Report: Key Bucs Defensive Player To Miss Rest Of Preseason

It looks like the Bucs will have to wait until the regular season to fully see how one of their newcomers fit on defense. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, safety Keanu Neal is going to be out for the remainder of the preseason.

During joint practices on Wednesday between the Bucs and Titans, Neal injured his arm after a play. Neal could be seen icing his injury and then exited out of practice early. As Stroud also said, the Bucs hope he can be back for their first regular season game on September 11 on the road against the Dallas Cowboys.

Neal was part of the big additions to the secondary this offseason along with Logan Ryan. Both players have fit in well already, receiving praise from Todd Bowles. Neal has brought a physical nature to Bucs training camp even for today’s NFL when there’s not a lot of hitting in practice. He had one hit in particular on rookie running back Rachaad White that got a reaction from Bucs fans in the crowd after the hit.

Though he may not technically be a starter, Neal brings versatility and would be part of the rotation in the secondary. With Antoine Winfield Jr. playing a lot in the slot, Neal and Ryan could also play deep with Mike Edwards depending on the package.

The Bucs play their second preseason game on Saturday at Tennessee. Then they head to Indianapolis to play aginast the Colts on the following Saturday, August 27, for their last game before the start of the regular season.