Best free agent cornerbacks Buccaneers could target after Bryce Hall injury

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to get a huge Week 1 win, the afternoon wasn't without some loss.

Cornerback Bryce Hall was carted off the field with what looks to be a season-ending injury. In the third quarter, he suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula, which likely takes him off the board in the Bucs' secondary and creates an immediate need to find some depth.

Making matters even more stressful were injuries to Josh Hayes and Zyon McCollum. Hayes suffered an ankle injury while McCollum left with a concussion; neither player's status is safe for next week's game against the Lions.

That puts pressure on the Bucs to quickly figure out how to add depth to its thinnest position. Cornerback was already a half-full room, and these injuries mean the team will have to get creative with how to make sure it doesn't become a weakness that holds them back.

Best free agent cornerbacks Buccaneers could target

Patrick Peterson

Back when the Bucs were bringing in mercenaries during the Tom Brady era, Richard Sherman was a signing that looked good on paper but never really turned into much else. Patrick Peterson is in that same orbit in terms of being a veteran flier the Bucs could take without setting expectations too high.

Like Sherman, Peterson is well beyond the prime of his career, but that doesn't mean he's not capable of providing some much-needed relief for Tampa Bay. He's a perfect low-risk backup to slide into Hall's slot, and has the upside of being a No. 2 corner who could play for McCollum if he misses time.

He's an aging vet, though, so expecting the All-Pro version of him to arrive is misguided.

J.C. Jackson

A younger, albeit just as risky, option for the Bucs is J.C. Jackson. He'd continue the unofficial New England to Tampa Bay pipeline that has been established over the years, but would also be someone who could step up for McCollum.

Jackson fizzled out with the Chargers last season before returning to the Patriots, where he was a Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl back in 2019. It's been a few years since he's been a top corner in the league, but the Bucs aren't looking for an easy fix. He stepped up admirably for an injured Christian Gonzalez last year, with his production trending in the right direction after rough stint in Los Angeles, so there's hope that he can do the same with the Bucs.

Xavien Howard

Once a top corner in the league, one who teams would bend over backward to try and add, Xavien Howard's stock has plummeted for a few different reasons. On the field his production has dipped, failing to match the hefty price tag that was attached to him. Off the field he's been involved in some legal trouble, which involved sending revenge porn to the son of an ex-partner.

His off-field situation is still ongoing, and the Bucs have proven in the past that such thing won't deter them from bringing people in. That being said, the Antonio Brown stint was brutal on all fronts, and the reputation hit the team took was a wake-up call to bring in higher character players to help foster the right chemistry.

Howard checks the boxes of a guy who can not only help fill in for Hall and McCollum but could develop into a legit No. 1 cornerback for the Bucs. It's not as simple as that, though, which may prevent him from entering the mix.

C.J. Henderson

A former Florida Gators star, C.J. Henderson coming to Tampa Bay would be a homecoming of sorts but mostly a chance for him to get his career back on track. It's been tough sledding for him since being a Top 10 draft pick by the Jaguars, who traded him after less then two seasons.

He bounced between Carolina and Houston, failing to make the latter's final roster this season. Henderson was solid in the one full season he's played, finishing the 2022 season with nearly 60 combined tackles and a pair of interceptions while mostly holding down his opponent. That's the guy the Bucs would love to get, but it has the makings of being more flash-in-the-pan than anything else.

Then again, Tampa Bay could do worse than a former Top 10 pick as someone who comes in to fill-in for Hall while he's out.

Other potential free agent options

• Eli Apple
• Keion Crossen
• Desmond King
• Jalen Mills
• Ahkello Witherspoon
• Jerry Jacobs
• Chandon Sullivan
• Aaron Robinson
• Kelvin Joseph

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