We've officially reached the end of the preseason, even though it feels like the action was only just beginning.
Three games are now in the books for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the preseason slate wrapping up on Saturday night with a 26-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens. What matters more than the final score, though, is assessing who stepped up and made the most of their last audition and who failed to put their best foot forward.
Final rosters need to be cut down to 53 players by Tuesday afternoon, which means the Bucs have some decisions to make in the coming days. Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship ended up losing his job after a poor performance last Saturday against the Jets, but the list of guys who likely played their final game with the team is much longer.
It's not all gloom-and-doom, though. For every guy who might have screwed himself out of a job with a bad game there are standouts who look like potential impact players ready to help the Bucs in their mission to prove the doubters wrong this season.
Winner: Sean Tucker
Tucker not only became one of the best stories at Bucs camp, he became one of the team’s best players in the preseason.
The undrafted rookie out of Syracuse finished with over 80 yards on 23 carries, making the most of every opportunity he was given. It something that seems to have locked up a roster spot for him when the Bucs finalize things on Tuesday.
He’ll also help embody the chip-on-their-shoulder mentality the Bucs are taking into the season with them as well. Tucker probably could have been drafted but a heart condition caused teams to pass on him back in April. Now he’s in line to be the Bucs third running back and is in position to have an impactful season as one of Dave Canales and Skip Peete’s weapons on offense.