Buccaneers rule out starter ahead of Commanders game and it doesn't sound like he'll be back soon

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are pretty damn healthy heading into the Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders, but the defense will be without one starter in defensive lineman Logan Hall, whom head coach Todd Bowles ruled out on Friday.

Hall popped up on Wednesday's injury report as a non-participant for that particular practice and Bowles said he is dealing with a foot injury. On Friday, when it comes to Hall's health in the big picture, Bowles said he doesn't know when he'll be healthy and ready to go.

"He'll be out," Bowles told reporters. I haven't seen him run, so I can't speak on his progress. He's walking better."

The Bucs' corresponding move, signing Ben Stille from the Arizona Cardinals, speaks to Hall's unknown timeline. Since he was signed from another team's practice squad, Stille is required to go on the Bucs' 53-man roster for the next three games. The team also placed Earnest Brown on IR this week, so that adds to the decision, as well.

Hall, the team's first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, started 13 games for the Bucs last year and was slated to be a starter in Bowles' 3-4 base defense. He has 34 total tackles and 3.0 sacks over the span of 33 game appearances.

It's not a good start for Hall's pivotal 2024 campaign

Hall has seen his fair share of struggles over his first two seasons in the NFL, which marks 2024 as a very important year in terms of his development and stance on the team.

Reports from training camp and the preseason had him trending in the right direction. And even if he still had to prove that would translate into the regular season, it was encouraging news for the former second-round pick. But now, Hall will have to wait and get healthy before he can continue to progress.

It's not very encouraging to hear he's not running, at this point. And foot/leg injuries on big guys are never a good situation, for obvious reasons. Right now, excluding Hall, the Bucs' defensive line room consists of Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, Greg Gaines, Will Gholston, and the aforementioned Stille.

It remains to be seen if the Bucs ride with five DLs going into Week 1 against the Commanders or if they call up a guy like CJ Brewer from the practice squad. A rotation is expected because of the Florida heat, so it's a good idea to have as many capable bodies as possible.