, DT Kyle Peko
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: CB Chris Lammons, K Spencer Shrader
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: S Terrell Edmunds
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: CB Sam Webb
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: TE Eric Tomlinson
- Elevated: LB Shaquille Quarterman
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: T AJ Arcuri
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: WR Robbie Chosen
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: RB Myles Gaskin, S Bobby McCain
New England Patriots
- Elevated: DT Trysten Hill, G Michael Jordan
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Khaleke Hudson, DT Kendal Vickers
New York Giants
- Elevated: LB Carter Coughlin, LB Ty Summers
- Released: LB Curtis Bolton
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: WR Ben Skowronek
- Placed on IR: DT Logan Lee
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: S Marquise Blair, CB Artie Burns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DT C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Luke Gifford, DL James Lynch
With regular kicker Matt Gay listed as questionable for the season opener after hernia surgery, the Colts will call up Shrader from the practice squad as an emergency option. The 25-year-old has not made a regular season appearance in his career, but that could very well change tomorrow.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints moves are noted below.
Atlanta Falcons
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Chris Blair, CB Natrone Brooks, S Dane Cruikshank, OL Julién Davenport, WR Dylan Drummond, TE John FitzPatrick, DL Demone Harris, CB Kevin King, DT Zion Logue, DL LaCale London, WR Jesse Matthews, OL Andrew Stueber, RB Carlos Washington Jr.
Carolina Panthers
Signed:
Claimed:
- CB Shemar Bartholomew, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, CB Keenan Isaac, LB Jon Rhattigan, LB Jamie Sheriff
Waived:
- WR Jalen Coker
Waived from IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- G Mason Brooks, RB Mike Boone, S Alex Cook, LB Kenny Dyson, TE Jordan Matthews, QB Jack Plummer, DL T.J. Smith, DL Walter Palmore, LB Chandler Wooten
New Orleans Saints
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Johnathan Abram, S Ugo Amadi, WR Kevin Austin, S Millard Bradford, LB Isaiah Stalbird, TE Treyton Welch
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Marcus Banks, DL C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene, LB Antonio Grier, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, OL Luke Haggard, LB Vi Jones, QB Michael Pratt, WR Sterling Shepard, TE Tanner Taula, P Seth Vernon, RB D.J. Williams, S Rashad Wisdom
Buccaneers Set 53-Man Roster
The Buccaneers surprised a bit in 2023 without Tom Brady in the lineup. With Baker Mayfield leading the way, the team managed to win their division and return to the postseason for the fourth-straight season. Before the team can look to make it five consecutive trips to the playoffs, the organization had to make some difficult roster decisions today. The team announced the following moves as they set their 53-man roster:
Released:
- WR Sterling Shepard (story)
- WR Cody Thompson
- LS Zach Triner
- TE David Wells
- QB John Wolford
Waived:
- S Marcus Banks
- DL C.J. Brewer
- TE Sal Cannella
- P Nolan Cooney
- DL Judge Culpepper
- G Xavier Delgado
- DL Mike Greene
- LB Antonio Grier
- OLB Daniel Grzesiak
- T Luke Haggard
- CB Andrew Hayes
- CB Keenan Isaac
- RB Ramon Jefferson
- WR Cephus Johnson
- G Ryan Johnson
- C Avery Jones
- WR Latreal Jones
- LB Vi Jones
- WR Tanner Knue
- DL Brandon Matterson
- CB Chris McDonald
- T Lorenz Metz
- WR Ryan Miller
- OLB Jay Person
- TE Tanner Taula
- WR Raleigh Webb
- RB D.J. Williams
- S Rashad Wisdom
Waived/injured:
- LB Kalen DeLoach
- OLB Shaun Peterson
- DL Lwal Uguak
Placed on IR:
- RB Chase Edmonds (story)
- WR Rakim Jarrett (designated to return)
The Buccaneers have continued their trend of building around draft picks. As Greg Auman of FOX Sports points out, 44 of Tampa Bay’s 53 players were either drafted by the organization or joined as an undrafted free agent. Among starters, the only players who didn’t join the organization as rooks are QB Baker Mayfield and guard Ben Bredeson.
The team will temporarily roll with only a pair of quarterbacks in Mayfield and backup Kyle Trask. John Wolford could have brought some starting experience to the QB room, as the former Ram started four games during his time in Los Angeles. The veteran also started the 2023 campaign on Tampa Bay’s p-squad before earning a promotion, so there’s a chance he follows a similar path this year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/24
There have been plenty of posts today about a number of teams releasing and waiving players ahead of roster cuts. Here are the best of the rest of the minor moves for Monday:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Tayvion Robinson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DE Justin Blazek
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from active/PUP list: S D’Anthony Bell
Detroit Lions
- Waived: OLB Mitchell Agude, WR Kaden Davis, OL Bryan Hudson, RB Zonovan Knight, CB Rachad Wildgoose, TE Shane Zylstra
- Released: DL Pat O’Connor, LB Ty Summers
Houston Texans
- Released: DT McTelvin Agim, G Dieter Eiselen, LB Jacob Phillips
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: DE Levi Bell
- Released: C Mike Panasiuk
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: CB Demarcus Governor
New York Giants
- Released: T Matt Nelson
New York Jets
- Waived: DT Jaylen Twyman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived (with injury settlement): S Mekhi Garner
- Waived: S Andre’ Sam
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: T Tyler Beach, WR Jacob Copeland, RB Daijun Edwards, T Devery Hamilton, T Anderson Hardy, CB Kyler McMichael, DE Marquiss Spencer, CB Kiondre Thomas
- Released: LB Kyahva Tezino, K Matthew Wright
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: P Pressley Harvin III, G Lewis Kidd, WR Jontre Kirklin
- Released: RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Willie Roberts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: DT C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene, CB Keenan Isaac, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, CB Chris McDonald, TE Tanner Taula, S Rashad Wisdom
Tennessee Titans
- Waived (with injury designation): LB JoJo Domann, WR Tre’Shaun Harrison
- Waived: T Brian Dooley, CB Tay Gowan, LB Mikel Jones, LB Thomas Rush, WR Sam Schnee, TE Steven Stilianos, P Ty Zentner
Nelson was an effective swing tackle for the Lions in the past three years. While he wasn’t able to stick with the Giants, he’s likely to draw interest elsewhere in the NFL.
The Eagles like Sam a lot at safety, but with a number of veterans atop the depth chart, there wasn’t room for him on the roster. The team plans to retain him on the practice squad should he clear waivers, per Andrew DiCecco of 975 The Fanatic. The Buccaneers have similar plans with Isaac, Taula, and Wisdom.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/17/24
Today’s minor moves:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: LB Cole Christiansen
- Placed on IR: LB Cam Jones
San Francisco 49ers
- Reverted to IR: WR Danny Gray
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Reverted to IR: DL Mike Greene
Jones’ rookie season has come to an end, given the requirement for players on injured reserve to miss four weeks. The UDFA was used primarily on special teams this year, but he appeared in all 17 regular season games as well as the Chiefs’ wild-card win. Christiansen last played in Week 17, which marked his fifth appearance of the campaign. Kansas City will need to make another roster move soon to create room for wideout Skyy Moore to come back into the lineup, after he was designated for return earlier today.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/27/23
Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to the active roster: DT Phil Hoskins
- Designated to return from IR: DT Leki Fotu
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: OLB Amare Barno
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed off Bengals’ practice squad: TE Zach Gentry
- Placed on IR: TE Jesper Horsted
- Waived: T Justin Herron
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: TE T.J. Hockenson (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: T Matt Pryor
- Designated to return from IR: WR Danny Gray
- Waived: RB Jeremy McNichols
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated to return from IR: DL Mike Greene
Washington Commanders
- Designated to return from IR: LB De’Jon Harris