Team news: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Page 33

Cardinals RB Kenyan Drake is officially out for Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins, according to Kyle Odegard of the Arizona Cardinals.

Related Players: Chase Edmonds, D.J. Foster

This was expected, so nothing to be surprised about. Edmonds will start and coach Kliff Kingsbury hints at D.J. Foster being the backup this week.

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians told reporters that WR Chris Godwin "caught the ball fine" at Friday's practice. "I would anticipate him probably playing," said Arians.

It is difficult to trust anything Bruce Arians says, but if the Bucs can have a full group of receivers for Sunday's matchup against the Saints, it would be a boon for Tom Brady and the offense.

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin will attempt to play catch for the first time since breaking his finger, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Godwin has not been ruled out for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

While it should not be expected to see Godwin this week, it is encouraging to see Godwin attempt to get work in, and the results of today loom large for the target shares of Mike Evans and Antonio Brown.

According to Rick Stroud on Twitter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin was a participant in Thursday's practice.

Godwin did not catch any passes on Thursday, but participation in practice, even on a limited basis, is a step in the right direction. The fact that he has not been cleared to catch passes yet is concerning, but Stroud notes that Godwin is expected to attempt to do so on Friday. He will need to prove that he can haul in passes without any issues in order to be cleared for Sunday. We will have a more definitive idea of his Week 9 status following tomorrow's practice. If Godwin cannot go, Antonio Brown may see a larger role than expected.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Bucs Head Coach Bruce Arians said the team won't know whether wide receiver Chris Godwin will be able to play until Friday at the earliest.

Arians pointed out that the team can't be sure Godwin can catch passes in a live game until they see him get through a week of practice after undergoing surgery on his index finger. Hopefully we get some clarity on Godwin's status on Friday and he avoids the dreaded game-time decision label, particularly with Tampa Bay playing on Sunday night in Week 9.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported on Sunday that the Buccaneers were “shocked” by Antonio Brown’s physical condition.

Related players: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Scotty Miller

The report said Brown walked through the door ready to go, and the Bucs will be ready to use him right out of the gates. On Sunday night against the Saints, Brown likely will be used in three- and four-receiver sets, the story said. Coach Bruce Arians also hasn’t ruled out using Brown as a return specialist. Moreover, the Buccaneers will want their faith in Brown to be validated. The best way to do that will be to get the ball in his hands and let him do his thing, the story went on to say.

Kingsbury said the injury to RB Kenyan Drake wasn't as bad as first feared.

Related players: Chase Edmonds

He called Drake "day to day" although he wasn't sure that meant playing this week, according to the Tweet. Kingsbury added the team and Drake were "very fortunate" from what it first looked like. The Cards have three games in 11 days: Week 9 vs. Miami, Week 10 vs. Buffalo and then a Thursday night game in Week 11 against Seattle. Looks like Edmonds should be the guy this week but it seems possible Drake returns after that, which would be two games in five days. Even if Drake returns sooner than later, with that many games in a short time Edmonds could still have fantasy value.

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin is week to week and is considered a “50/50 chance” to play next week against the Saints.

This is a drastic improvement from his original timeframe of 4-6 weeks after having surgery on his fractured left index finger. Now it could be 1-2 weeks, meaning he has a chance, but certainly not guaranteed, to play in Tampa’s big rematch next week with the Saints. Godwin is already out for Monday against the Giants, but we’ll certainly monitor his practice schedule this week. Tampa could now be inserting Godwin and Antonio Brown into the lineup next week.