The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing in a new third-string quarterback, signing former Tulane signal-caller Michael Pratt to their practice squad. Pratt, who briefly spent time with the Green Bay Packers this offseason, will likely serve as the Bucs’ QB3, replacing John Wolford who had held that role since last year.
The #Bucs are signing former Tulane QB Michael Pratt to their practice squad. Pratt was the No. 3 QB in Green Bay and was released.
The #Buccaneers were interested in Pratt as a late Day 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Pratt replaces John Wolford as QB3 in Tampa Bay.
— PewterReport š“āā ļø (@PewterReport) August 28, 2024
Michael Pratt played quarterback at Tulane, where he accumulated 9,611 passing yards, 90 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions throughout his college career. His standout season came in 2022 when he threw for 3,009 yards, recorded 27 touchdowns, and had just five interceptions over 13 games, leading the Green Wave to a Cotton Bowl victory.
Michael Pratt signed with the Green Bay Packers after college and participated in their preseason this year. He had a strong performance, completing 65.7% of his passes for 178 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. However, he was released after the Packers traded for quarterback Malik Willis, leading him to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Pratt impressed both analysts and fans during his time in Green Bay, showcasing his potential with notable throws in the preseason, including a touchdown pass against the Ravens.
Bo Melton just made a fantastic in-air adjustment, but that was a great back-shoulder throw by Michael Pratt. The rookie QB deserves a place on the Packers' 53-man roster.pic.twitter.com/IEkUz1T2lo
— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) August 24, 2024
The signing of Michael Pratt likely signals the end for John Wolford, who struggled this offseason and was unable to play in Tampa Bay’s final preseason game against the Miami Dolphins due to injury. The Buccaneers are shifting their focus to a younger option for their third quarterback position.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Complete Their 2024 Season 53-Man Roster.
The Bucs have taken the required actions to reduce their roster to 53 players before the NFL deadline.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have completed their roster cuts, reducing their team from 90 players to the required 53 by the August 28 deadline, doing so a day early. While most of the cuts were expected, a few were noteworthy.
On the offensive side, the most significant cut was wide receiver Sterling Shepard. The veteran joined the team just before training camp but struggled with injuries throughout, missing all three preseason games. He has the option to join the practice squad if he wishes to continue his career. Additionally, Rakim Jarrett was placed on Injured Reserve but with the designation to return, allowing him to come back after four weeks.
One of the biggest surprises was the release of Cody Thompson, who had been impressive throughout training camp and the preseason, seemingly securing the sixth and final wide receiver spot. However, the Buccaneers opted to carry only five receivers, which was unexpected given their frequent use of three-receiver formations. Itās likely that both Thompson and Ryan Miller, who was also waived, will return to the practice squad and could be elevated when Rakim Jarrett comes back. Other offensive moves included Chase Edmonds being placed on season-ending injured reserve, John Wolford’s release (with the possibility of rejoining the practice squad), and the decision to keep four tight ends.
On the defensive side, the roster changes were more straightforward. Earnest Brown secured the last spot on the defensive line over C.J. Brewer, and the team retained all six outside linebackers. J.J. Russell clinched the fourth linebacker position after another outstanding preseason. A notable decision was the teamās choice to lighten the offensive roster to keep undrafted rookie cornerback Tyrek Funderburk on the main roster. Despite Keenan Isaac having a solid camp and preseason, Funderburk has consistently impressed since rookie minicamp, and the Bucs see potential in him that they want to develop further.
Kalen DeLoach, the standout linebacker from FSU, has been dealing with an injury and may join the practice squad once heās healthy, but he was outperformed by fellow undrafted rookie Antonio Grier Jr., who has been invited back to the team. After a competitive battle for the long-snapper position, Evan Deckers edged out veteran Zach Triner for the job.
The Buccaneers have built a strong homegrown roster, with 44 of their 53 players either drafted or signed as undrafted free agents and developed by the team. They have a slightly heavier defensive lineup with 27 players compared to 23 on offense, with only two startersāBaker Mayfield and Ben Bredesonāwho were not originally selected by the Bucs. While roster changes may still occur as teams finalize their lineups, hereās how the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster looks currently:
Quarterbacks – 2
Baker Mayfield
Kyle Trask
Released: John Wolford
Running Backs – 3
Rachaad White
Bucky Irving
Sean Tucker
Injured Reserve: Chase Edmonds
Released: D.J. Williams, Ramon Jefferson
Wide Receivers – 5
Mike Evans
Chris Godwin
Trey Palmer
Jalen McMillan
Kam Johnson
Injured Reserve: Rakim Jarrett
Released: Sterling Shepard, Cody Thompson, Ryan Miller, Tanner Knue, Cephus Johnson, Raleigh Webb, Latreal Jones.
Tight Ends – 4
Cade Otton
Payne Durham
Devin Culp
Ko Kieft
Released: Tanner Taula, David Wells, Sal Cannella
Offensive Line – 9
Tristan Wirfs
Ben Bredeson
Graham Barton
Cody Mauch
Luke Goedeke
Robert Hainsey
Brandon Walton
Justin Skule
Elijah Klein
Released: Luke Haggard, Lorenz Metz, Xavier Delgado, Avery Jones, Ryan Johnson
Defensive Line – 6
Vita Vea
Calijah Kancey
Logan Hall
Greg Gaines
William Gholston
Earnest Brown
Released: C.J. Brewer, Mike Greene, Lwal Uguak, Judge Culpepper, Brandon Matterson
Outside Linebackers – 6
Yaya Diaby
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Anthony Nelson
Chris Braswell
Markess Watts
Jose Ramirez
Released: Shaun Peterson Jr., Jay Person, Daniel Grzesiak
Inside Linebackers – 4
Lavonte David
K.J. Britt
SirVocea Dennis
J.J. Russell
Released: Kalen DeLoach, Antonio Grier Jr., Vi Jones
Cornerbacks – 8
Jamel Dean
Zyon McCollum
Bryce Hall
Christian Izien (NCB/S)
Tykee Smith (NCB/S)
Tavierre Thomas (NCB)
Josh Hayes
Tyrek Funderburk
Released: Keenan Isaac, Chris McDonald, Andrew Hayes
Safeties – 3
Antoine Winfield Jr.
Jordan Whitehead
Kaevon Merriweather
Released: Rashad Wisdom, Marcus Banks
Special Teams – 3
K Chase McLaughlin
P Jake Camarda
LS Evan Deckers
Released: LS Zach Triner, P Nolan Cooney
Quarterback and Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Buccaneers Finalize 53-Man Roster, Cut QB John Wolford.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed their 53-man roster on Monday night, ahead of the 2024 season opener in less than two weeks. The team is now focused on assembling their practice squad.
One notable decision was the Buccaneers electing to carry only two quarterbacks on the active roster. According to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, third-string QB John Wolford was among seven players released in the final cuts to reach the 53-man limit.
The Bucs’ roster currently stands at 53 players, with potential for further changes via waiver claims, trades or practice squad elevations. But as of now, Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask are the only QBs on the active squad.
Wolford’s release comes after the NFLPA vetoed a proposed rule change that would have allowed teams to elevate a third QB from the practice squad an unlimited number of times. With that rule not in place, teams must either keep three QBs on the 53-man roster or use one of their two weekly standard practice squad elevations.
So while Wolford could potentially rejoin the Bucs on the practice squad, he will not be available on game days unless Tampa Bay promotes him, which they can only do twice before he must revert back to the practice squad.
The Buccaneers’ final cuts also included WRs Ryan Miller and Cody Thompson, OL Luke Haggard and Avery Jones, and LBs Vi Jones and Antonio Grier[1]. The team will now shift focus to rounding out the practice squad and preparing for Week.
The Buccaneers’ decision to release John Wolford comes after the NFLPA rejected a proposed rule change that would have permitted teams to elevate a third quarterback from the practice squad an unlimited number of times in emergency situations.
Under the current rules, the third-string quarterback must either be on the 53-man roster or can be part of one of the two standard practice squad elevations allowed per week. Players can only be activated from the practice squad three times per season before reverting back.
With this rule in place, the Buccaneers opted to carry only Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask as their two quarterbacks on the active roster. Wolford could potentially rejoin the team on the practice squad, but he will not be available for game days unless Tampa Bay uses one of their two weekly elevations on him.
This move by the Buccaneers reflects the impact of the NFLPA’s veto on the proposed rule change, as teams must now make tough decisions on whether to keep a third QB on the 53-man roster or use practice squad call-ups judiciously. The Bucs will now focus on finalizing their practice squad and preparing for the start of the 2024 season in less than two weeks.
So Bucs are done. They're already down to 53, well ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline. Final cuts to get there:
QB John Wolford
WR Ryan Miller
WR Cody Thompson
OL Luke Haggard
C Avery Jones
LB Vi Jones
LB Antonio Grier— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 27, 2024
Buccaneers Release QB John Wolford, Likely to Re-Sign to Practice Squad.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released quarterback John Wolford as part of their final roster cuts to reach the 53-man limit. This is a similar situation to last year, when Wolford lost out on the backup job to Kyle Trask and was released, only to clear waivers and re-sign with the Bucs’ practice squad.
Assuming Wolford clears waivers again, it would not be surprising if Tampa Bay brings him back to the practice squad. The Buccaneers are currently carrying only Baker Mayfield and Trask on the active roster at quarterback.
Wolford has familiarity with Bucs OC Liam Coen from their time together with the Rams from 2019-2020 and 2022. He was on the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI championship team in 2021, though he did not appear in the game.
In the preseason this year, Wolford played in two games for Tampa Bay, completing 19-of-32 passes for 183 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. However, he did not see action in the final preseason game against Miami.
The former Wake Forest QB originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Jets in 2018. He spent a year in the AAF with the Arizona Hotshots before joining the Rams, where he made four starts over three seasons.
With the NFLPA vetoing a rule change that would have allowed unlimited practice squad elevations of a third QB, Wolford’s release makes sense for the Buccaneers. But he appears likely to return to the organization once he clears waivers, providing valuable depth and familiarity in the QB room.
Tampa Bay Bucs Release Son of Former Players.
The deadline for NFL teams to reduce their rosters to 53 players is Tuesday, August 27. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already begun releasing players following their final preseason game against the Miami Dolphins this past weekend.
With so many players needing to be cut, it’s inevitable that some fan favorites and veterans will be let go. While some of these players may return to the Buccaneers on injured reserve or the practice squad, many will likely find opportunities with other teams in similar roles.
One of the players released over the weekend was undrafted free agent defensive tackle Judge Culpepper from Toledo, who is also the son of former Buccaneers DT Brad Culpepper.
Culpepper was a highly sought-after undrafted free agent after the NFL draft, and Tampa Bay was fortunate to sign the former first-team All-MAC player after he transferred from Penn State. He garnered significant attention during the offseason programs but was unable to showcase the potential that the coaching staff initially recognized.
There is a strong possibility that Culpepper could return to the Buccaneers’ practice squad, but given the stronger performances of other players throughout the offseason, he may find himself on the outside looking in.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were highlighted in the “Rookie Spotlight” Slimetime special on Nickelodeon.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan is expected to secure the third spot on the depth chart after an impressive performance during training camp and the preseason.
Along with teammate tight end Devin Culp, McMillan represents the latest players to join the Buccaneers from the Washington Huskies program, both aiming to contribute to the franchise’s continued success.
Recognizing the potential of these former college teammates now playing in the NFL, Nickelodeon featured the duo in their NFL Slimetime ‘Rookie Spotlight’ Special.
According to the network, “‘Rookie Spotlight’ will follow new players striving to make the team and achieve their dreams of becoming NFL stars. In this Slimetime special, Nickelodeon will accompany three rookies on their journey from being drafted, through training camp, and into their first preseason game.”
Both McMillan and Culp made an impact in their initial NFL preseason games, with McMillan recording two receptions for 23 yards and Culp making one catch for six yards.
This special is part of the ongoing collaboration between the NFL and Nickelodeon, which has previously aired Wild Card Playoff games and plans to continue this season.
A spokesperson for the company stated, “Nickelodeon and CBS Sports have announced their partnership with the NFL once again for the 2024 football season, featuring a special Slime-filled NFL Wild Card game for kids and families. Details regarding this season’s NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon, which will air alongside CBS Sports’ traditional coverage on CBS and Paramount+, will be revealed later. This season’s telecast will mark the sixth family-friendly collaboration between CBS Sports and Nickelodeon for an NFL game, and the third Wild Card game.”
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