Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bruce Arians says secondary is fixed

Head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bruce Arians states the secondary is “totally fixed” after being torched to a burnt crisp a year ago.

It is not a secret to anybody who paid close attention to the NFL last year that the secondary of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was awful. One free agency period and NFL draft later, and new head coach Bruce Arians now thinks the secondary is “totally fixed” (via NFL.com).

Last year, the Buccaneers added M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis to a defensive back room already consisting of safety Justin Evans, cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, and Ryan Smith. Last month, general manager Jason Licht doubled down and added three more defensive backs on day-two of the draft in Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jamel Dean, and Mike Edwards.

The Buccaneers also added former Green Bay Packers’ starting safety Kentrell Brice in free agency as well. Needless to say, the entire secondary has been overhauled and young talent has been added to a room already full of young players.

"“I think we’re really, really good,” Arians told reporters. “With Carlton [Davis] and Vernon [Hargreaves], we knew we had two solid corners, now we’ve got five solid corners. I think Ryan [Smith] came a long way. So, yeah, I think — earmarked as a problem set back in January, that’s totally fixed. Let’s knock on wood they stay healthy” (Arians via NFL.com)."

It would appear Arians still believes in Hargreaves and Davis, but they will be pressured by incoming rookies for their starting jobs. Jordan Whitehead will need to prove his worth as Brice and Edwards will now look to battle him for the starting safety role opposite Evans.

The Tampa Bay defense suffered mightily from the struggles of the secondary a year ago. Should Arians’ belief in the secondary come into fruition, then the Buccaneers should see a boost across the board.