The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium for their first game of the 2024 season. The Buccaneers are favored by 3.5, and the over/under is 44.5 points. One important matchup to monitor throughout the game is the Commanders’ offensive line vs. the Buccaneers’ defensive line.
The Commanders sought to improve their offensive line, which ranked 24th in PFF’s rankings and allowed 65 sacks, tied for the second most last season. They signed Nick Allegretti and Tyler Biadasz and drafted Brandon Coleman in the 3rd-round.
The Buccaneers, on the other hand, retained their top-five defensive lineman. Vita Vea, Logan Hall, Calijah Kancey, Greg Gaines, and William Gholston are back for another season. However, their defensive line could be shorthanded as two players missed Thursday’s practice.
Two Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive linemen missed Thursday’s practice
Logan Hall and Earnest Brown missed Thursday’s practice. Hall is dealing with a foot injury, and Todd Bowles stated on Wednesday that they won’t know until Sunday if he can play. Brown is dealing with a rib injury, and he could start the 2024 season on injured reserve.
The Buccaneers, concerned with their depth, claimed a player off an NFC West practice squad.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers snatched a player off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad
The Buccaneers claimed Ben Stille off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. As Greg Auman of FOX Sports notes on X, if a player gets claimed off a team’s practice squad, they must remain on their roster for three weeks. Finally, the Buccaneers must make a roster move since their roster is full.
Ben Stille was on the Cardinals’ practice squad, and by rule if you sign a player off another team’s practice squad, you have to keep him on your roster for at least three weeks, so this isn’t just a Sunday fix for the Bucs.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 5, 2024
Ben Stille enters his third year in the NFL
Ben Stille went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Miami Dolphins signed him as an undrafted free agent. The Dolphins released Stille during roster cuts but re-signed him to their practice squad. He recorded two tackles in one game for Miami in 2022.
The Cleveland Browns claimed him off the practice squad. He recorded three tackles and one hit in six games with one start in Cleveland in 2022. The Browns released him in May.
The Arizona Cardinals claimed Stille off waivers. The Cardinals released him during roster cuts but re-signed him to their practice squad. He bounced around on their practice squad and active roster and recorded eight tackles, one hit, and one sack in five games.
