It didn’t take long for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make their first roster move of training camp.
On Monday the team announced that rookie inside linebacker Jeremy Banks was being waived, a move made on the same day that camp technically opened. Veterans aren’t due to report to camp until July 25th, when the first full squad practice is set to be held, with rookies reporting a day early.
Banks, as it turns out, won’t be among those rookies reporting.
Bucs announce they have waived undrafted rookie linebacker Jeremy Banks, from Tennessee. Rookies report for training camp today. No corresponding move announced.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) July 24, 2023
It’s unclear exactly what led to Banks being waived, but his off-field problems while at Tennessee have been widely cited in all reports mentioning his release. Pewter Report mentioned that it appeared the move was made due to his attitude but no further context was given.
Banks did have some issues off the field with the Volunteers during his college career. He was kicked off the team during his sophomore year, and although he was able to work his way back into the good graces of the program his character concerns impacted his draft stock.
That’s why he went undrafted and ended up among the 20 rookie free agents the Bucs signed after the Draft was over in May.
While no corresponding move was made at the time, the Bucs ended up using the roster spot vacated by Banks to bring back veteran defensive lineman William Gholston. As far as the team’s plan at linebacker, Banks was already a bit of a long shot to make the final roster thanks to guys like SirVocea Dennis and K.J. Britt who will compete for a roster spot and playing time while at training camp.