Rookie long-snapper Ryan Benjamin, the first USF player ever signed by Tampa Bay, was released on Thursday
On Thursday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the release of rookie long-snapper Ryan Benjamin, a graduate of the University of South Florida.
Benjamin (6-2, 240) originally signed with the Bucs on April 23, one day after the draft, along with 18 other undrafted rookie free agents to join the squad that week. He became the first USF player ever to appear on Tampa Bay's roster. He was also the only player listed specifically as a long-snapper among the team's 89 players before this week.
On Monday, the team signed two players, including another long-snapper in former Kansas Jayhawk Sean McDermott. Though he has not played in the NFL since finishing his college career in 1999, the 6-4, 250-pound McDermott handled the long-snapping duties at Kansas for four seasons after originally joining the team as a walk-on.
The release of Benjamin puts the Buccaneers' roster at 88 players, though April's draft picks remain unsigned.
NFL teams are allowed to take 80 signed players to training camp plus additional players in a number equal to however many roster exemptions the club earns from its players participating in the NFL Europe League season. The Bucs could earn up to eight exemptions this year.
