The Buccaneers shuffled their roster on Tuesday, one day before the first training camp practice of the 2026 season, placing corner Chase Lucas and defensive tackle Haggai Ndubuisi on the Active/Physically Unable To Perform List. Tampa Bay also waived safety Ja’Qurious Conley with a non-football injury designation.
Lucas and Ndubuisi still count toward the 90-man roster, and both can be activated at any point before the 53-man roster deadline after the preseason.
Ndubuisi’s path to the league has been a long one. He has been in the NFL since 2022 after coming from Nigeria, where he had not previously played football beyond watching games on YouTube. He earned a tryout through the International Player Pathway, the program designed to increase the number of players from outside the United Sates of America and Canada.
Since then, he has spent most of his time on practice squads with the Cardinals, Broncos, Patriots and Commanders. He finally made his NFL debut last season, appearing in one game for the Texans.
His status matters a little more now with Vita Vea requesting a trade, which could create more room for defensive linemen to carve out roles. Calijah Kancey and A’Shawn Robinson appear locked into their spots, but the rest of the group is fighting for position. Ndubuisi is among those competing with Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jayson Jones, Josiah Green, Elijah Simmons and DeShawn McKninght for a place on the roster or practice squad.
The Bucs also have younger linemen in the mix, including Elijah Roberts entering his second year and DeMonte Capehart, a fifth-round pick this year. They still have to win their jobs, but it would be a surprise if either one missed the team.
Lucas, meanwhile, had drawn attention because of Tampa Bay’s thin cornerback depth. He played at Arizona State and was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round in 2022.
After two years in Detroit and two seaosn with 49ers, he joined the Bucs this offseason. In 33 career games, he has no starts or interceptions and has recorded one pass breakup.
Corner remains unsettled for Tampa Bay. Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish are the three players with a chance to start, but only Parrish had a strong season last year. McCollum struggled, and Morrison’s year was derailed by injury, leaving the room in flux.
Parrish looks like he has earned one outside corner spot, even though he spent plenty of time in the nickel last season. McCollum is the likeliest fit for the other starting job, though that can change quickly. Behind them, Josh Hayes is next in line, but he has had trouble when asked to play corner and is more of a special teams option.
If Lucas gets back before camp ends, he would be in the mix with Kemon Hall and undrafted rookie Ayden Garnes for a shot to stick in some capacity.
Training camp opens Wednesday at 8:30 AM ET.
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