HEADLINES

Kaevon Merriweather

Buccaneers Add S Ryan Neal To Practice Squad

December 3rd, 2024 at 8:14pm CST by Ben Levine

After sitting out the first chunk of the 2024 campaign, Ryan Neal has landed with a playoff contender for the stretch run of the season. The veteran safety is signing with the Buccaneers, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. It will be a practice squad gig for Neal.

[RELATED: Buccaneers Place Jordan Whitehead On IR]

This is a reunion for the two sides, as Neal spent the 2023 campaign in Tampa Bay. The veteran ended up starting 13 of his 15 appearances, compiling 76 total tackles. Pro Football Focus wasn’t especially fond of his performance, grading him as one of the worst safeties in the NFL. As a result of the poor showing, Neal found himself unsigned for the first three months of this season.

Now, Neal could look to revive his career in the same spot. The Buccaneers have lost some significant depth at the safety position over the past week. Jordan Whitehead landed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury ahead of Week 13, and fill-in Mike Edwards proceeded to suffer a knee injury in that contest. With Tykee Smith also nursing a lingering knee injury, the Buccaneers entered the day with only Christian Izien and Antoine Winfield Jr. as healthy options in their safeties room.

So, the team has reunited with a pair of old friends. In addition to Neal, the team also snagged Kaevon Merriweather off the Lions practice squad today. The former UDFA spent the first year-plus of his career in Tampa Bay, collecting 24 tackles in 25 games. After seeing a lesser role on defense as a sophomore, the safety was waived by the Buccaneers a few weeks ago. He subsequently landed on Detroit’s taxi squad, but Tampa Bay’s sudden need for depth has landed him back on the Buccaneers’ active roster.

Considering Merriweather started the 2024 season in Tampa Bay, he may be ahead of Neal on the current depth chart. However, the veteran acquisition has shown some ability to be a starting-caliber defensive back. He had a consistent role in Seattle between 2020 and 2022, appearing in 43 games. That included a 2022 campaign where he started 10 games while collecting 66 tackles, one interception, and eight passes defended.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/24

December 3rd, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Sincere McCormick has seen a larger role in recent weeks as a practice squad elevation, and now the running back will be secured to the Raiders active roster. After spending the past few years hanging around the organization, the former UDFA finally made his NFL debut earlier this season. With the Raiders dealing with a depleted RB room in recent weeks, McCormick has seen an uptick in snaps, culminating in him collecting 65 yards from scrimmage on Black Friday.

Julius Wood has been hit with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The safety will now be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 campaign and one game in 2025. The undrafted rookie has appeared in nine games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/20/24

November 20th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/24

November 18th, 2024 at 6:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived from IR: LB Deion Jennings

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

MarShawn Lloyd‘s path back to the Packers active roster has taken an unusual turn. The rookie third-round pick landed on IR in September with an ankle injury. He returned to practice last week but suffered appendicitis only a few days later, putting his activation within the 21-day window in doubt.

Worried that Lloyd wouldn’t be ready to play by his early-December activation deadline, the Packers consulted with the NFL about the best route forward (per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). That ultimately led to today’s transaction, which is only the start of several transactional machinations. As Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes, Lloyd will temporarily join the active roster before landing on the non-football injury list. That means he won’t count against the team’s roster limit until he’s healthy enough to return to the field.

Lloyd doesn’t have a return timetable from this recent setback. While the rookie entered the year as the hopeful RB2 behind Josh Jacobs, there’s a good chance he’ll also behind Emanuel Wilson for the stretch run of the season.

Buccaneers Announce 19-Man UDFA Class

May 14th, 2023 at 8:58pm CST by Ely Allen

After selecting eight rookies in the 2023 draft, the Buccaneers added 19 undrafted rookie free agents. Here is the list:

Brown was an absolute animal for the Division-II Rams this season, piling up 1,864 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns as well as 589 receiving yards for five touchdowns on 56 receptions. He and Tucker, who scored 23 rushing touchdowns in the last two years for the Orange, are the only rookie additions to a Tampa Bay running backs room that’s looking for someone to take over.

With only six receivers on the roster following the draft, the Buccaneers added several here. Miller caught 12 touchdowns last year for the Paladins as an FCS All-American. Warner is the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.

On the offensive line, Haggard and O’Neal join as true left tackles with each starting over 20 games at their respective institutions. Dzansi provides some unique versatility having played all the guard and tackle spots on both the left and right sides of the ball for the Hokies. Murray provides some versatility, as well, having experience at both guard and center.

Banks provides some young depth at inside linebacker after having led the Volunteer defense in tackles last season. Bouyer-Randle and Mbanasor, both former Texas Tech transfers, provide some well-rounded depth at the outside linebacker spots. At safety, Merriweather was a second-team All-American after a stellar senior year with the Hawkeyes.

The Buccaneers also added some potential competition for long snapper Zach Triner, the team’s starter at the position for the past four years. Deckers served as the Blue Devils long snapper as a grad transfer after four years at UMass. He’ll battle with Triner for a starting job this summer.