Cornerback Myron Lewis became the 11th player on Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2012 injured reserve list when the team made that move during another round of roster transaction on Monday. Lewis suffered a torn hamstring while covering a punt during Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Buccaneers quickly made use of the vacated roster spot, claiming rookie guard Hayworth Hicks off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs. Finally, the Bucs waived wide receiver David Gilreath, who had been with the team for two weeks after being claimed off waivers on November 27. Gilreath was inactive for each of the last two games. The combined moves leave Tampa Bay with one open spot on the 53-man roster, which will likely be filled before the team begins practicing on Wednesday.
Lewis, a third-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt in 2010, played in nine of the Bucs' first 12 games this year, primarily on special teams. He recorded his third kick-coverage stop of the season in Sunday's game against the Eagles, and has also contributed three tackles on defense. In three seasons, he has appeared in 29 games with one start and recorded 17 tackles, four passes defensed and five stops on special teams.
The 6-3, 336-pound Hicks will find a friend in the Buccaneers' locker room, as both he and cornerback Leonard Johnson entered the NFL as undrafted free agents out of Iowa State this past spring. Johnson has spent his entire rookie season with the Buccaneers and is now the team's starting right cornerback, while Hicks started out in Indianapolis and has since seen time with the New York Jets and the Chiefs.
Hicks started his rookie season on the Colts' practice squad but was signed off that crew directly to the Jets' active roster on November 11. The Jets waived him on November 27 and he was immediately claimed by the Chiefs, who then put him back on waivers this past Saturday.
A second-team All-Big 12 selection by conference coaches in 2011, Hicks manned the right guard spot for the Cyclones last fall and started his last 24 games with the team. He hails from Los Angeles.
