6 players Bucs should add to practice squad after finalizing 53 man roster
By Josh Hill
Patrick O’Connor, DE
Three players were cut this week that gave a pretty good indication of how tough the decisions were that the Bucs had to make. Patrick O’Connor ranked up there alongside David Moore as a name that came across as a casualty of roster cuts and immediately dropped some jaws.
O’Connor was never a starter for the Bucs, but he was one of the longest tenured members of the team. He joined the Bucs back in 2017 and became an extremely valuable player on special teams as well as adding depth to various defensive lines over the years.
Pat O'Connor played 977 special-teams snaps over the last three years, a crazy-high number for a defensive lineman. He's helped in limited snaps on defense as well, but misses the cut as Bucs trim their roster.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 28, 2023
That’s the definition of an absolute capital-D Dude, and a guy who has given everything to the Bucs. Despite the years of service, O’Connor was part of the mass exodus this week, but there might not be a better candidate for the practice squad than him.
O’Connor is well liked within the locker room, coaches love him, and he could prove to be a valuable resource both during the week between games and for young players trying to figure out how to latch on. Guys like Jose Ramirez and J.J. Russell could fit the O’Connor mold and learn from him on the practice squad, and guys at the edge of the 53-man roster like Markees Watts and Cam Gill could benefit from having him around too.
It was a really tough cut to see, but it’s pretty hard to see this being the end of O’Connor’s time in Tampa Bay.
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