As the preseason winds down, one thing is almost certain every year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They will have to deal with some significant injuries as they prepare for the season opener in Atlanta.
The wide receiver room, which was expected to be one of the best position groups in the NFL, suffered a significant blow last week in the game against Pittsburgh when Jalen McMillan sustained a sprained neck. He will be placed on IR to begin the season but he could be out through the week nine bye.
Todd Bowles talked about losing Jalen McMillan: “That’s tough from a coaching and a playing standpoint. He was doing so well coming back this summer. He was very polished, gets in his routes, and he competes on a daily basis. He is real close with everybody on the team, so that was a big blow for us. Guys just have to step up. You don’t want that to happen, especially in preseason. I don’t think there’s a good time for it to happen, but it’s a shame because his growth and his potential was off the wall. Glad it’s not life-threatening, glad he can come back later on. We just have to have guys ready.”
This opens the door for rookie wide receive Emeka Ebuka to make an impression early in the season. Ebuka was expected to start in Chris Godwin’s absence until he was ready to return. Still, the injury to McMillan puts the spotlight on one of the other receivers to nail down the number three receiver spot temporarily.
Sterling Shepard, Ryan Miller, Rakim Jarrett, and Trey Palmer are all receivers who will challenge for the number three spot.
Miller was with the Buccaneers for their run to the playoffs last season, with Evans and Godwin both out with injuries, catching 12 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Miller has had a good camp and performed well in two preseason games. So far in the preseason, he has eight catches for 77 yards and should be in line to earn a roster spot.
Miller has caught the eye of head coach Todd Bowles. “Ryan is smart, he’s reliable, he’s tough, he has great hands, he’s going to block when you need him to block, he’s going to get open when you need him to get open. He’s a very good special teams player. His confidence has grown from year one until now. Coming out of college as a free agent tight end and playing wide receiver, you see the toughness, but his work ethic has changed.”
Shepard is the group’s NFL veteran, but his playing time has been limited despite his good chemistry with Baker Mayfield.
The preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills should answer many of those questions as we approach cutdown day on Tuesday.
Other Notes
- Todd Bowles said no starters will play for the final preseason game.
- Kyle Trask is expected to start as quarterback against the Bills, and after that, it is anyone’s guess. Will Teddy Bridgewater play in the preseason finale, or will Conner Bazelak get the nod after Trask?
- Bryce Hall and linebacker Nick Jackson are two other Buccaneer players to watch in the preseason finale. Jackson has been most impressive this preseason, registering a sack in two games and grabbing an interception.
- The Bucs also announced that tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Godwin will not open the season on IR. That would indicate that they may be ready to play sooner than expected.