Buccaneers: Recent signings indicate logical fears ahead
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers are showing their hand with recent free agent signings.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been busy after the trade deadline. In the past day, the Bucs have added two likely contributors for the active roster in Breshad Perriman, a former receiver from two years back, and tight end Darren Fells.
Neither of these players seem like home run hits on their face, but both of these signings will help out in the long run. Perriman has experience with most of the current offense and is proven as a deep threat, and Fells just adds quality depth to an already-talented tight end room.
Both of these players could see time as soon as the upcoming game against the Washington Football Team, and their depth could help greatly down the stretch.
Unfortunately, these signings reveal a slightly darker outlook on the remainder of this season. The Bucs have done well in spite of their numerous injuries, but it made it easier to push through with the thought that some of the key contributors would be on their way back soon. These signings could tell a different story.
Keeping talented players like Perriman and Fells on your practice squad to pull up as needed is a great move to ensure depth remains on the roster, regardless of the injuries, but the Bucs signing these two indicates that injuries to Scotty Miller, Rob Gronkowski, and Antonio Brown could be more fickle than originally thought.
Miller is supposed to be back soon, but we saw how that worked with Gronk. A few snaps back too soon, and Gronk has missed even more time than originally thought. Are the Buccaneers worried about the same thing happening to Miller?
Antonio Brown also causes some questions to arise. While he looks like he is getting better, the use of a walking boot at various points after the past few weeks inspires little confidence that he is on his way back to full health. It will be nice to get Miller back, but the Bucs are obviously at their best when fully healthy.
These signings could just be a safeguard, but that would come as a slight surprise with so many issues on the injury front afflicting this team in 2021.
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