Buccaneers Elevate Four Practice Squad Players Ahead of Jets Matchup

Bruce Arians, Kevin Garver, Sean Murphy-Bunting, and Jamel Dean all returned to the fold on Saturday, but the Buccaneers still need more help in terms of bodies as they travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the Jets this week.

Therefore, the team announced Saturday that it elevated four players from the 16-man practice squad. Running back Kenjon Barner and wide receiver Cyril Grayson Jr. are both considered to be Contagious Disease Practice Squad Elevations while punter Sterling Hofrichter and outside linebacker Elijah Ponder are considered standard elevations.

Barner will likely resume kick and punt return duties after filling that role last week against the Panthers. Rookie Jaelon Darden -the team's primary kick returner- is still out after testing positive for COVID-19 the Thursday before the Bucs' Week 16 matchup. Barner filled that role pretty well last week by returning five punts for an average of 8.8 yards per return.

Grayson can help fill in for Darden at receiver, but can also play Chris Godwin's role effectively. Godwin is out for the entire season with a torn ACL and Grayson stepped up in a big way last week, so it will be interesting to see what his role is this week. Grayson's elevation and Barner's elevation will not count toward their two-elevation limit since they are CDPEs.

Hofrichter will play on Sunday. Bradley Pinion was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, which negates any chance of him playing against the Jets. Ponder's elevation is due to the absence of Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul. As it currently stands, the Bucs have just three healthy outside linebackers on the roster, excluding Ponder, of course.

Ponder had a solid preseason with the Bucs, but didn't make the initial practice squad. He was signed to the 16-man unit in September, but was cut not long afterward. This will be his first live game action for Tampa Bay.

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