The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have finalized their roster to meet the 53-player limit by Tuesday’s deadline, but the process was anything but easy. Like many teams, Tampa Bay faced tough decisions due to the depth and talent discovered during training camp and preseason games. According to head coach Todd Bowles, the most challenging choices involved balancing positions, particularly when weighing the value of an additional outside linebacker against a sixth wide receiver.
Bowles emphasized the difficulty of finding quality pass rushers in the league, which led the Bucs to prioritize keeping a strong group of outside linebackers. As a result, the team chose to retain six players in that position: YaYa Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, Chris Braswell, Markees Watts, and Jose Ramirez. Both Diaby and Tryon-Shoyinka impressed during camp, despite dealing with injuries, while Nelson brings valuable experience to the unit. Braswell, a promising second-round rookie, and Watts and Ramirez, who both excelled in the preseason, round out the group. Ramirez, in particular, stood out with three sacks in the team’s second preseason game.
While Bowles didn’t name those who didn’t make the cut, it’s clear the team opted for one more outside linebacker over an additional wide receiver. The final roster at wide receiver includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, and Kam Johnson. Notably, Sterling Shepard was left off the final roster.
Despite Shepard’s absence, the Buccaneers’ receiving corps remains potent, set to power the team’s new-look offense. However, with Diaby and Tryon-Shoyinka’s injury concerns, the depth at outside linebacker was deemed a more urgent need, with the added pass-rushing depth likely to be crucial throughout the season, beyond just injury relief.
