Cutting Ross Cockrell seemed like a good idea for the Buccaneers yesterday. It feels like less of a good idea now after the Keanu Neal news.
The terrible offseason injury luck continues for the Buccaneers.
The list feels like it growing by the day. Perhaps these practices are doing more harm than good when starters and contributors keep leaving the field on a daily basis.
Tom Brady could be right.
Ryan Jensen has been the biggest loss so far, but now Russell Gage is struggling in this department alongside Mike Evans, Giovani Bernard, Cam Gill, and newly-injured Keanu Neal.
Bucs DB Keanu Neal suffered an injury in the joint practice with the Titans Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the preseason. The team hopes he return for Week 1 at Dallas.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 17, 2022
With Neal out for the rest of the preseason and the uncertainty surrounding his exact return date, the Buccaneers may end up wishing their decision to make defensive back Ross Cockrell one of their first cuts went a different way.
It makes sense that the team did not see a future with him and was trying to extend the courtesy of giving the veteran DB time to find a new team, but it seems like the Bucs could use the depth again for the time being.
Is this something Cockrell would want to do? No, but it would’ve helped the team all the same.
Cockrell has spent time playing safety and corner. While this would not be the best replacement when looking at Neal’s skillset, a veteran presence that is somewhat out of position is still better than a new guy that is a question mark.
It’s not like the Bucs can go back now and change their decisions, but this is another bit of irony during this difficult time of injuries for a roster that has its eyes set on a return trip to the Super Bowl.
Hopefully Neal can heal up quickly, and the guy that steps into his role for the next few weeks is up to the task with preseason reps.
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