Bucs Officially Cut Roster To 53 Players
August 30th, 2026
It’s your 2026 Buccaneers’ 53-man roster!
Call it the first draft of the opening day team, as changes are likely to come between now and then.
Here’s the group:
Quarterbacks – 2
Baker Mayfield
Jalon Daniels
Running Backs – 3
Bucky Irving
Kenny Gainwell
Sean Tucker
Wide Receivers – 6
Chris Godwin
Emeka Egbuka
Jalen McMillan
Ted Hurst
Tez Johnson
Kameron Johnson
Tight Ends — 4
Cade Otton
Payne Durham
Bauer Sharp
Ko Kieft
Offensive Line – 10
Tristan Wirfs
Ben Bredeson
Graham Barton
Cody Mauch
Luke Goedeke
Dan Feeney
Luke Haggard
Justin Skule
Billy Schrauth
Ben Chukwuma
Defensive Tackles – 7
Vita Vea
Calijah Kancey
A’Shawn Robinson
Elijah Roberts
Rakeem Nuñez-Roches
DeMonte Capehart
Elijah Simmons
Edge rushers – 5
Yaya Diaby
Rueben Bain, Jr.
Al-Quadin Muhammad
Anthony Nelson
David Walker
Inside Linebackers – 5
Alex Anzalone
Josiah Trotter
Sirvocea Dennis
Christian Rozeboom
Caden Fordham
Cornerbacks – 5
Zyon McCollum
Jacob Parrish
Benjamin Morrison
Keionte Scott
Ayden Garnes
Safeties – 3
Antoine Winfield, Jr.
Tykee Smith
Miles Killebrew
Special Teams – 3
Chase McLaughlin
Riley Dixon
Eric Deckers
August 30th, 2026 at 9:19 pm
5 CBs further means a new veteran corner any moment now
August 30th, 2026 at 9:21 pm
This might be the thinnest secondary I’ve seen on this team in a while.
August 30th, 2026 at 9:23 pm
Just 5 cornerbacks? That’s a bold strategy, Todd. Lets see if it pays off for him.
August 30th, 2026 at 9:23 pm
Only 5 CBs with how injury prone are secondary is that’s not enough. They need to extend rosters to 58 with all the injuries that have been happening the last few years
August 30th, 2026 at 9:25 pm
Pencil in SMB
August 30th, 2026 at 9:29 pm
They love to keep 4 Right Ends
And only one of them will see the field
August 30th, 2026 at 9:29 pm
**Tight Ends
August 30th, 2026 at 9:30 pm
We need 2 vet CB’s. Weakest secondary yet.
August 30th, 2026 at 9:37 pm
I’m not gonna fret over CBs for a few days, until I see who we bring in. Although I am a little concerned about Safety Depth.
August 30th, 2026 at 9:38 pm
First, folks need to remember that these are just the initial cuts. More will come as they jockey adds and releases.
Second, we all need to remember that many of the players that were released will be added to the practice squad, giving some of the otherwise thin position groups more depth than it looks like they have.
Finally, I know many people are anxious and declaring this guy or that guy from another team’s cuts needs to be added. What I’d like to see is for those people to also name the player from this 53 that they are going to cut to make room for the player they want to add.
August 30th, 2026 at 9:39 pm
Linemen will covering more now
August 30th, 2026 at 9:44 pm
@Lakeland – The Bucs have used 12 personnel about 20% of the time in past years and Robinson used it more than 30% of the time in Atlanta. There’s two tight ends you need right there.
Get one injury, and you definitely need the third one.
Ko Kieft, although listed as a tight end, primarily plays more of a fullback role and is also one of the team’s best special teamers.
So, my question is, which of the four are you proposing be cut since you think four is too many? And, of course, who would you have kept, instead?
August 30th, 2026 at 9:46 pm
First, folks need to remember that these are just the initial cuts. More will come as they jockey adds and releases.
Second, we all need to remember that many of the players that were released will be added to the practice squad, giving some of the otherwise thin position groups more depth than it looks like they have.
Finally, I know many people are anxious and declaring this guy or that guy from another team’s cuts needs to be added. What I’d like to see is for those people to also name the player from this 53 that they are going to cut to make room for the player they want to add.
August 30th, 2026 at 9:46 pm
They’ll most likely cut 1 offensive lineman for an additional cornerback/safety
August 30th, 2026 at 9:51 pm
Only keeping 3 safeties and 5 corners – that’s pretty risky. Hopefully they do in fact sign SMB, and they really need another safety as well.
At the very least I’d assume them to sign 2 defensive backs – probably cutting from the following, OL, DL or ILB.
August 30th, 2026 at 9:52 pm
Happy to see Garnes get a shot
August 30th, 2026 at 9:52 pm
Caden Fordham on the 53! I love it! He looks like the real deal.
Too bad he’ll probably get bumped off in the next few days but I’m hoping he and Patterson can stick around to get called-up from the practice squad and contribute later in the season.
SMB and a vet QB are all this roster really needs at this point. RayShawn Benny would be a real treat to add and be a big upgrade over either of the Elijahs the Bucs have at DT but someone ahead of the Bucs in the waiver cue will take him. I hope the Bucs are after another quality DT as if Vea had been traded but other than that, I’m feeling great about this group.
August 30th, 2026 at 9:53 pm
Who’s on practice squad
August 30th, 2026 at 9:53 pm
It just seems weird carrying 4 Tight Ends every season
August 30th, 2026 at 9:55 pm
Five cbs are about average 🤷
August 30th, 2026 at 10:02 pm
The bottom of the roster guys must play special teams. That has to do with the larger amount of guys in one position and lesser in others. The Bucs are not done, waiting for the cuts to clear waiver s from other teams.
Keift is a special team ace and occasion FB, just posted as a TE?
August 30th, 2026 at 10:03 pm
3 Safeties I expect Wisdom and Roberts both to be back on PS an Corner Williams as well
August 30th, 2026 at 10:05 pm
I think this list sorted with clear special teams players grouped together would give us a better idea. There should be 1st team Punt, Punt Return, Kickoff, Kickoff Return, Field Goal, Field Goal Defense … that would explain so of these moves – and why you can’t have 3 QBs that easily (although Minnesota went with 4, oddly)
August 30th, 2026 at 10:06 pm
If the Bucs made two moves, looking over the roster, I’d guess the two guys most on the bubble now are…
Elijah Simmons
Caden Fordham
Both could be signed to the practice squad. While I liked what I saw from Fordham, I don’t think his play was so outstanding he’d get on other teams radars – not for a roster spot. But I have no issues keeping Fordham if they go that route, just looking at the two guys I’d probably move on since I’d personally want 10 defensive backs in total.
August 30th, 2026 at 10:12 pm
The Falcons went with 4 QBs and 13 defensive backs
Every team has a plan
August 30th, 2026 at 10:17 pm
Lakeland said – “The Falcons went with 4 QBs and 13 defensive backs”
That’s what you do when you have no clue who your starting QB is. Look how well that has worked for Cleveland in the past. The Steelers are in a similar situation this year.
August 30th, 2026 at 10:20 pm
Yeah Scott,
When l read it, l thought it was a misprint
August 30th, 2026 at 10:24 pm
I’ve been saying all weekend the Bucs need 2 more CBs and a Safety. Fingers crossed
August 30th, 2026 at 10:25 pm
“That’s what you do when you have no clue who your starting QB“
Nah, they didn’t want Jack Strand hitting the waiver wire, so they gave him a roster spot. Strand might end up being the best QB that front office has signed since Matt Ryan retired and my personal head canon is that he probably was part of bringing Strand in.
Really like that guys potential, he’s got all the tools just needs the experience at this level
August 30th, 2026 at 10:27 pm
I believe what the Falcons are doing is called “The Schiano Opening” in football chess lingo.
It’s nice to have a relatively settled QB situation.
August 30th, 2026 at 10:27 pm
Bucs are rolling the dice with DB depth but I agree with everyone else it means they will more than likely be adding a DB or two to round out the depth.
August 30th, 2026 at 10:30 pm
I think you can get by with 10 defensive backs
But 8 defensive backs is unheard of in the NFL
August 30th, 2026 at 10:33 pm
People need to quit looking at other guys on the bubble than sane they might be cut, the most likely scenario is the guys that are on the roster now, will be moved to short-term IR. They have to be on the final roster in order to be taken off of IR later. Schrauth, Dennis, Rozenboom, are all good candidates.
August 30th, 2026 at 10:39 pm
I love Ko. But I’m not sure where we get this special teams ace tag from. In 53 career games he has had 24 tackles. I know there is also blocking on special teams it’s a different kind of blocking than regular offensive blocking. When I think of special teams I always think of tackles.
August 30th, 2026 at 10:40 pm
Schianno was before my time as a fan. I’ve read he was a great teacher. A coach , not so much…. Thoughts?
August 30th, 2026 at 10:43 pm
Either Fordham or Simmons or Haggard likely the moving pieces.
A vet CB and upgraded backgraded backup G, maybe another QB and this roster is complete
August 30th, 2026 at 10:43 pm
10 OLmen and 7 DTs, trenches need it. I’m as excited to see the young guys at DT, both Elijah’s & Capehart would be nice to get 1-2 of those guys to make a leap this year. Roberts is the front runner, but y’never know in this game.
The 5 @ILB are interesting, was on the fence that Dennis might’ve been in danger of being cut, but idk what the plan is there.
WR looks legit. Hope we bring Rivers/Greene to the PS
CB is interesting as well, glad to see AG get a spot but I figured we’d keep Pepe too. Might try to sneak Williams onto the PS, but we’re 100% probably lining up to take a shot at someone on the wire. Same deal at safety.
Now we wait to see how they flesh out the practice squad. It’ll be interesting to see if we add anymore OL. 10 on the initial roster is a lot, which is a good thing considering what we went through last season. Keeping 10 feels like, having a player in network, practicing the same scheme, and being on notice as relief while also mitigating the “new player” transition. We’ll need at least 3 DBs, an RB, 1-2 WRs, and idk what else lol
August 30th, 2026 at 10:44 pm
Hope Patterson lands on practice squad
August 30th, 2026 at 10:44 pm
extra safety’s and cb’s will backload the PS…and would be nice if we get the veteran SMB back in the building for cb insurance and to stabilize a fairly young room
August 30th, 2026 at 10:49 pm
I really don’t get the 5 ILB or 7 DL. I think one of them has to get cut to get a safety. Got a feeling Scrauth the rookie Guard is hurt and bet he will go to IR
August 30th, 2026 at 10:50 pm
reality is you bring 90 into camp…and after final cuts, and still with the practice squad, and some IR shuffling, you can have around 72 of your guys you brought into camp initially…72 out of 90 ain’t bad at all…then you maybe shuffle 2 or 3 guys off as you pick up cuts from other teams…so in the end like 70 of your initial 90 are still in play and on the team all season, granted some will not be part of the elite 53 crew-man 🙂
August 30th, 2026 at 11:00 pm
I like it. Time to eat make chili out of Cinci.
(praying on knees for safety welfare & health of starting lineup)
August 30th, 2026 at 11:05 pm
so browning declined to join the practice squad…
because he was invited to join……but said no-siree
August 30th, 2026 at 11:08 pm
A lot of these teams carrying 4 QBs, are doing so because they’re going to try to trade one of them. However, what they’re going to find out, is no one wants leftover trash like Daniel Gabriel. I still find it hilarious that people could watch his college tape, then make him a 3rd round pick – makes no sense at all. I mean I thought Ballzsack had bad college tape, but at least he had a college arm – Gabriel reminded me of the Hard Knocks goat farmer we had at QB, but at least he was an UDFA.
August 30th, 2026 at 11:10 pm
OL, DL, & TE seem a bit heavy compared to CB. Could see a drop from one of those groups if a CB is added.
August 30th, 2026 at 11:11 pm
Adam
After the drilling he took here in preseason, he might retire.
August 30th, 2026 at 11:11 pm
Three safeties made Tampa’s initial 53. Either Jason Licht has another move coming or Antoine Winfield Jr. has been informed he now counts as 2.7 people.
Bain, Trotter, Hurst, Daniels… Licht’s 53 looks less like roster construction and more like he accidentally left the “DAWG” filter switched on. Love it.
August 30th, 2026 at 11:18 pm
SMB coming back after letting Dean walk would look nice for JL.
Upgrading backup Oline is a priority to win SB as well
August 30th, 2026 at 11:20 pm
Thank god we kept old Mearl Haggard
August 30th, 2026 at 11:53 pm
S Kaeveon Merriweather is available. He might join SMB in rounding out the DB rooms. What is up with JJ Robert’s? I’m more hyped for him than any other safeties out there. I can also have faith in Wisdom. If those two can land on the practice squad and the Bucs pick up Merriweather or another safety, SMB and Josh Johnson to push Feeney out the door and send two others to IR (Srauth and Dennis) I’ll go from feeling good to great about this roster.
Michael Trigg, Luke Altmeyer and a bunch of other interesting practice squad guys are out there.
August 31st, 2026 at 12:00 am
Johnny Hekker needs a job and forgive my shortsightedness- this team needs an upgrade at punter.
Anyone who could get the ball off in an average amount of time would be a big upgrade.
August 31st, 2026 at 12:04 am
They are going to sign some offensive linemen ans SMB. The question is, who will be released?
August 31st, 2026 at 12:21 am
I’d like to see them being Patterson Rivers & Green back.
August 31st, 2026 at 12:51 am
Tony Says:
August 31st, 2026 at 12:21 am
I’d like to see them being Patterson Rivers & Green back.
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Who do you suggest they cut to brimg them back?
August 31st, 2026 at 12:58 am
Bowles Licht & The Glazers.