The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting the preseason gang back together.
Five days after re-signing rookie outside linebacker Kahzin Daniels to fill an open practice squad spot the Buccaneers did the same with defensive lineman Jeremiah Ledbetter. Another spot on that 10-man unit had opened on Monday when rookie defensive lineman Terry Beckner was suspended for four games by the NFL.
Both Daniels and Ledbetter had impressed in training camp but were eventually waived with injury settlements around the start of the regular season. Players who receive injury settlements typically cannot re-sign with the same team until a certain number of weeks have passed corresponding with the terms of the settlement.
Ledbetter (6-3, 295) was singled out by Head Coach Bruce Arians several times early in training camp as a player who was separating himself from the pack of potential defensive line reserves. However, he suffered a high ankle sprain in practice on August 14 and missed the rest of camp, plus the last three preseason games. Ledbetter logged one tackle in the Bucs' preseason opener in Pittsburgh.
Ledbetter was waived/injured on August 31 as the Bucs' trimmed their roster to the regular-season maximum of 53 players, then reverted to injured reserve before getting his waiver with an injury settlement on September 11. He subsequently spent three weeks on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad but was released on Monday.
Originally a sixth-round pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2017 draft, Ledbetter made the Lions' roster as a rookie and played in all 16 games, contributing 14 tackles, a half-sack and four quarterback hits. He first came to Tampa a year later when Detroit waived him during their final roster cuts and the Bucs signed him a day later to their practice squad. He remained on that unit until a December call-up allowed him to play in one game for Tampa Bay.
Ledbetter played two seasons at Arkansas after transferring from Hutchinson (KS) Community College. He started 25 of the 26 games he played for the Razorbacks, recording 104 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He returns to the Buccaneers in time to take part in Tuesday morning's "bonus practice" following the team's bye week.
