T Jason Odom was placed on injured reserve, one of 19 roster reductions made by the Bucs on Sunday
The roster exemptions were expiring, the auditions of preseason were over and the NFL's clock was ticking. No more stalling.
Faced with a 4:00 p.m. deadline to reduce its roster from 72 to 53 players, Tampa Bay did just that, using six different methods to purge the roster. The list of players no longer on the active roster is below.
The highest-profile name on Sunday's list is T Jason Odom, who has apparently lost his battle to recover from back surgery in time for the 2000 season. Odom was placed on injured reserve.
S Shevin Smith, who suffered a dislocated toe in the August 20 preseason game at New England, was given an injury settlement. FB Kevin McLeod, who spent several days in St. Joseph's Hospital this past week due to chest pains of undetermined origin, was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list. Similarly, LB Shawn Stuckey was put on the reserve/non-football injury list. G Kendell Mack rounds out the crew of injured players on this list as he was waived/injured.
The other 14 players on Sunday's Buccaneer waiver wire were all released in the normal fashion. They will be on waivers, available for other teams to claim them, for 24 hours, after which they will become free agents. The Buccaneers and all NFL teams may form a five-man practice squad from the league's waived players beginning on Monday.
Only one of the Bucs' five 2000 draft choice was released – TE James Whalen, drafted out of Kentucky in the fifth round. Another rookie tight end, Todd Yoder, who was picked up as an undrafted free agent, was included on the 53-man roster.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster moves of Sunday, August 27:
WAIVED:
T John Blick DT Carl Bradley DE Chartric Darby TE Jason Freeman LB Bobbie Howard WR Daniel Jones TE Hendrick Lusk CB Deshone Mallard CB Earthwind Moreland WR Yo Murphy WR Drew O'Connor S Jeff Popovich RB Ketric Sanford TE James Whalen
WAIVED/INJURED:
T Kendell Mack
INJURED RESERVE
T Jason Odom
INJURY SETTLEMENT
S Shevin Smith
NON-FOOTBALL ILLNESS
FB Kevin McLeod
NON-FOOTBALL INJURY
LB Shawn Stuckey
Buccaneers Head Coach Tony Dungy is scheduled to meet with the media regarding the cuts and explanations of the above special circumstances at approximately 5:00 p.m. Buccaneers.com will provide updates on this story after Dungy has spoken.
