HEADLINES

Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South

August 30th, 2023 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

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:

Waived:

  • OL Josh Miles

Signed to practice squad: 

Carolina Panthers

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New Orleans Saints

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Buccaneers Set 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 11:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Following the retirement of Tom Brady, the Buccaneers will be facing a pseudo-rebuild in 2023. Before they get to a challenging regular season, the team was forced to cut down their roster to 53 players today:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Waived/failure to disclose physical condition:

  • C Chris Murray

After sitting out the 2021 campaign, Deadrin Senat got into 12 games for Tampa Bay in 2022. The defensive tackle ultimately finished the campaign with 17 tackles, one sack, and a pair of QB hits. The former third-round pick got into 22 games for the Falcons to begin his career.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/23

August 28th, 2023 at 8:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

We are less than 24 hours from the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players. Here are the latest moves teams have made as they pare their squads down toward the in-season limit:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Tino Ellis

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Buccaneers To Release QB John Wolford

August 28th, 2023 at 4:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after sorting out the top of their quarterback depth chart, the Buccaneers are moving on from the third member of their crop at the position. The team is releasing John Wolford, as noted by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Tampa Bay held a competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask for much of the offseason, with the former ultimately winning out. Each member of the pair has received praise for their performances in training camp and the preseason, though, and no other roster spots will be deemed necessary at the position. Stroud adds that the Bucs will be interested, however, in bringing in a signal-caller on their practice squad.

Wolford’s opportunity to earn a spot in Tampa Bay came to an abrupt end during the team’s second preseason contest when he suffered a neck injury. While the ailment was likely not a factor in the Buccaneers’ decision to commit to Mayfield and Trask, it could have an effect on the interest shown in Wolford by other interested teams around the league.

The 27-year-old spent the first three years of his career with the Rams, serving as a depth option across that span. He made three of his four career starts last season, though, and did enough in that audition period to draw interest from Tampa Bay in free agency. Wolford signed for the veteran minimum, so his roster security was always going to be in doubt as roster cutdowns commenced.

Now, the Wake Forest product will likely seek out a backup opportunity with a new team, or at least a third-string role amongst the squads committed to carrying three QBs on their active roster. Tampa Bay could retain him via the practice squad but if the team decides against that, they will be in the market for another depth option at the position.

Also amongst the players the Bucs are cutting loose is edge rusher Jose Ramirez, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That move is notable, since the Eastern Michigan product is a sixth-round rookie. Teams will have the option to claim him off waivers, but if he clears, he will presumably find a spot on the team’s taxi squad.

Buccaneers Name Christian Izien Starting Nickel Corner

August 28th, 2023 at 8:34am CST by Rory Parks

As Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles expects to have more rookies and undrafted free agents on his 2023 squad than he has ever had on one of his teams. Given that the Bucs lead the league in dead money, they naturally have to fill out their roster with modest contracts, and players who may not have gotten a chance elsewhere will have an opportunity to make a name for themselves in Tampa.

One such player is Christian Izien, whom Bowles named as the club’s starting nickel corner (via Stroud). Izien, a UDFA from Rutgers who signed with the Bucs in May, immediately impressed the team’s coaching staff with his speed and athleticism, traits that Bowles wants to inject into his defense this year.

As Scott Smith of the team’s official website details, Izien played safety during his first three collegiate seasons and moved to the slot in his redshirt senior year. With Ryan Neal and Antoine Winfield Jr. set to occupy the Bucs’ starting safety positions, Tampa Bay always had the slot cornerback role in mind for Izien, who saw action in the club’s first and third preseason games.

In the preseason finale against the Ravens, Izien chased down Baltimore quarterback Anthony Brown, who had broken off a long run into the Tampa Bay redzone, and punched out the ball from behind. The Bucs recovered the fumble, and Izien seemingly cemented himself as the starting nickel.

While Izien was occasionally beaten in coverage during his preseason audition, the Bucs hope that his explosiveness will compensate for whatever struggles he has in that regard as he adjusts to professional offenses. The fact that he is surrounded by veterans in the secondary, including Neal and Winfield at safety and Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean on the boundaries, will certainly help.

Izien beat out veteran Dee Delaney and rookie sixth-rounder Josh Hayes for the job.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/23

August 27th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

With the preseason over for 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams, many have begun the process of working their rosters down to the eventual 53-man rosters they will open the season with:

Indianapolis Colts

  • Waived: WR Tyler Adams, WR Kody Case, G Emil Ekiyor, TE Nick Eubanks, K Lucas Havrisik, TE Michael Jacobson, T Matthew Vanderslice
  • Released: CB Teez Tabor

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Although never quite reaching the heights of his tenure with the Bengals, Vigil has a history as a strong contributor and potential starter at linebacker. Coming off a season that saw him only play in four games for the Cardinals before getting put on injured reserve, Vigil failed to stick in New York and will need to find his next opportunity elsewhere.

Vallejo’s tenure in Minnesota lasted a short two weeks. The special teams specialist will have to keep searching for his 2023 home.

Buccaneers To Place C Ryan Jensen On IR

August 27th, 2023 at 9:48am CST by Adam La Rose

AUGUST 27: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Jensen’s career is likely over (via Michael Baca of NFL.com). Jensen, however, is unwilling to throw in the towel just yet.

Jensen says the decision to suit up for the Bucs’ lone playoff contest did not lead to a setback, and he also does not believe that surgery would be helpful (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine). Before making the decision to forego surgery last year, he consulted with five orthopedic surgeons, and he suggested that going under the knife would only exacerbate the problem.

“I’m gonna fight and do whatever I’ve gotta do to get this knee healthy,” Jensen said. “Right now it’s just time and doing what we need to do to get it feeling better.”

AUGUST 26: After being a question mark to suit up for Week 1, Ryan Jensen‘s 2023 prospects having taken another turn. The Buccaneers center will be placed on IR, general manager Jason Licht said on Saturday. Jensen will miss the season as a result.

Tampa Bay was without its starting pivot for the full regular season last year as Jensen dealt with a major knee injury. He elected not to have surgery, and rehabbed to the point that he was able to take part in the team’s wild-card loss. Another full offseason of recovery seemed to have Jensen on the right track, and he expressed optimism earlier this month that he was back at 100%.

However, the Buccaneers proceeded with caution with respect to using him in team (as opposed to individual drills) upon his activation. As he dealt with complications from the knee injury, it became clear he would be hard-pressed to receive enough reps in the remainder of training camp and the preseason to be ready in time for the start of the campaign. In spite of that, a return to the field at some point in 2023 had been expected.

Now, Jensen will be sidelined for a full campaign for the second straight year. The 32-year-old took out a $5MM insurance policy in the wake of his knee injury last year, and today’s news will lead to legitimate questions about his playing future in the NFL. A Pro Bowler in his last healthy season, Jensen was in line to once again serve as a vital part of the Buccaneers’ offensive line upon his return.

After establishing himself as one of the most effective centers in the league over his four rookie-contract years in Baltimore, Jensen signed a four-year, $42MM deal in Tampa Bay. As has been the case with many Buccaneers veterans in recent years, his subsequent extension was restructured for salary cap purposes. That leaves the team on the hook for a cap hit of $17.2MM next year and $11.8MM in 2024, which is a void year.

Tampa Bay will again rely on Robert Hainsey as Jensen’s fill-in at the C spot. The former earned a respectable PFF evaluation last season, but the Buccaneers will be without their ideal O-line quintet in 2023, a year in which they are already beginning life after longtime left tackle Donovan Smith. While the team’s offense will be shorthanded without Jensen, attention will turn to his willingness and ability to rehab once more after what will be a second year out of football.

NFC Rumors: Bucs, Lions, Panthers, Packers

August 25th, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers may be considered as a rebuilding squad, but that doesn’t matter much to the players fighting for roster spots in the late preseason. As the regular season inches nearer and nearer, two starting positions are starting to come into focus, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

On offense, center Ryan Jensen has not returned to practice as he continues to recover from three knee ligament tears that he opted not to have surgery on. In his absence, Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett have been competing for the starting job. Hainsey likely has a bit of an edge after playing the position in college and starting all 17 games last season for Tampa Bay, but Leverett has meshed well in new offensive coordinator Dave Canales‘ new zone-blocking scheme. Even if Hainsey can’t hold onto the job, Leverett may keep the position competitive.

On defense, Dee Delaney has really stepped up at nickelback after the team opted to move Antoine Winfield Jr. back to free safety full-time. Delaney, who spent four years at The Citadel before transferring to Miami (FL) and going undrafted, has stuck in Tampa Bay, playing 32 games over the past two seasons while starting three of them. Delaney has had a great camp as reflected in a stellar performance in last week’s preseason game against the Jets. Undrafted rookie Christian Izien has also impressed with physical play throughout the preseason, while rookie sixth-round pick Josh Hayes has fallen a bit behind in the position battle.

Here are a few more roster battles to watch heading into the final weekend of preseason games this season:

  • Nate Sudfeld was viewed as a solid backup option at quarterback for the Lions last season. Coming into 2023, though, he may be struggling to retain a roster spot, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. Obviously, Jared Goff has the starting job locked up, but recently signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater has made a strong case for the QB2 role behind him. Sudfeld still has value to the team, but head coach Dan Campbell made it clear that his roster status depends on if he adds more value to the team than depth at other positions on the roster. If CB5 or CB6 end up adding more value than Sudfeld as QB3, he may find himself missing out on the initial 53-man roster.
  • As starting guard Austin Corbett waits to be cleared following ACL surgery, the Panthers‘ situation at guard is feeling a bit precarious. A tweet from Joseph Person of The Athletic tells that a decision on the starting right guard job in Corbett’s absence has been delayed until the returns from injury of rookie fourth-round pick Chandler Zavala and undrafted rookie Nash Jensen. Head coach Frank Reich wanted both rookies to have a chance for the spot before making the decision. Zavala was recently activated from the physically unable to perform list and hasn’t seen much action. Jensen was impressing early in the offseason before a back injury slowed his progress. They’ll compete with Cade Mays and Justin McCray for the position, but Person believes that Carolina may pursue some added competition at roster cutdowns.
  • Last week, the Packers‘ seventh-round pick from last year, Rasheed Walker, got the starting call at left tackle ahead of usual backup Yosh Nijman, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Nijman has been the usual go-to at tackle when starter David Bakhtiari isn’t available, but Schneidman thinks that Walker may have worked his way past Nijman on the depth chart as of late.

Bucs Name Baker Mayfield Starting QB

August 22nd, 2023 at 10:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tampa Bay’s quarterback competition has officially ended. Baker Mayfield was named the Buccaneers’ starter on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

During the offseason, Mayfield has appeared to be the favorite to win out over 2021 second-rounder Kyle Trask. The competition between the two has been close, however, and both signal-callers split first-team reps during training camp. Neither passer did enough to stand out above the other for the first preseason contest to be sufficient to determine a winner.

Trask drew praise for his arm strength and improved ball security during the summer, but the fact that Mayfield did not play in Tampa’s second preseason contest seemed to put the latter in pole position. Head coach Todd Bowles said after that game that both Trask and Mayfield would play in the preseason finale, something which appeared to leave the competition yet to be won by either passer. Instead, a firm decision has now been made, with the far more experienced quarterback getting the nod.

Mayfield, 28, signed a one-year, $4MM deal in free agency with the hopes of serving as Tom Brady‘s successor. The former No. 1 pick’s starting days in Cleveland were over once Deshaun Watson was acquired via trade, a move which eventually saw Mayfield dealt to the Panthers. A fresh start was needed, but it did not go as planned. Mayfield went 1-5 in Carolina and his performance led to his release in December.

A brief audition with the Matthew Stafford-less Rams ensued, and the Oklahoma product started four games in Los Angeles (including a win in his debut which came days after his arrival). It still came as no surprise that Mayfield was only able to land a low-cost, one-year deal on the open market. The former Heisman winner could very well be entering a make-or-break season with respect to his future as an NFL starter.

Trask, meanwhile, will begin his third straight Tampa Bay campaign on the bench. As Brady’s understudy, the Florida product only made one regular season appearance and he has just nine pass attempts to his name. The 2023 offseason represented his best opportunity to earn the No. 1 role – something which would have provided much-needed information for the team regarding how they would approach his long-term future in the organization.

A report from earlier this month indicated Mayfield would have a short leash if named the starter, given Trask’s showings in the offseason. It will be interesting to see if that holds true as all attention will now turn to the former’s ability to rebound from his 2022 performance and, potentially, secure a multi-year future in his new home.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Panthers, Edmonds

August 22nd, 2023 at 5:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints made a key tweak to their front office Tuesday, announcing Khai Harley will move into the assistant GM role. Harley has been with the Saints for 16 years, most recently serving as the team’s VP of football administration. Mickey Loomis has credited Harley as being one of the chief architects behind the franchise’s aggressive strategy with regards to the salary cap. Omar Khan used this background to become the Steelers’ GM, and Harley rising to this post may put him on the radar for interviews.

New Orleans also Scott Kuhn as director of football administration, Zach Stuart as director of analytics and Rishi Desai as a scouting assistant. Gaining extensive experience on the analytics front, Kuhn spent 16 years with the Vikings. Stuart spent the past three years as the Jets’ analytics coordinator. Additionally, former safety Matt Giordano is now an assistant on Dennis Allen‘s staff. Giordano, 40, spent one season with the Saints (2010); the 30-game starter also played for the Colts, Packers, Raiders and Rams from 2005-13. Giordano had spent six seasons as head coach of Buchanan High School in his native Fresno, concluding that tenure after the 2021 season.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Although Payton Turner carries a first-round pedigree, he is unlikely to beat out Carl Granderson for the starting role Marcus Davenport vacated this offseason. The Saints are more likely to turn to Granderson — a former UDFA — than Turner opposite Cameron Jordan, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Granderson, 26, has stood out in training camp and has two five-plus-sack seasons over the past three years. Turner entered camp after two iffy years, and while the Saints are likely to give the 2021 first-rounder another shot, a rotational role looks to be how this will play out.
  • Jordan’s two-year, $27.5MM Saints extension is fully guaranteed, and it will also include sack incentives. Jordan can pick up an extra $500K with a 10-sack season this year, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. The 34-year-old defensive end can add $250K by reaching $250K in 2024 and 2025. Sitting 23rd on the official sack list (115.5), Jordan has six double-digit sack slates on his resume — including a 12.5-sack showing in 2021.
  • Frank Reich is in place as the Panthers‘ play-caller to start his HC tenure, but OC Thomas Brown continues to loom as a future option for the post. The first-year Carolina HC said the long-term goal remains to make Brown the play-caller, Darin Gantt of Panthers.com tweets. This is Brown’s first OC post, but he has already booked HC interviews and received interest from other teams regarding their respective OC jobs. A former Rams assistant, Brown earning play-calling responsibilities this year would enhance his case for a top coaching job.
  • Deion Jones‘ one-year Panthers agreement is worth $1.17MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That doubles as the veteran minimum, though Wilson adds the former Falcons mainstay will receive a $75K bonus for making the Panthers’ 53-man roster. The Falcons gave Jones a four-year, $57MM extension before the 2019 season, but the team cut bait on that deal before the 2022 trade deadline. The Browns also removed a year from Jones’ contract, and scant interest came his way this offseason. This will be a key year for the 29-year-old linebacker.
  • The Panthers included four void years in Justin Houston‘s contract, dropping his cap hit to $2.13MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Houston signed a fully guaranteed one-year, $6MM deal earlier this month. The contract will include sack incentives, with Wilson adding Houston will receive $500K by reaching 11 sacks and could earn another $500K by hitting 12 (Twitter link). These are classified as not likely to be earned; Houston has one 11-sack season since 2015.
  • As the Buccaneers prepare to use Rachaad White as their starting running back, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes offseason addition Chase Edmonds is locked into the third-down role. Edmonds, who received just $153K guaranteed on a one-year Bucs deal, operated as a solid pass catcher for the Cardinals but is coming off a down year. The Dolphins included him as salary filler in the Bradley Chubb trade, and the Broncos made him a cap casualty in March.
Load More Posts