By Greg Aumon - Courtesy Tamp Bay Times and tampabay.com
With injuries to all three tight ends in Sunday's loss at Chicago, the Bucs have made a flurry of moves at the position, promoting rookie Cameron Brate from the practice squad, signing former Packers and Patriots tight end D.J. Williams and adding Evan Rodriguez and Taylor Sloat to the practice squad.
"It feels like a reunion. I'm excited. It's a new beginning," said Rodriguez, a fourth-round pick in 2012 out of Temple. "It's always a challenge learning a new offense, but it's not my first time."
Rookie Austin Seferian-Jenkins said his back, which tightened up Sunday, limiting him to 20 snaps, is already improving, and Brandon Myers said the calf injury that limited him to 17 plays is feeling better as well. Myers was no longer wearing a walking boot Tuesday in the locker room.
To meet the newcomers: Brate is a Harvard grad who has been on the practice squad since final preseason cuts,
"You never know when your day is going to come as a practice-squad guy. You don't want to see the guys ahead of you go down," Brate said. "You have to be ready whenever that happens. I'm super-excited for this week and the opportunity."
Williams, a Packers fifth-round draft pick out of Arkansas in 2011, was with Bucs director of player personnel Jon Robinson in New England, and among the Patriots' final cuts this preseason.
"It's being coachable, dependable and accountable. That's something that comes with more than a couple of minutes," said Williams, who has seven career catches for 70 yards. "You can always control attitude and effort, and you have to be able to show them you can be on the field and know what you should do."
Sloat, a rookie from UC-Davis, is in his second stint on the practice squad, and Rodriguez played fullback and tight end for Lovie Smith with the Bears in 2012. Though he's wearing No. 86 and is listed as a tight end, he worked with the running backs at practice Tuesday.
To make room for the new additions, the Bucs put fullback Jorvorskie Lane on injured reserve, released returner Marcus Thigpen, and also cut tight end Ted Bolser and cornerback Quinton Pointer from the practice squad.
