Bucs vs. Jets Final Injury Report: Is Emeka Egbuka Available?
The Bucs are going to be hobbled on the offensive line, but what about receiver? Rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka had not been seen during Wednesday's and Thursday's practices, so all eyes were on him going into the last practice of the week before Sunday's game against the Jets.
Luckily, Egbuka did participate and was running around in a limited capacity.
"He's questionable right now," head coach Todd Bowles said on the status of Egbuka. "We'll see Sunday morning. We've got to see how he's feeling after today.
It was a much needed positive sign for a Bucs team that has seen two top players go on season ending injured reserve with another player also going on IR and won't be back for until at least after four games.
Knowing that the Bucs will have Egbuka alongside WR1 Mike Evans can certainly help the Bucs on offense even with a makeshift offensive line. And that group will look even different if practice squad guard Michael Jordan doesn't play. Jordan did not participate on Thursday or Friday of this week.
"He's got a sore knee right now," Bowles said. "We're getting some tests run to see where he's at."
This will give the Bucs options such as Elijah Klein, Luke Haggard and the newly signed Dan Feeney at guard. They could also call up the recently signed Sua Opeta from the practice squad. Because Feeney and Opeta just came in this week, Klein and Haggard are the two likeliest to start at the positions. Though at the moment every option is on the table.
"We've rotated quite a few guys, and we'll see with [Luke] Haggard and [Elijah] Klein once we make a final decision," Bowles said. "We're close to it, but we platooned a lot of people in there. So, I really can't say for sure yet without guaranteeing it with everybody else."
Here is the final injury report for the Bucs and Jets before Sunday's game, which is also Tampa Bay's home opener.
Bucs Friday Injury Report
WR Chris Godwin Jr. – Ankle – Limited Participation – Out
T Tristan Wirfs – Knee – Limited Participation – Out
WR Emeka Egbuka – Hip/Groin – Limited Participation – Questionable
LB SirVocea Dennis – Ankle – Full Participation
CB Josh Hayes – Personal – Did Not Participate
OLB Haason Reddick – Shoulder – Full Participation
QB Baker Mayfield – Foot/Toe – Full Participation
LB Kiko Mauigoa – Elbow – Full Participation
This article first appeared on Pewter Report and was syndicated with permission.
Seahawks finally granted DeMarcus Lawrence a wish the Cowboys couldn't
DeMarcus Lawrence only knew one team in his excellent career. He had always played with the Dallas Cowboys before joining the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. Ahead of the season, he said one reason he wanted to go to Seattle was to have a better chance to win a championship.
Some might have laughed, though most of those were probably Cowboys fans. Dallas fans have been waiting for goodness for three decades, so we can rule them out for any real NFL observations. America's Team hasn't truly been relevant for a long time.
But Lawrence wasn't going to leave Dallas, most likely, for a team where he had to help them rebuild their defense, and there might not have been a good chance to do so. One reason he might have thought the Seahawks were closer to winning a Super Bowl was that Mike Macdonald was going to have an elite defense.
DeMarcus Lawrence likely got his wish with the Seattle Seahawks
Wish granted. While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was foolishly trading All-Pro Micah Parsons, Lawrence was fitting into Seattle's edge rusher group. He was also helping teach young Derick Hall to be an even better player and better pro.
Through two games, the Cowboys, without Parsons and Lawrence, have allowed the 27th-most points in the league. Seattle is eighth with 34. Dallas is 30th in yards allowed per play at 6.4, and the Seahawks are 10th at 5.0.
But Lawrence hasn't had to do the heavy lifting. He is part of a group of good defensive players that are part of a great defensive scheme. Defense, after all, wins championships, and that means Seattle is much closer to a title than Dallas.
Instead of being involved with the Jerry Jones mess of accumulating some individual pieces that are high-quality without any idea how those pieces should fit together best, Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider understand that a player like Tyrice Knight might not make the Pro Bowl, but is essential to an overall good defensive unit.
DeMarcus Lawrence also might be able to extend his career because he signed with the Seattle Seahawks. With the Dallas Cowboys, he would have had to play a bunch of snaps because his team would have lacked much quality. In Seattle, he can stay fresh.
In fact, while he has only had three quarterback pressures and four run stuffs through two games, Lawrence's best is likely still to come with the Seahawks in 2025. If that happens, he should be back in 2026 and helping the team win even more games, possibly
