Buccaneers Sign Eight To Futures Deals Including RB Blake Sims

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have begun to sign players to future/reserve contracts now that their 2016 season is officially over.

Here’s who’ve they signed so far:

1. OL Mike Liedtke
2. RB Blake Sims
3. S Isaiah Johnson
4. TE Tevin Westbrook
5. OL Josh Allen
6. CB Cody Riggs
7. TE Kivon Cartwright
8. K John Lunsford

Cartwright, 24, originally signed on with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State. Tampa Bay, unfortunately, elected to waive him with an injury designation as they trimmed their roster down to the 53-man limit.

The Buccaneers would later add him to their injured reserve after clearing waivers but was cut with an injury settlement back in September.

This is the first reported interest in Cartwright since he became an unrestricted free agent.

He has yet to appear during an NFL game.

Sims, 24, wound up going undrafted out of Alabama back in May but it wasn’t until September that he was signed to the Falcons’ practice squad. Unfortunately, Atlanta moved on from him a week later.

The Buccaneers signed him to their practice squad in December.

During his college career at Alabama, Sims completed 275 of 430 passing attempts (64 percent) for 3,731 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also contributed 705 yards rushing on 150 carries (4.7 YPC) to go along with nine rushing touchdowns.

Liedtke, 24, originally signed on with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State back in May of last year. He was unable to make the 53-man roster coming out of the preseason but was later signed to Miami’s practice squad.

The Chiefs elected to sign him to their active roster in October of last year before bringing him back on a future/reserve contract. Unfortunately for Liedtke, he was waived just a few weeks after this year’s NFL draft.

The Jets later signed him to a contract in June only to cut him loose coming out of the preseason. Liedtke caught on with the Browns back in October but was cut loose soon after.

Liedtke eventually signed on to the Buccaneers’ practice squad last November.

Liedtke has yet to appear in an NFL game.