2. Hardy Nickerson
Nickerson was one of the first free agents signed after the rule began, and he was one of the best. In 1993, he set a team record with 214 tackles. The team didn’t play well for a great deal of Nickerson’s career, but he hung in there, starting all 104 games of his seven-year career with the Bucs. He was with the team through the 1999 season, and posted an interception in a losing cause in the NFC title game that year.
He played three more seasons, but his impact in Tampa Bay is everlasting. He is third in team history in tackles with 1,028.