Herron (undisclosed) was waived/injured by the Buccaneers on Tuesday, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Herron was a fringe candidate for the No. 3 wide receiver role, which will likely be manned by Louis Murphy. The fourth and fifth spots on the depth chart will presumably go to Kenny Bell (hamstring) and Russell Shepard, though not necessarily in that order. Herron, a 2014 sixth-round draft pick, caught six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown in eight games last season.

Herron is making a strong push to see some time in the slot this season, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Competing with rookies Kenny Bell and Kaelin Clay, as well as undrafted rookies Donteea Dye, Rannell Hall and Adam Humphries, Herron is part of a logjam at wide receiver for the Buccaneers. Problems with drops derailed his rookie campaign last season, but coach Lovie Smith indicates the second-year wideout has shown marked improvement. "In the past, maybe you'd like for him to hold onto a few more balls, but that's what he's doing," Smith said. "Again, second year anywhere, in the system, whatever, you should see marked improvement, and we're seeing that with Robert."

Herron caught both of his targets for 31 yards Sunday in a 48-17 loss to the Ravens.

The rookie continues to be largely ignored in the passing game, but has caught everything thrown his way in the last two weeks. A small sample size, those three catches have resulted in a combined 40 yards -- good for 13.3 yards per reception.

Herron caught his only target in Sunday's overtime loss to the Saints, a 9-yard touchdown pass from Mike Glennon.

Sparodically used so far this season, the rookie is seeing a bit more time on the field in the absence of Mike Evans. If he catches any more touchdown passes, it is conceivable Glennon could look his way more often moving forward.

Herron is a healthy inactive for Sunday's game against the Steelers.

Herron will be inactive for the first time this season after a largely unproductive first three weeks, during which he compiled three catches for 18 yards. It's unclear who might be first in line to pick up targets as the Bucs' No. 3 receiver with Herron out of the picture, but given the team's collective offensive struggles thus far, it's not a role that looks especially fruitful.

Herron started in the slot with the first-team offense in Saturday's preseason game against the Bills, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Herron caught both of his targets for just two yards, but none of his competitors for playing time stood out. Chris Owusu had two catches for 17 yards, with Louis Murphy pitching in a lone reception for 12 yards. Tight end Tim Wright, who is really more of a receiver, wasn't even targeted. It still isn't clear who will work as the No. 3 receiver come Week 1, but the winner of this competition probably won't see many targets.

Herron may be a candidate to work out of the slot for the Bucs, ESPN's Pat Yasinkas reports.

The 5-9 Herron, a sixth-round draft pick, was likely selected with the mindset that he'll play in the slot. The Bucs lack an obvious choice to serve as the No. 3 wideout behind Vincent Jackson and (presumably) Mike Evans, but Chris Owusu and Louis Murphy are also options, as is TE Tim Wright, who frequently works out of the slot. Herron caught one pass for four yards on two targets in Saturday's game, and neither Wright nor Owusu did any better. Murphy has been the most active of the bunch thus far, with four catches for 54 yards on six targets through two preseason games.