clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers bring in 44 rookies for tryouts, including Jordan Jefferson

AUBURN AL - OCTOBER 23:  Quarterback Jordan Jefferson #9 of the LSU Tigers breaks a tackle by Neiko Thorpe #15 of the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 23 2010 in Auburn Alabama.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUBURN AL - OCTOBER 23: Quarterback Jordan Jefferson #9 of the LSU Tigers breaks a tackle by Neiko Thorpe #15 of the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 23 2010 in Auburn Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Getty Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going all-out to scrape the bottom of the barrel in their search for quality players. In addition to the drafted rookies and undrafted free agents the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already signed, they have brought in a whopping 44 rookies for tryouts for the 2012 rookie mini-camp.

Buccaneers.com mentions that this brings the total number of rookies in camp to 75, but I have no clue how they got to that number. 44 tryout players, 7 draftees and 17 undrafted free agents makes for 68 rookies. Am I missing something? I must be.

In fact, the number of rookies is actually even lower. A number of players the Bucs listed here are not actually rookies. WR Brooks Foster out of North Carolina, for instance, was originally drafted in the fifth round by the St. Louis Rams in 2009. Unless there are two wide receivers named Brooks Foster, both having played college football at North Carolina. Another example is Ayanga Okpokowuruk, a defensive end who went undrafted in 2010. In all, from what I can tell, the Bucs have seven such players in town on tryouts: Foster, Okpokowuruk, TE Harry Flaherty, DE Hilee Taylor, CB Derrick Roberson, WR Tim Brown and LB Alex Wujciak.

Regardless, the Bucs will try to find some quality players among the bunch. The only name I really recognize is Jordan Jefferson's, who played quarterback at LSU the past years, and most notoriously completely bombed in the national championship game this year. One interesting note: the Bucs brought in four North Carolina players and two Rutgers players for tryouts. The Rutgers connection is obvious with Greg Schiano being the Bucs head coach, but it's easy to forget that former North Carolina head coach Butch Davis is employed by the Buccaneers as well. And one other connection may play a role there: North Carolina beat Rutgers three times in the past four years.

Hit the jump for the full list of tryout players, or head on over to Buccaneers.com for the original list.

No.

Name

Pos.

College

98

Quintin Anderson

DE

Wagner

10

Shane Anderson

WR

Nevada

35

Sean Baker

S

Ball State

17

Tim Brown

WR

Rutgers

77

Morkeith Brown

DE

Temple

11

Van Chew

WR

Syracuse

21

De'Anthony Curtis

RB

Arkansas

96

Wayne Dorsey

DE

Mississippi

86

Chris Drager

TE

Virginia Tech

87

Harry Flaherty

TE

Princeton

19

Brooks Foster

WR

North Carolina

57

Jordan Futch

LB

Miami

6

Eric Guthrie

P

Iowa

62

Jermarcus Hardrick

T

Nebraska

80

B.J. Hayes

WR

Liberty

59

Brandon Herron

LB

Michigan

36

Kenji Jackson

S

Missouri

7

Jordan Jefferson

QB

LSU

13

Myron Johnson

S

Arkansas Tech

46

Antonio Leak

FB

Henderson State

31

Chika Madu

CB

Nicholls State

48

Byron McLeod

FB

Bethune-Cookman

51

Frank Newsome

LB

Central Arkansas

90

Jordan Nix

DT

North Carolina

88

Danny Noble

TE

Toledo

76

Cody Nutter

LS

West Virginia

95

Ayanga Okpokowuruk

DE

Duke

65

Jeff Olson

G

TCU

27

Larry Parker

CB

San Diego State

44

Brian Peters

S

Northwestern

71

Moe Petrus

C

Connecticut

69

Nick Pieschel

G

Central Florida

79

Chris Pousson

LS

USC

4

Derrick Roberson

CB

Rutgers

49

Jermaine Robertson

FB

Arkansas State

45

Johnathan Smith

S

North Carolina

94

Hilee Taylor

DE

North Carolina

25

Adonis Thomas

RB

Toledo

91

Terrell Turner

DT

Oregon

92

Myles Wade

DT

Portland State

18

Marquese Wheaton

CB

Southern Mississippi

93

Renard Williams

DT

Eastern Washington

56

Alex Wujciak

LB

Maryland