Which Buccaneers practice squad member will be the first to see the field?
Out of the 11 Buccaneers that were signed this week to the practice squad, Austin Johnson will be the first of the bunch to make it to the 53-man roster.
Why, you ask?
The reason for choosing Johnson over his 10 other counterparts was strictly due to the injury history of veteran tight end Luke Stocker.
Stocker’s career in Tampa has been plagued with injuries. The big bodied mountain of a man has only logged one 16-game season for your Bucs, which is why the odds are in Johnson’s favor.
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Head Coach Dirk Koetter loves him some multiple tight end sets, and if Stocker would happen to go down with an injury… Alan Cross‘ role would push him from the backfield to the line of scrimmage. This would leave the fullback position in the hands of Johnson.
Not to mention Johnson was picked up late last season for a reason… Koetter wants a true fullback on this roster.
Let us pray that this Tampa Bay team and Stocker stay healthy. If Stocker would lose his job to injury this season, he might not see himself another year in the Bay Area.