Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - Kicker Matt Bryant and fullback Jameel Cook were among the former lineup staples released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, as the team reduced its roster to the 53-players maximum.

Bryant had served as the team's place-kicker for the past four seasons (2005-08), making 98-of-118 field goals over that span, but an injured hamstring in training camp prevented him from winning the job over free agent Mike Nugent.

Bryant's 131 points last season were a Tampa Bay single-season record, and his 32 made field goals were tied for the top mark in team annals.

Cook would seem to be emblematic of a youth movement in Tampa Bay, one that has also seen veterans like Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn released since head coach Raheem Morris took over this past January. Cook appeared in a total of 82 games spread over two different stints with the club, including 10 in 2008, but the 30-year-old was beaten out for a roster spot by fellow holdover B.J. Askew.

Also released on Saturday were tackle Anthony Alabi, cornerback Kyle Arrington, defensive tackle Chris Bradwell, center Rob Bruggeman, defensive end Jarriett Buie, safety Steve Cargile, wide receiver Patrick Carter, defensive tackle Rashaad Duncan, wide receiver Cortez Hankton, defensive end Louis Holmes, running back Kareem Huggins, cornerback Darrell Hunter, tackle James Lee, wide receiver Marcus Maxwell, safety Donte Nicholson, tight end Jason Pociask, tight end Ryan Purvis, linebacker Bo Ruud, and wide receiver Mario Urrutia.

Notables among that group include Lee, who appeared in one game with the Bucs last season; Nicholson, who played in 16 games with Tampa Bay over a four-year span (2005-08), and Ruud, the brother of Buccaneers starting linebacker Barrett Ruud.

In other moves, the team placed fifth-round rookie tackle Xavier Fulton on season-ending injured reserve, placed safety Tanard Jackson on the reserve/suspended list, and traded quarterback Luke McCown to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for an undisclosed pick in the 2010 draft .

Jackson will miss the season's first four games after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

McCown, who started three games as a Buccaneer, lost a competition for starting QB duties to Byron Leftwich during the preseason.

The Buccaneers will begin the 2009 regular season slate on Sept. 13, when they open up the Raheem Morris era by playing host to the Dallas Cowboys.