The Tampa Bay Buccaneers began the process of reducing their roster to the regular-season limit with four moves on Friday, a day before the deadline. The first round of maneuvers almost exclusively impacts the defensive line.
The Buccaneers placed two young linemen, DaVonte Lambert and Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, on injured reserve and released defensive end George Johnson. The fourth move was the release of long-snapper Andrew DePaola. That puts the roster at 86 heading into the weekend; it must be trimmed to 53 by 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday. (The Buccaneers also have a 91st player in safety Eric Nzeocha, but he is an international exception who will spend the season on the practice squad.)
A behind-the-scenes look at the Buccaneers' preseason matchup with the Redskins.


Bucs vs. Redskins Pregame Warmups

Bucs vs. Redskins Pregame Warmups


QB Jameis Winston

C Evan Smith

Ronde Barber

Bucs Fans

WR DeSean Jackson

WR Chris Godwin and WR Donteaa Dye

Bucs vs. Redskins

TE Alan Cross, TE Antony Auclair, and FB Austin Johnson

Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith

WR Shaq Hill

LB Adarius Glanton

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

WR Donteaa Dye

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fan

Bucs Fan

Bucs Fans

DT Sealver Siliga

Bucs Fan

Bucs vs. Redskins

C Josh Allen

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and QB Sefo Liufau

CB Robert McClain

DE George Johnson

Bucs vs. Redskins

LB Riley Bullough

Bucs Cheerleaders

Bucs vs. Redskins

Flag Runner

Flag Runner

Flag Runner

G Jarvis Harrison and T Leonard Wester

C James Stone

Team Introduction

Team Introduction

DE Channing Ward

S Justin Evans

OL Michael Liedtke

Team Introduction

WR Donteaa Dye

National Anthem

LB Kendell Beckwith

Bucs vs. Redskins

TE Tevin Westbrook

LB Riley Bullough

LB Adarius Glanton

LB Cameron Lynch

RB Jeremy McNichols

HC Dirk Koetter

Warren Sapp

TE Alan Cross, C Josh Allen, LB Cameron Lynch and LB Adarius Glanton

TE Alan Cross, C Josh Allen, LB Cameron Lynch and LB Adarius Glanton

Coin toss

Raymond James Stadium

Fans

Fans

Fans

Fans

WR Mike Evans

TEs Antony Auclair and Cameron Brate

Fans

Fans

HC Dirk Koetter

OT Demar Dotson

LB Coach Mark Duffner

Halftime

Halftime

Halftime

Helmet

Halftime

Buccaneers Cheerleader

C James Stone

Buccaneers Cheerleader

HC Dirk Koetter

WR Bernard Reedy

QB Jameis Winston

TE Tevin Westbrook

LB Cameron Lynch

CB Ryan Smith

WR Donteea Dye

WR Donteea Dye

WR DeSean Jackson


Johnson and DePaola are vested veterans, which means they are not subject to the waiver wire and can immediately sign with another team. That veteran status is likely why the Buccaneers chose to make those moves a day early; the rest of the roster cuts will lean heavily towards younger players who will go through the waiver process.
Johnson started his career as an undrafted free agent with the Buccaneers in 2010 and played in nine games for Tampa Bay in 2011 and 2012, but his first full 16-game season came with Detroit in 2014. He became a restricted free agent after that season and eventually returned to Tampa in an offseason trade. Johnson saw action in 11 games with five starts for the Buccaneers in 2015, recording 23 tackles and two forced fumbles, but he spent the 2016 season on injured reserve.
DePaola was the Buccaneers' long-snapper from 2014-16, but a knee injury suffered in last year's season finale and an expiring contract led to him being a free agent in the 2017 offseason. Tampa Bay subsequently signed veteran long-snapper Garrison Sanborn, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, to fill that role. However, the team did re-sign DePaola on August 22 after he demonstrated that he was fully recovered, giving him a chance to compete in the final two games of the preseason.
A behind-the-scenes look at the Buccaneers' preseason matchup with the Redskins.


Bucs vs. Redskins Pregame Warmups

Bucs vs. Redskins Pregame Warmups


QB Jameis Winston

C Evan Smith

Ronde Barber

Bucs Fans

WR DeSean Jackson

WR Chris Godwin and WR Donteaa Dye

Bucs vs. Redskins

TE Alan Cross, TE Antony Auclair, and FB Austin Johnson

Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith

WR Shaq Hill

LB Adarius Glanton

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

WR Donteaa Dye

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fan

Bucs Fan

Bucs Fans

DT Sealver Siliga

Bucs Fan

Bucs vs. Redskins

C Josh Allen

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and QB Sefo Liufau

CB Robert McClain

DE George Johnson

Bucs vs. Redskins

LB Riley Bullough

Bucs Cheerleaders

Bucs vs. Redskins

Flag Runner

Flag Runner

Flag Runner

G Jarvis Harrison and T Leonard Wester

C James Stone

Team Introduction

Team Introduction

DE Channing Ward

S Justin Evans

OL Michael Liedtke

Team Introduction

WR Donteaa Dye

National Anthem

LB Kendell Beckwith

Bucs vs. Redskins

TE Tevin Westbrook

LB Riley Bullough

LB Adarius Glanton

LB Cameron Lynch

RB Jeremy McNichols

HC Dirk Koetter

Warren Sapp

TE Alan Cross, C Josh Allen, LB Cameron Lynch and LB Adarius Glanton

TE Alan Cross, C Josh Allen, LB Cameron Lynch and LB Adarius Glanton

Coin toss

Raymond James Stadium

Fans

Fans

Fans

Fans

WR Mike Evans

TEs Antony Auclair and Cameron Brate

Fans

Fans

HC Dirk Koetter

OT Demar Dotson

LB Coach Mark Duffner

Halftime

Halftime

Halftime

Helmet

Halftime

Buccaneers Cheerleader

C James Stone

Buccaneers Cheerleader

HC Dirk Koetter

WR Bernard Reedy

QB Jameis Winston

TE Tevin Westbrook

LB Cameron Lynch

CB Ryan Smith

WR Donteea Dye

WR Donteea Dye

WR DeSean Jackson


Lambert was an undrafted free agent in 2016 who made an impressively large contribution to the Buccaneers' defense as a rookie, while Tu'ikolovatu was the team's seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft. Both had a shot to factor into the team's D-Line rotation this year before their injuries. Technically, that possibility still remains, as each team in the NFL now gets two return-from-IR options to use on players during the season.
Lambert played 50% of the team's defensive snaps last year, helping the Bucs weather a run of injuries to the line and contributing 14 tackles and a forced fumble. When defensive end William Gholston sat out the Buccaneers' third preseason game this summer due to a minor injury, it was Lambert who got the start in his place at left defensive end.
Tu'ikolovatu was regarded as one of the best run-stopping defensive tackles in the college ranks last year at USC, where he played one season after transferring from Utah. The Buccaneers made several moves during the offseason in an effort to get bigger and more stout against the run in the middle of their defense, including the free agency acquisition of defensive tackle Chris Baker and the drafting of linebacker Kendell Beckwith in the third round. Tu'ikolovatu may eventually be a part of that effort, but for now he'll focus on recovering from his injury.