With defensive tackle Vita Vea out with a knee injury and now Jeremiah Ledbetter sidelined, as well, the Bucs have dipped into the current free agency pool and signed defensive lineman Elijah Qualls.
Qualls was a sixth round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was a member of their Super Bowl team. Following that season, he spent time on the practice squads for the Carolina Panthers and the Baltimore Ravens.
Qualls played his college ball at Washington with Vea, where he recorded 7.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in two seasons as a starter.
To make room for Qualls, the Bucs have waived defensive lineman Shane Bowman.
Trevor Sikkema is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat reporter and NFL Draft analyst for PewterReport.com. Sikkema, an alumnus of the University of Florida, has covered both college and professional football for much of his career. As a native of the Sunshine State, when he's not buried in social media, Sikkema can be found out and active, attempting to be the best athlete he never was. Sikkema can be reached at: [email protected]
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