TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released starting right guard J.R. Sweezy, the team announced Friday.
Sweezy had missed OTAs and mandatory minicamp recovering from a leg injury. A source told ESPN that Sweezy has officially been cleared to resume football activities.
After Logan Mankins retired, the Bucs signed Sweezy to a five-year contract worth $32.5 million in 2016. But after Sweezy missed that season while recovering from back surgery, the Bucs restructured his contract heading into 2017.
He started 14 games for the Bucs last season and was due to make $6.5 million in 2018.
Sweezy becomes the latest in a list of big-ticket free agents signed by Bucs GM Jason Licht who have not come close to finishing out their contracts. The others include Michael Johnson (five years, $43.75 million), Anthony Collins (five years, $30 million) and Bruce Carter (four years, $17 million) -- all gone after one year.
Third-year guard Caleb Benenoch had stepped into Sweezy's role this offseason after starting five games for them last year and seeing action in 13. The Bucs also selected Alex Cappa out of Humboldt State in the third round of this year's draft.
A seventh-round draft pick in 2012, Sweezy spent four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, starting 49 games.
