The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finalized their 53-man roster on Monday night. The Buccaneers will now focus on completing the practice squad with an eye toward the start of the 2024 season in less than two weeks.
Interestingly, the Buccaneers decided to only add two quarterbacks to the 53-man roster. According to Greg Auman of Fox Sports, third-string signal-caller John Wolford was one of the seven players the franchise ultimately had to release to meet the roster limit.
READ MORE: Impressive Buccaneers rookie receiver expected to be named starter alongside Evans and Godwin
The move came after the NFLPA rejected a new rule that would have allowed teams to call up a quarterback from the practice squad to an emergency role an unlimited number of times. Instead, the third signal-caller must be on the 53-man roster or can be part of one of two standard lineups from the practice squad each week. Players can only be activated three times per season.
So the Bucs are done. They’re already at 53, well before the 4 p.m. deadline on Tuesday. Final cuts to get there:
QB John Wolford
WR Ryan Miller
WR Cody Thompson
OL Luke Haggard
C Avery Jones
LB Vi Jones
Linebacker Antonio Grier— Greg Auman (@gregauman) 27 August 2024
This is a similar situation to last year, when the Buccaneers released Wolford at the end of training camp. He landed on the practice squad and the team eventually called him up in October. Tampa Bay will likely try to keep him again as long as Wolford isn’t claimed off waivers by another franchise.
Although Wolford did not appear in a game for Tampa Bay last season, he earned time in two preseason games, filling in for Kyle Trask in a win over Cincinnati and a loss to Jacksonville. Overall, he completed 19/32 passes for 183 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. Wolford did not play in the recent Finals win over the Miami Dolphins.
Wolford is familiar with offensive coordinator Liam Coen, having played under him for three seasons in Los Angeles (2019-20, 2022). He was a member of the Rams when the team won Super Bowl LVI, playing as a backup behind Matthew Stafford. Wolford appeared in three games this season, completing 1/4 passes for five yards and one interception. During his time on the West Coast, he completed a total of 61/104 passes for 626 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions in seven appearances with four starts.
The former Wake Forest star went undrafted in 2018 and began his professional career with the New York Jets. He spent a year in the AAF with the Arizona Hotshots, led the league in touchdown passes and worked his way back to the NFL.
READ MORE: 5 instant takeaways from the Buccaneers’ preseason win over the Dolphins
Stay with BucsGameday for more FREE coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout training camp.
Follow BucsGameday on Þjórsárdalur And on facebook.
• Buccaneers release experienced wide receiver
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers release son of former player
• Buccaneers to release experienced wide receiver
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nickelodeon’s Slimetime special “Rookie Spotlight.”
