All preseason and training camp, the one unquestionable narrative around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was how deep and talented their wide receivers room is Deep enough that some players who don’t make the roster will almost certainly land elsewhere in quick fashion.
It’s also going to mean parting with some familiar faces after the Buccaneers released wide receiver and 2023 sixth round pick Trey Palmer ahead of the NFL’s roster cutdown deadline on August 26.
“Bucs are waiving WR Trey Palmer,” Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account.
“The #Bucs are waiving WR Trey Palmer,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account. “The former 6th-round pick has 51 catches, 557 yards, and 4 TDs in his young career, but was in a deep receiving room”
Palmer played in 32 of 34 regular season games over the last 2 seasons with 1,729 all purpose yards and 4 total touchdowns.
“Once-promising WR Trey Palmer has been released by the Tampa Bay Bucs, should get interest elsewhere,” NFL Writer John Frascella wrote on his official X account.
Buccaneers Shopped Palmer in Trade
While Palmer will almost certainly get another chance in the NFL after he hits the waiver wire, he wasn’t an attractive enough option to attract another team in a trade
Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors put Palmer among the top wide receiver trade candidates in the NFL headed into training camp.
“Palmer had some flashes as a deep threat as a rookie but could be pushed out in a deep Tampa Bay receiving corps,” Ulrich wrote. “The Bucs drafted two rookies this year and return their top four receivers from last season.”
Palmer won a College Football Playoff National Championship at LSU in 2019 and was an All-Big Ten pick at Nebraska in 2022. He had 39 receptions for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns as a rookie in 2023 but saw his offensive output take a dip to 12 receptions for 172 yards and 1 touchdown in 2024.
While Palmer’s dip in numbers is concerning, he also took over full time punt return duties in 2024, which may have impacted his role in the passing game.
Loading Roster With Wide Receivers in Draft
The Buccaneers have drafted 3 wide receivers in the last 2 years.
Tampa Bay drafted Jalen McMillan in the third round (No. 92 overall) in 2024 and used their first and last picks in 2025 on wide receivers with first round pick Emeka Egbuka (N0. 19 overall) and Oregon’s Tez Johnson in the seventh round (No. 235 overall).
Palmer could very well be back on the Buccaneers sooner than later if he clears the waiver wire. Former NFL All-Pro Chris Godwin is keeping a spot on the 53-man roster even though he likely won’t play for the first month of the season as he recovers from ankle surgery.
Another starter from last year, Jalen McMillan, will miss at least the first 8 games of the regular season with a severely strained neck. If any of the other wide receivers go down or struggle and Palmer is somehow available it would be smart for Tampa Bay to try and get him back.
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