With minor injuries unsurprisingly thinning the ranks at the offensive skill positions a week into an intense training camp, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a pair of moves to shore up the running back and receiver rooms on Thursday morning. The Buccaneers signed rookie wide receiver Jaden Smith and second-year running back Owen Wright; to make room on the 91-man camp roster, the waived safety Marcus Banks and running back D.J. Williams.
Smith took part in the Bucs' rookie minicamp in May on a tryout contract. He finished his collegiate career at Nevada in 2024 after previous stops at Montana State and Tarleton State. In 45 total games with those three programs, he caught 138 passes for 2,100 yards and 20 touchdowns. After setting career highs with 62 catches and 849 yards last year, Smith earned All-Mountain West Conference honorable mention honors.
Wright played his college ball at William and Mary and Monmouth, and first entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He spent his rookie season on Baltimore's practice squad but did get elevated for one game in October, seeing action on special teams. He suffered a foot fracture in training camp last year and spent his second season on injured reserve. In 45 collegiate games, Wright ran 355 times for 1,403 yards and 23 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association choice in 2022.
Banks signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in 2024 and spent all of last season on the team's practice squad. Williams was also a rookie free agent signee in 2024 after playing his college ball at Arizona, and he too was on the practice squad for all of last season. He was elevated from the practice squad for one game during the regular season and recorded two kickoff returns for 54 yards.
