TAMPA — Undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels has turned what looked like a settled backup competition into a genuine roster battle heading into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ preseason finale Friday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
Daniels has led a pair of game-winning rallies and a total of five scoring drives through two preseason games, raising the question of whether he could challenge veteran Jake Browning for the primary backup role behind Baker Mayfield. Head Coach Todd Bowles recently said the competition has been and remains open. Browning, who has 10 career regular-season starts and kept the Cincinnati Bengals afloat during a seven-game Joe Burrow absence in 2023, was signed specifically for that starting experience — something the Bucs lacked behind Mayfield.
The quarterback decision is one of five roster battles the Buccaneers must resolve before cutting their 91-man group to 53 over the weekend. As is customary, starters and key regulars are expected to sit Friday, turning the finale into a proving ground for young players fighting for the final spots.
At inside linebacker, the Bucs are expected to lock up four spots with Alex Anzalone, Josiah Trotter, SirVocea Dennis and Christian Rozeboom. A potential fifth spot has drawn attention to undrafted rookie Caden Fordham, who has nine tackles, two tackles for loss and a pass defensed through two preseason games and has drawn praise from Bowles on multiple occasions. He is competing against Nick Jackson, John Bullock and Javin Wright.
The tight end competition pits incumbent Devin Culp, who caught just one pass for six yards last season, against sixth-round draft pick Bauer Sharp, who has six catches for 37 yards this preseason and has recently gotten first-team practice snaps while starter Cade Otton has been limited by an injury. Payne Durham and Ko Kieft are expected to hold their roster spots alongside Otton.
At wide receiver, the Bucs are projected to keep six on the 53-man roster, with Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson and Ted Hurst III likely filling five spots. Bowles chose not to say that Egbuka will definitely be ready for Week One due to a toe ailment, which could push the team toward carrying seven receivers as it did for 12 of 18 regular-season weeks last year. Among the candidates for the sixth spot, Kameron Johnson holds the advantage as the incumbent return man, while David Sills V brings familiarity with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s system after catching 18 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta last season. Dean Patterson IV is the team’s leading receiver through two preseason games.
The defensive backfield presents another numbers crunch, as the Buccaneers started last season with 11 defensive backs on the 53-man roster. Tampa Bay coaches will spend the weekend finalizing the roster, with cuts due before the start of the regular season.