Bucs will place DT Brian Price on injured reserve

The young Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be losing one of the players they hope will be a building block for the future.

Defensive tackle Brian Price, a rookie second-round draft pick from UCLA, will be placed on season-ending injured reserve, according to Pat Yaskinskas of ESPN.com.

Price was held out of the Bucs’ previous two games with an injury to his pelvis. Price appeared in five games for the defense in a reserve role.

The Bucs started their draft by selecting Gerald McCoy, another defensive tackle, with the third overall pick. Then, they added Price with the 35th overall pick as a means to overhaul their front seven. Injuries have plagued Price since training camp, and neither he nor McCoy have been much of a factor to this point.

Roy Miller has been starting and this could give newly acquired Alex Magee, picked up in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, an opportunity to contribute.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune