Buccaneers Waive Curtis Riley, Place Two on PUP List

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made three roster moves ahead of 2021 training camp's kickoff, waiving injured safety Curtis Riley while placing wide receiver John Franklin III and cornerback Chris Wilcox on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.

Riley suffered what was considered a "slight" Achilles tear during the Buccaneers' mandatory minicamp in June, which led to being carted off the practice field. Should he clear the NFL waiver wire, Riley will revert to the Buccaneers' injured reserve. 

Riley had signed with the Buccaneers in May and was expected to compete for the team's fourth safety spot, as well as a special teams role. 

The Athletic's Greg Auman reported on Thursday that Wilcox, Tampa Bay's seventh-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, is currently dealing with a hamstring injury. Wilcox is an intriguing athlete for the cornerback position and should contend for a backup role as well, but will have to be activated from the PUP list in order to do so. 

Franklin, a fifth-year pro, suffered a season-ending leg injury during last year's training camp and spent the season on the injured reserve.

The Buccaneers will begin training camp on Sunday, July 25.