Oct. 31, 2010; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Gary Gibson is introduced before the game against the Carolina Panthers at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Douglas C. Pizac-US PRESSWIRE

Earlier this offseason, the Bucs signed defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, who is expected to play a large role in the team’s stable of defensive tackles. Gibson adds some depth to the defensive line and has connections to Greg Schiano and the Bucs coaching staff.

After starting for the St. Louis Rams in 2010, Gibson played in a reduced role with the team during last season. He still managed to play in about a third of the team’s snaps last year as the third man in the DT rotation. Gary Gibson finished the year with 13 tackles and led all Rams DTs with three sacks, five tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits.

It was a terrific year for Gibson, who bounced back after a subpar 2010 season. The reason why he played in a reduced role was due to some poor play against the run, as he was constantly a non-factor on the inside. The benching did some good for him, as Gibson eased into his role as a rotational defensive lineman and ended up having a very good year in 2011.

According to the Pro Football Focus, Gary Gibson finished the 2011 season with 14 quarterback disruptions and 12 defensive snaps in 398 snaps. He was in line for some more snaps, but I think a spot in the rotation under Schiano will do Gibson well in Tampa. He’s better in a backup role and is one of the better and more underrated rotation DTs in the game.

I like this depth-building signing for the Bucs, and the team has a great stable of defensive tackles with Brian Price, Gerald McCoy, Amobi Okoye, and Gary Gibson in the fold.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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