The final stage of the preseason is over and done with as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now have their initial 53-man roster set.

Now, it’s about scouring the waiver wire/free agent pool in order to see if they can find any upgrades or guys who can join the practice squad, develop, and potentially offer some help when needed.

Let’s go ahead and discuss four targets the Buccaneers should have an eye on before the waiver deadline coming up at 1 p.m. ET on Monday, August 31.

WR Cedric Tillman

It starts with former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman. The former third-round pick posted 71 catches for 833 yards and 5 touchdowns over the course of 38 games in three seasons. Things just never came together for Tillman in Cleveland, unfortunately.

A to Z Sports’ Browns beat writer Brandon Little said it was a mix of factors. It started with concussion issues that caused him to miss a few games, then minor injuries would nag him to the tune of three to four missed games per year. He hasn’t played an entire full season in his career up to this point.

Then came the situation last year where Cleveland offered him the starting X receiver job, and he couldn’t make it happen. The Browns drafted Denzel Boston, and Tillman was suddenly on his way out.

Here’s the key detail: Tillman only has three accrued seasons, so he has to go through waivers. The Buccaneers need to let him pass through, and the rest of the league will likely do the same. If he’s picked up on waivers, Tampa Bay would have to assume his current contract, and Tillman was set to make over $3.6 million this year. The Buccaneers obviously don’t want to pay that. They’d want to stash him on the practice squad.

So what could Tillman bring? He’s a big-bodied X receiver who just turned 26. His ceiling is still there, and right now the Buccaneers really only have one true X receiver on the roster in Ted Hurst.

If Hurst were to go down, Tampa Bay could call Tillman up. He’s shown big-play ability before. If you remember the 2024 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens when Jameis Winston started and led the Browns to a 29-24 victory, Tillman had 7 receptions for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game winner.

Nobody is expecting to add Pro Bowlers here. But if you can add serviceable talent you can call up when the chips are down, that’s exactly what Tillman is.

OL Rob Jones

These next two guys fall along the same trend, and you’ll know exactly why, because coach Todd Bowles said himself he’s concerned about the Buccaneers’ offensive line depth after Friday night’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rob Jones started 17 games for the Miami Dolphins in 2024. He went into the 2025 season as the incumbent, but broken neck ended his 2025 season before it even began.

That led him to join San Francisco this past offseason, where he was running with the first-team offensive line in camp this year before a calf strain sidelined him, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Yes, the injury history is starting to brew. But this is a practice squad conversation about a veteran who won’t have to go through waivers, giving the Buccaneers full autonomy over his contract at a minimal cost.

Jones is a young player with starting experience at both left guard and right guard. He doesn’t have much experience at center, which matters because you want your interior linemen to be able to play all three positions. Still, he could help Tampa Bay’s interior depth in a pinch, because that group doesn’t look great right now, especially as roster cuts continue to roll in.

If his calf is good to go, Jones is a guy worth stashing away who could provide solid play when needed.

OL Lucas Patrick

Sticking on the interior offensive line, veteran guard and center Lucas Patrick is a viable option as well. He carries a low ceiling, but he has 65 starts over the course of his career, and 58 of those came within a four- to five-year window where the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers saw him as a legitimate guy on the front five.

Patrick has always been a stable presence with good technique, and he’s a strong leader. When you go back and look at the teams he played for, his teammates always talk about his character and football intelligence. That’s huge at the center position, where you have to call out protections and get everybody lined up. He can play all three interior positions.

If something were to happen to one of the starters, or if depth guys aren’t showing enough in practice, calling up Patrick off the practice squad would make a lot of sense.

LB Jamin Davis

Last but not least, former first-round pick Jamin Davis rounds out the list. There’s been a lot said about Davis over his career. He started as an off-ball linebacker for Ron Rivera in Washington and looked decent at times before flaming out once Dan Quinn and his staff arrived.

Here’s what makes Davis worth a look: Quinn moved him to EDGE, and for a stretch, he was showing some promise. Going from off-ball linebacker to edge is never easy, but Davis has the athleticism and speed to make it work. He has decent bend when you put him on the edge and send him after the quarterback.

Maybe there’s a world where Davis makes sense on the Buccaneers’ practice squad, whether as an edge guy or an inside linebacker. As another veteran, he won’t have to go through waivers.

Consider the comparison. Jack Pyburn had a great preseason with 4 sacks to lead the team. But Pyburn was an undrafted free agent. Davis was a first-round pick. Yes, Davis is a first-round bust, but the talent gap between the two is real. That much talent on your practice squad is hard to dismiss. If Davis is available, the Buccaneers should try to snag him.

Again, no one is looking for a game-changer at this point of the season. But stability, experience, and upside are definitely three factors that are prioritized and each one of these guys represents at least one of those in their own vacuum.