The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tweaked their 53-man roster again on Monday, continuing a process that began on Friday with the league-wide "final cuts" before the regular season. As they opened their week of practice leading up to Sunday's season-opener against Carolina, the Buccaneers re-signed veteran defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry and waived guard Julian Vandervelde.
Gilberry first joined the Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent in June after spending his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was initially among the 53 players that remained on Tampa Bay's roster after Friday's cuts, but he was then waived on Saturday when the team claimed three other players off waivers. Gilberry's return helps restore some depth to the team's defensive line, and he is capable of filling in at either end or tackle.
Gilberry appeared in all four of the Buccaneers' preseason games in August, starting the finale at Washington at right end. He pitched in with four tackles and a quarterback pressure.
The 6-2, 268-Gilberry played in 53 games during his time in Kansas City, including all 48 the past three seasons, starting three times. During that span he contributed 46 tackles, 14.0 sacks, five passes defensed, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His most productive campaign was 2010, when he finished second on the team with 7.0 sacks despite making only two starts. Gilberry started his 2008 rookie season on the Giants' practice squad after signing with New York as an undrafted free agent, but he was signed off that crew to the Chiefs' active roster in November, after which he saw action in five games.
Last year, Gilberry played in all 16 games for the Chiefs and contributed 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three passes defensed. A native of Bay Minette, Alabama, Gilberry played his college ball at the University of Alabama, appearing in 50 games and recording 188 tackles, 60.5 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks.
Vandervelde was one of those three players claimed by the Buccaneers on Saturday after he was waived by Philadelphia. He was a fifth-round pick by the Eagles out of Iowa in 2011 and he appeared in one game during the regular season as a rookie.
