Chatter On The 53-Man Roster
August 25th, 2025
By 4 p.m. tomorrow, Tampa time, the Bucs will shave their roster to the mandatory 53 men. One more day! All of underwear football and training camp and worthless preseason games lead up to this.
Joe is relatively confident tomorrow’s roster won’t look the same come next week when the Bucs begin game prep for the season opener at Atlanta. So tomorrow’s roster will be jotted down with a pencil.
Evan Closky of WTSP-TV Channel 10 decided to pump out his projected 53. Joe only has a couple of comments.
* Joe is a big fan of Devin Culp. And he was tearing up practice in the first week or so. Since, he’s all but vanished. His arrow is certainly pointing down. “This Joe” still believes Culp has the biggest upside of any of the Bucs’ tight ends, but when your production and targets steadily drop as training camp continues, that’s not a great sign. So Joe thinks Culp may be bubbly right now.
* The way Todd Bowles is hyping up rookie running back Josh Williams, he seriously is being considered for a roster spot. Does that mean Sean Tucker is now vulnerable? Or will the Bucs keep four running backs? They didn’t last year. Joe’s not sure.
* Teddy Bridgewater to the practice squad? Just yesterday Pete Carroll of the Raiders said Las Vegas is searching high and low for an experienced quarterback. If the Bucs don’t protect Bridgewater, he could be gone to join Tom Brady and John Spytek in the desert.
* Rashad Wisdom had a solid game on Saturday night and he can play multiple defensive back positions. Kaevon Merriweather, who had a bad night Saturday, is mostly a safety. Is Merriweather in trouble?
* Is Josh Hayes that good of a special teams player? He stinks as a corner. Joe thinks he’s very much on thin ice.
My 53-man Buccaneers Roster Prediction:
QB*:
Mayfield, TraskRB:
Irving, White, TuckerWR:
Evans, Godwin, Egbuka, Tez, Shepard, MillerTE:
Otton, Durham, Culp, KieftOL:
Wirfs, Goedeke, Barton, Mauch, Bredeson, Heck, Klein, Chukwuma, HaggardDL:
Vea, Kancey, Hall, Gaines,…— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) August 24, 2025
August 25th, 2025 at 4:54 am
Predictions are solid. A lot of food for thought here.
Unsure about Trask staying or maybe just till the end of this season. Possibly Teddy got that chance with the Bucs to show what he still has to offer any team. Can’t see letting him go. He was the other choice if we didn’t get Brady. Teddy did well coming back in and is a great mentor for our rookies.
Trask could go to the Raiders, but he wasn’t Brady’s backup either. Gabbert was. Kyle learned from Brady though. It is sort of all over the place or I am just overthinking it.
August 25th, 2025 at 5:50 am
Wisdom played like ass, bro missed tackles to
August 25th, 2025 at 5:51 am
Before we automatically assume Trask makes the roster, he needs to be throughly vetted to see if he’s ever thrown a pass where the receiver got hurt. If he has, he should be put underneath the jail. Sound ridiculous? Now you know how your comments are, Rod Munch and the other dumbfounded dipsh!ts blaming Teddy.
August 25th, 2025 at 6:38 am
Hospital ball Teddy is OK by me
August 25th, 2025 at 6:46 am
it’s really more like 50 make the roster…
those last 3 spots are literally hanging by a thread…as we see who shakes loose from another caboose
August 25th, 2025 at 7:43 am
Michigan Joe- Until I see Teddy throw a deep out, a deep in and a seam pass to a tight end that actually gets to the receiver before the DB does, I’m sticking with my opinion. If you can’t make all the throws, you’re not an NFL QB, no matter how pretty your passes are.
August 25th, 2025 at 8:06 am
Traskies and Trask are on their knees praying. They believe some devine intervention will make the decision who the team keeps or cuts.
August 25th, 2025 at 8:10 am
Good riddance on Sanders. Character counts. Who is returning Punts and kickoffs?
August 25th, 2025 at 8:43 am
I would put Tez and Williams to be returners.
August 25th, 2025 at 8:44 am
Cut Kief keep LSU RB Williams.
August 25th, 2025 at 9:01 am
I think Wisdom might get the spot over Merriweather this go around due to durability/availability. Not sure at this point which guy is better but I think Wisdom could surprise by being on the 53. Sucks JJ Roberts got hurt. I rather also have Josh Williams over Kieft at this point due to the kid can do a variety of things. Ko is just a blocker, his special teams isn’t phenomenal either, Williams is better at that as well most likely. Teddy will get the backup gig over Trask, Bowles won’t ever play Trask and he knows it. Which for the teams sake and our sake I hope Baker stays healthy and upright all year. Go Bucs
August 25th, 2025 at 9:26 am
What makes it really tough is the fact that a few players will not contribute early. Wirfs, Godwin, and maybe Izien. JMac is probably going to IR, but maybe not. IDK. I don’t know what to make of that free agent ILB Walker either. Is he even still here?
August 25th, 2025 at 9:28 am
If Hooker Hendon is released I wouldn’t mind putting him on the practice squad.
August 25th, 2025 at 9:32 am
Think the Bucs may have to keep 3 QB’s. I don’t see them letting Teddy go and then trying to resign him to the practice squad. It won’t work.
August 25th, 2025 at 9:37 am
Irishmist Says:
August 25th, 2025 at 7:43 am
Michigan Joe- Until I see Teddy throw a deep out, a deep in and a seam pass to a tight end that actually gets to the receiver before the DB does, I’m sticking with my opinion. If you can’t make all the throws, you’re not an NFL QB, no matter how pretty your passes are.
^^^^^^
You’ve watched Trask play, right? You think he doesn’t throw rainbow/lollipop passes?
August 25th, 2025 at 9:37 am
NFL really needs to increase roster size.
So many injuries every year, every team. By the end of the season most teams gave a bunch of street free agents playing.
Teams can afford it.
August 25th, 2025 at 9:57 am
Send Bridgewater to the Raiders for a pick. and someone above said cut to cut Ko Kieft–I could see that happening, he is good for a penalty per game
August 25th, 2025 at 9:59 am
I’d cut Kyle Trash and then hope Pete Carroll takes him off of our hands.
August 25th, 2025 at 10:29 am
Trade for Deshaun Watson! ( I kid, I kid)
August 25th, 2025 at 10:43 am
why watts?
August 25th, 2025 at 10:43 am
maybe they could allow teams to protect a handful of PS guys if they don’t want to officially increase roster size for whatever reason
August 25th, 2025 at 11:07 am
Barring any post cut signings
I mostly agree with the 53-man roster mentioned above with the following exceptions:
He gets cut and potentially gets resigned to the practice squad. I think the signing of Vildor in the off-season is his Superior replacement.
In his place I think assuming he is healthy and does not go on short-term injured reserve guard Sua Opeta makes the team.
Practice Squad assuming none get poached:
Wisdom, Hayes, Funderburk
Mike Greene,Gotsis,Ramirez,Peebles
Bridgewater
Garret Greene, Palmer, Jarrett
Wright
Taula
3 O line
Metz
August 25th, 2025 at 11:08 am
One of which will be Majors
August 25th, 2025 at 11:26 am
Didn’t I hear of Culp fumbling in training camp in your notes at least 2-3 times? And then he does it again in the preseason game? No bueno. Helps him that our TE room is pretty weak, but I’m not sure we should keep 4 TEs and 5 WRs instead of 3 TEs and 6 WRs.
August 25th, 2025 at 11:36 am
Jmarkbuc Says “NFL really needs to increase roster size.” True that! Especially if they go to even more games. At least three more. Make it 56. That could be part of the collective bargaining if they go to 18 games.
August 25th, 2025 at 12:10 pm
We should pick Bridgewater over Trask, maintaining good stats in a lost is a lost, both QBS had good stats in the Bills game. Bridgewater with no real practice scored 2 TDs. The QB we need if Mayfield gets hurt is one who can win not just maintain a game.
August 25th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
The prediction has the Bucs keeping 24 offense & 26 defense. Gut feel is that we’ll initially keep the exact opposite & play to our strength: 26 offense & 24 defense (other teams less likely to grab our defensive Practice Squad guys early in the season especially).
o. QB: 3 (Bridgewater)
o. RB: 4 (including Williams)
o. WR: 7 (including Greene)
o. TE: 3 (excluding Kieft)
o. OLine: 9 (as posted)
o. DLine: 6 (as posted)
o. ILB: 4 (as posted)
o. OLB: 4 (excluding Watts)
o. CB: 6 (excluding Hayes)
o. S: 4 (as posted)
o. S/Ts: 3 (as posted)
Good chance that Kieft, Watts & Hayes will all be on the Practice Squad presuming no one else snatches them up.
August 25th, 2025 at 10:25 pm
Devin Culp will stay.
Trask will be IRed, get a settlement, and sign elsewhere.