Buccaneers: Five best undrafted free agents in team history
1. Middle Linebacker Shelton Quarles (1997 – 2006)
Signed by the Buccaneers prior to the 1997 after playing two seasons in the CFL and being on the Miami Dolphins during training camp as an undrafted free agent from Vanderbilt in 1995.
Playing mainly special teams his first two seasons in Tampa he finally won the starting middle linebacker job in 1999, and played in 148 games while starting 113 games.
Part of the dominating “Tampa 2” defense of the late 1990s early 2000s he amassed 468 tackles, thirteen sacks, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), eight forced fumbles, eight fumbles recovered in his career, making it to the Pro Bowl, and helping bring the Lombardi Trophy to Tampa Bay in 2002.
In April of 2007 he was released due to a failed physical and his NFL playing career was over.
In August of 2007, he was brought back to the organization in a front office role as a pro scout. In 2013, has was promoted to Head of Pro Scouting, and then in 2014 he was promoted to his current role as Director of Player personnel.
Being a part of the organization for the last 20 season as a player and front office member and bringing a Super Bowl to the Buccaneers as a player. He is now helping to build the next great young dominating core of players that in the near future hopefully will bring another Lombardi Trophy to Tampa Bay.
That is my list of the Top 5 UDFAs in Buccaneers history with a couple that did not quite make the cut but still deserved mentioning as “Honorable Mentions”.
Any that you feel that I have left out or should not have included on the list?
To all my fellow #StickCarriers, feel free to tell me your thoughts in the comments section of this article or on twitter @ND1Bucsfan.