The Buccaneers may be in the market for a kick returner, at least for the early part of 2016, as Donteea Dye is not going to be ready to start the season.
One of the many competitions we have watched with the Buccaneers so far this preseason has been at the kick returner position. We have seen Kenny Bell return one, but we all know how that turned out. Ryan Smith took one and Bernard Reedy ran back two others. At 19.5 yards per return, Reedy is leading this bunch.
But that is until you include Donteea Dye. Dye has returned four, and is averaging over 25 yards per return, making him the clear leader to win the job. Well, he WAS the leader to win the job, but apparently that is going to be put on hold for a while.
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According to Jenna Laine of ESPN, Dye will be placed on the waived/injured list due to a hamstring injury. Since he has less than four years in the league, that means he will be available on waivers for 24 hours for any team to claim. If he clears waivers he would revert back to the Bucs. He could be placed on IR at that point, but according to Laine, it’s more likely he will be released with an injury settlement.
That could open the opportunity for him to return when he is healthy, depending upon the rosters needs.
But for now, the Bucs are left with some questions. Who returns kicks in the early going? Reedy seemed to be the next man up, but they could potentially look for an answer outside of the organization. Labor Day weekend is always a feeding frenzy, almost a second free agency period, so help could come from elsewhere.
Another question comes in about the back-end of the roster? Who gets saved? It likely increases the chances of a Russell Shepard, who wasn’t perfect this preseason but did show flashes. Maybe Jonathan Krause gets some extra consideration due to the Dye injury. With ability in the return game, Kenny Bell likely can rest easy, but who really knows?
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Rough news for Dye, but is a “next man up” business. Do you guys think Dye will be back? Might he be selected on waivers? Discuss.