LEDYARD’S BUCS PRACTICE SQUAD PREDICTION

The NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to an expanded practice squad of 16 players this year to help teams deal with any COVID-19 issues that may arise during the season. Teams can begin to sign players to assemble their practice squad at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6 – one hour after the waiver claim period ends.

There are also some new stipulations for NFL teams’ practice squads after the roster cut-down to 53 takes place on Saturday, September 5. Teams may promote up to two players from their practice squads to increase the game-day roster from 53 players to 55, but only 48 can be active. This helps a team in case there is a last-minute illness or injury, and any practice squad player that was promoted would revert to the practice squad roster following the game.

As of 4:00 p.m. ET each Tuesday, NFL teams can protect four practice squad players from being signed away by other teams. Those protected four players can change on a weekly basis as the team sees fit.

The last caveat to the practice squad changes is that teams can carry up to six veterans on the practice squad – albeit at practice squad prices. Players with two accrued years in the NFL or less would get paid $8,400 per week, while veterans with more than two accrued years would make $12,000 per week.

If 53 players make the final roster and 16 are on the practice squad, that means only 11 players from the Bucs’ current training camp roster won’t be apart of the organization in a few days. Here’s my prediction for who makes the final 16 spots.

OFFENSE

QB Reid Sinnett
RB Raymond Calais
WR Cyril Grayson
TE Codey McElroy
G Aaron Stinnie
C Anthony Fabiano
C/G Zach Shackelford

Bucs TE Codey McElroy – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANALYSIS: I think you’ll see teams keep a lot of offensive linemen and an extra quarterback on the practice squad, due to the threat of COVID-19 and the cohesiveness and knowledge of the offense needed from those two units. Calais could stick around if the Bucs think he could be a future returner for the team, while McElroy has flashed enough to stick on a team deep at tight end. Stinnie, Fabiano and Shackelford have all had a good training camp.

DEFENSE

DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
ILB Noah Dawkins
ILB Jack Cichy
OLB Quinton Bell
CB Mazzi Wilkins
S D’Cota Dixon
S Javon Hagan

Bucs LB Jack Cichy – Photo by: Getty Images

ANALYSIS: The most important thing for practice squad players to show is special teams prowess, because if they get called up that’s exactly where they will make an impact. The Bucs’ defensive practice squad group clearly provides that, as Dawkins, Cichy, Wilkins, Dixon and Hagan have all impressed at one time or another in that role.

The team needs better depth than a lot of these players can provide, so don’t be surprised if some new faces appear on the final 16-man practice squad, especially on defense.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Ryan Succop

Analysis: Just because I think that Matt Gay will win the kicking job doesn’t mean that I trust him. In fact, I never trust a kicker. Having said that, Succop has had a pretty strong career and might be back to form after a 1-of-6 performance on field goal attempts last season when he returned from injury. The Bucs would be wise to keep a second option around at the position in case of a late positive test for COVID 19 as well.