Most of the free agency frenzy has settled down, with attention now turned toward the chaos of the NFL Draft. That doesn't mean teams are done mining for potential gold, which is something the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be wise to do given the current state of the roster.
It's not that the Bucs don't have a good roster—they absolutely do—rather, it's an incomplete one. Tampa Bay did well addressing its pass rush need by signing Haason Reddick to a $14 million deal, but there's still unfinished business in the secondary.
That's a spot where in back-to-back years the Bucs were forced to dig deep into the bag thanks to injuries, something that tested an already taxed defense. The result was a season where the strongest side of the ball for Tampa Bay was its weakness, and it's something Jason Licht needs to address one way or another before training camp rolls around.
Stephon Gilmore is a perfect low-risk free agency signing for Buccaneers
One area the Bucs are expected to add some cornerback help is in the NFL Draft, but that's not the only place they can look.
PFN's Mark Stolte went over one remaining free agent each team should consider signing, and linked the Buccaneers to cornerback Stephon Gilmore. This isn't the first time we've heard these two sides
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are pretty much set up at each position and will likely use the draft to continue adding depth in certain spots. With that being said, they could use a veteran corner like Stephon Gilmore to add more secondary assets behind their solid starting tandem. If Gilmore doesn’t retire, Tampa Bay would be a nice and warm place to play out the (likely) final year of his career," PFN wrote.
Another place the Bucs could look to make an addition is the trade market, although that's a little tricker than making a move for Gilmore. Jalen Ramsey is expected to be dealt by Miami, but absorbing his $25 million plus parting ways with draft picks feels like the antithesis of how Jason Licht likes to operate.
Taking a flier on a five-time Pro Bowler in the twilight of his career, however, feels a little more on-brand.
Tampa Bay has done well in adding young talent over the last few years, which only makes the idea of adding more veteran help make more sense. Gilmore had his ups-and-downs with the Vikings last year but unlike Ramsey he wouldn't be coming to Tampa Bay as a CB1.
Adding Gilmore would be a depth move, one that helps add some talent behind Zyon McCollum and Jamel Dean, but also give the Bucs a CB3 who has more experience than some of the guys they've needed to rely on in the past. If it gets to a situation where injuries are chewing through the position, having Gilmore as a safety net feels like a decent strategy.
He'd also come relatively cheap, which is a key selling point. The Bucs aren't flush with cap space or cash, so being intentional about adding someone like Gilmore feels like the type of move the team would make.
We'll see if the Bucs feel like taking another stroll around the free agency park, but if they do it might end up being beneficial.
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