Senior Writer/Editor
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought their rookies in for a three-day training camp head start on Saturday, and one of those rookies also took care of some necessary contract business. Defensive lineman Logan Hall, the Buccaneers’ first pick in the 2022 draft, signed his first rookie contract, which was required before he could hit the practice field for camp.
The Buccaneers also placed rookie cornerback Don Gardner and first-year guard Sadarius Hutcherson on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Tampa Bay selected Hall, a defensive lineman out of Houston, with the first pick of the second round (number 33 overall) after trading down from their original spot at number 27 in the first round. He inked the standard four-year contract that all draftees taken after the first round get under the current CBA.
Prior to breaking from minicamp in June, the Buccaneers got deals in place for their other six 2022 draftees: second-round guard Luke Goedeke, third-round running back Rachaad White, fourth-round punter Jake Camarda, fifth-round cornerback Zyon McCollum, sixth-round tight end Ko Kieft and seventh-round outside linebacker Andre Anthony. That leaves only fourth-round tight end Cade Otton unsigned. The first practice in Tampa Bay’s pre-camp ‘QB School’ is on Sunday; the first full training camp practice is next Wednesday, July 27.
Hall (6-6, 283) brings much-needed length and athleticism to the Bucs’ interior defensive front. He is likely to focus on the three-technique position and providing pressure up the middle, but he was a versatile defender at Houston, lining up all over the front. He played in 45 games with 32 starts in his collegiate career and as a senior earned first-team all-conference honors. His 2021 totals included 48 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
The Buccaneers signed Gardner as an undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State in May; he is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Hutcherson also signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 2021 but he spent his rookie year on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending knee injury in a preseason contest.
Players who are placed on the active/PUP list still count against the 90-man camp roster and can come off the list and return to practice at any time. The purpose of placing a player who is not yet ready to practice on the active/PUP list is to keep open the option of him being moved to the reserve/PUP list at the start of the regular season if necessary.
With the punting baton likely passing to fourth-round draft pick Jake Camarda, the Buccaneers have released veteran punter Bradley Pinion after three seasons with the team
Tampa Bay now has six of its eight 2022 draft picks under contract after fourth-round selection Jake Camarda inked his four-year rookie deal on Thursday
The Buccaneers have signed guard Luke Goedeke, a second-round pick in the 2022 draft, to his first NFL contract and now have only three remaining unsigned rookies
The Buccaneers addressed a key depth concern on Tuesday, signing former Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to join a rotation up front that includes Vita Vea, Will Gholston and rookie Logan Hall
Coastal Carolina WR Kameron Brown, James Madison defensive lineman Mike Greene and Yale tight end JJ Howland all turned weekend tryouts during rookie mini-camp into spots on the Bucs’ 90-man offseason roster
Tampa Bay filled out its offseason roster by signing 13 players who went undrafted last week, including a trio of prolific receivers led by Western Kentucky’s Jerreth Sterns, the nation’s leading pass-catcher in 2021
RB Rachaad White, CB Zyon McCollum, TE Ko Kieft and OLB Andre Anthony all inked their rookie NFL contracts on Thursday, the first day the team’s 2022 draft picks officially reported to team headquarters
The Buccaneers have unsurprisingly exercised the fifth-year option on 2019 first-round pick Devin White, who earned a Pro Bowl invitation last year and was a second-team AP All-Pro in 2020
After four seasons in Atlanta, former Bulls standout Deadrin Senat is returning to his home state, signing with the Buccaneers on Friday and adding depth to the team’s defensive front
The Buccaneers have retained their most active special teams player, signing fourth-year DL Patrick O’Connor to a new contract on Wednesday
RB Giovani Bernard, who has been one of the NFL’s most productive pass-catching backs over the last decade, is returning for a second season with the Buccaneers
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