The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been very quiet in free agency this season as it appears they are looking to build a competitive roster through picking quality prospects in the draft as well as picking up undervalued or bargain free agents.
The Bucs immediately upgraded their secondary as they brought in veteran cornerback Brent Grimes formerly of the Miami Dolphins. Grimes had been released from the Dolphins as they were stuck in a terrible position in regards to their salary cap thanks to Ndamukong Suh's monstrous contract.
The 32-year-old cornerback can still be productive as he recorded 15 starts, 49 combined tackles, 14 pass defenses and four interceptions during the 2015 NFL season. Grimes has had teams shy away from him thanks in part to his wife, who has been seen as a distraction to the locker room.
As ridiculous as that sounds, Grimes' skills are worth a little distraction as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to do something to bolster their defensive backfield. Grimes is only the third major signing made by the Buccaneers as they have been pretty inactive in free agency.
The Bucs resigned their starting running back Doug Martin after refusing to pick up his fifth-year option during the 2015 season. Martin was one of the highest paid running backs in free agency and will look to live up to his ridiculous contract. The Bucs also signed former Seattle Seahawks' offensive lineman J.R. Sweezy. This should help patch up the offensive line after former starter Logan Mankins retired. The Buccaneers should be looking toward the draft to fill up other roster needs as they will likely need to select some talented linemen in order to keep this offense clicking.
With the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers' biggest need will probably be at defensive end. The signing of Grimes relieves the Bucs of having to take a cornerback dramatically early, however they should still pick one up by the third or fourth round. It is unknown how much faith they will have in Sweezy until he actually gets on the field, but drafting an offensive lineman could become a possibility.
