Buccaneers Rookie OT Calvin Ashley Leaves Team

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive line depth takes a hit as rookie tackle Calvin Ashley has left the team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced on Thursday morning that rookie offensive tackle Calvin Ashley has left the team and was subsequently waived. No explanation was offered as to why Ashley left the team.

Ashley, 23, signed with the Buccaneers in May as an undrafted free agent prospect out of Florida A&M. Originally enrolling at Auburn as a five-star recruit, Ashley would only appear in five games (one start) for the Tigers before transferring to Florida Atlantic and then Florida A&M, where he would start seven games in 2019. Ashley opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.

Although Ashley is an intriguing talent with a strong recruiting résumé and all of the size in the world at 6-foot-7, 330 pounds, it's difficult to envision many more football opportunities coming his way at this point. His lack of college playing experience may be a concern, on top of his decision to leave his first NFL team less than three months after signing.

With the starters set at tackle in Donovan Smith and Tristan Wirfs, Josh Wells and Brad Seaton are the only depth tackles remaining on the Buccaneers' roster at this time. It would be of little surprise to see Tampa Bay acquire another tackle to compete in training camp and offer the other linemen a breather throughout practices.

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