TAMPA — Head Coach Todd Bowles and his staff face a weekend of interconnected roster math as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trim a 91-man camp roster to the NFL-mandated 53 players, with a 6:00 p.m. ET Sunday deadline looming and injury questions at wide receiver threatening to reshape depth across multiple positions.
The decisions are not as simple as ranking players one through 53, Bowles said Saturday morning following the team’s preseason loss to Jacksonville. At running back, Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell are locked in as the top two, but the fates of Sean Tucker and Josh Williams — both former undrafted free agents — hinge on whether the Bucs keep three or four backs, which in turn affects quarterback, receiver, cornerback and defensive line depth.
“That’s a tough battle,” Bowles said. “It kind of went back and forth every game. Both of them can run the ball, both of them return kicks obviously, both of them try to tackle on kickoff and punt team. It’s a matter of keeping four running backs, three quarterbacks; there’s an extra receiver involved; obviously a corner involved, a defensive lineman. So all of that’s going to be in the discussion, but that will be a tough call because they’re both good football players.”
Tucker led the team with eight touchdowns last season, while Williams battled injuries but contributed on offense and in the return game. In preseason, Williams logged 18 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown; Tucker countered with 14 carries for 50 yards and a score.
The quarterback room presents its own dilemma. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels impressed enough in the first two preseason games to earn the bulk of the work Friday night, putting him in direct competition with veteran Jake Browning for the primary backup role behind Baker Mayfield. Bowles acknowledged the temptation to keep both but weighed it against needs elsewhere. “We’re going to meet on it this morning and we’re going to go over some things that way,” Bowles said. “It’s a discussion but it’s not a definite. It’s difficult because you probably need the spot for somewhere else, as far as [special] teams or an extra rusher or an extra back or an extra offensive lineman. Knowing that guy’s not going to play [except] in case of emergency, I think every position would like to have insurance behind the insurance. It’s something you’ve got to weigh the pros and cons of and make that decision going forward.”
Complicating every calculation is the health of wide receivers Jalen McMillan, dealing with a knee issue, and Emeka Egbuka, nursing a toe injury. Last season, the Buccaneers opened with seven receivers on the active roster because Chris Godwin was not placed on injured reserve but was unavailable for the first three weeks. A similar scenario could force Tampa to carry extra receivers at the expense of depth elsewhere.
“It’s been a question that we’ve got to answer,” Bowles said. “It’s one of them, but we expect J-Mac and hopefully Emeka to come back before Week One and be at full strength that way. That will have a lot to do with whether we keep the extra one or not, and how healthy these guys are going forward.”
The Buccaneers must submit their 53-man roster to the league by 6:00 p.m. ET Sunday, after which released players become eligible for practice squad signings.