In the wake of his latest injuries along the offensive line, Bucs coach Todd Bowles said Sunday that the team will explore trade and waiver-wire options in the coming days as a matter of prudence — not panic.
Bowles had no immediate update Sunday on the status of center Robert Hainsey (left ankle) or guard/center Nick Leverett (shoulder), both of whom exited Saturday night’s 27-10 loss to the Colts. Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reported Sunday that neither player’s injury is considered long-term.
Moreover, Bowles acknowledged the unit can afford no more injuries, but added he doesn’t feel a sense of urgency at the spot.
“Nobody’s going to give you a good football player, and nobody’s going to feel sorry for you,” said Bowles, whose team opens the 2022 season at Dallas in two weeks.
“So we’re going to look at the waiver wire, we’re going to look at certain trades to see if we can find some things out there. But if there’s nothing out there, we’ve got some guys in-house that can still play. Again, we’ll wait for the results and see where these two guys are, and we’ll move on from there.”
Hainsey exited early in the second quarter after a Colts player fell on his left ankle during a run play. He remained on the sideline afterward, standing, walking around a bit and appearing in good spirits.
In his absence, No. 3 center John Molchon was inserted. The Bucs already are missing starter Ryan Jensen, who sustained a knee injury the second day of training camp and could be headed to injured reserve after the team’s final 53-player roster is set. On Sunday, Bowles said the team still has received no definitive diagnosis on Jensen’s injury.
