Bucs QB Blaine Gabbert Dislocates Shoulder
It sounds like the Buccaneers may need another quarterback. Coach Bruce Arians said that backup signal-caller Blaine Gabbert dislocated his non-throwing shoulder during last night’s preseason win (via The Athletic’s Greg Auman on Twitter). ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweets that it’s not yet known if Gabbert will need surgery.
Arians also added that the team could end up signing another quarterback (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter), although the head coach acknowledged that he’s very content rolling with Ryan Griffin as Jameis Winston‘s primary backup.
“More than comfortable,” Arians said. “He’s proven with some of the guys he’s playing with, directing them, poise. He’s moved our team up and down the field, just like he did again tonight.”
The Buccaneers signed Gabbert back in March, and his addition was partly attributed to his familiarity with Arians’ offense. The 29-year-old got into eight games (three) starts last season for the Titans, completing 60.4-percent of his passes for 626 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. He previously teamed up with Arians in Arizona, including a 2017 campaign where he started five games.
As Arians mentioned, the team is comfortable having Griffin as Winston’s main backup, and the former undrafted free agent proved his worth last night. Griffin finished last night’s game having completed 11 of his 17 passes for 121 yards and one score.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/19
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: P Sean Smith
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Brandon Bell, OL Tyler Catalina
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Jonathan Celestin, G Norman Price
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers: S Montrel Meander
- Placed on injured reserve: WR D.J. Montgomery
Denver Broncos
- Waived/injured: LB Aaron Wallace
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Da’Mari Scott
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Andrew Lauderdale, S Tyree Robinson
- Waived: OL Christian DiLauro, WR Shawn Poindexter, RB Brandon Wilds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Elijah Qualls
- Waived/injured: DT Shane Bowman
Bucs Signed Jason Licht To Five-Year Extension
Buccaneers GM Jason Licht isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the executive inked a five-year contract extension with the franchise this offseason.
The deal, which wasn’t reported until now, was signed in January just days after the team made Bruce Arians its head coach. Arians and Licht have been good friends for quite some time and Arians likely wouldn’t have joined Tampa Bay if not for their relationship. Arians’ deal is also for five seasons, so the Bucs have tethered the pair’s future together.
Tampa Bay hasn’t been great since Licht took over back in 2014. The team is 27-53 in the five seasons since he took the GM gig with poor defense and inconsistent quarterback play plaguing the team.
Arians is expected to help with the quarterback issues. He’s helped get the best out of a number of quarterbacks, including Andrew Luck and Carson Palmer. The defense is another story, as the Bucs finished dead last in defensive DVOA last year and didn’t make any major moves this offseason to improve their putrid pass rush.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/15/19
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: DT Elijah Qualls
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Demetrius Rhaney, DT Roderick Young
- Placed on injured reserve: DT Robert Thomas
- Waived: OL Nico Siragusa
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: DT Tracy Sprinkle, C John Yarbrough
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
- Waived/injured: RB Roc Thomas
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Micky Crum, LB Christian Kuntz
- Waived: LB J.T. Jones, CB Jermaine Ponder
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: TE Brandon Barnes
- Waived: CB Isaiah Langley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Shane Bowman
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Bryant Mitchell
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB James Folston
- Waived/injured: LB Jordan Williams
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/19
Here are today’s minor moves, which will be updated throughout the night:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed: DE Dare Odeyingbo
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Ben Johnson
- Waived: LB Josh Corcoran
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Drew Lewis
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Terrell Sinkfield
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived off IR: CB Davante Davis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Claimed: WR Emanuel Hall
- Waived: S Micah Abernathy
Buccaneers CFL Import WR Tears Achilles
- Buccaneers wide receiver Bryant Mitchell was not as fortunate. He suffered a torn left Achilles’ tendon in the team’s preseason opener, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets. A three-year Edmonton Eskimo, who posted 867 receiving yards in 2018, Mitchell caught on with the Bucs in May.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the night.
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: P Sean Smith
Chicago Bears
- Waived: WR Emanuel Hall
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: T Kent Perkins
Green Bay Packers
- Waived/failed physical: CB Derrick Jones
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LB Josh Corcoran
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Jake Powell
- Placed on IR: WR Amba Etta-Tawo
- Waived: DE Alex Jenkins
- Waived/injured: TE Isaiah Searight
New York Jets
- Waived: TE Nick Truesdell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Aziz Shittu
- Waived/injured: S Blake Countess
- Reverts to IR: WR Shelton Gibson
Seattle Seahawks
- Released from IR: TE Tyrone Swoopes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: DE Dare Odeyingbo
Buccaneers Sign S Darian Stewart
The Buccaneers have signed safety Darian Stewart, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). When completed, it’ll be a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum salary, plus incentives, Auman hears.
Stewart, 31, has spent the last four years as a starter for the Broncos. With the Bucs, he’s expected to provide veteran guidance to a young secondary group.
The Broncos released Stewart in March in order to save roughly $3.6MM against the cap. Prior to that, the veteran started in nearly all of his 58 games for the Broncos and recorded a forced fumble and a sack in the team’s Super Bowl 50 victory.
Stewart saw some time at cornerback and free safety in ’17, but he played mostly at strong safety last year. He graded out as just the No. 77 ranked safety in the NFL in 2018, according to Pro Football Focus. His 59.6 overall score was a massive step back from his first two seasons in Denver, which included a Pro Bowl nod in 2016.
The Colts met with Stewart earlier this summer but did not sign him.
Tom Moore To Stay On Buccaneers’ Staff For 2019 Season
The Buccaneers will have another key voice on offense this season. Bruce Arians brought in Tom Moore as an offseason consultant for his first Bucs squad, but Greg Auman of The Athletic notes (on Twitter) the veteran assistant will stay on Tampa Bay’s staff all season.
Moore and Arians have worked together for decades, their tenures overlapping with the Colts from 1998-2000 and on Arians’ Cardinals staffs. Now 80, Moore has worked as a consultant for a few teams this decade — including the Jets and Titans — but is most known to this generation of NFL fans as Peyton Manning‘s OC in Indianapolis.
Previously serving as OC for the Steelers and Lions in the 1980s and ’90s, Moore has been in coaching since the early 1960s. His first NFL job came as wide receivers coach for the bulk of Pittsburgh’s John Stallworth–Lynn Swann tenure. Moore oversaw Arians’ work in Indianapolis, with the current Bucs HC working as the Colts’ QBs coach for three seasons.
Moore presided over 13 top-10 scoring offenses, at least two at each OC stop. Arians, Moore and OC Byron Leftwich will be tasked with helping Jameis Winston revitalize his career in a contract year.
Saints Sign T Chris Clark
Chris Clark will make his way to a third NFC South team. The former Buccaneers UDFA and 2018 Panthers starter signed with the Saints on Monday.
Also known for his stints as a Broncos and Texans starter/swing tackle, the 33-year-old blocker is a New Orleans native. He stands to compete for one of the Saints’ jobs behind starters Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk. Clark joins Marshall Newhouse and Michael Ola as veteran tackle options for New Orleanns.
Clark said (via NOLA.com’s Amie Just) he declined three other offers, including one from the Bucs, but agreed to come in for a Saints workout. This marks the second straight late-summer signing for Clark, who landed in Carolina after Week 1 of last season. He ended up starting 13 games and playing more than 77% of the Panthers’ offensive snaps.
Signed as a swing man in multiple places, Clark found his way into both Denver and Houston’s starting lineups in full-time capacities. Injuries to Ryan Clady, Derek Newton and Duane Brown kept Clark a frequent Broncos and Texans starter between 2013-17. Overall, the former UDFA has made 66 starts since 2011.