Just about a week after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released wide receiver Devin Thompkins, they signed former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cody Thompson on June 5.
Equity Sports, Thompson’s agency, announced the signing on social media. Thompson has moved between NFL practice squads since 2019, once playing under former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales with the Seahawks.
Thompson, an undrafted free agent in 2019, initially signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and spent time on their practice squad. He also had stints with the Cincinnati Bengals and Seahawks that year. From 2020 to 2023, Thompson mainly stayed with the Seahawks, appearing in 12 regular season games and contributing on special teams with a fumble recovery and three tackles.
Cody Thompson Could Secure a Spot Through Special Teams, Though It’s Not Guaranteed
Thompson’s experience on special teams could help him make the Buccaneers roster. In 2022, head coach Todd Bowles cut Tyler Johnson, the most statistically productive receiver in the preseason, because he didn’t play special teams.
However, Thompson’s path to the roster remains challenging. The Buccaneers recently released Thompkins on May 30, who had been returning kicks and punts in addition to catching passes over the past two years.
“We’ve got a lot of competition come training camp,” Bowles said on June 4 regarding the receiver competition. “We’ve got some guys that are going to surprise people. I’m looking forward to seeing them in pads. We’re excited to see where it goes.”
As a receiver, Thompson had a successful college career at Toledo with 181 catches for 3,312 yards and 11 touchdowns from 2016 to 2018. In the NFL, he has one career reception, which occurred last season during his seven games played.
Cody Thompson Faces Tough Competition with the Buccaneers
The top four receiver spots on the Buccaneers roster seem secure with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, and Trey Palmer. Evans has ten consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and Godwin has three straight. Palmer showed promise as a rookie with three touchdowns, and the Buccaneers drafted McMillan in the third round this year.
“Jalen’s got such a natural feel as a receiver. He’s extremely smooth, one of those guys that doesn’t look like he’s covering a lot of ground because it looks effortless, but he really is,” Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said on June 4. “He can run every route in the tree and has strong hands at the point of attack – he always goes after the ball in the air, which is great to see in a young player.”
Additionally, Rakim Jarrett impressed enough as a rookie to earn regular season snaps. Ryan Miller, Cephus Johnson III, and Raleigh Webb competed on the practice squad last season. The Buccaneers also signed undrafted free agents Kameron Johnson, Latreal Jones, and Tanner Knue this offseason.
