The dust has settled. The cuts have been made. Here's the the biggest decisions behind the make up of the roster.
JALON DANIELS WINS THE BACKUP JOB
The biggest story of cutdown day. Jake Browning has been released. The veteran signed in the spring to be Baker Mayfield's trusted backup and came in as the overwhelming favorite to make this roster as the number two.
And then an undrafted kid from Kansas walked into training camp and simply outplayed him.
Jalon Daniels engineered five scoring drives across three preseason games, orchestrated two come-from-behind wins, and won over a coaching staff that didn't know his name when camp opened. Releasing a proven veteran in favor of a player who had never taken an NFL snap before this preseason is a bold decision. But Daniels earned it every single day. Welcome to Tampa Bay, for real this time.
TUCKER OVER WILLIAMS: TOUGER DECISION THAN YOU THINK
This one stings a little, at least from my perspective. Josh Williams looked noticeably more explosive, more decisive, and more physical than Sean Tucker on virtually every carry throughout the preseason. His 12-yard touchdown run against the Jets, his burst through gaps, his acceleration after contact — all of it pointed to a player who deserved this spot.
Tucker survived, and I understand why the coaching staff kept him. He's reliable, catches the ball out of the backfield, and doesn't make big mistakes. But he doesn't do anything great either. He's exactly average, which is probably the most frustrating thing you can say about a player competing for a roster spot. If Tucker struggles early in the regular season, don't be surprised to see Williams surface quickly on the practice squad. This decision may not be final.
CHRIS BRASWELL: THIS ONE SHOULDN’T BE A SURPRISE TO ANYONE
I said it when the Buccaneers selected Braswell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft and I'll say it again now: that was a reach. THE Bucs needed to draft an edge and they didn’t take one in the first round. Too bad edge wasn’t a depth position in 2024. Two years later, he's been waived before ever carving out a meaningful role. When a second-round pick can't beat out undrafted free agents for a roster spot, that is the definition of a failed draft pick. It hurts to say, but it's the truth.
CADEN FORDHAM: I LOVED THIS DECISION
The feel-good story of cutdown day. Undrafted free agent linebacker Caden Fordham out of NC State has made this 53-man roster, and honestly it felt inevitable from the moment I watched him in the preseason opener against the Jets. Assignment-sound, instinctive, and comfortable in space from the very first rep — Fordham looked like he belonged every time he was on the field. While Nick Jackson looked out of place the earlier he played, Fordham looked more confident the earlier he played. That's the hallmark of a player who belongs. You earned this, Caden.
THE BIGGEST CONCERN: OFFENSIVE LINE DEPTH
The starting five of Wirfs, Bredeson, Barton, Mauch, and Goedeke is legitimately one of the better units in the NFL when healthy. But we saw throughout this entire preseason what this offense looks like without Tristan Wirfs, and it wasn't pretty. Jake Browning was pressured on 58% of his dropbacks and sacked three times against the Chiefs. The backup offensive line was described as "veritable turnstiles" and nearly got Browning killed on multiple occasions.
The depth behind the starting five is Dan Feeney, Luke Haggard, Ben Chukwuma, Justin Skule, and rookie Billy Schrauth, who is already dealing with a knee injury. That is a group that has struggled badly whenever called upon this preseason. If Wirfs or any other starter goes down during the regular season, this offense is going to look very different very quickly. It is the most significant vulnerability on this entire 53-man roster and the one that concerns me most heading into September 13.
The roster is set. The season is 12 days away. Time to find out what this team is made of when the games count for real. GO BUCS!
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