The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made room on their 90-man offseason roster following minicamp by cutting several players — a group that included veteran running backs Michael Wiley and Owen Wright.
Wiley spent the final part of 2025 on Tampa Bay’s practice squad. Wright played 3 regular-season games with the Buccaneers in 2025.
“Bucs have signed undrafted rookie linebacker Javin Wright from Nebraska, and waived running back Michael Wiley to make room on the 90-man roster,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote in a series of tweets. ” … two more cuts for Bucs after rookie minicamp — undrafted rookie receiver Noah Short was waived, as was veteran running back Owen Wright.”
Wright was signed before Week 11 after running back Josh Williams was suspended for 6 games. The Buccaneers waived Williams almost immediately after he returned from suspension in Week 17.
Owen Wright Took UDFA Path to NFL Roster
Wright, 5-foot-9 and 214 pounds, started his college career at William & Mary before transferring to Monmouth, another FCS school, and was an All-CAA pick in 2022 by scoring an incredible 17 touchdowns — 16 rushing and 1 receiving — on just 74 combined touches.
In 2023, Wright made the Baltimore Ravens roster as an undrafted free agent and played in 1 regular season game before spending 2024 on injured reserve. He signed with the Buccaneers in the 2025 offseason and made it to final roster cuts on August 26 before being brought back on the practice squad on October 7.
Michael Wiley Starred for Arizona in Pac-12
Wiley, 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds, scored 28 career touchdowns at the University of Arizona — split pretty evenly between rushing (16) and receiving (12), along with racking up 2,862 yards of total offense.
In college, he was probably best known for his performance in a win over rival Arizona State in the 2022 regular season finale, in which he rushed for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Wiley ran the 40 yard dash in a less-than-ideal 4.51 seconds at the NFL scouting combine and went undrafted in 2024. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad for the Washington Commanders and was one of the final cuts for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2025 preseason.
“Wiley has good size and can finish with some thump, but he’s missing key elements to be a successful NFL runner,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his 2024 pre-draft evaluation. ” … Wiley has some third-down potential but will need to prove he can play faster and with better vision to stay ahead of NFL defenses.”
Buccaneers Reboot Running Backs in 2026
Tampa Bay’s running backs could have a very different look in 2026. While starter Bucky Irving returns, veteran running back Rachaad White left for a free-agent contract with the Washington Commanders.
The Buccaneers brought an interesting name into the mix with a free agent of their own in Kenneth Gainwell, who had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 and tied for the team lead with 8 touchdowns.
“The Bucs needed not only a change-of-pace, third-down back, but someone who could do a little more, if needed (he’s coming off a season where he averaged 4.7 yards per carry on 114 rushing attempts),” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote. “His 1,023 yards from scrimmage last season were second most of any position on the Steelers behind starter Jaylen Warren, and he tied with Warren for a team-leading eight touchdowns. He gave up one sack this past season on 41 pass blocking reps.”
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