Getty The Buccaneers are bringing back former offensive lineman Ted Larsen.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing back former offensive lineman Ted Larsen who played four seasons for the team from 2010-13. Larsen is one of several free agents the Bucs spent the bye week working out and is the first roster addition the team made heading into Week 14. The Buccaneers have dealt with multiple injuries to the offensive line, and the signing gives the team a bit of depth heading toward Tampa Bay’s stretch run.
Larsen will start out on the team’s practice squad but these players have been relied on more than any other season given the uncertainty surrounding 2020. The offensive lineman also has familiarity with Bruce Arians as he was a Cardinals starting guard in 2014 and 2015.
“The Bucs have signed former Bucs offensive lineman Ted Larsen to their practice squad,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine noted. “He was most recently with the Bears in 2019. He also played for the Cardinals under Bruce Arians in 2014 and 2015 and was drafted by the Patriots in 2010. He’ll provide some much-needed depth along the offensive line after the loss of A.Q. Shipley.”
The Bucs Released Kick Returner Jaydon Mickens
The Buccaneers also made another major roster move after the bye by releasing wide receiver Jaydon Mickens. It was a surprising decision given Mickens was the team’s primary kick returner, a position that will now be occupied by Kenjon Barner who was moved up from the Bucs practice squad.
The Buccaneers have now made several roster moves, but it will be interesting to see if there are any changes on the field, particularly to the offensive system. Arians noted prior to the bye that the team planned to use the time off to “self-scout.”
“The self-scouting and stuff that we do is [on] ourselves,” Arians said, via USA Today. “We’ve got every play listed that we’ve run all season – the yards, the average, the completions – everything statistically for the entire season [and] for the last four ballgames, which is usually what another team breaks down. …Again, it’s more about us – our tendencies, our pluses, our minuses, where we’ve been successful and where we haven’t been.”
Godwin on Bucs: ‘We Still Have a Lot of Football Left’
Tampa Bay had a disappointing result heading into the bye with their loss to the Chiefs, but wide receiver Chris Godwin is optimistic things will turn around for the Bucs. Godwin noted the team still has “a lot of football left,” but given the Bucs’ recent skid the margin for error is a lot more narrow.
“The best answer I have is just work,” Godwin said, via USA Today. “That’s going to be the best solution for all of our problems, is just continue to keep our heads down, just work and stay together as a team. We still have a lot of football left, and we’re fighting for a lot more than just one game.”
The Buccaneers are a 6.5-point home favorite against the Vikings for Week 14, per OddsShark. It is one of the games the Bucs need to win to have a good chance to retain their playoff spot.
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