4 big name free agents Buccaneers should sign before mandatory minicamp
By Josh Hill
Xavien Howard, CB
Trading Carlton Davis III to the Lions created an even bigger need at cornerback than what already existed. Both Davis and Jamel Dean underperformed last season, with the latter being particularly disappointing given the big contract he signed in free agency to remain in Tampa Bay.
So far the Bucs have yet to get any value back from Dean on that deal, but there's still plenty of time to change that. All of that is to say Tampa Bay already needed to think about adding some more talent to the cornerback room, which is something the team didn't really address this offseason.
Tykee Smith was drafted out of Georgia but he'll slide into the nickel role while Zyon McCollum moves into the CB2 role that Davis vacated next to Dean. It's one of the weakest positions on the depth chart heading into training camp but adding Xavien Howard could go a long way in fixing that.
Howard was a top cornerback on the market this offseason but remains unsigned as mandatory camp approaches. That might mean his price is more in Tampa Bay's range than it was before, and the Pro Bowl talent he brings would add an instant boost at a position that badly needs it.
A rotation of Howard, Dean, and McCollum sounds pretty good and potentially takes some pressure off depth guys like Bryce Hall and Josh Hayes. It also probably makes Bucs fans feel better about the secondary and set things up to be in a better spot than they are heading into camp.
Howard is a top player at his position when he's firing on all cylinders, and the Bucs should absolutely think about taking a chance on him if the price is right.