These Buccaneers Players Could Be Cut Before the Season Starts

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in a preseason game on Friday night. After that, head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht have to make the hard decisions.

The roster cut-down deadline is officially on Sunday, but the team will be making cuts from 90 to 53 men sooner than that. Many UDFAs, rookies and journeymen NFL players will likely be cut, but there are a few notable Bucs players who could be getting the axe sooner rather than later.

Here are four Bucs players in danger of being cut by Sunday:

OLB Chris Braswell

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Chris Braswell (43) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Braswell had a lot of competition coming into camp, and he needed to make a splash to prove he could play with them. He didn't do that over the offseason, and that means the former second-round pick is likely getting cut.

Braswell's main competition included veteran Anthony Nelson, who has produced for Tampa Bay often throughout his career, and second-year David Walker, who has come off a torn ACL last year and impressed the team significantly. Braswell has struggled throughout his whole Bucs tenure, and he didn't exactly impress in a big way over this preseason.

The death knell for Braswell is that he's currently hurt, and he didn't travel with the team to Jacksonville. He won't appear in Friday's preseason game, which almost certainly spells the end for his time in Tampa Bay.

WR David Sills V

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver David Sills V (80) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bucs and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson brought in Sills due to his experience working with Robinson in Atlanta. He's a big-bodied wideout who could have served as a tall red zone threat and an X wide receiver for Tampa Bay.

Unfortunately, the player the Bucs drafted to do that too — third-round pick Ted Hurst — has been coming along better than the Bucs expected. He's gotten plenty of first-team reps, and because he'll certainly make the 53-man roster, that would leave Sills in competition with Tez Johnson and Kameron Johnson for a spot on the 53.

Tez will certainly make it, and Kameron offers special teams returning ability that Sills does not. All that means that Sills is likely on the outside looking in when it comes to cut day.

TE Devin Culp

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Devin Culp (82) warms up before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Culp impressed in short bursts in 2024 under offensive coordinator Liam Coen, but he wasn't able to get on the field much at all in 2025. The Bucs drafted tight end Bauer Sharp in the sixth round to directly compete with him, and it hasn't been going Culp's way.

Culp was injured for a good bit of OTAs, minicamp and training camp before coming on to the scene late. He's been decent in most of his showings, but Sharp has looked the better tight end with a better ceiling and more athleticism, and the Bucs will certainly only keep four tight ends on the roster.

The practice squad will be a fine spot for Culp, but Sharp may have just bumped him out of his spot on Tampa Bay's 53-man roster.

IOL Elijah Klein

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ryan Miller (81) celebrates with guard Elijah Klein (79) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

This one is interesting, because Klein could very well stick around. But he's certainly in danger of being cut anyway.

Klein was certainly in danger when the Bucs drafted Notre Dame guard Billy Schrauth in the fifth round, as Schrauth was likely to compete for interior depth alongside players like Dan Feeney and Luke Haggard. That being said, Schrauth has been hurt for most of training camp, which would in theory give the edge back to Klein.

Klein didn't impress whatsoever last year when he filled in at guard, though, and he spent game days inactive when the Bucs needed depth on the line the most toward the end of the season. Tampa Bay may be willing to gamble on the things they liked about Schrauth over what they know about Klein, and if that's the case, Klein could be cut when it comes down to it over the weekend.

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