3 Bucs players who hurt their chances of making the 53-man roster

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3 Bucs players who hurt their chances of making the 53-man roster

Ashlie Abrahams, Buccaneers Wire · Buccaneers Wire

Sun, Aug 30, 2026 ·

2 min read

Damarion Williams has had a solid summer and was one of the Bucs ' better defenders against the Jets, but the numbers at cornerback have become difficult to work around. The bigger issue is that other corners have done more to separate themselves. Ayden Garnes has been one of the biggest surprises of camp and appears to have played his way onto the roster. Benjamin Morrison returned for the finale, while Zyon McCollum , Jacob Parrish and Keionte Scott are all expected to have significant roles. Williams entered the finale fighting for one of the last spots at the position, and Friday didn't provide the type of standout moment that could have changed the numbers in his favor, taking a bad angle on a big gain and struggling to make tackles.

Devin Culp

The Bucs' tight end competition has slowly moved away from Culp throughout August. Cade Otton , Payne Durham and Ko Kieft all bring established roles, while sixth-round rookie Bauer Sharp has continued to gain ground. Sharp had six catches for 37 yards through the first two preseason games and had even started receiving first-team work in practice. Culp needed a strong finish to make the fourth tight end decision more difficult. Instead, he went without a catch against Jacksonville and received no involvement over the final two preseason games. His athleticism has always been intriguing, but Sharp's emergence gives Tampa Bay another developmental option with more team control. With roster spots needed elsewhere, keeping four tight ends isn't high on the list.

Sean Tucker

Sean Tucker being in this conversation would've sounded unlikely a few weeks ago. Tucker led Tampa Bay with eight touchdowns last season and entered camp as the clear favorite for the RB3 job. Josh Williams has turned what looked like a settled position into one of the tougher decisions on the roster. Neither back did much to separate Friday. Tucker finished with 15 yards on five carries and one catch for negative yardage, while Williams had 21 yards on eight attempts. Bowles admitted Saturday that the competition has gone "back and forth every game," with both players contributing as runners, returners and on coverage units. The bigger question may be whether Tampa Bay has room to keep four running backs at all. If the Bucs need that extra roster spot for a quarterback, receiver, cornerback or another position, Tucker's $3.52 million salary and Williams' emergence could make Tucker expendable.