Loss of Brian Price Puts More Pressure On Young Roster

As expected (but not who I suspected), another Tampa Bay Buccaneer is done for the season.

With 2010 2nd Round draft pick Brian Price heading to Injured Reserve (and therefore out for the year), the Buccaneers now have a hole on the regular roster and a hole on the practice squad.  The Buccaneers are no doubt burning some midnight oil these days trying to keep fresh bodies available for Head Coach Raheem Morris and his staff as they prepare to invade Atlanta with a possible NFC South Divisional Championship on the line.

General Manager Mark Dominik has now faced a practice squad promotion three straight weekends in a row.

It started back on Week 6, when RB Kareem Huggins went to IR with a knee injury.  The following week, TE Jerramy Stevens was cut from the team after an altercation with the law.  Last week, G Keydrick Vincent was cut and T Jeremy Trueblood was inactive due to a knee injury.  These moves resulted in the promotion of T Derek Hardman, TE Ryan Purvis, and T Will Barker being promoted from the practice squad.

What General Manager Mark Dominik will do next is . . . pass out from lack of sleep.  Seriously, who knows?  With just four regular defensive tackles on the roster before Price went down, is it time to find a free agent defensive lineman?  Experienced or another young talent to go with all the rest of the youth at that position?  The Buccaneers have won two games since Price went down -- perhaps there is already plenty of talent on the roster and a replacement at defensive tackle is not needed.  Or, maybe, it's time to promote DE George Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster and see what the young man brings to the table.

Another option available to Dominik with the deactivation of Brian Price is to snap up a practice squad player from another team.  Dominik has found some gems in this manner before.  Can he do it again?

And the Buccaneers just keep getting younger and younger . . .