Bucs trim down roster to 53-man limit; waiver claims begin on Sunday
Wide receiver Kenny Bell was placed on season-ending injured reserve. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS By Roy Cummings | Tribune Staff Published: September 6, 2015 at 12:08 AMNote: Cornerback Tim Jennings is expected to sign his contract Sunday, so the Bucs will have to make a roster move to accommodate the signing.There’s really no such thing as a final 53-man roster in the NFL.Within hours of trimming their rosters to the league’s mandated 53-man limit, most teams begin a process aimed at adding new players culled from a list of those waived by their rival clubs.With first dibs on any player placed on waivers, the Buccaneers are expected to do just that Sunday after they reached the limit Saturday by removing 22 players from their roster.“We look at it (like a second draft),’’ Bucs coach Lovie Smith said of using waiver claims to fortify the roster. “And we’re almost on the clock on it, which is a good thing.’’Teams have until noon Sunday to put in a waiver claim on a player let go by another team. Teams can also begin signing players to their 10-man practice squads as soon as 1 p.m. Sunday.The latter is often a landing spot for prospects released during the roster reduction process, so several Bucs let go Saturday could be back with the team as soon as Sunday.Among those who could return after being let go are return specialist Kaelin Clay, the Bucs 2015 sixth-round draft pick, linebacker Josh Keyes and defensive tackle Caushaud Lyons.All three were among the players released by the Bucs on Saturday, when the team also placed two players — wide receiver Kenny Bell (hamstring) and defensive end Larry English (knee) on season-ending injured reserve.Others waived or released on Saturday were wide receiver Donteea Dye, offensive linemen Edawn Coughman and Garrett Gilkey (waived injured), defensive ends Ryan Delaire and Lawrence Sidbury, linebacker Josh Keyes, cornerbacks Jude Adjei-Barimah, Isaiah Frey.They joined a group of players released on Friday that included kickers Patrick Murray and Connor Barth, quarterback Seth Lobato, wide receiever Tavarres King, defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers, linebackers Larry Dean and Khaseem Greene and offensive lineman Patrick Omameh.The roster as it stands now, though, does not include cornerback Tim Jennings, who agreed to terms with the Bucs on Thursday. When Jennings signs the Bucs will have to make another move to accommodate him.One place where the Bucs may look for help is at defensive end, where the loss of English and injuries to Jacquies Smith (shoulder) and T.J. Fatinikun (unspecified) have cut into the team’s depth.“That’s why this weekend is so important,’’ Smith said. “We are first up (in the waiver claiming process). We are the first batter. We just have to be ready. But I feel like we know the group.“This is where we added Smith last year (after he was let go by Buffalo). And this year we found our punter (Jacob Schum) the week before the season. We are going to hope that momentum continues.’’Another spot the Bucs may look to add some depth is along the offensive line, which has also been hit by injuries, particularly at tackle, where projected starters Demar Dotson (knee) and Donovan Smith (ankle/foot) are both hobbling.It’s unlikely, though, that the Bucs will look to add any starters to their offensive line. Though that unit has struggled during the preseason, Smith said he’s confident in the group’s ability.“We feel good about it,’’ he said. “When we say “good about it,’’ you look at the whole body of work. I’ve seen young players take their first snap and I’ve seen them get better and better.“We have a very good game on record (against Cincinnati) where we saw what we could be. Now it’s about taking the next step, which is why I think this weekend (off) is important for guys.“If you look at the guys that we are going to go to bat with next week, especially some of our younger players, they’ve pretty much put in a college season with the amount of reps they’ve gotten.“That’s why I think it’s good to take a step back, refresh your mind and your body and get ready to go. You’ve made it to this point, now it’s on. So yes, we feel good about our offensive line.” [email protected]Twitter: @RCummingsTBO
