The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have claimed first-year offensive tackle Marquis Lucas off waivers from the Atlanta Falcons, continuing a recent turnover of depth at the position.
Lucas takes the spot created by the waiver of rookie tackle Austin Albrecht. Tampa Bay had signed Albrecht on Saturday while waiving rookie tackle Cole Gardner with an injury designation. With offensive linemen Demar Dotson and Kevin Pamphile currently sitting out practice due to minor injuries, there are plenty of snaps to go around at the two tackle positions.
Lucas (6-4, 318) played his college ball at West Virginia and first entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills last year. He was released in the final roster cutdown and later ended up on the practice squad in Minnesota. The Vikings re-signed Lucas after the season but waived him in May, later landing with the Falcons in June. He was waived on Saturday and awarded to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Lucas played both tackle positions for the Mountaineers, starting 30 of the 36 games in which he played. He was at left tackle as a senior in 2015 as West Virginia averaged 228.2 rushing yards per contest. He hails from Miami.
