Now that the preseason is officially behind us, tough decisions will need to be made across the league as teams trim their rosters down to size. Tuesday is the deadline for teams to finalize their 53-man roster, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are already hard at work making sure the right players are in the right places.
That unfortunately means a handful of notable players we’ve watched throughout training camp will no longer be in the picture as the roster comes into focus. Guys like Shilo Sanders, Trey Palmer, and Kyle Trask are all hoping they did enough to prove the deserve a spot, but there aren’t that many open seats at the table.
It’s really a testament to how deeply talented the Bucs roster is that guys like Sanders and Palmer are on the roster bubble. Injuries have opened up some paths for certain players to earn a spot that might have otherwise been harder to secure, but overall Tampa Bay has one of the most talented pools of players in the entire league.
What that also means is that a bunch of those guys will likely either be practice squad players or wearing a different uniform when the regular season rolls around in a few weeks.
Complete list of Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster cuts (Updated)
Here’s an updated look at every roster cut the Bucs have made ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline:
Player | Position |
|---|---|
Shilo Sanders | Safety |
Eric Banks | DL |
Jose Ramirez | OLB |
Devon J-Thomas | DL |
Mike Greene | DL |
Rakim Jarrett | WR |
Owen Wright | RB |
Jacob Harris | WR |
Raiqwon O'Neal | OL |
Will Brooks | S |
Shilo Sanders, S
It was starting to look like Shilo Sanders might make the final roster, but he likely blew his chance at that in the preseason finale against Buffalo. Sanders was ejected in the first half after throwing a punch in a heated moment, something that Todd Bowles singled out as something he wasn’t pleased about after the game.
Up until that point Sanders had been doing everything right. The main thing working against him was the fact that the safety room was pretty much set. Even a season-ending injury to J.J. Roberts didn’t seem like enough to totally lock Sanders in, and how he hits waivers looking to build upon all the positive things he did in Tampa Bay and make up for the boneheaded mistake that might have cost him a roster spot.
More on Shilo Sanders being waived by the Buccaneers
Jose Ramirez, OLB
Another tough cut the Bucs had to make was letting Jose Ramirez go. This isn’t the first time he’s failed to make the final roster but he’s impressed more and more over the last few seasons as he’s inched his way closer to something more stable.
Once again it seems Ramirez is headed to the practice squad. There’s a chance he could get claimed off waivers or signed away even after getting placed on the practice squad, but the linebacker room was just a little too crowded to make space for him this year.
Mike Greene, DL
The fringe of the roster is where Mike Greene has spent most of his time with the Bucs, but he’s been a consistent presence over the last few years. He’s managed eight tackles over the last two seasons with Tampa Bay and is another practice squad candidate after being let go ahead of the 53-man roster deadline.
More Tampa Bay Buccaneers news and rumors