Dirk Koetter Wonders If Bucs Players Believe In Coaches
Preseason playoff projection darlings, the Buccaneers are floundering and reside alone in last place in the NFC South. They are likely going to miss postseason play for the 10th straight year, and second-year coach Dirk Koetter could be on the hot seat. The team’s former OC made an interesting comment about one of the components that could be behind the Bucs’ five-game losing streak.
The Bucs will now be playing without Jameis Winston for multiple games and will attempt to snap their skid Sunday without Mike Evans as well.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/8/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Chicago Bears
- WR Rodney Smith; TEs Josiah Price, Beau Sandland (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- WRs Alonzo Russell, Noel Thomas, Paul Turner; CB Will Redmond (link)
Los Angeles Chargers
- G Jake Eldrenkamp; C Anthony Fabiano (link)
New England Patriots
- S Lorenzo Jerome (link)
New York Giants
- LBs Akeem Ayers, Chris Casher, Jayrone Elliott, Boseko Lokombo (link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com)
Philadelphia Eagles
- LSs Andrew East, Jimmy Landes, Jeff Overbaugh (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- RBs Dare Ogunbowale, Kalif Phillips; CB Sojourn Shelton; S Jack Tocho (link)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/8/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: K Mike Meyer
- Released: QB Garrett Grayson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Korren Kirven
Denver Broncos
- Signed: C Dillon Day
- Released: WR Tim Patrick
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Dorian Johnson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Devin Lucien
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Patrick Gamble
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DE Tavaris Barnes, WR Keenan Reynolds
- Released: T Givens Price
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/17
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers: LB Josh Keyes
- Promoted to active roster: CB Darius Hillary
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Reggie Porter
- Waived: LB Deon King
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted to active roster: DT Lewis Neal
Houston Texans
- Promoted to active roster: DL Jarrod Clements
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT John Hughes
- Waived: OL John Greco
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted to active roster: WR Freddie Martino
Buccaneers Activate QB Ryan Griffin
Tampa Bay activated Ryan Griffin from the injured reserve list and released third-year cornerback Ayodeji Olatoye to make room for the quarterback on the 53-man roster, the team announced today. 
The move did not come as a surprise after it was announced starting quarterback Jameis Winston would be sidelined for at least two weeks due to a shoulder injury. Griffin, who was placed on IR after suffering his own shoulder injury in the team’s second preseason game vs. Jacksonville, returned to practice on October 18 and has been throwing for the scout team. He will serve as Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s backup until Winston returns to the field.
In 2013, Griffin was signed by the Saints after going undrafted coming out of Tulane. After spending two seasons on the team’s practice squad and a brief stint on the 53-man roster as a rookie, Griffin was released in 2015 and claimed by the Buccaneers. The fifth-year quarterback has yet to attempt a pass in a regular season game, and completed 4-of-9 passes in the 2017 preseason before being sidelined.
NFL Suspends Buccaneers WR Mike Evans
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has been suspended without pay for one game, the NFL announced. Evans’ “violations of unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness rules” on Sunday against the Saints will keep him sidelined for the team’s upcoming game against the Jets. 
[RELATED: Buccaneers To Rest Jameis Winston]
“During the third quarter, after a play had ended, you struck an unsuspecting opponent in the back, knocking him to the ground. Your conduct clearly did not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional,” NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote in a statement.
Per the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Evans may file for an appeal the suspension within three business days and he’ll do just that, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Appeals are heard and decided by either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash in cases of on-field player discipline.
Evans, 24, has topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons. He’s on pace to do it again (532 yards through eight games) but the one-game ban will set him back a bit.
The Buccaneers will also be without quarterback Jameis Winston this week.
Buccaneers To Rest Jameis Winston
The Buccaneers will be without starting quarterback Jameis Winston for a bit. On Monday, head coach Dirk Koetter announced that the team will be shutting him down for “a couple of weeks.” 
Winston first suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder during the preseason. At multiple times during the season, he has re-aggravated the injury. The latest instance forced him out of Sunday’s game against the Saints.
While Winston is sidelined, Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as the Buccaneers’ starter. First up for the Harvard product is a showdown with his former team, the Jets. After that, Fitzpatrick is looking at a likely start against the Dolphins and, potentially, a showdown with the Falcons.
Winston and Fitzpatrick are the only quarterbacks presently on the roster, so the Bucs will probably look to add another QB in the coming days. Ryan Griffin would seem to be a likely candidate for promotion from the practice squad.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/31/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Baltimore Ravens
- T Nick Callender; G Andrew Tiller (link)
Carolina Panthers
- QB Tyler Ferguson, TE Jerome Cunningham (link)
Houston Texans
- WR DeAndrew White; DTs Stefan Charles, Brandon Thompson; CBs Cody Riggs, Sojourn Shelton (Twitter links)
Indianapolis Colts
- DE Joby Saint Fleur; LBs Vontarrius Dora, Max Valles (link)
New England Patriots
- TE Gabe Holmes; LB Jayrone Elliott (link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Giants
- DE Owa Odighizuwa (link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- QB Joel Stave; WR Devin Lucien; TE Beau Sandland; DE Patrick Gamble; CBs Marcus Burley, Jarnor Jones (link)
Tennessee Titans
- WR Mekale McKay (link)
Washington Redskins
- DL Jaye Howard, Cam Thomas (link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)
Winston Reinjured Shoulder vs. Bills
Tight end Eric Ebron is the biggest name being floated around by the Lions with the trade deadline looming, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. General manager Bob Quinn has been aggressive since assuming the job nearly two years ago, and even pulled off a midseason deal in 2016 when he traded Kyle Van Noy to the Patriots, Meinke notes. A first-round pick out of North Carolina in 2014, the athletic tight end was expected by many to have a breakout campaign following a career year in 2016 but that has not been the case. Ebron has tallied more than two catches in a game just once this season but still possesses freakish physical traits that could lead a team to take a shot on the fourth-year pass catcher. Ebron is signed through 2018 and is due to earn $8.25MM next season.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Jameis Winston reinjured his shoulder against the Bills in Week 7, Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter confirmed in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). “[Jameis] was doing better, he played very well, especially in the second half against Buffalo,” Koetter said. “We did have that one sack-fumble in the first half, and he did kind of reinjure it, and so that’s what led to him not throwing on Wednesday or Thursday this week.” Despite missing two days of practice, Winston took all reps on Friday and will start vs. Carolina in Week 8.
- The Cowboys are not looking to move any of their receivers, team vice president Stephen Jones said in a radio interview with 105.3 The Fan (Twitter link). Jones added the team has not specifically been asked about Cole Beasley‘s availability in a trade. After posting a career-high 75 catches in 2016, Beasley has hauled in just 16 grabs in the team’s first six games this season. It also doesn’t bode well for the slot receiver’s future in Dallas that the team drafted Ryan Switzer, a near carbon copy of Beasley, in the 2017 NFL Draft. Beasley is signed through 2018 and is due to make $3.25MM next season.
- The Seahawks are paying Dion Jordan $7.2K and Malik McDowell $5K per week while the two are on the NFI list, tweets Joel Corry of CBS Sports. Though a team doesn’t have to pay a player on the NFI list since the injury occurred away from the field, Seattle was able to come to terms with the two defenders. Jordan returned to practice this week, so the team has three weeks to activate him to the 53-man roster or he will not be eligible to play again this season. McDowell is still out indefinitely.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/26/17
Here are today’s practice squad moves.
Detroit Lions
- Signed: T Storm Norton
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Jake Kumerow
- Cut: DT Mike Purcell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cut: DE Marquavius Lewis