When Alan Cross made the Bucs as an undrafted rookie last year, the tight end from Memphis was one of the team's best feel-good stories. Once a walk-on long-snapper at Memphis, he earned a scholarship and had a prolific career with the Tigers, only to need to do the same thing to break into the NFL ranks.
Cross played in 14 games as a rookie, catching six passes for 38 yards, most memorably a fourth-quarter touchdown that provided the winning margin in the Bucs' big win at Kansas City during their five-game win streak.
Now, he's back battling for a roster spot again, buoyed by the confidence of a year's experience in the NFL, but knowing the Bucs added a first-round draft pick at his position in O.