As is often the case, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' "final" roster on Saturday was only final for about 24 hours. With hundreds of players coursing through the waiver wires on this most active of NFL weekends, it's more common than not for teams to tweak the last couple spots on the roster.
The Buccaneers did so on Sunday, claiming offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey off waivers from the Cleveland Browns and waiving offensive lineman Josh Allen. An undrafted rookie out of Louisiana-Monroe, Allen was one of the surprises on the first 53-man roster that resulted from the team's final cuts on Saturday.
Gilkey (6-6, 315) was a seventh-round pick by the Browns in 2013 and he made the active roster as a rookie. He eventually appeared in six games, starting the season finale at Pittsburgh at left guard. Cleveland made Gilkey the 227th overall pick in the 2013 draft after a collegiate career at Chadron State in which he appeared in 37 games with 34 starts. Gilkey played left tackle for the Eagles and also spent some time on the school's basketball squad, suggesting some versatility that could serve the Bucs well.
Gilkey was one of only three Division II players to be invited to the Senior Bowl in 2013 and he was also just the third player ever drafted out of Chadron State, which is located in Nebraska's panhandle. He spent his NFL rookie season under the tutelage of George Warhop, who is now the Buccaneers' offensive line coach.
The Buccaneers also signed six players to their initial practice squad on Sunday. They have four more spots to fill and will likely do so quickly, with practice for the regular-season opener against Carolina due to begin on Monday.
