Buccaneers sign safety Andrew Adams, place Chris Conte on injured reserve

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw some roster shakeup at the safety position following Chris Conte’s knee injury.

According to The Athletic’s Greg Auman, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed former New York Giants safety Andrew Adams to the 53-man roster.

In his last two seasons, Adams has played in 30 games, starting 17 of them. He has one career interception, a forced fumble and 65 total tackles. Although it’s only his third season, he is now a veteran among the Bucs safety unit.

Adams will likely provide depth and potentially be in the mix for snaps in the near future as another injury hits the secondary.

The organization announced that Chris Conte was placed on the injured reserve after suffering a knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter says the team is hopeful Conte can return to the team at some point this season, according to a press conference transcript.

Conte was on the wrong end of a viral highlight after Vance McDonald stiff-armed Conte on his way to a 75-yard touchdown.

While Conte has taken his fair share of flak in the past, this is a significant loss for Tampa Bay. The safety unit was thin, to begin with, losing a veteran like Conte forces inexperienced players into even more prominent roles.

Conte entered the season as a starter alongside Justin Evans, and his absence will force rookie Jordan Whitehead into the starting lineup.

Whitehead performed well against the Saints and Eagles, making a few solid tackles in his limited time on the field. Whitehead isn’t strong in coverage just yet, but he is fearless in the run game and has a nose for the football.

Tampa Bay also announced that they cut cornerback Jeff Richards from the practice squad. Richards spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers prior to his recent stop with the Bucs.