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The Bucs made a roster move on Friday morning, which wasn’t unexpected, as a roster spot became available when the team placed guard Sua Opeta on injured reserve. The team is also down an edge rusher with starter Yaya Diaby being lost for the rest of camp and the preseason due to a high ankle sprain.
Tampa Bay signed outside linebacker Jay Person to fill that vacant roster spot and bolster the team’s edge rusher depth.
The 6-foot-2, 237-pound Person originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots on May 13, 2024 before being released on June 11, 2024. Person appeared in 51 career games between Appalachian State University (2018) and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2019-23), totaling 233 tackles (56.0 for loss), 26.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, six passes defensed and three fumbles recovered.
He received first-team FCS All-America honors and first-team All-SoCon (Southern Conference) recognition in the 2022 and 2023 seasons after appearing in a combined 23 games and recording 108 tackles, 17 sacks and four forced fumbles. He led the Southern Conference in sacks across each of his final two seasons.
The Bucs have been a bit underwhelmed through the first week of training camp with the play of reserve outside linebackers Markees Watts, Jose Ramirez and rookie Chris Braswell, the team’s second-round pick, and want to add some competition to the mix, especially since Randy Gregory never reported to training camp.
Sua Opeta’s Bucs Career Didn’t Last Long
Bucs OL Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Sua Opeta was in the competition for the starting left guard position with Ben Bredeson at the start of training camp, but Bredeson was considered to be the front-runner. Opeta, who came from the Philadelphia Eagles, signed a one-year deal worth $1.375 million in free agency. It’s unknown if he will return to Tampa Bay next year after he rehabs his knee. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder was noted for his run blocking and was less expensive to sign than Bredeson.
Bredeson, who has spent time in Baltimore and with the New York Giants, also signed a one year deal with Tampa Bay this offseason, but his cap value is worth $2.98 million. He has experience playing both guard and center, and is noticeably bigger at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds.
Rookie Elijah Klein has been practicing more at right guard behind starter Cody Mauch, but has also seen more snaps at left guard with the loss of Opeta over the Thursday and Friday practices. Brandon Walton, who has primarily been seeing action at right tackle, has also been seeing action with the second-team offensive line at guard with Opeta’s absence.
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