Former Auburn Tiger [autotag]Sal Canella[/autotag] inked a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday. Canella, who spend the 2017-2019 seasons of the Plains, had most recently played football in the UFL for the Arlington Renegades.
Signing former Tigers has become quite a theme for the reigning NFC South Champions. For the majority of the last three seasons Tampa Bay’s starting cornerbacks were both Tigers, with [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag] holding down the fort. Now with Davis in Detroit, the 27-year-old Canella joins former Tigers [autotag]K.J. Britt[/autotag] and the aforementioned [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] on the Buccaneers roster.
During his three years on the Plains, Canella accumulated just 330 yards, although he did find the end zone 5 times. He improved his numbers drastically during his professional career however, where his affinity with the end zone payed off in the UFL. The 27-year old is coming off a 2023 season in which he led the league with 6 receiving scores. He also added 496 receiving yards, good for fifth in the league.
While third year tight end Cade Otton is all but a lock to earn starting duties on the Bucs, Tampa’s depth behind Otton is extremely unproven. Canella has a golden opportunity to force his way onto the roster with a solid showing in training camp over the next few weeks. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end has the size and tools to be successful in the league. We’ll see if the former Tiger can earn a spot on the 53-man roster as training camp rolls on.
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