Lorenz Metz, who grew up in Bavaria, Germany and didn’t play a down of American football until he was 18 years old, is getting a second shot at the NFL. The Buccaneers signed the former University of Cincinnati offensive lineman on Monday; as part of the International Player Pathway Program, Metz does not count against the 90-man offseason roster limit.

Metz got his first crack at the NFL last spring, as he signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in May. He was released just before training camp and subsequently got a tryout with the New York Giants but was not on a team during the 2023 season. The 6-9, 310-pound Metz saw action at both guard and tackle for the Bearcats and was a first-team All-AAC selection as a junior in 2021. Overall, he started 27 games during his Cincinnati tenure, though he was limited to five games in 2022 by ankle injuries.

In 2021, Metz helped Cincinnati achieve a school-record 13-1 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff. That Bearcats squad set school records for touchdowns (70) and points scored (516) and ranked ninth in the nation with an average of 6.71 yards per play. Metz also earned multiple academic honors and graduated in 201 with a degree in industrial management.

Metz got his first taste of American football with the Kirchdorf Wildcats of the German Football League. He then took advantage of a recruiting placement program for international football players and received multiple Division I scholarship offers.

Metz is the third offensive linemen the Buccaneers have added to the roster since the start of free agency, joining former Giant Ben Bredeson and former Eagle Sua Opeta. Two offensive linemen from the Bucs’ 2023 roster, Aaron Stinnie and Nick Leverett, have signed elsewhere in free agency and a third, Matt Feiler remains an unsigned free agent.