Getty Todd Bowles may have to cut veteran receiver David Moore.
One addition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver corps may never see the field this fall.
Veteran wide receiver David Moore, who signed with the team this offseason, could get cut before the end of training camp. More faces a young and loaded receiver room, and Josh of Hill of FanSided’s Pewter Plank sees it as a big obstacle for Moore.
Hill noted, “There are about eight other guys in the room who are vying for the same roster spot he is” and that the first three receivers “are all locks” for the roster. That’s Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Russell Gage of course, and that “only leaves about four spots that are up for grabs,” he wrote.
“Kade Warner could fill the Scotty Miller role, and rookie Trey Palmer is likely to make the cut as well,” Hill added. “Add to that the fact that both Deven Thompkins and Kaylon Geiger are ahead of Moore on the depth chart, which puts him in a pretty tough spot when it comes to a clear path toward making the roster.”
Moore has more experience than Thompkins, Geiger, Palmer, and Warner but hasn’t stayed healthy as Hill noted. When healthy, Moore produced for the Seattle Seahawks with 134 catches for 1,163 yards and 13 touchdowns in 47 games amid four seasons.
TOE. DRAG. SWAG.
Unbelievable catch from David Moore for the TD!
The Bucs signed Moore to a one-year, $1.08 million deal after he bounced around the league since 2021. He had stints with the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers where he played in three games for 2021, but he didn’t play in 2022 due to injury after he signed with the Chicago Bears.
“Moore is a fine player, but it seems like there are more ways he ends up being a preseason cut than being on the sideline Week 1,” Hill wrote.
David Moore Has One Key Connection in Tampa
While Moore could face an uphill battle to make the roster, his connection with Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales could help.
“They both spent time together in Seattle and Moore had the most productive years of his career while working with his new coach,” Hill wrote.
Moore notably was the third receiver at times behind D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in Seattle. Moore also finished third in receiving yards for the Seahawks twice, and he averaged 14.9 yards per reception there.
“His relationship with Canales can’t be undersold, especially when it comes to finding people to help install a new offense,” Hill wrote. “Will that be more valuable than what some of the other guys fighting for a roster spot bring to the table?”
Canales also added another coach who has worked with Moore before — wide receiver coach Brad Idzik. Moore worked with Idzik during the 2019 and 2022 seasons.
Experience & Size a Concern for Bucs at WR
Regardless of which receivers the Bucs ultimately keep, the team doesn’t have size after Evans, a 6-foot-5 Pro Bowl regular. The rest of the Bucs’ receivers are 6-foot-1 or shorter.
Tampa Bay also only has four receivers with more than five games of experience. If the Bucs cut Moore, that will make it only three.