Bucs Give Tom Brady Help by Signing Former $2.6 Million Player of NFC Foe

Getty Tom Brady chases his eighth Super Bowl ring in 2022.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers passed on making a move at the NFL trade deadline, but the team has been active in making roster additions ahead of their Week 9 showdown against the Los Angeles Rams. Tampa Bay announced the team has signed former 49ers tackle Justin Skule and linebacker JoJo Ozougwu to the practice squad. The Bucs also signed guard John Molchon and linebacker J.J. Russell to the active roster from their practice squad.

The addition of Skule is particularly intriguing as the tackle made 12 starts and a total of 31 appearances for the 49ers during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Tampa Bay signed Skule to the team’s practice squad on September 21 but release the offensive lineman nearly one month later. Skule did not play for the Buccaneers during his brief first stint in Tampa.

San Francisco signed Skule to a four-year, $2.6 million contract after selecting him with the No. 183 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft. Skule was sidelined for the entirety of the 2021 season with a knee injury and was released by the Niners as the team finalized their 53-man roster on August 30.

The Bucs Offensive Line Has Contributed to the Team’s Struggles

There are plenty of issues for the Buccaneers to address as they begin the second half of the season but the lack of a rushing attack (last in the NFL in yards per contest) along with the subpar offensive line play have been two of the biggest offensive weaknesses. ESPN’s Jenna Laine cited “interior protection” as the biggest contributor to Tom Brady’s struggles so far this season.

“Interior protection. The Bucs’ interior pass-blockers have produced a pass block win rate of 87.9% through eight games, second worst in the NFL,” Laine wrote on November 2. “The interior line is also responsible for 34 Brady incompletions, the most in the NFL for any quarterback.

“Last week, they had backup Nick Leverett in at left guard while struggling rookie Luke Goedeke nursed a foot injury, and the results were slightly better. Tampa Bay’s 90.5% interior pass block win rate was 20th in the league last week, their third-best mark of the season, but this deficiency could be particularly problematic this week against Aaron Donald and the Rams.”

Tampa Bay Opted Not to Make a Move at the Trade Deadline

Despite the team’s struggles, Tampa declined to make a trade at the deadline. Instead, the Bucs are hoping that their current roster getting back to full strength will be enough to help the team turn around their season just in time for the postseason. NFL Network cited the eventual return of veterans like Antoine Winfield and Carlton Davis as part of the reason the team was not aggressive in pursuing a move.

“The Buccaneers are in the middle of a 10-day break between games after another disappointing loss,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo wrote on October 30. “Tom Brady and the offense need help on the offensive line, but who doesn’t? There just aren’t many options out there for anyone. At receiver, the Bucs still have enough talent to be successful and were encouraged by Julio Jones’ return to action on Thursday.

“On defense, the secondary has been ravaged by injuries the last few weeks — Antoine Winfield Jr., Carlton Davis III — though the good news is those players should be back soon. In fact, it’ll feel like a bunch of deadline acquisitions when they return. In short, don’t expect Bucs GM Jason Licht to make a big splash move in the next two days.”