When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field to open training camp on Friday morning, Jacquies Smith will still be watching from the sideline. But that could change any day.
On Wednesday, the Buccaneers placed Smith, a fourth-year defensive end who recorded 13.5 sacks during the 2014-15 seasons, on the active/physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list. It's a common bit of pre-camp housekeeping used on players who are still recovering from injury because it preserves a team's option to place a player on the reserve/PUP list at the start of the regular season. The Buccaneers hope that second part of the move won't be necessary.
Photos of the Buccaneers' complete roster.
2 K Nick Folk
3 QB Jameis Winston
9 P Bryan Anger
10 WR Adam Humphries
11 WR DeSean Jackson
12 WR Chris Godwin
13 WR Mike Evans
14 QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
18 WR Bernard Reedy
21 S Justin Evans
22 RB Doug Martin
23 S Chris Conte
24 CB Brent Grimes
25 RB Peyton Barber
26 CB Josh Robinson
28 CB Vernon Hargreaves
29 DB Ryan Smith
32 RB Jacquizz Rodgers
34 RB Charles Sims
35 CB Javien Elliott
36 CB Robert McClain
37 S Keith Tandy
43 S T.J. Ward
51 LB Kendell Beckwith
52 LB Cameron Lynch
53 LB Adarius Glanton
54 LB Lavonte David
56 DE Jacquies Smith
57 DE Noah Spence
58 LB Kwon Alexander
59 LB Devante Bond
61 OT Justin Murray
62 C Evan Smith
64 OT Kevin Pamphile
65 LS Garrison Sanborn
66 OT Leonard Wester
68 C Joe Hawley
69 OT Demar Dotson
73 G J.R. Sweezy
74 G Ali Marpet
76 OT Donovan Smith
77 OL Caleb Benenoch
80 TE O.J. Howard
82 TE Antony Auclair
84 TE Cameron Brate
88 TE Luke Stocker
90 DE Chris Baker
91 DE Robert Ayers
92 DE William Gholston
93 DT Gerald McCoy
95 DE Ryan Russell
96 DE Sealver Siliga
98 DT Clinton McDonald
DE Will Clarke
As is the case with any player on the active/PUP list, Smith does count against the 90-man roster limit, and he can be activated from that list at any time. He can (and surely will) take part in meetings and be in attendance at practice, but is limited in terms of physical activity to non-contact rehabilitation work. Smith missed nearly all of the 2016 campaign when he suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the Buccaneers' Week One win at Atlanta.
The Buccaneers were optimistic that their entire 90-man roster would be ready to practice at the start of camp, so Smith's absence may not last long. If he does remain sidelined through the preseason, the Buccaneers would have the option of transferring him to the reserve/PUP list at the time the roster is trimmed to 53 players. In that case, Smith would have to miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season before he could be activated.* *
