TAMPA, Fla. — The Buccaneers didn't have the cash to spend a lot of money on the free-agent market this offseason. The front office decided to build a roster using younger players. Tampa Bay's 53-man active roster includes 13 rookies and undrafted free agents.
"Any time you challenge your staff to go find- like I said before- gems at the dollar store… there’s kind of an excitement to it," Bucs general manager Jason Licht said Thursday. "We knew that there would be opportunities for new faces. But I didn’t necessarily think that - if you would’ve told me back in April that we would keep six undrafted rookies, I probably would’ve thought you were crazy."
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said he doesn't care about players' ages. He thinks the current roster has guys who can play, and it's his staff's job to get them ready to compete at the highest level.
"Tell the rookies every year, there’s a rookie class that wins a Super Bowl every year," Bowles said after Thursday's practice. "So that’s no excuse, being young. Once you’re here, you’re here. And it’s up to us to get them ready to play."
Rookie linebacker Yaya Diaby thinks this particular first-year class has been a collective sponge during the preseason.
"We’re just taking it day by day, learning from the vets, and it’s been working," Diaby said Thursday. "I believe our class is very, very intelligent."
The Bucs' third-round pick in the 2023 draft can't wait to finally run out on the field in a Tampa Bay uniform.
"Now it gets real. This is what I’ve been waiting for my whole life," he said. "Watch film with the vets and the coaches and be ready come game day."
The Bucs open the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Minnesota. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
