The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a loss as cornerback Ryan Smith was suspended for the first four games of 2019; could they turn to a free agent?
It was just announced that former 2016 fourth round pick Ryan Smith has been suspended the first four games of the 2019 season due to using a banned substance and violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted three defensive backs on day-two of the draft in April, but could they look to add another now?
Smith is on the last year of his rookie deal, and he is not off to a great start towards earning a new deal with the Buccaneers. He has tallied just one interception and 11 deflected passes through the first three years of his career to this point.
Good news for Tampa Bay, the secondary may be one of their deepest position groups after adding Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jamel Dean, Mike Edwards, and Kentrell Brice this offseason to a room that already consisted of Vernon Hargreaves III, Carlton Davis, Justin Evans and others. Bad news, however, is that the oldest of these players is Hargreaves, so adding a veteran may be a solid option for the Buccaneers.
There are still noticeable names left on the free agent market for the Buccaneers to choose from should they decide to add a seasoned veteran to the roster. Here are three defensive backs still on the open market for the Buccaneers to choose from.