Bucs Rule 3 players out, David & Winfield status revealed – Pewter report

The Bucs continue to get hammered as the season progresses. Tampa Bay had a Saturday practice with the team that played Monday night against the Chiefs, and even the last practice of the week brought some surprises.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As soon as warmups began, we saw starting left guard Ben Bredesen standing on the sideline in a Bucs hat watching his teammates develop. What we didn’t see was safety inside linebacker Lavonte David or safety Antoine Winfield Jr. until much later.

Right at the very end of the training session, which is open to the media, David arrived wearing a helmet, indicating that he was training today. Soon after, Winfield got out, but he didn’t have his helmet with him. When the linebackers started doing drills, Winfield just watched them do it. Winfield wasn’t added to the injured list until Friday.

The players who were out the previous two days were Bucky Irving, Sterling Shepard and Greg Gaines. While Gaines was not seen, Irving and Shepard participated. The Bucks talked about the plan with Irving during the week with the toe injury, as he would sit out two practices and work out the third. Shepard was dealing with a hamstring injury and was running on a separate pitch earlier in the week. He was able to join everyone else on Saturday. Tykee Smith continued to practice and officially cleared the concussion protocol Saturday morning.

Todd Bowles points out which Bucs are out

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. and ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

After practice, Todd Bowles told the media that three Bucs would be out for Monday’s game. That would be wide receiver Mike Evans, as expected, defensive end Greg Gaines and long snapper Evan Decker, who is coming off injured reserve. That means Winfield, David and Bredesen are ready to go. Gaines was already out the previous week and it’s a pleasant surprise that the other trio is available.

Bowles said Winfield’s leg was “sore” but he was fine. He declined to specify if it was the same foot that cost him four games earlier in the season.

Having Smith back and playing him and the slot becomes a big help in the secondary when Smith and Winfield are together. As much as Tampa Bay has struggled on defense, I would have a hard time imagining what the group would look like without Winfield, or what the linebackers would look like if David wasn’t available.

It will be an uphill battle for the Bucs to beat the undefeated Chiefs. They are at least as healthy as they have been in the following weeks.