With two players Tampa Bay would have expected to be regulars in the rotation now among the ranks of the inactive to start the season, another pair of jobs opened on the team's final 53-man roster.
With offensive guard Davin Joseph's season over due to a knee injury sustained in last Friday's win over the Patriots, the team moved him to the injured reserve. Defensive end Da'Quan Bowers will start the season on the physically unable to perform list, opening up another spot for at least the first six weeks of the season.
Players on the bubble have one final chance to impress coaches in Wednesday night's preseason finale at Washington.
Each week throughout the preseason, RapidReports offered predictions on who might make the Buccaneers' 53-man roster when final cuts are announced Friday. This is our last projection.
Stock rising: TE Danny Noble -- The undrafted free agent has impressed coach Greg Schiano and his staff this preseason, as Schiano indicated the team intends to use Noble with Dallas Clark and Luke Stocker as part of a true rotation at the tight end position to start the season.
Stock falling: S Cody Grimm -- Grimm gained plenty of experience over the course of the last two seasons, but has had a disappointing preseason. Given the depth at the safety position and the rise of some other players, like Ahmad Black, Grimm seems certain to miss the cut to 53 if the Bucs take only four safeties.
QB -- In (3): Josh Freeman, Dan Orlovsky, Brett Ratliff. Out: Nobody. Analysis: No one on the roster will challenge Freeman for the starting job, and Orlovsky is the clear No. 2 man. Ratliff should stick around as an emergency option.
RB -- In (3): Doug Martin, LeGarrette Blount, Michael Smith. Out: Mossis Madu. Analysis: The starting job is settled, as Martin won the battle against Blount, but both figure to see plenty of action. Smith's skill on both offense and special teams gives him the third spot, forcing Madu out. The Bucs go with a pair of rookies among their three running backs in Martin and Smith.
FB -- In (1): Erik Lorig. Out: Robert Hughes, Cody Johnson. Analysis: Lorig has more experience than the other two players at the position, and that gives him a leg up. It doesn't seem likely the Bucs will keep more than one fullback.
WR -- In (7): Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, Preston Parker, Tiquan Underwood, Sammie Stroughter, Jordan Shipley. Out: Wallace Wright, Landon Cox. Analysis: It's a bit of a luxury to take seven receivers, but the team simply hasn't had enough time to evaluate Shipley since claiming him off waivers, and coaches will want to keep him around. Underwood had a hot start to the preseason but has been quiet of late.
TE -- In (3): Dallas Clark, Luke Stocker, Danny Noble. Out: Drake Dunsmore, Zack Pianalto. Analysis: Schiano tipped his hand here in recent days, saying the team plans to start the season with Clark, Stocker and Noble working interchangeably. That likely isn't good news for Dunsmore or Pianalto.
OL -- In (9): Donald Penn, Carl Nicks, Jeremy Zuttah, Jeremy Trueblood, Demar Dotson, Ted Larsen, Jamon Meredith, Derek Hardman, Desmond Wynn. Out: Bradley Sowell, Moe Petrus, Jermarcus Hardrick. Analysis: The loss of Davin Joseph is a significant blow to this unit, and it's still not entirely clear how the coaches intend to shuffle players in response. Larsen and Meredith are likely to figure prominently into their plans.
DL -- In (9): Michael Bennett, Gerald McCoy, Roy Miller, Adrian Clayborn, E.J. Wilson, Amobi Okoye, Gary Gibson, George Johnson, Frank Okam. Out: Wallace Gilberry, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, Jordan Nix. PUP list: Da'Quan Bowers. Analysis: Moving Bowers to the PUP list frees up another spot, and Okam squeezes onto the 53-man roster as a result. He could help shore up depth along the defensive line, where both Okoye and Gibson have battled injuries this preseason.
LB -- In (6): Quincy Black, Mason Foster, Lavonte David, Dekoda Watson, Adam Hayward, Najee Goode. Out: Jacob Cutrera, Rennie Curran. Analysis: Five of these six spots seem to be all but locked down, with Goode and Cutrera battling for the sixth job. Schiano likes Goode's potential, and the rookie from West Virginia wins out narrowly.
DB -- In (9): Aqib Talib, Eric Wright, Mark Barron, Ronde Barber, E.J. Biggers, Anthony Gaitor, Larry Asante, Ahmad Black, Myron Lewis. Out: Keith Tandy, Leonard Johnson, Cody Grimm, Sean Baker: Analysis: Perhaps one of the toughest positions to project, as several players are on the bubble. The Bucs like Tandy, their sixth-round draft pick, but don't have a need for more than four safeties. Grimm, who started 12 games in the past two years, is similarly squeezed out.
Special teams -- In (3): Michael Koenen, Connor Barth, Andrew Economos. Out: Kai Forbath. Forbath survived the first round of cuts after making a pair of long field goals against the Patriots, converting from 51 and 55 yards out. But Barth just inked a contract extension, so there doesn't seem to be room on the roster for Forbath.
For more from Tampa Bay Bucs blogger Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsNFLTB on Twitter.
