Laird rushed 12 times for 35 yards and secured all three targets for 19 yards in the Buccaneers' 27-10 preseason loss to the Colts on Saturday night.
Laird was thought to be a borderline camp body when he signed Aug. 15, but the combination of his extended look Saturday and the lingering absence of Giovani Bernard (ankle) arguably leaves open the possibility the Buccaneers are at least contemplating the former as a possible No. 4 back. Greg Auman of The Athletic notes Bernard is guaranteed $895,000 if he's still with the team Week 1, and Laird is also three years younger than his 30-year-old veteran teammate while boasting solid pass-catching skills in his own right. The immediate fate of both players will be known soon enough considering Tuesday's 4pm ET 53-man roster deadline, and Laird is still probably a much likelier candidate for the practice squad than the active roster.