Less than three weeks after being signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to bolster their depth on the interior defensive line, veteran defensive tackle Kyle Love is being released to make room on the 80-man roster for Leonard Fournette.

Love, 33, had spent the past six seasons in Carolina as a rotational interior presence known for his prowess against the run. His release is a great sign for the maturation of rookie sixth round pick Khalil Davis, who has drawn praise from coaches for his improvements against the run in camp, and also as a fleet-footed pass rusher. Davis and fourth-year defensive lineman Pat O’Connor now appear likely to make the team’s final roster as key depth pieces alongside Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who has arguably been the team’s most improved player this offseason.

DT Kyle Love – Photo by: Getty Images

The release of Love also means the Bucs backfield remains loaded, as Ronald Jones, Leonard Fournette, LeSean McCoy, Dare Ogunbowale, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Raymond Calais all remain on the roster for now. Calais figures to be a long shot for the final roster, but could be a prime candidate for the expanded 16-man practice squad. With Jones and Fournette’s roster spots safe, the battle for the No. 3 job seems to be between McCoy, Vaughn and Ogunbowale.

Ogunbowale is a special teams staple where McCoy won’t be a factor and Vaughn is unproven at best. The final running back spot could come down to the veteran McCoy or the team’s third round pick four months ago. McCoy has clearly been the better player in camp, but Vaughn has youth and recent draft pedigree on his side. It’s rare for a team to release a third round pick before their rookie season, so cutting Vaughn would be a surprise, but in an unusual season due to COVID protocols, it’s possible the Bucs believe they could sneak him through waivers to the practice squad.

The team could also keep all five running backs, although the lack of special teams ability amongst all except Ogunbowale would make game day roles difficult to navigate.