Buccaneers: Jeremy McNichols in danger of being cut
By James Yarcho
Buccaneers rookie running back Jeremy McNichols has done little to solidify a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Everyone who has read my work or listened to the Walking The Plank podcast knows my feelings on the Buccaneers running game. I was hoping to see Dalvin Cook be the guy (don’t worry, I was thrilled to get O.J. Howard considering I didn’t believe he would be there) or targeting a guy like Marlon Mack, Kareem Hunt, or Joe Mixon to take over the role of lead back.
Instead, the Bucs waited until round five before selecting Jeremy McNichols out of Boise State. The pick was greeted with a lukewarm reception but many believed McNichols had the natural skill set to supplant Charles Sims on the roster as the third down/pass catching back.
Fast-forward to August and three preseason games in, McNichols appears to be in danger of being one of the roster cut casualties. Dirk Koetter has been less than impressed thus far and McNichols appears to be lost on the playing field;
"“He’s doing fine on special teams. He’s just making too many mistakes on offense. He had a protection error that led to a sack so I took him out at that point. That was my decision. He’s going to play a lot on Thursday night and he’s going to get one final chance to show what he can do. There’s multiple roster spots unsettled based on your needs at other positions. There’s spots at different positions, but based on what you need, some of these spots are a little bit interchangeable.”"
With what we assume will be a starter-less Bucs team in the final preseason game, McNichols will get a heavy workload. Doug Martin, Charles Sims, and Jacquizz Rodgers will likely be held out, leaving McNichols to play along with Peyton Barber and Russell Hansbrough.
Cutting McNichols would add to a long list of day three picks Jason Licht has had no problems cutting ties with. From Kenny Bell and Danny Vitale to Kaelin Clay and Joey Iosefa, Licht wants these day three picks to show something in camp and preseason in order for them to make the final cut.
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As much as I’ve been rooting for McNichols, it won’t be surprising one bit to see him relegated to the practice squad. Perhaps that’s the best option for the Buccaneers and McNichols long term as it pertains to the Bucs and their long term success.