The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived or released 26 players (with a 27th going on injured reserve) on Tuesday as they got their roster down to the regular-season limit of 53, but at least 14 of those 26 will be back on the practice field on Thursday morning.
Those 14, which included two vested veterans and 12 young players who were subject to the waiver wire, took most of the 16 available spots on the first iteration of the Bucs' 2023 practice squad, which was formed on Wednesday after that latter group cleared waivers. The team is likely to fill the final two spots on Thursday.
Quarterback John Wolford, one of the three vested vets brought back, gives the Buccaneers a third quarterback in the building after they kept just two, Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, on the 53-man roster. Outside linebacker Jose Ramirez, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan, was the only player in his draft class to be waived on Tuesday but the Buccaneers were able to bring him back after he made it through waivers.
The Bucs also devoted a spot to wide receiver David Moore, who led the team in receiving during the preseason and brings NFL experience to the position, after keeping only five receivers on the active roster. And despite keeping a stunning six undrafted rookies on the 53-man crew, the Buccaneers found spots for seven more on the practice squad.
Here are the first 14 players signed to the Buccaneers' 2022 practice squad:
- LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle
- DL C.J. Brewer
- OL Silas Dzansi
- OL Luke Haggard
- CB Keenan Isaac
- WR Cephus Johnson
- S Richard LeCounte
- WR Ryan Miller
- WR David Moore*
- T Raiqwon O'Neal
- OLB Jose Ramirez
- LB J.J. Russell
- TE Tanner Taula
- QB John Wolford*
(* vested veterans)
Dzansi, Haggard, Isaac, Miller, O'Neal and Tanner were all undrafted rookies signed by the Buccaneers in May. Johnson is also an undrafted rookie but he originally signed with the Minnesota Vikings before being waived in early August and then signed by Tampa Bay.
Like Johnson, LeCounte joined the Buccaneers after training camp had already begun, arriving just over a week ago. He was originally a fifth-round pick out of Georgia by the Cleveland Browns in 2021. As noted, the Buccaneers selected Ramirez in the sixth round this year, the last of the eight picks they made in the draft.
Brewer, Moore, Russell and Wolford all have previous NFL regular-season experience. Brewer, who signed with the Buccaneers in May after participating in the team's rookie minicamp on a tryout contract, played two games for the Buffalo Bills last season. Moore, a seventh-round pick by the Seahawks in 2017, has played in 50 games with 14 starts for Seattle, Denver and Green Bay. Russell was an undrafted free agent signee by the Bucs a year ago and he split his rookie season between the practice squad and the active roster. Wolford got into seven games with four starts, plus one postseason start, with the Los Angeles Rams from 2020-22.
