TAMPA BAY, Fla. -- Cleveland tried to sneak him through waivers and stick him on the practice squad.

But, former South Carolina State offensive tackle James Lee was just too big (6-4, 305) and too good to sneak through waivers. So, Lee, who was signed by the Browns as an undrafted rookie free agent, went to sleep Saturday hoping his agent would get something worked out for him to stay with the Browns’ practice squad and Sunday he woke up with a little better news.

“We were talking, but he really wasn’t telling me nothing,” Lee said. “Teams kept calling and asking about the practice squad, and I didn’t want to leave for a practice squad. Then he called and said, ‘Congratulations, Tampa Bay just put you on their 53.’

“He told me that, and I was on the next thing smoking,” he continued. “I got down here, went straight to the facilities, grabbed a playbook (Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden’s playbook is infamoulsy large) and started studying.”

Lee had his first practice with the Buccaneers Monday.

“It’s a blessing to be here,” he said. “You just see all the guys and we are working hard. (Monday) we practiced and everybody has high intensity.”

Of course, through the preseason, it looked as if the Browns viewed the addition of the former SCSU standout as a coup. There were raving reports about his work, and his release was surprising.

“To tell you the truth ... I don’t know what they thought,” he said. “I really don’t know what they were thinking. They came to me and told me they were going to cut me, and they wanted me to be on the practice squad.

“Camp was good, from day one,” he added. “I was at left tackle with the second team, and I didn’t miss a day. I went out everyday and just gave it my all. Them cutting me was the biggest surprise for me and my agent. I had played ... every game. My first game against the Jets, I played 75 plays. It was still the first quarter when I got in. So, I don’t know what they were thinking. I was hearing good things.”

Lee said Tampa Bay asked him to learn both tackle positions in preparation for Sunday’s season opener against the New Orleans Saints.

“Words can’t even explain man ...” Lee said. “I went from somebody telling me, ‘We just cut out,’ to basically ... this is just very exciting.”

T&D Sports Editor Brian Linder can be reached via e-mail at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553. Check out his blog, Welcome to Linderland, at www.thetandd.com.

 

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