Bucs announce initial 53-man roster

The Buccaneers’ initial 53-man roster is now set.

The Buccaneers finished cutting down their roster to the 53-man limit on Tuesday, giving fans their first look at the 2024 squad:

There were few surprises in the Bucs’ journey to the final 53. Long snapper Zach Triner was the longest tenured player to be released. The only other cut veterans with previous experience in red and pewter were quarterback John Wolford and tight end David Wells.

While the Bucs will roster fewer undrafted rookies this year, cornerback Tyrek Funderburk and wide receiver Kameron Johnson made the initial cut. Overall, the 2024 roster resoundingly favors Tampa Bay’s drafted players. 36 players on the Bucs’ roster were drafted by Tampa Bay. Only two Bucs starters signed with the team as free agents: QB Baker Mayfield and guard Ben Bredeson.

There may be tweaks to the roster in the coming days as waived players from other rosters are claimed, though the Bucs are unlikely to make more than a move or two if any at all. The bigger next step for the Bucs front office is filling out the practice squad, which should be complete before the end of the week.

Texans at a crossroads with roster cuts regarding receiver room

The Houston Texans have a good problem on their hands regarding the wide receiver room.

By Tuesday at 3 p.m., the Houston Texans will have finalized their 53-man roster for the 2024 season.

By 3:01 p.m. Tuesday, 31 other franchises could be in line to land a starting-caliber receiver thanks to the depth among Houston’s pass-catchers.

“I feel really good about the room that we have,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday. “Of course, the top three guys that we have are all big-time playmakers. But all the other guys have stepped up and made plays at some point.”

Last season’s seventh-ranked passing attack received a jolt in the offseason with the acquisition of four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs. He’ll take over as a primary target opposite proven weapons like Nico Collins and Tank Dell for C.J. Stroud’s arsenal.

Depth players like John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson pushed to see more playing time. They fought throughout practice to prove their value beyond being secondary roleplayers.

Metchie, a former second-round pick out of Alabama, finished with 11 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. He constantly won routes at the line of scrimmage and found avenues for first-down pickups.

Hutchinson, a 2023 sixth-round pick from Iowa State, might have been every quarterback’s security blanket after leading the team in receptions (12) and receiving yards (114) in four games.

“[You] talk about guys like Xavier Hutchinson, just seeing the progress he’s made from year one to year two,” Ryans said. “It’s been pretty cool to see his growth and see his development.”

Metchie missed his entire rookie season as he was battling leukemia. He played seldom during the 2023 season as his body was working back to full speed through the recovery process.

Teams are interested in the former Alabama star with two years of roster control left on his current contract. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, multiple teams have inquired to see if Metchie was available through trade since Houston’s best position is receiver.

The Texans don’t seem coy to pull a move yet as they finalize the rest of their roster. And with Diggs only in Houston on a one-year deal, Metchie could be considered the favorite to start in 2025 while being the first man off the bench this fall.

What could separate Metchie and Hutchinson from others is their value on speical teams. Both played over 30 percent of snaps during the preseason and can offer experience in various roles.

Ryans said Monday that special teams are essential to roster cutdown since backups will play a significant number of snaps on their units. The difference between making a roster and hitting free agency could be how they fit into specific speical team roles.

“Sometimes that’s a huge determinator in winning and losing games is that field position battle,” Ryans said. “So you need guys who can really step up on special teams and not just be a placeholder as an emergency guy or a depth filler. That guy has to add value on our special teams.”

Steven Sims, Ben Skowronek, Quintez Cephus, Johnny Johnson III and Noah Brown come with experience on speical teams. Robert Woods offers a more veteran presence in the huddle and is under contract for this season.

Should Houston part ways with both Brown and Woods for younger pieces like Hutchinson and Metchie, it would cost nearly $15 million in dead cap space. Should the Texans trade the two veterans, the asking price could be at the minimum given their current contracts.

Three spots remain for eight receivers still alive. The math is simple: Houston, at most, will keep five and stow two away on the practice squad.

Metchie isn’t clearing waivers. Neither is Hutchinson.

Even if both are released, Ryans considers this decision a rigorous but understandable choice.

“When you have as many guys as we have, it’s a really good problem and I’m definitely excited about the group,” said Ryans.

Check out these highlights of new Broncos TE Thomas Yassmin

Australian tight end Thomas Yassmin will be an intriguing player to watch at Broncos training camp this summer.

The Denver Broncos made the move after the 2024 NFL draft to sign undrafted free agent tight end Thomas Yassmin.

Yassmin (6-5, 251 pounds) was a teammate of Denver’s seventh-round draft pick, wide receiver Devaughn Vele at the University of Utah.

Before playing with the Utes, Yassmin had no previous experience playing football; instead, Yassmin, an Australian native, played rugby in high school.

After switching to football, Yassmin saw his most productive action beginning in 2022, when he played in all 13 games, starting six times. Yassmin had 13 catches for 301 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 23.2 yards per catch.

In 2023, Yassmin played in five games before suffering a season-ending injury. Before his injury, he caught eight passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. Check out his highlights below:

Although head coach Sean Payton’s system calls for big-bodied tight ends, Yassmin is in the middle of a very crowded tight end room that includes third-year man Greg Dulcich, Lucas Krull, Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins. Yassmin will have to make a big impression in training camp if he is going to make the roster.

As part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, Yassmin could make the team’s practice squad without counting against the 16-player limit. He’ll be a player to watch this summer.

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Packers sign 3 linebackers to 2024 reserve/future contracts

The Green Bay Packers began building out the 2024 offseason 90-man roster on Tuesday, signing linebackers Deslin Alexandre, Deandre Johnson and Christian Young to reserve/future contracts. 

The Green Bay Packers began building out the 2024 offseason 90-man roster on Tuesday, signing linebackers Deslin Alexandre, Deandre Johnson and Christian Young to reserve/future contracts.

Alexandre and Johnson are both edge rushers. Young is an off-ball linebacker.

Reserve/future contracts are placeholder deals until the start of the new league year in March and provide the player with a spot on the 90-man offseason roster. They are not eligible to play for the Packers this season.

Alexandre went undrafted out of Pitt in 2023. He spent time with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears during his first NFL season. At Pitt, Alexandre produced 16.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss over 58 games.

Johnson went undrafted out of Miami in 2022. He spent time with the Dolphins as a first-year player before playing in the XFL in 2023. Over five collegiate seasons, Johnson produced 14.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.

Young previously spent time on the Packers practice squad this season but was released in November. A college safety at Arizona, Young transitioned to linebacker. He also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks in 2023.

When the Packers season ends, the team can start signing current practice squad players to reserve/future contracts.