The Buccaneers have officially released four players from their roster, reports Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). According to Smith, the club has cut quarterback Jordan Rodgers, running back Michael Hill, offensive tackle Gabe Carimi, and defensive tackle Derek Landri.
Carimi and Landri each had one year remaining on their respective deals, and had been set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2015. Rodgers and Hill would have been ticketed for 2016 free agency, though neither would’ve been fully unrestricted by that point. While Rodgers and Hill were on minimum-salary contracts, Carimi and Landri had been set to earn about $1.34MM and $1.5MM respectively, so Tampa Bay will save a little cap room by cutting them. None of the four players will represent any dead money for 2014.
While Rodgers didn’t play for the Bucs in 2013 and Hill earned just nine carries in limited action, Carimi and Landri both started games for the club. However, neither player was expected to have a significant role with the team going forward.
Rodgers is the brother of Packers star Aaron Rodgers, while Carimi was a former first-round pick by the Bears.