Buccaneers lose safety Andrew Adams to free agency

The Buccaneers have lost their first player to free agency in the form of Andrew Adams.

We all knew that it would be challenging to keep the band together during this difficult period. The fact that the Buccaneers have re-signed almost all of their key free agents is nothing short of spectacular, so the loss of Andrew Adams hurts a little less.

Adams was a solid starter for the Bucs for the better part of the 2019 season and in 2018. A three-interception outing against the Carolina Panthers will always be a day that Bucs fans remember, but that level of production would prove difficult to recreate down the road.

As the Bucs invested draft picks in players like Mike Edwards and Antoine Winfield Jr., and as Jordan Whitehead took steps forward, Adams never really had a chance to regain his starting spot.

Andrew Adams faced an uphill battle to return to the Buccaneers

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Edwards, Winfield, and Whitehead all looked like clear-cut starters from the beginning of training camp, so Adams was the likely candidate to be the odd man out during the season in more of a special teams role. Now, both parties see this as the obvious point to part ways.

Adams won a Super Bowl ring, earned some playing time in big games, and now, it’s time for him to move on to a team that can use his talents more than the Bucs. There are plenty of teams across the NFL that could use safety help, and it was only a matter of time before Adams got an offer that was more in line with his needs.

The Bucs will likely continue to roll with their top three this year, but the door is open for a younger player to step into this fourth role.

Tampa Bay’s options in a replacement are numerous, but the most likely option is Javon Hagan. Hagan, a rookie during the 2020 season, was elevated to the active roster at various points during the playoffs due to injuries. If the Buccaneers saw him as a reliable option then, it only makes sense that the job is his to lose now.

Smart money is also on the Bucs adding another safety in the draft to compete with Hagan, especially in one of the later rounds.

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