Roster cuts need to happen by August 26th but some teams are getting a jump on those as they enter their final preseason games this weekend. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made two moves on Friday afternoon, waiving a wide receiver while signing a cornerback to help out their dwindling depth there.
Departing the Bucs before the team's final preseason game is Jaden Smith, who was brought on to help with depth at that position. With Smith suffering an injury of his own paired with Trey Palmer and Kam Johnson returning to practice, the Bucs no longer needed Smith's services.
Joining the Bucs in time for their preseason finale is Tre Avery, who is entering his fourth year in the NFL. Avery went undrafted in 2022, signing with the Titans and spending the past three years in Nashville and appearing in 38 games. It's no secret that the Bucs need secondary help, so bringing someone like Avery in makes a ton of sense even if he's not a household name.
Buccaneers bring in CB Tre Avery while moving on from WR Jaden Smith
Smith was brought in as a camp body this summer but no one realistically expected the kid to make the roster even with all of the injuries. With Chris Godwin being activated off the PUP list, that means Trey Palmer will get a roster spot that previously felt out of reach. It also made it even more difficult for Smith to find his footing and now he'll be searching for another team.
As for Avery and the cornerback position, Bucs fans are expecting the worst but hoping for the best when it comes to the lack of depth there. The preseason finale is going to be quite interesting because there are several Bucs who won't be suiting up for one reason or another, which is why Avery needed to be brought in.
Final roster cutdowns are next week and while Avery will be the new kid on the block with the Buccaneers, he has a chance to show why he's worth keeping around. We'll see if he's able to do just that against the Bills.