DE Maurice Evans practiced with the Buccaneers during the first week of the regular season but was inactive for the season opener against Dallas
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers want another look at Maurice Evans.
Evans originally joined the Buccaneers on September 6 as a waiver claim from the New York Giants. He spent one week with the team and was then waived on September 14, shortly before the Buccaneers added another free agent end in former Denver Bronco Tim Crowder.
On Wednesday, the team announced the re-signing of Evans, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Giants this past offseason. The Buccaneers did not have to clear a space on the 53-man roster, having released cornerback Marcus Hamilton on Monday.
The Bucs released Hamilton on the same day that safety Tanard Jackson returned to the team from his four-game suspension. However, Jackson does not yet count against the active roster limit, as he has been given a one-game roster exemption from the commissioner. Jackson may practice with the team with the exemption still in place; however, if the Buccaneers want him to play in Sunday's game at Philadelphia, the exemption will have to be lifted before then. When and if that exemption is lifted, Jackson will count against the 53-man roster and another player will have to be released.
The 6-2, 264-pound Evans is a speedy edge rusher who had a 12.5-sack season at Penn State in 2007. He was a finalist for the NCAA's Ted Hendricks Award that year after also recording 54 tackles and five forced fumbles, but he opened the following season on a suspension and finished 2008 with just three sacks. Evans declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season but was not selected.
Evans was on the Buccaneers' roster for the season opener against Dallas but was declared one of the team's eight gameday inactives.
Both Jackson and Evans will be on the practice field when the Buccaneers begin their on-field preparations for the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday afternoon.
