Buccaneers will sign Pro Bowl safety T.J. Ward

While most of us were sleeping, the Buccaneers made a move many will find surprising and equally exciting for the 2017 NFL season.

Pro Bowl safety T.J. Ward is reportedly heading to Tampa Bay to play for the Buccaneers on a one-year deal!

Now, I don’t know who first broke the news, but I can say our good friends over at The Pewter Report were definitely on top of things with Trevor Sikkema tweeting the news and a write-up just before 1 AM eastern standard time.

When the Denver Broncos released the eighth-year player, there was the usual banter amongst Buccaneers fans on whether or not Jason Licht should pursue him.

I myself, dismissed the idea for two reasons. One, the team has already gone through the preseason, and we saw how long it took for veterans and rookies alike to learn Mike Smith’s defensive scheme in 2016. Ward entering the week of their first game is bound to have a steep learning curve, and it may take a little while for he and the rest of the defense to gel fully.

Secondly, the amount Tampa Bay had already invested in the safety position led me to believe they would likely not venture into this area.

Re-signing Chris Conte and signing J.J. Wilcox in the off-season were both under-the-radar moves which didn’t fully satisfy the fanbase, but did show Licht and head coach Dirk Koetter understood the need to pay attention at safety.

Drafting Justin Evans from Texas A&M was another move which demonstrated the team’s understanding for help on the back-end of their defense.

However, here we are, just one week from regular season action and the Bucs are adding yet another safety.

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I don’t want to sound disappointed, as I certainly am not. In fact, as we speak I’m planning on restarting my Madden 18 franchise so I can throw Ward on the roster and go to town.

If I’m forced into a prediction, I’d say Ward probably starts in Week 3 or 4. Again, the learning curve of entering Mike Smith’s defense is going to be pretty steep. He’ll play, just maybe not the full starters load of snaps.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, as Ward has missed games in each of the last three seasons. Perhaps giving him a slow climb into starting action will help keep his soon to be 31-year old frame healthy for a playoff push.

Of course, early struggles at the position could change all of this.

The long-term here is with fellow hammer-dropper Evans. The rookie has a lot of potential and an aggressive play style, he just needs to learn how to focus it in the right ways.

Ward is the perfect mentor to show him just how this is done, and will certainly aid in Evans’ development into a future starting enforcer for the Buccaneers.

I’ve gone on record saying the defense needed at least one stud at every level. With Ward joining Gerald McCoy, Kwon Alexander, Lavonte David, Brent Grimes, and stud in wait Vernon Hargreaves; this defense now has its stud at safety.

Tampa Bay once watched a hard-hitting Pro Bowl safety leave the team and head for Denver. Now, they’ve returned the favor.

Oh, and in case you need an introduction to him:

Strap-in, this should be a fun season.

How do you feel about the news Ward will become a Buc? Which current safety do you feel this benefits and hurts the most?

Find me on Facebook, Twitter, or at walkingtheplankpodcast@gmail.com to discuss this or anything else concerning the 2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers!