The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced 38 roster moves on Sunday, in the process trimming their numbers to the regular-season limit of 53 players before the 6:00 p.m. ET deadline. That included 33 players who were waived and are now subject to waiver claims over the next 24 hours. The Bucs also terminated three vested veterans; they are not subject to waivers and immediately become free agents.
Of the 33 waived players, three had an injury designation and would revert to the Buccaneers' injured reserve list if they are not claimed. Typically, those players then work out injury settlements with the team to become free agents. The Buccaneers used their maximum two options to place players on the injured reserve list at the time of the cuts and have them be eligible to return during the regular season after missing at least four games, choosing that route with cornerback Josh Hayes and wide receiver David Sills V.
Among the Buccaneers' cuts on Sunday were quarterbacks Jake Browning and Connor Bazelak, leaving rookie Jalon Daniels as the only active backup to starter Baker Mayfield. The Buccaneers also waived three members of their 2024 draft class in outside linebacker Chris Braswell, guard Elijah Klein and tight end Devin Culp. All seven members of this year's draft class were retained on the first 53-man roster.
Here are all the moves Tampa Bay made on Sunday to get their roster from 91 down to 53 active spots:
WAIVED (30):
• QB Connor Bazelak
• OLB Chris Braswell
• LB John Bullock
• TE Devin Culp
• TE Kenny Fletcher Jr.
• T Marshall Foerner
• DL Josiah Green
• WR Garrett Greene
• WR Matthew Henry
• OLB Yasir Holmes
• G Nash Hutmacher
• WR Jha'Quan Jackson
• LB Nick Jackson
• DL Jayson Jones
• G Elijah Klein
• RB Barika Kpeenu
• G Henry Lutovsky
• S Robert McDaniel
• CB Roman Parodie
• WR Dean Patterson IV
• K B.T. Potter
• OLB Jack Pyburn
• WR Eric Rivers Jr.
• S J.J. Roberts
• T Paul Rubelt
• C Ben Scott
• DL Travis Shaw
• RB Josh Williams
• S Rashad Wisdom
• LB Javin Wright
WAIVED/INJURED (3):
• OLB Mohamed Kamara
• CB Pepe Williams
• S Xavier Williams
TERMINATED CONTRACT (vested veterans) (3):
• QB Jake Browning
• LS Scott Daly
• S Ifeatu Melifonwu
PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE (eligible to return) (2):
• CB Josh Hayes
• WR David Sills V
Many of the players the Bucs put on waivers will be prime candidates to return to the team's practice squad if they are not claimed by another team. NFL practice squads can accommodate a lot of returning players with 16 spots; in the Bucs' case specifically, they can carry 17 players on the practice squad this season if they bring back tackle Paul Rubelt, a German native who carries a roster exemption thanks to the International Players Pathway program.
As has been the case the past three seasons, game-day elevation options allows the team to utilize those players frequently throughout the season. Though some of those spots could be filled by players from other teams, the Buccaneers' initial practice squad of the season is usually made up largely of players the team cut the day before.
