This offseason the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added two former New York Jets players to its secondary, but will proceed after Week 1 with only one.
Jordan Whitehead was the big addition for the Bucs, as it served as a reunion that helped result in a Super Bowl the last time the two sides linked up. He wasn't along, though, as Whitehead came to Tampa Bay with his former Jets teammate Bryce Hall, who was added to a thin cornerback room after trading Carlton Davis III.
Hall's time with the Bucs might end up being short-lived, though.
Bryce Hall carted off field with serious leg injury in Week 1
In the third quarter Hall was carted off the field after suffering a gruesome leg injury that FOX didn't even want to show as a replay. The aircast was on his leg almost as soon as trainers came out to attend to him, and his day -- and season -- were over.
Bryce Hall was carted off after sustaining an injury on the previous play 🙏 pic.twitter.com/0IyrQgxvl6
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 8, 2024
It's a brutal blow on a number of different levels, not the least of which is what it means for Hall. He was a sleeper free agent signing for the Bucs and was in a position to shine given how wide open the secondary was.
Losing Hall also puts Tampa Bay's secondary in a real bind, as already shallow depth got even thinner. Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum entered the season as the top two players at the position, but McCollum also left early with a concussion. Josh Hayes got hurt and the Bucs didnt' activate Tyrek Funderburk or Kaevon Merriweather -- who was injured in the preseason.
Depth at cornerback was a problem for the Bucs last season, and it's an issue that has followed them into Week 1. There's some relief that can come in-house on th epractice squad, and the team could bring back Keenan Isaac after he was waived by the Panthers, but it's looking like the first bad break of the season might force the team to look externally for cornerback options.
Overall the season got off to a great start, but the situation in the secondary is something to monitor moving forward.
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