Getty Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers parted ways with another three players as NFL rosters trimmed down to 80 players this week.
Despite prior depth needs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived tight end Johnathan “Bug” Howard and released wide receiver Vyncint Smith early this week.
The Bucs released Smith on Sunday, August 21, as the team began trimming the roster down to 80 players per Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith. Howard hit waivers with an injury designation on Tuesday, August 23, per Smith, as the latest move to whittle the roster to 80.
The Bucs faced depth issues at tight end and wide receiver during the offseason. Tight end O.J. Howard left in free agency and Rob Gronkowski retired in June. The wide receiver room remained in flux with injuries and Antonio Brown’s departure.
Smith joined the Bucs in January on a reserve/future contract after three seasons with the New York Jets. He caught 18 passes for 238 yards with the Jets. In the preseason with the Bucs, Smith mustered one catch for a couple of yards.
His best catch arguably came in a joint practice against the Tennessee Titans on August 17 when Bucs quarterback Kyle Trask hit him on a sideline route. The Bucs selected it as Play of the Day.
Play of the day from Tennessee 🏈
Howard managed a catch for six yards in two preseason games with the Bucs. He impressed at times in practice with a one-handed catch on August 2 and a touchdown catch in the back of the end zone on August 18. Ultimately, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end’s success on the USFL field this spring didn’t translate to making plays in the NFL preseason.
Video: Bug Howard with a nice one handed grab. #GoBucs
Howard, Smith Showed Promise Before Bucs Stints
During his USFL season, Howard tallied 30 receptions for 371 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games for the Philadelphia Stars. He also helped the Stars reach the USFL championship game with his dynamic playmaking skills. He joined the Bucs early in training camp on July 28.
The @USFLStars strike first! 🌟
@CaptainCookus10 finds @ThaBugMan for the TD 🎯
📺: @NBCSports & @peacockTV
Howard received the nickname “Bug” from his mother when he grew up in Georgia. He had a solid college career at North Carolina with 146 receptions for 2,048 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Denver signed Howard as an undrafted free agent in 2017 where he spent most of that season with the Broncos practice squad. He then bounced around the league with Indianapolis, Carolina, and Buffalo.
Smith, 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, impressed during the NFL Draft process in 2018. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds and hit a 39.5″ vertical jump at a Pro Day.
Houston signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2018 from Division II Limestone University in South Carolina. He caught five passes for 91 yards and a touchdown for the Texans that year.
Bucs Waive Troy Warner, Place Two on Injured Reserve
Besides Howard and Smith, the Bucs cut safety Troy Warner since the August 20 loss to the Titans per Smith. Warner, a former BYU standout, had four tackles against the Dolphins on August 13 but none against the Titans.
Injured players freed up another two roster spots as the Bucs placed left guard Aaron Stinnie and outside linebacker Cam Gill on the injured reserve list per Smith. Stinnie will miss the season due to an ACL tear against the Titans, and Gill will also sit out the season due to an Lisfranc injury against the Dolphins.
Tampa Bay also “reached an injury settlement” for former linebacker JoJO Ozougwu a week after the team waived him per Smith.