The Tampa Bay Buccaneers snuck in one last pair of roster moves before the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills on August 23, signing another veteran cornerback in place of an early rookie cut at wide receiver.
“With one more preseason game to play before league-wide roster cuts for the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made an addition to a secondary currently hit hard by injuries, signing fourth-year cornerback Tre Avery,” Bucs team reporter Scott Smith announced in an August 22 article. “To make room on the 91-man preseason roster, the Buccaneers waived wide receiver Jaden Smith.”
On Avery, the team reporter added: “Originally a college free agent signed by the Tennessee Titans out of Rutgers in 2022, Avery has played in 38 games with five starts over the past three seasons. He made the active roster as a rookie and started three of the 14 games in which he appeared, recording 29 tackles, nine passes defended, and a fumble recovery. He started two more games in 2023 before starting the 2024 season on Tennessee’s practice squad.”
After being waived by the Titans, Avery made brief stops with San Francisco and New England before signing with Tampa Bay.
“Bucs signing Tre Avery is likely driven by short-term injuries at corner,” FOX Sports NFL reporter and Buccaneers insider Greg Auman commented after hearing the news.
Explaining: “[Benjamin] Morrison, [Josh] Hayes, [Tyrek] Funderburk [are] all limited with injuries, so it’s one more healthy body to help get through Saturday’s preseason finale.”
Auman also added that it is “wild to dress a player who’s never practiced with the team,” so Avery will have his work cut out for him against the Bills if and when he takes the field.
More on Latest Bucs Cut, Rookie WR Jaden Smith
GettyFormer Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Jaden Smith with Nevada.
Per Scott Smith, “the Buccaneers signed [Jaden] Smith a week into training camp and he played in the team’s first two preseason games, logging one catch for nine yards.”
That was the rookie’s first NFL preseason opportunity of his career.
Before entering the pros, Smith split his college career between Montana State, Tarleton State, and Nevada, appearing in 47 games over five seasons.
Smith’s best collegiate campaign was his last and only one at Nevada, racking up 62 catches for 849 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns over 12 starts and 13 games played.
He also had another 800-plus-yard season with Tarleton State in 2022. Plus, he achieved double-digits receiving touchdowns that year with 10. The remainder of Smith’s collegiate career was less notable.
Joining the Buccaneers, Smith never had great odds to make the 53-man roster, but early spring and summer injuries have provided more opportunities at wide receiver. Still, the 6-foot-6 youngster will fall short in Tampa Bay, but perhaps his pro career will continue elsewhere.
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