Buccaneers Release QB Brett Smith, Sign More Skill Position Depth

Many fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were excited at the prospects of undrafted rookie quarterback Brett Smith of Wyoming, who was brought in to compete under center with Mike Kafka for a spot on the training camp roster. But as it turns out, Smith didn't even last until the end of the first OTA's in Tampa.

The Bucs confirmed multiple additions to the roster on Wednesday, and in doing so, were forced to release a few players to bring the roster in balance. Here's a quick breakdown of who was added and let go.

Additions

QB Alex Tanney

We already profiled Tanney yesterday. In case you don't remember, he's a former DIII superstar at quarterback who holds multiple NCAA records at the QB position, and is the star of a pretty fun YouTube trick shot video where he throws footballs into garbage cans from ridiculous angles.

TE Cameron Brate

Brate was another addition already linked to the Bucs, and he's an athletic tight end with a basketball background. He was used both in-line and out wide at Harvard, and brings versatility at tight end that the departed Tom Crabtree didn't really bring.

TE Ian Thompson

Thompson is a 6'4" tight end from Louisiana-Lafayette who never caught a touchdown pass during his time with the Ragin' Cajuns.  He appears to be nothing more than a camp body.

WR Quintin Payton

Described by Scott Smith as "Mike Glennon's favorite target," Payton is a tall, relatively athletic receiver from NC State. He's not on par with Mike Evans or Austin Seferian-Jenkins in terms of a size-speed combo, but he's 6'4" and runs the 40 in under 4.6 seconds. He scored 5 touchdowns at NCSU, and was a basketball player in high school.

Subtractions

QB Brett Smith

Despite all of his promise, Smith didn't do enough to impress the Bucs during his time in Tampa. He's replaced by Tanney, who has more polish, and more accuracy (if his YouTube antics are any indication). And according to Jason Licht, toughness, intelligence and accuracy are his top three traits for a passer. Tanney certainly possesses all three, while it appears Smith doesn't have the accuracy the Bucs wanted.

P Jacob Schrum

This leaves Michael Koenen as the only punter on the roster, which seems surprising given his high salary and mediocre performance. Maybe this is more an indictment on Schrum than it is a sign that Koenen is safe.

DL David Hunter

Hunter was signed to a futures deal after the season, and didn't do enough in camp to prove he's better than the defensive tackles already in place.

These moves put the Buccaneers at a full 90 men on the roster, meaning any future moves will have to come with a corresponding cut for every addition.