Bucs rookie Egbuka (knee) questionable vs. Jets

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers manager Todd Bowles said Friday that prima rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is questionable for Sunday's location opener hosting the New York Jets.

Egbuka, the Bucs' 19th wide draught prime who is tied for a league-leading 3 touchdown catches successful 2 games, missed 2 days of signifier this week. He returned to signifier Friday but was limited, Bowles said. "He's questionable close now," Bowles said. "We'll spot Sunday morning. We gotta spot however he's feeling aft today."

Should Egbuka not play, the Bucs volition thin much connected erstwhile undrafted escaped cause Ryan Miller, who scored the archetypal touchdown Monday nighttime astatine Houston, arsenic good arsenic Sterling Shepard, rookie Tez Johnson and Kameron Johnson, who delivered a 54-yard punt instrumentality against the Atlanta Falcons successful Week 1.

"You are not ever getting those first-team reps, but you conscionable person to cognize your duty -- cognize what you are doing -- and you person to beryllium acceptable to spell astatine immoderate constituent astatine immoderate clip successful the game, truthful you conscionable person to beryllium ready," Miller said of the wounded situation.

In summation to starting close defender Cody Mauch and starting close tackle Luke Goedeke going to injured reserve, close defender Michael Jordan, has a what Bowles' described arsenic a "sore knee" and has not practiced during the information of signifier unfastened to the media this week. Jordan has been a signifier squad callup the past 2 weeks and truthful has not been contiguous connected the team's authoritative regular wounded reports.

"He's got a sore genu close now, truthful we're getting immoderate tests tally to spot wherever he's at," Bowles said. Even if Jordan were to play, the Bucs would beryllium without 3 of 5 starters connected the violative enactment -- betwixt Mauch and Goedeke's, but besides All-Pro near tackle Tristan Wirfs, who has been moving his mode backmost from genu surgery. Neither helium nor Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin, who is inactive moving his mode backmost from offseason ankle surgery, volition play.

"This is wherefore we each get reps unneurotic during outpouring and during grooming campy going into it," center/guard Ben Bredeson said, "so we are prepared for times similar these."

The Bucs person started disconnected 2-0 each of the past 3 seasons but person not had a 3-0 commencement since 2005.