Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

The Buccaneers have placed strong safety Chris Conte on injured reserve. Conte was forced to exit Monday night’s game against the Steelers with a knee injury, and it wound up being a serious issue.

Conte has been a starter for the bulk of his career and has been a fixture in the Bucs’ secondary for the last four seasons. Last year, he played in all 16 games last year, starting 14. He didn’t set the world on fire as he was ranked No. 57 at his position by PFF, but the Bucs saw him as a serviceable player and brought him back on a low-cost $2.375MM option.

Conte was posterized by Steelers tight end Vance McDonald on Monday night, but the brutal stiff arm proved to be the least of his problems. Meanwhile, the Bucs will have to draw from a reserve safety group that includes fourth-round rookie Jordan Whitehead and former UDFA Isaiah Johnson.

5 comments Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transactions Chris Conte

Bucs QB Jameis Winston Hires Agent

By Zachary Links | at September 24, 2018 10:44 am

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has hired agent Joel Segal of Lagardère Sports to represent him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll be co-represented by Segal’s longtime colleague Greg Barnett, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter) adds.

Winston dumped agents Greg Genske and Kenny Felder shortly after reaching a compromise with the league on his suspension. His three-game ban is now up, but his job may now belong to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is off to a scorching hot start through two games. If Fitzpatrick keeps the magic going on Monday night when the Bucs take on the Steelers, it could be a while before Winston sees the field again.

The Buccaneers control Winston’s rights through 2019 thanks to his $20.9MM fifth-year option, which is guaranteed for injury only. In theory, the Bucs could keep Winston on the shelf to avoid triggering the guarantee, but the club plans to reinsert him into the lineup whenever they feel it is in the team’s best interest to do so.

Winston understands that the Bucs can bail on him after the season, which made his agency decision all the more important. With an agent that has a wealth of NFL experience (as opposed to MLB experience), he’s arguably in better hands than before.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick Unlikely To Lose Starting Job

By Dallas Robinson | at September 23, 2018 2:11 pm

Ryan Fitzpatrick is unlikely to be replaced as the Buccaneers‘ starting quarterback no matter how he fares against the Steelers on Monday night, reports La Canfora. While Jameis Winston will come off suspension prior to Week 4, Fitzpatrick has been among the league’s best quarterbacks through two games, as he leads the NFL passing yardage while racking up eight passing touchdowns. Fitzpatrick has internal support within the locker room (and especially from Tampa Bay’s offensive line), so the club’s coaching staff is unlikely to make a change any time soon. The Buccaneers face the Bears in Week 4 before heading into a bye the following week.

3 comments Cincinnati Bengals City Of San Diego Las Vegas Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Antonio Brown Joe Mixon Ryan Fitzpatrick

Vita Vea's NFL Debut Remains On Hold

By Sam Robinson | at September 22, 2018 9:52 pm

Vita Vea‘s calf strain will delay his debut for another week. The Buccaneers‘ first-round pick is out for Monday night’s Steelers game, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Vea did practice on Saturday, doing so for the first time in a month, so the defensive tackle’s NFL debut appears imminent.