Buccaneers release Lavelle Hawkins

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released veteran wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins, according to Roy Cummings. The seventh-year player was an old acquaintance of Jeff Tedford, but didn't manage to stand out either during training camp or during the preseason games, although he did catch a last-second touchdown during Saturday's game.

The Buccaneers may have simply released him to give him a better chance of being signed to another roster, as they likely knew that he wouldn't make the roster anyway. The Bucs won't necessarily sign a replacement for Hawkins, given that they'll have to cut down to 75 players by Tuesday, anyway. Going through a handful of practices with one fewer receiver won't really hamper the team's efforts.

This brings the Bucs up to 97 roster moves under Lovie Smith, signifying a large amount of turnover compared to last year.