Buccaneers: Do late cuts have good shot at making the practice squad?

Several Buccaneers players from 2020 now find themselves looking for a new job.

Maybe sporting their Buccaneers Super Bowl LV ring will help them find a new home soon. Still, several players on the initial 53-man roster are surely only temporary placeholders until the “real” players get out of the Covid 19 dog house.

For sure, Jose Borregales is leading that pack of players. With Ryan Succop sitting on the Covid list, Borregales is just a placeholder in case anything untoward happens to the Succop, who’s sporting a new higher dollar contract.

Still, by being out of the early waiver wire, Borregales may indeed have a better chance to reach the Bucs’ practice squad. There is no doubt that Tampa wants to keep a backup placekicker within easy reach in case something strange happens to Succop anytime during the season. It just makes sense. And, by keeping Borregales on the practice squad, he’ll be handy if needed.

Outside linebacker Cam Gill may find himself in the same situation. Just how many outside linebackers do the Bucs really need, considering the other four: Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaquil Barrett, Nelson, and rookie Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. The Bucs like Gill, but if someone needs to go, he is a fifth wheel, so to speak.

The Bucs are also keeping rookie inside linebacker K.J. Britt and Grant Stuard. Both seemed to step it up on special teams, which was a key that head coach Bruce Arians was preaching throughout camp. Five or six positions left, and lo and behold, here we have four. Tanner Hudson is already gone, apparently not having picked up on the need to block as well as catch a football.

One thing is certain, 53 on the roster, plus four returning from the Covid list, equals 57. No question someone, or four, is going to have to go. And that’s not including any interesting players the coaches covet on the waiver wire (which, in truth, we may not see too many because all 31 other teams have a shot at the wire before us).

So, expect to see some rumbling. Maybe not as much with the waiver wire, but certainly with the ones who may be looking at a late cut. And, who knows really, it may be a benefit to make the 53-man squad initially, while the rest of the league culls through the waiver wire looking for backfill.

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