The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and long snapper Zach Triner for the foreseeable future as both players were placed on Injured Reserve. The move means the Bucs will be without each player for at least the next three weeks based on NFL rules. Tampa Bay announced the signing of cornerback Pierre Desir and safety Chris Cooper to the team’s practice squad in response to the recent injuries.
Desir is a particularly notable signing as the corner spent the majority of his three seasons (2017-2019) with the Colts as a starter. Last season, Desir had stints with the Jets and Ravens, including eight starts with New York. Desir posted three interceptions, eight pass deflections and 47 tackles in nine appearances last season for the Jets. During the preseason, the veteran cornerback spent time with the Seahawks before being released on August 24.
Cooper spent both training camp and the preseason with the Bucs before being released on September 10. Since 2018, the undrafted safety has had stints with the Colts, Bengals, Chiefs, Falcons and Broncos.
Murphy-Bunting Is Recovering From a Dislocated Elbow
Murphy-Bunting dislocated his elbow in the Bucs’ opening win over the Cowboys. While the cornerback will be sidelined for at least the next three weeks, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians indicated the team does not believe his injury is serious.
“We’re hopefully waiting for some good news, but we don’t have it yet,” Arians noted, per Pewter Report. “The X-rays came back negative at the stadium, but he did dislocate it. We’ve just got to wait and see now. Really have nothing to report time-wise yet. We’ve got our fingers crossed.”
The Cowboys Revealed an Offensive Game Plan That the Bucs Are Expecting to See All Season
Despite an offseason of praise, the Bucs defense struggled in spots against the Cowboys’ high-powered offense. Dak Prescott threw for 403 yards in Week 1, and Arians admitted the defense is likely to see a similar game plan throughout the season.
“Oh, there’s no doubt,” Arians explained, per CBS Sports. “No doubt, brother. You’ve got to put the fires out each week, you know? They had a nice plan but still the game comes down to situational football and we won situational football. We’ll see the same things. They had a nice plan defensively, too, but I think we’re a bit farther along offensively now. But yeah, we’re going to see screens, screens, screens – throw it out there and see if you can make the tackle.”
Arians expects to see opponents try to utilize short passes to make the Bucs defenders miss. Overall, Arians still has confidence in the team’s depth as Murphy-Bunting recovers from his injury.
“We still play great red-zone defense,” Arians added. “When you’re playing that first one, people have a long time to prepare for you. We adjust extremely well. I think the depth helped with those injuries that happened during the game. We’ll see all those little short passes and, again, we’ve got to do a better job tackling.”
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Bucs Signings Include Ex-Colts Starter, Place Key CB on Injured Reserve