As the calendar turns to August and training camp continues throughout the league, all 32 teams are preparing to make roster cuts in order to get things down to a 53-man roster before the start of the season.
The first deadline this season is Tuesday, August 17th, when teams have to cut their roster down to 85 players. Over the next two weeks, teams are required to lower their roster total to 80 players by August 24th and the highly anticipated 53-man mark on August 31st.
Currently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have over 80 players on their roster for offseason workouts, OTAs, and training camp. As the final few weeks of the offseason play out, Tampa Bay will begin to shape their roster by adding players to their practice squad and cutting other players. From quarterback to special teams, here is the unofficial predictions of the Bucs' 53-man roster for the 2024-2025 season.
Quarterbacks
Make the cut: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask, John Wolford
Practice squad: Zach Annexstad
Cut Candidate: N/A
Last season, the Buccaneers used a similar approach with Mayfield and Trask as their only two active quarterbacks on the roster, but later signed Wolford to their practice squad in October. With Mayfield and Trask carrying little to no injury histories, it's likely that these three will make the cut once again in 2024. Annexstad, a two-year starter at Illinois State, was placed on the NFL's active/non-injury football list last week.
Running Backs
Make the cut: Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, Chase Edmonds
Practice squad: Sean Tucker
Cut Candidates: Ramon Jefferson, DJ Williams
No surprises at running back, as Tampa Bay is excepted to lean heavily on the duo of White and Irving, their 2024 fourth-round pick, this season. Running back is one of the more volatile positions in the NFL, so bringing Edmonds, a six-year NFL veteran, helps in that aspect. Tucker gets the practice squad nod over 2024 undrafted free agents Jefferson and Williams by being two years younger and having already suited up for Tampa Bay last year.
Wide Receivers
Make the cut: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Cephus Johnson III, Kam Johnson
Practice squad: Sterling Shepard, Cody Johnson
Cut Candidates: Latreal Jones, Tanner Knue, Ryan Miller, Raleigh Webb
Evans, Godwin, McMillan, and Palmer are all no-brainers to make the final 53-man roster, as well as Jarrett for his speed and athleticism on special-teams, particularly kick-returns. Johnson III gets the nod as the sixth receiver to make it with his 6'5", 220-pound frame and big catch radius in addition to playing two seasons at quarterback at South Alabama.
Shepard and Johnson, both offseason signings, figure to be key contributors on the practice squad and are prime candidates to join the roster in case of an injury.
Tight Ends
Make the cut: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Devin Culp
Practice squad: Tanner Taula
Cut Candidates: Ko Kieft, Sal Cannella, David Wells
2024 will mark Otton's third season in the league, and his first as the undisputed TE1 which could form a career-year for the former Washington Husky. While Durham only had five catches for 58 yards in 2023, the 6'6", 253-pound tight end showed flashes in several games last season, including a game-changing catch against Indinapolis in week 11. Culp, the Bucs' seventh-round pick, is another big-body receiver that will be another red-zone target for Mayfield to look at in the redzone.
Offensive Line
Make the cut: Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch, Luke Goedeke, Robert Hainsey, Brandon Walton, Justin Skule, Elijah Klein, Luke Haggard
Practice squad: Xavier Delgado, Avery Jones
Cut Candidates: Silas Dzansi, Lorenz Metz
The Bucs will likely use several of their 53-man roster spots on their offensive line, with ten spots going to the line. There are too many surprises of whom will make the cut, as Walton, Skule and Haggard will make their season-debuts with Tampa Bay, while Barton and Klein are the Bucs' first and sixth round picks. With Sua Opeta suffering a season-ending ACL tear in training camp, Tampa Bay is able to place him on the NFL's Injured Reserve (IR) to keep him on the team, but will not be an active part of the roster.
Defensive Line
Make the cut: Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, Logan Hall, Greg Gaines, William Gholston
Practice squad: Mike Greene, Judge Culpepper, CJ Brewer
Cut Candidate: Eric Banks, Earnest Brown IV, Lwal Uguak
Analysis: Defenisve line proves to be one of the lighter position groups for Tampa Bay, giving just five players roster spots. Vea and Kancey figure to be a dyanmic 1-2 punch on the left side of the line, while Hall and Gaines have shown flashes of being three-down starters. Gholston is an excellent veteran to anchor the line, and could be a solid mentor to the likes of Greene, Culpepper and Brewer, all age-25 or younger.
Outside Linebackers
Make the cut: Yaya Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, Chris Braswell, Markess Watts
Practice squad: Jose Ramirez, Shaun Peterson Jr
Cut Candidates: Antonio Grier Jr.
Similar to offensive line, outside linebacker is a position group heavily affected by a key training camp injury. Even without Diaby for the entire preseason, Tampa Bay will still use a roster spot on the second-year pro for the regular season, and surround him with Tryon-Shoyinka, Nelson, Braswell, and Watts as the other outside linebackers.
Both Ramierz and Peterson Jr. offer upside off the practice squad and could see notable time in the preseason in Diaby's absence.
Inside Linebackers
Make the cut: Lavonte David, KJ Britt, SirVocea Dennis, J.J. Russell, Kalen DeLoach
Practice squad: Vi Jones
Cut Candidate: N/A
In previous years, Tampa Bay carried 6-7 inside linebackers, headlined by David and Devin White. Now, the Bucs are opting to use just five inside linebackers, starting with David, fresh off his 12th NFL season and No. 99 ranking on the NFL's Top 100 list. Britt is projected to start alongside David as the Bucs' two starting ILBs, while Dennis, Russell and DeLoach are decent depth pieces.
Cornerbacks
Make the cut: Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Bryce Hall, Tavierre Thomas, Tyrek Funderburk
Practice squad: Andrew Hayes, Keenan Isaac
Cut Candidate: Chris McDonald
By trading Carlton Davis to Detroit back in May, the Bucs will have Dean and McCollum as their primary 1-2 cornerback duo on the outsides. Hall and Thomas, two of Tampa Bay's free-agent pickups, look to compete for the third cornerback spot, which will likely be in the slot. Funderburk is the surprise here, with the former three-star recruit earning a roster spot after a strong minicamp and preseason.
Safeties
Make the cut: Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Whithead, Christian Izien, Tykee Smith
Practice squad: Kaevon Merriweather, Marcus Banks
Cut Candidates: Josh Hayes, Rashad Wisdom
Fresh of a four-year, $84 million contract extension this summer, Winfield returns as the Bucs' top safety but has some notable talent around him. Not only did Tampa Bay bring back Whitehead on a two-year, $9 million deal, but they also have Izien, who is coming off an impressive rookie campaign. Smith is expected to be Tampa Bay's nickel corner, but also spent time at strong safety at Georgia.
Special Teams
Make the cut: Chase McLaughlin, Jake Camarda, Zach Triner
The trio of McLaughlin, Camarda, and Triner turned out to be one of the best in the NFL, as the former went 29-31 on field goals and a perfect 33-33 on extra points, while the latter averaged a career-best 50.1 yards per punt and 26 punts inside the 20 in 2023.
Without returner Deven Thompkins, kick and punt returner may be split between Johnson and Irving, while Triner will return for his sixth season as the Bucs' long snapper.
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