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Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Buccaneers C Ryan Jensen Not Likely To Be Ready For Regular Season?

August 14th, 2023 at 4:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this month, Ryan Jensen indicated he has healed in full after missing the entire 2022 regular season with a trio of ligament tears in his knee. The Buccaneers center has resumed individual work since then, but he has yet to take part in team drills.

Jensen – who declined to undergo surgery and returned in time for the postseason – has kept a part-time schedule so far as he slowly makes his way back to a full workload. Since he has been absent from regular practices, however, head coach Todd Bowles acknowledged that the Pro Bowler is not in consideration for Week 1 usage at this point.

“When we go into the season, I don’t think we’re going to have anybody if they haven’t practiced,” Bowles said (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, on Twitter). “You always prepare if somebody gets hurt or somebody’s gonna stay hurt, so we prepare that way every day so that hasn’t changed.”

When at full health, Jensen will be a critical member of the Buccaneers’ O-line, a unit which has seen a number of changes this offseason. The 32-year-old has been a dependable full-time starter since his arrival in free agency in 2018. A lengthy ramp-up period could be needed for Jensen to receive enough practice reps to be green-lit for a return to game action. With two years remaining on his contract at cap hits of $5.9MM and $17.3MM, a cautious approach from the team would come as no surprise.

With Jensen not in the picture (for the time being), Stroud notes that the Week 1 starting center competition will come down to Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett (Twitter link). The former started all 17 regular season games at center in Jensen’s absence last season, while the latter logged 10 starts at left guard. Bowles said a final decision on the matter will likely not be made until after the preseason has ended. By that point, it will be interesting to see how much progress Jensen will have made in his ongoing recovery process.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/23

August 12th, 2023 at 7:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hayes was signed one week ago as the Lions were dealing with injuries in the secondary, but he will now be on the lookout for another new team. The 25-year has appeared in 13 career regular season games while bouncing around the league.

The Raiders added one ex-Chiefs running back in Damien Williams yesterday, and they have done so again today. Thompson was part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2019, and remain with the Chiefs the following season. He made 31 combined regular and postseason appearances in Kansas City, but he has yet to see game action since 2020. Especially until Josh Jacobs returns to the Raiders, Thompson will aim to earn a depth role in the Vegas backfield.

Latest On Extension Talks Between Buccaneers, WR Mike Evans

August 8th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Adam La Rose

An extension for Mike Evans has been under consideration for much of the offseason in Tampa Bay, and finalizing one would prolong his tenure with the team and generate immediate salary cap benefits. Talks could produce an agreement in the near future.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that an extension for the Pro Bowl wideout could be worked out by the end of training camp. Doing so would be beneficial for team and player given the $23.69MM cap hit he is set to carry for the 2023 season. Mutual interest is believed to exist to strike a deal in this case, something Evans recently confirmed.

“Finishing my career with one team, that would be awesome to do that,” he said. “I’m sure they want that, and I want it as well. Hopefully we can get an extension. Would be good for both parties.”

Evans is entering his age-30 season, but his remarkable consistency makes him a logical candidate for another new deal. The former first-rounder’s five-year, $82.5MM pact proved to be a worthwhile investment as Evans continued his career-long streak of recording 1,000 or more yards in each campaign. Flattening out his 2023 cap hit while ensuring he will remain with the Buccaneers as they begin the post-Tom Brady era at quarterback would provide stability for the transitioning team.

Still, Tampa already has one $20MM-per-year commitment at the WR spot with Chris Godwin; no team has two such deals at the position. Any Evans extension would also eat into the more than $27MM in cap space Tampa is currently scheduled to have next year, spending power which will be welcomed after dealing with a league-leading $75MM in dead money this season.

For the time being, at least, Evans will be counted on as a focal point of the Buccaneers’ offense as the team sorts out its situation under center. It remains unclear whether Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask will earn the Week 1 starting job, but either passer will no doubt lean heavily on Evans during the season. Whether the latter has a new deal in place by the start of the campaign will be a key storyline to follow in the coming days and weeks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/23

August 7th, 2023 at 8:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OL LaColby Tucker
  • Activated from active/PUP list: DL Calais Campbell
  • Waived: DL Matthew Gotel

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Placed on IR: DT Devonnsha Maxwell

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived: OL Trevor Reid

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: LB Jordan Ferguson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Streveler is currently dealing with an injury, ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweets. The Jets used Streveler as their top backup QB to close last season, inserting him into a Week 16 game ahead of Joe Flacco. Streveler stuck around via reserve/futures contract in January. But the Jets have since traded for Aaron Rodgers and signed Tim Boyle, marking a new era at quarterback. With Zach Wilson still around, the team does not appear to have any room — potentially even on the practice squad — for Streveler, who has played for the Jets and Cardinals in a three-year NFL career.

Apke has been with Washington since being chosen in the 2018 fourth round. He re-signed with the team in 2022 and stayed via reserve/futures contract in January. A shoulder injury, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, will move Apke to IR, which will end his chances of playing a sixth season with the Commanders this year. Kalu started five games for the Titans last season, playing 494 defensive snaps. Over his first three seasons, Kalu had never cleared the 100-snap barrier on defense.

Schoonmaker suffered a foot injury, a plantar fascia tear, during his final year at Michigan. The Cowboys’ top post-Dalton Schultz tight end investment will aim to make a push for a regular role to begin the season.

The Dolphins made Blackman part of their UDFA class this year. The former Florida State starter spent six years in college, finishing up with Arkansas State. The Dolphins swapped out Teddy Bridgewater for Mike White this offseason, but Skylar Thompson has made a push to be Tua Tagovailoa‘s backup. Regardless of that competition’s outcome, Blackman’s ceiling appeared to be practice squad QB in Miami. But the Dolphins may be looking into outside help for that developmental role — provided the team plans on stashing a fourth passer on its taxi squad.

LB Devin White Addresses Trade Request, Buccaneers Future

August 7th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

After failing to work out an extension this offseason, Devin White requested a trade from the Buccaneers. When addressing the media for the first time since then, the linebacker confirmed he has reversed course on that front and hopes to remain in Tampa Bay for the long haul.

The Buccaneers, to no surprise, made it clear they would not entertain offers for the former fifth overall pick, though not much of a trade market is believed to have emerged. Contract talks were at the heart of White’s impasse with Tampa, with the 25-year-old thought to be seeking an extension which would place him in the top five amongst inside linebackers in terms of annual compensation.

White arrived at Buccaneers minicamp, but did not participate. He is now slated to move forward with training camp practices despite not having in deal in place, however. The LSU alum is slated to earn $11.7MM in 2023 on the fifth-year option, but his future beyond this season is up in the air.

“I just wanted to be the guy here for a long time,” White said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “After really just sitting down with Coach [Todd] Bowles and [GM] Jason Licht and just understanding their plan for me, what they’ve got in play and coming up with something with those guys and seeing how I could be better. And moving forward, I think we all came to a good agreement, and that’s why I’m here, just focusing on the season now.”

White’s trade request was a key talking point during a Bucs offseason in which the team was faced with retaining as many incumbents as possible (especially on defense) despite being in a financial bind. Fellow inside linebacker Lavonte David was re-upped on a one-year deal, and White named the former All-Pro as an example he would like to follow over the course of a lengthy tenure in Tampa Bay.

“I don’t think there’s any regret, and I don’t think it’s just about being paid,” the latter said when asked about his handling of the trade request. “I just want to be a long-term guy, you know? I just want to be a guy like Lavonte. He’s been here forever. I wanted to be that next guy. And, you know, we just didn’t make it happen when I wanted to, and that’s why I kind of got a little selfish, even though I knew I still have the option that was sitting in place.”

White – who has filled the statsheet during his career but drawn underwhelming reviews in terms of advanced metrics – will be counted on as a key member of a Buccaneers team which will likely need to lean heavily on its defense to have success in 2023. With his trade request now in the rearview, team and player will attempt to move forward and find a long-term contract resolution down the road.

Latest On Bucs C Ryan Jensen

August 6th, 2023 at 8:12am CST by Rory Parks

The top two quarterbacks on the Buccaneers’ depth chart, Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, are currently splitting first-team reps in training camp. Without Tom Brady in the picture, expectations are very different in Tampa this season, though whichever QB wins the starting job will at least have a Pro Bowl center snapping them the ball.

Ryan Jensen, who earned Pro Bowl acclaim in 2021, suffered a major knee injury in last year’s training camp, and it was later revealed that he sustained full tears of his MCL and PCL and a partial tear of his ACL, along with meniscus damage. Although he considered retirement — he had taken out a $5MM insurance policy in the event of a career-ending injury — a stem cell treatement in Antigua allowed him to continue his playing career.

He was also able to avoid surgery, and despite missing all of the regular season in 2022, he returned to play every snap of the Bucs’ playoff loss to the Cowboys in January. However, as detailed by ESPN’s Jenna Laine, Jensen was not at full strength in that game; after all, his original projected return date was September 2023. Luckily, he did not sustain any further knee damage, and he indicated that he is now fully healthy.

“I’m feeling good. Ligaments are healthy and healed and I’m just ready to keep rolling,” Jensen said. “It’s somewhat no different than when you get a surgery done on it. All those ligaments scar in and thicken up and get strength again. … The biggest thing for me is just going to work — going to work every day and attacking something that you’re passionate about.”

Jensen, 32, is an active participant in practice, though he does not take part in every practice period and receives full days off as he and the club endeavor to maintain strength and stability in his knee. If the Bucs are to remain competitive in 2023, which many are viewing as a transition year and not a year in which the playoffs are a realistic goal, they will need to keep Jensen healthy.

Tristan Wirfs is shifting from right tackle to left tackle, free agent acquisition Matt Feiler is penciled in at left guard, rookie Cody Mauch is set to start at right guard, and 2022 second-rounder Luke Goedeke is at the top of the RT depth chart despite playing only 55 snaps there last season. As such, Jensen will be anchoring the O-line in more ways than one, and Tampa Bay hopes that his return will bolster a running game that was the worst in the league in 2022 while keeping Mayfield and/or Trask upright long enough to take advantage of the team’s still-considerable receiving talent.

Jensen is under contract through 2024 thanks to the three-year deal he signed last March, when the Bucs were gearing up for another championship push with Brady at the helm.

Buccaneers QBs Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask Splitting First-Team Reps

August 4th, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers are continuing the evaluation process of their quarterback competition, one which has not been met with much fanfare considering the pedigree of Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask compared to predecessor Tom Brady. Both of the candidates are receiving considerable looks with the first-team offense.

Tamp Bay is alternating Mayfield and Trask with the starters and backups during practice, as noted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Head coach Todd Bowles has, understandably, not been in a hurry to name a starter during the offseason with plenty of time remaining for one signal-caller to outperform the other. Trask said that he feels “the most ready” he has been to date in his NFL career, one which started in 2021 but has seen him attempt only nine regular season passes.

The former second-rounder has been pegged as the underdog in the competition so far, with Mayfield holding a substantial edge in experience and familiarity with the type of scheme being implemented by new offensive coordinator Dave Canales. A strong recent showing from Trask with respect to ball security, however, has helped him gain ground, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports.

A plan for how the pair will be used in preseason has yet to be sorted out, but exhibition games will obviously go a long way in determining whether Mayfield or Trask will get the nod for Week 1. The former acknowledged that earning a starting gig is nothing new to him, having had to supplant an incumbent at both the college and NFL levels. The Heisman winner and former No. 1 pick has not seen his pro career go according to plan, though, giving him signficant impetus to succeed with his fourth NFL team.

Mayfield signed a one-year, $4MM deal to compete for the starting gig after seeing his Panthers tenure flame out and serving as a Rams fill-in to close out the 2022 season. Winning the top job and delivering an encouraging performance would boost the 28-year-old’s value either on a new Tampa contract or on the open market next offseason. Plenty is yet to be determined ahead of the Buccaneers’ preseason opener next week, however.

“It’s been tight and that’s a good thing,” Bowles said of the competition, via Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times. “Obviously, you want players to compete for a spot. You don’t want anybody getting their spot. You want to earn your spot year to year. Both guys are having healthy competition. We’re just looking forward to the game.”

With neither passer standing out above the other so far, the situation in Tampa Bay will be worth watching through August. Considering the equal opportunities being given to each, a final decision on a regular season starter should not be expected for several weeks.

DB Rumors: Elam, Panthers, Bolts, Bucs

August 2nd, 2023 at 10:28am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills have hoped to plug Kaiir Elam into their starting lineup opposite Tre’Davious White, but the 2022 first-rounder remains in a position battle. Elam is battling 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford and veteran Dane Jackson for the boundary job opposite White, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Elam played 477 defensive snaps as a rookie, but even as White did not debut until Thanksgiving, the younger Buffalo Round 1 corner only started six games. Benford started five of the nine he played, while Jackson led Bills corners with 14 first-string appearances in 2022. The Bills would clearly prefer Elam seize the role, but for now, the Washington product has not distinguished himself as a surefire starter.

Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:

  • Asante Samuel Jr. resides in a similar boat, needing to fend off a lower-profile challenger. Thus far, it appears Samuel has fallen behind Ja’Sir Taylor for the Chargers‘ slot cornerback role. As it appeared in June, Taylor looks to be the favorite to open the season as the Bolts’ slot player, Daniel Popper of The Athletic notes. Samuel’s shaky run defense has concerned the Bolts, per Popper, with Taylor — a 2022 sixth-round pick — seeing time ahead of the second-generation pro as an outside corner last year due to tackling ability. With primary 2022 slot defender Bryce Callahan unsigned, Taylor and Samuel are battling for the position. Despite Samuel’s experience (27 starts) and draft pedigree (Round 2), he may well open the season as the top backup behind a Taylor-J.C. Jackson–Michael Davis trio. Having Samuel as a depth piece would certainly benefit the Chargers, with Jackson attempting to come back from a ruptured patellar tendon.
  • The Panthers have played without first-round pick Jaycee Horn for extended stretches, and the 2021 top-10 pick spent time rehabbing another injury this offseason. Horn did not say how he injured his foot this spring, but he is 100% early in Panthers camp. Ditto Donte Jackson, who missed eight games last season due to an Achilles tear. Both starting corners have received full clearance, GM Scott Fitterer said recently.
  • Although the Buccaneers have re-signed Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean in free agency over the past two years, they let Sean Murphy-Bunting leave in March. Murphy-Bunting, who had spent time in the slot in Tampa Bay, left for Tennessee. The Bucs are holding an expansive slot competition in training camp. Zyon McCollum, Dee Delaney, Josh Hayes, Christian Izien and Anthony Chesley are all vying for the gig, Todd Bowles said (via Buccaneers.com’s Brianna Dix and Scott Smith). Delaney and Chesley have both bounced around the league, while Hayes and Izien are rookies. Some of these players will not end up on the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but it is interesting to see a five-man competition for this role. A 2022 fifth-round pick who played 277 defensive snaps last year, McCollum may have the lead here. Bowles expects the second-year cover man to play a big role in the nickel spot, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

Bucs Eyeing Antoine Winfield Jr. Extension

August 1st, 2023 at 9:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tristan Wirfs resides as the Buccaneers’ top extension candidate from the 2020 draft, but the rookie class that played a key role in the team winning a second championship includes another such priority.

A new deal for Antoine Winfield Jr. is on the Bucs’ radar as well, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. While Wirfs is tied to Tampa Bay through 2024 via the fifth-year option, Winfield is going into a contract year.

[RELATED: Bucs Restructure Winfield’s Rookie Deal]

Winfield, who will turn 25 later this month, is one of the NFL’s best young safeties. Pro Football Focus has graded the second-generation NFL DB as a top-10 safety in each of the past two seasons. As the Bucs’ offense cratered last year, its defense submitted respectable numbers (13th in points allowed, ninth in yards, 13th in DVOA). Winfield represented a big reason for the unit staying afloat, and he is now extension-eligible.

The top of the safety market ballooned toward $20MM per year last summer, with Minkah Fitzpatrick and then Derwin James topping Jamal Adams‘ record-setting AAV. James’ $19MM average leads the way. Winfield may not be a candidate to top James, but he should certainly be in the mix to land an extension near the top tier.

The Falcons just gave Jessie Bates a four-year, $64MM accord; that sits fourth at the position. Granted, that came on the open market, and other safeties did not do nearly as well in free agency this year. But at 25, Winfield should be going into his prime. That should make this a costly payment for a Bucs team that already has a number of pricey deals on defense — from Carlton Davis to Jamel Dean to Vita Vea to Shaquil Barrett. Reporting to training camp months after requesting a trade, Devin White sits in limbo entering his fifth-year option season.

Tampa Bay has managed to lock down its cornerstone defensive backs at manageable rates in recent years. Davis and Dean hit free agency, but neither cornerback secured a deal north of $15MM per year. Despite being more than $50MM over the cap at one point this winter, the Bucs re-signed Dean on a four-year, $52MM deal. Davis agreed to terms on a three-year, $44.5MM accord in March 2022.

With Tom Brady‘s void money coming off the books after this year and no franchise-QB salary on the Bucs’ books, money should be available for a player like Winfield, whom Fowler adds could be a candidate to be extended before the season starts. That would be a different approach compared to how the Bucs played it with Davis and Dean. But Winfield appears a priority for a team that, despite Brady’s retirement, still has several Super Bowl LV starters under contract.

Injury Notes: Zylstra, Cowboys, Giants, Kancey

July 31st, 2023 at 9:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Shane Zylstra will likely miss the upcoming season thanks to a knee injury. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Lions tight end suffered a “serious and significant” knee injury that will keep him off the field for six months.

Rapoport notes that Zylstra is set to undergo more tests “but there isn’t a lot of optimism.” As Justin Rogers of the Detroit News tweets, the tight end suffered the injury while taking a “low shot” during a red zone drill.

Zylstra emerged as one of Jared Goff‘s favorite red zone targets in 2022. The tight end finished the season with only 11 catches for 60 yards, but four of those receptions were touchdowns. The Minnesota State product had another three catches during his rookie campaign.

Fortunately for Detroit, the team has some depth at tight end. The organization used a second-round pick on Sam LaPorta, and the rookie is expected to slide right into the starting lineup. The team is also rostering the likes of Brock Wright, James Mitchell, and Derrick Deese.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • A bruised toe has kept Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs off the practice field, Mike McCarthy told reporters (via Jon Machota of The Athletic on Twitter). The injury isn’t serious, and it sounds like the coaching staff is simply playing it safe with the star defender. Elsewhere in Dallas, tight end Luke Schoonmaker revealed that he’s dealing with a partial tear of his plantar fascia (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter). The rookie said the injury is more challenging to deal with than a complete tear, but the player is still hopeful he’ll be able to return to the practice field in a week or two.
  • It sounds like Giants backup offensive lineman J.C. Hassenauer is set to miss a significant chunk of the upcoming season, if not the entire campaign. Coach Brian Daboll told reporters that Hassenauer injured his triceps and will require surgery (via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News on Twitter). The lineman is expected to be sidelined “long term.” Second-round rookie John Michael Schmitz is expected to lead the depth chart, but Hassenauer’s injury could open opportunities for Jack Anderson and Shane Lemieux.
  • There was a scare at Buccaneers practice today when first-round defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was carted off the field with a leg injury. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that an MRI showed nothing serious, but the Buccaneers may still take it easy on the rookie so he’s ready to go for the start of the season. Per ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the Buccaneers organization had been thrilled with Kancey’s preparation for his first professional season. “He’s adapting to the scheme mentally, and then he was adding his physical part to it,” coach Todd Bowles said (via Laine). “He’s putting it together quicker than normal rookies do. So hopefully it’s not that bad and he can get back.”
  • Texans fullback Troy Hairston was carted off the field today with an undisclosed injury, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston (via Twitter). The former edge rusher went undrafted out of Central Michigan last year but caught on with the Texans. He changed positions to fullback and beat out Andy Janovich for the starting gig, resulting in Hairston getting into 16 games for the Texans last season.
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