Throughout the offseason, the Buccaneers made several transactions regarding their cornerback room. That starts with the Buccaneers trading Carlton Davis III to Detroit in exchange for the Lions’ 2024 third-round pick. With that, Tampa Bay selected Georgia’s Tykee Smith at No. 89, who figures to be the Buccaneers’ starting nickel corner in 2024.
In free agency, Tampa Bay signed Bryce Hall and Tavierre Thomas to one-year deals, with both corners coming off solid seasons. Coupled with the return of starting cornerbacks Jamel Dean and breakout candidate Zyon McCollum, and the Buccaneers’ cornerback room figures to be a solid point of their defense in 2024.
Outside of the five corners mentioned, Tampa Bay’s reserves at the position leave a lot to be desired, with the likes of Josh Hayes, Quandre Mosely, and Keenan Isaac set to slot in the starting lineup barring the starters missing time. For example, Dean has missed 15 total games in his first five seasons, while Hall and Thomas have dealt with lingering injuries that have kept them off the field.
Although the majority of the top free agents have already signed with new teams, there are still several notable cornerbacks still available on the market. For Tampa Bay, signing one could be the difference between their fourth straight NFC South division title and a letdown year in 2024.
4 Free Agent cornerbacks Tampa Bay can sign ahead of preseason
JC Jackson
After going undrafted in the 2018 draft, Jackson has had an up-and-down seven-year career in the NFL. Jackson would sign with New England as an undrafted free agent, and went on to become one of the Patriots’ starting cornerbacks for the next four seasons. In 62 games (39 starts), Jackson recorded 158 tackles, 53 pass breakups, and 25 interceptions.
During the 2021 season, Jackson broke out in a major way, posting a league-leading 23 pass breakups, eight interceptions, and 58 tackles in 17 starts, while earning All-Pro Second Team Honors and his first Bowl Pro nod. Jackson’s lockdown coverage was a key cog in the Patriots’ standout defense, which allowed just 17.8 points and 187.1 passing yards per game, the second-fewest marks in the NFL.
From that point on, Jackson’s career has gone downhill. In the 2021 offseason, Jackson left New England to sign with Los Angeles, and only played in five games as a Charger before rupturing his patellar tendon. Jackson would return to New England in the following offseason, and would notch six pass breakups and 25 tackles in eight games before being cut and latching onto the Chargers for the final two games of the season.
At 28 years old, Jackson still has plenty to offer as a veteran cornerback, and has shown he can be the No. 1 corner on a shutdown defense. With McCollum entering his first presumed season as a starter and Hall and Thomas in the wings, Jackson would be a low-risk, high-reward signing for Tampa Bay at a cheap price.
Adoree Jackson
Similar to JC Jackson, Adoree Jackson is another veteran available to sign that could offer the Bucs stable play as a boundary corner. Jackson, the No. 18 pick in the 2017 draft, has split time at cornerback for the Giants and Titans over the past seven seasons. Starting in 77 of 83 games played, Jackson has recorded 376 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 56 pass breakups, four interceptions, five forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.
Jackson was especially impressive in his rookie season, notching 70 tackles, a league-leading 17 pass breakups, and three forced fumbles in 16 starts. While Jackson has only totaled four career interceptions, Jackson has given up a completion percentage of 57.0% or less in three of five seasons, including in two of his last three campaigns.
In addition, Jackson has also shown flashes as an underrated kick and punt returner. In his first season in New York, Jackson posted 290 yards on 34 punt returns and 578 yards on 25 kickoffs for 923 all-purpose return yards. Since then, Jackson has been used sparingly on special teams, but could provide depth and a veteran presence for Tampa Bay in the secondary and on kick and punt returns.
While Jackson, at 6’1″ and 198 pounds would be a smaller boundary corner than McCollum (6’2″, 198) and Dean (6’1″, 205), Jackson makes up for his lack of size for his stout speed. In addition to a 4.39 40-yard dash, Jackson clocked in at 20.92 miles per hour for the third-fastest speed on any interception returned for a touchdown in the NFL last season. That speed and his intangibles would be valuable to a young Buccaneers’ cornerback room in 2024.
Stephon Gilmore
As far as cornerbacks go, the shelf life and high-level production are often short-lived, typically six to seven years for most corners. Oftentimes, most corners fall off around their age-28 seasons because of the wear and tear the position yields. That said, Gilmore has still been a reliable and productive as any of the remaining corners on the market.
Gilmore, the No. 10 pick in the 2012 draft, had a productive start to his NFL career with Buffalo. Starting in 66 of 68 games played, Gilmore totaled 226 tackles, 62 pass breakups, 14 interceptions, and three forced fumbles. In 2016, Gilmore earned his first Pro Bowl selection, collecting 48 tackles, 12 pass breakups, and five interceptions in 15 games.
In the following offseason, Gilmore signed with New England in free agency, and was a key impact player in the Patriots’ stout defense. Over his four-year tenure as a Patriot, Gilmore posted 185 tackles, 52 pass breakups, 11 interceptions, and two pick-sixes in 56 starts. Not only did Gilmore earn three more Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro First Team nods, and win Super Bowl LIII, but the corner was named the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 20 pass breakups and six interceptions.
Following the 2020 season, Gilmore’s last in New England, the 12-year veteran hasn’t been the caliber of the player he once was. While Gilmore did make the Pro Bowl in 2021 with Carolina and amassed over ten pass breakups with Indianapolis and Dallas, Gilmore allowed an average completion percentage of 60% and a 78.4 coverage rating, all career-worsts.
Gilmore, who is entering his age-34 season, hasn’t seen much demand from teams this offseason. That’s why the former DPOY remains unsigned four months into free agency. Yes, Gilmore would be just the fifth corner to be on a team that’s 31 or older, but has shown he can still cover for a corner-needy team like Tampa Bay.
Patrick Peterson
If Tampa Bay wants to add a true veteran presence to their cornerback room, then look no further than Peterson, who just finished his 13th season in the NFL with Pittsburgh. At 33, Peterson was far from the player he was earlier in his career, and he didn’t cover receivers on the outside or in the slot all that great. Still, the 13-year veteran remains ready for a potential opportunity that may come to suit up in 2024.
“I’m just doing stuff here and there. Nothing major, but if the phone call happens to come through, I’ll definitely be ready to make a team if that’s the case,” Peterson told his co-host Bryant McFadden on their podcast All Things Covered. “Nothing has happened just yet, but I am doing what I need to do to be in shape.”
Even after his prime years of football, there has still been a consistent market for Peterson in free agency. Before signing with Pittsburgh last season, Peterson played two seasons in Arizona and Minnesota each, starting in 56 total games and posting 225 tackles, 35 pass breakups, and 11 interceptions.
When Peterson was in his prime, he was one of the league’s top coverage corners. Starting in 2011, Peterson made eight straight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro Team selections to begin his career in Arizona, totaling 385 tackles 76 pass breakups, 23 interceptions, and 19 fumble recoveries in 128 starts.
If Tampa Bay were to sign Peterson, it largely wouldn’t be to replace McCollum in the lineup. Rather, such a move for a declining veteran would be to mentor the likes of Dean, McCollum, Hall, Thomas, and Smith, while also playing sparingly in coverage, which he showed he could do in his lone season as a Steeler.
