A look at a few of the players invited to tryout for the Buccaneers 2015 Rookie Mini-Camp.
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Jameis Winston inhaled the playbook, Kenny Bell showed off his deep speed and Rannell Hall caught everything in sight. Still, as good as some of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' draft picks and undrafted free agents looked during the team's rookie mini-camp, there were four camp participants who had an even better weekend.
On Monday, the Buccaneers signed four players, all of whom took part in practices on a tryout basis on Friday and Saturday. Those six included first-year offensive linemen Edawn Coughman and three rookies getting their first crack at the NFL: Heidelberg wide receiver Donteea Dye, Clemson wide receiver Adam Humphries and New Mexico Highlands linebacker Jared Koster.
The Buccaneers' roster had reached its offseason maximum of 90 players before the weekend camp, so the team had to make some corresponding subtractions to make room for those four. Tampa Bay actually waived six players on Monday, creating two additional open spots and suggesting that a couple more of the weekend's tryout players could eventually get called back, as well.
Check out photos from Day 2 of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rookie Camp on May 9, 2015.
The six players waived by the Bucs on Monday were safety Shelton Johnson, wide receiver Chandler Jones, wide receiver Solomon Patton, tackle Matt Patchan, wide receiver Josh Reese and linebacker Michael Reynolds. Reese and Reynolds had been part of the 13-man group of undrafted players signed by the Buccaneers a week earlier. Patton and Patchan originally joined the team as undrafted rookies in 2014, and Patton spent part of his debut season as the Buccaneers' primary kick returner. Johnson and Jones were both signed to Tampa Bay's practice squad in December, later getting reserve/future contracts for the 2015 roster.
The 6-4, 313-pound Coughman is actually getting a second chance at the Bucs' roster. He originally came to Tampa as a waiver claim from the Buffalo Bills last summer on August 20. He was waived nine days later. Coughman played two seasons of college football at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina before signing with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 2011. He then broke into the NFL as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, spent the 2013 season on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad and was signed by the Buffalo Bills early in 2014.
Dye (6-0, 195) hails from Heidelberg, whose most notable NFL alumnus to date is wide receiver Bill Groman, who set the still-standing AFL/NFL record for rookies with 1,473 yards for the Houston Oilers in 1960. While he may have trouble matching that, Dye is coming off a senior campaign for the Student Princes in which he racked up 1,022 yards and four touchdowns.
Check out photos from Day 1 of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rookie Camp on May 8, 2015.
A team captain for Clemson in 2014, Humphries (5-11, 195) caught 30 passes for 204 yards as a senior and also handled most of the Tigers' punt return duties, with 31 runbacks for 178 yards and one score. He finished his collegiate career with 1,097 yards and three TDs on 127 catches, as well as 69 punt returns for 476 yards and another score. Humphries also ran the ball 10 times for 24 yards and a touchdown.
While Dye's alma mater has had a player in the NFL as recently as 2013 (WR Michael Preston), Koster will be trying to break a drought that hasn't seen a New Mexico Highlands product in the league since 1997 (WR Anthony Edwards). The 6-1, 210-pound Koster began his college career at UCLA before transferring to NMHU, where he started one season each at the weakside, strongside and middle linebacker spots. Last fall, he averaged 15.6 tackles per game to lead all Division II players while also contributing 16 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
