Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Roster shuffle adds body to secondary

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a slew of moves on Sunday that included thinning their backfield and adding to the secondary.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a couple of roster moves Sunday, including one that should strengthen the cornerback position at least for the remainder of training camp. Per Sander Philpse of BucsNation.com, the team has signed cornerback Mariel Cooper. They also waived running back Quayvon Hicks, giving them one less body in the backfield.

Being an undrafted free agent, not much is known about Cooper.  He came to the Buccaneers via the Washington Redskins as he signed with the team, but did not make the roster last year. He played college football at The Citadel, a program that went 10-2 last season. The Bulldogs made the FCS Playoffs last year losing to Wofford College, 17-3.

As Philpse notes, Hicks was used more like a fullback for the team. As it is, the Buccaneers already have a surplus of running backs, so another one is not needed.

As far as the signing of Cooper goes, this may mean a few things. For one, he could be just another body for training camp for the receivers to go against. If that is the case, then there is chance he will be off the roster once the 53-player cuts begin on Sept. 2. With a cast of cornerbacks headlined by the likes of Vernon Hargreaves and Brent Grimes, there is not a whole lot of room him.

For Hicks, this could be used as a best-case scenario. Now, he has the chance to go find work somewhere else versus being stuck behind the other backs. It was a position they had a surplus at and felt they’d be better served adding another body to the defense instead.

Next: NFL Power Rankings 2017: Preseason Week 3

One man gets another opportunity while another has to find work somewhere else. Although it sounds blunt, it is just another day in the NFL.