Buccaneers: Don’t doubt veteran Brent Grimes

Buccaneers cornerback Brent Grimes turns 34 in a month. Sure, he’s on the wrong side of 30, but it’s not wise to doubt him. He surely has some great football left in the tank.

The Buccaneers made some big moves on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. They also added a few pieces to the defense. But for one reason or another, there still seems to be some concern among many regarding the cornerback position. There’s worry about depth at the position, which isn’t necessarily warranted, as our David Harrison talked about here. But along with that comes some doubt surrounding the age of veteran Brent Grimes. That doubt? Get rid of it.

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Grimes had a spectacular 2016 season. Personally, I wasn’t impressed with his start to the year. But I’ll admit that I was one of the many with overreactions. He went on to have a huge year, coming up with the most passes defended in the league (24). The veteran was great in coverage, making the Bucs look smart for adding him in the offseason. He instantly bolstered Tampa Bay’s secondary, adding a still-productive, experienced complement to the rookie Vernon Hargreaves.

And not only did he pass the eye test last year, but he also gained some major attention from Pro Football Focus. Trust me, I’m usually not one to tout PFF’s statistics and metrics, but the way Grimes dominated some of their grading systems was impressive. He was their fourth-highest graded cornerback in 2016, their best corner against the double-move and finished with the highest grade for a single game by anyone at the position. His week 17 performance against the Panthers earned him a grade of 99.9, aided by his third quarter pick six that gave Tampa Bay the lead.

Grimes played a key role in multiple games last year, but he was especially huge in both games against Carolina. As mentioned above, he was unreal against the Panthers in week 17. But in the Bucs’ week five win over them on Monday Night Football, Grimes changed everything in a two-play sequence. In the fourth quarter with the game tied, he picked off Derek Anderson in the end zone to kill a Carolina scoring threat:

The interception kept the game tied and proved to be a major momentum swing for the Bucs. But even before that, one play before to be exact, Grimes had already saved a touchdown with a come-from-behind tackle. That sequence changed the game, as Tampa Bay would eventually go on and win with a last-second field goal by Roberto Aguayo.

2016 was a really good year for Grimes, and it’s not crazy to expect more of the same in 2017. However, NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal stated that he thinks cornerback is a weak spot for the team this year. He had this to say about Grimes:

"In the Grimes Media Power Rankings, Miko topped Brent last season for headlines despite Brent turning in one of the most randomly dominant seasons ever for an aging cornerback. Expecting Grimes to back that up at 34 years old is unfair, and the Bucs are very thin after their starters at the position. The team will be targeted in a pass-happy division."

Again, The Pewter Plank’s David Harrison refuted the larger point here, but it’s worth focusing in on what he said about Grimes. First of all, whose fault is it that Miko Grimes made more headlines than Brent did in 2016? If we’re being honest, it’s mostly the fault of the media. Because while Brent was having a monster season, many chose to focus on Miko instead. Second of all, no one is asking Grimes to have another “randomly dominant” year. The Bucs just need him to do what he does extremely well: put his head down and go to work. Grimes is going to be 34 when the season starts, but don’t think for one second that he’s going to let himself take a step back. Keep doubting No. 24 if you want, but do it at your own risk.

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What do you think, Bucs fans? How are you feeling about Brent Grimes heading into 2017? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter or on Facebook.