The Bucs have weathered some significant injuries this season, yet sit at 6-1 entering Week 8. Reinforcements may be on the way for the Bucs this week, as they head to New Orleans to take on the Saints. Head coach Bruce Arians is hopeful that several key players could return to the lineup for Tampa Bay.

“I would hope that Gronk [Rob Gronkowski] could be ready to go,” Arians said. “Lavonte [David] could be ready to go. Maybe Sherm [Richard Sherman]. We’ll see. And hopefully the guys that were injured yesterday can go.”

Tight end Rob Gronkowski has been out since Week 3 with fractured ribs. He was running on the side during practice last week, but didn’t participate. Lavonte David has missed two straight games with a sprained ankle suffered in Week 5. As for Sherman, he originally said he would be out a couple weeks. Sherman pulled his hamstring in a non-contact injury against the Eagles in Week 6.

Bucs CB Dee Delaney – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There was no mention of Antonio Brown, who sprained his ankle in Week 6, causing him to miss Sunday’s game against the Bears.

Two Bucs players were injured against the Bears in Week 7, but Arians is hopeful they will be ok. Cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Dee Delaney left the game with injuries and did not return. Dean was favoring his shoulder after a hard tackle, and Delaney turned his ankle.

“I do not have anything [on Dean],” Arians said on Monday morning. “Most of the guys are still coming in. Obviously I gave them off until Wednesday. So they’ll filter in throughout the day, and we’ll know more if we need to get MRIs or not.”

After the game on Sunday, Arians said he thought Dean would be fine. Surprisingly, Delaney spoke to the media on Sunday, a rarity for injured players. The young cornerback said his ankle was “good to go”, adding that he would “definitely” play against the Saints.