The Bucks have been busy adjusting their roster in a short week. It’s already later Ben Still waived as defensive tackle and Signs wide receiver Sterling ShepardTampa Bay made more roster moves.
Unfortunately, one of them was the Bucs placing linebacker Sarvosia Dennis on injured reserve. In his place, they signed inside linebacker Antonio Grier Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster. With a spot open on the practice squad, Tampa Bay signed inside linebacker Karen DeLoach.
Bucks ILB Servosia Dennis – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Impact on Bucks’ ILB room
Servosia Dennis had a really good season platooning with KJ Britt. Dennis recorded 22 tackles and one sack. through 4 gamesBut he was ejected very early in Sunday’s 33-16 win over the Eagles. Dennis injured his shoulder after playing five snaps on Sunday.
He also missed much of the preseason with a shoulder issue, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the same symptoms. Dennis will miss at least the next four games, but it looks like he could be out for even longer.
Antonio Grier Jr. played most of his college football at USF in Tampa from 2018 to 2022 before going to Arkansas in 2023. Grier signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent and spent all of training camp in Tampa Bay. He was waived during roster cuts in late August, but was signed to the practice squad two days later.
Karen DeLoach also played at Florida State University and attracted attention as an undrafted free agent who signed with Tampa Bay. He was also waived during roster cuts, but was never reinstated in any capacity until today. This leaves DeLoach and Vi Jones as the only inside linebackers on the practice squad.
Who’s playing on third down?
Bucks ILB KJ Britt and DT Kariyah Kansi – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
How does the Bucks want to proceed with the formulation? Defense at inside linebacker That would be interesting. We know Lavonte David will play all single downs, but what will KJ Britt do? He averages 41.5 snaps on defense, but Sarvosia-Dennis typically ends up playing on third down as he excels in pass coverage.
The Bucks will either have to trust Britt to play all three downs or choose JJ Russell or Antonio Grier to handle that responsibility. Another option Todd Bowles and the Bucs could take is to go with the Dame package. This leaves only David with a lot of defensive backs in play.
Whichever option Bowles chooses, he’ll need to figure it out quickly. The Bucks will be on the road against the Falcons in a Thursday night game. With Tampa Bay in first place, it’s a great place to extend their lead.
