Buccaneers: 5 winners and losers from Day 1 of padded practice

Justin Evans, safety, very long odds to make the final roster

For a player to make the final roster, it is certainly helpful to be able to compete at training camp. Justin Evans has still not suited up for practice yet, and the sun is setting on his career in Tampa Bay if something doesn’t change soon.

The Buccaneers love their top-four safeties, and it makes little sense to replace one of them with the injury-prone Evans. His talent is undeniable when healthy, but one has to wonder if Evans will ever be healthy again.

If Tampa Bay was struggling with any of its safeties, keeping Evans would make sense, but this is not the case. Some of the players at the position may be young, but they have stepped into their roles well after Evans’ injury.

Mike Edwards and Jordan Whitehead were the starters at the beginning of today and are locks to make the team, Antoine Winfield Jr. immediately turned heads with the second team and could easily earn a starting role, and Andrew Adams is a proven veteran with experience in the system.

The Buccaneers may try to keep Evans on the roster as a fifth option with a proven upside, but the window is undoubtedly closing for Evans to make a successful return.