Bucs Sign Tryout DE Evan Panfil

Bucs Sign Tryout DE Evan Panfil

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take a longer look at one of the rookies who participated in their recent rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis.

On Thursday, the Buccaneers signed Purdue defensive end Evan Panfil, one of 26 undrafted players who tried out during last weekend’s camp. That move puts the team at its 90-man offseason roster limit; a spot was created for Panfil earlier in the week with the release of rookie cornerback Greg Mabin, another undrafted free agent.

Panfil (6-4, 280) was a productive pass-rusher for the Boilermakers as a senior last fall. In addition to 32 tackles, he contributed 5.0 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He also had 4.0 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss in 2015. Overall, Panfil played in 43 games at Purdue and recorded 76 tackles, 9.0 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble.

Though the Buccaneers could still make additional roster moves, Panfil is so far the only tryout player to which the team chose to offer a contract and a spot in training camp. That is a sign of what the Bucs believe is a deeper roster heading into the 2017 season; in recent years, Tampa Bay has signed three or four tryout players per offseason. Wide receivers Adam Humphries and Donteea Dye both made the regular-season roster in 2015 after first arriving on tryout contracts.

Evan Panfil becomes the second Purdue product on the Buccaneers’ current 90-man roster. Interestingly, the other former Boilermaker in Tampa is the similarly named Kevin Pamphile. The Buccaneers drafted Pamphile in the fifth round in 2014 and last year he was the team’s starter at left guard.

(Why?)

Published at Thu, 11 May 2017 14:41:03 +0000

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