The Buccaneers have signed veteran offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus.
Cherilus will replace injured right tackle Demar Dotson who is out six weeks with an MCL sprain, according to ESPN.
"We got the phone call…I've always wanted to be here in a way," said Cherilus after his first practice on Tuesday.
"I'm good friends with Davin Joseph [and] Jeremy Trueblood. We go way back to when [Jon] Gruden was here. I know they were trying to draft me back then. I had a chance to be here and I told my agent, 'Hey, I've been home for a couple of weeks, I know we're still going back and forth with a couple of teams.' I come here and it's my first time where I have a chance to play for a hot-weather team and play on grass the whole year. I told him, 'Hey, find a way to get it done,' and he got it done."
Cherilus (6-7, 316) enters his eighth season in the NFL, having spent five seasons with Detroit (2008-12), before joining Indianapolis for the past two seasons (2013-14). Originally a first round pick (17th overall) by the Lions in the 2008 NFL Draft, Cherilus has started 100-of-104 regular season career games played and three postseason contests. Last season, Cherilus started 13 games for Indianapolis and was part of an offensive line that helped set a single-season franchise record for net yards. He has also not committed a holding penalty in either of the last two seasons.
A native of Somerville, Massachusetts, Cherilus played collegiately at Boston College. Cherilus will wear No. 78 for Tampa Bay. Edawn Coughman, formerly No. 78, will now wear No. 75.
The team also announced that they have waived tight end/fullback Evan Rodriguez. Rodriguez signed to Tampa Bay’s practice squad last November, before being promoted to the active roster in December and appearing in one game.