The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may take a few weeks to get onto the practice field, but the business of roster management continues like the start of training camp. That included a pair of moves announced on Tuesday regarding safety Justin Evans and linebacker Kendell Beckwith, both of whom have missed extensive time due to injuries.
Evans has been placed on the active/physically-able-to-perform list to start camp. As such, he will still count against the roster limit; the purpose of putting a player on active/PUP at the beginning of training camp is to keep open the possibility of later moving him to reserve/PUP for the start of the regular season. Evans hasn't played since midway through the 2018 season due to foot injuries.
Head Coach Bruce Arians spoke with the media via a Zoom call on Tuesday and indicated that Evans would likely be the only player to land on such a list. Evans, a second-round draft pick in 2017 who started 21 games over his first two seasons, will be part of a crowded battle for starting safety spots if he can return to action.
"We'll see how the right foot reacts," said Arians. "He doesn't have a lot of time, but he needs to get out there. He's the only one right now that I think will be on PUP."
Meanwhile, Beckwith was waived with a non-football-injury designation. He hasn't played since suffering an ankle injury in a car accident during the 2018 offseason. Beckwith has spent each of the last two seasons on the reserve/NFI list. His waiver reduces the Buccaneers' roster to 86 players.
