Buccaneers add pieces to offensive line, secondary

Two former New York residents are heading to Tampa to compete for Buccaneers jobs. The Bucs are signing offensive lineman Ben Bredeson and cornerback Bryce Hall, according to Pewter Report and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, respectively.

Bredeson spent last season as a full-time Giants starter at guard, while Hall is a former Jets starter who also played out his rookie contract in New York. Bredeson is joining the Bucs on a one-year deal worth up to $3.5M, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.

Amid an injury-ravaged season on the offensive line, the Giants relied on Bredeson as a 16-game starter. The Giants put Bredeson — a 2020 Ravens draftee acquired in a trade a year later — in competition for guard and center spots last summer. As expected, second-round pick John Michael Schmitz won the center job. But Bredeson was in place at guard as turnover occurred across Big Blue’s front.

As could be expected on a line that gave up the second-most sacks (83) since the league began charting them in the early 1960s, Bredson graded poorly in 2023. Pro Football Focus viewed the Michigan alum as one of the NFL’s worst guard regulars last season. He has 25 starts on his resume, however. The Bucs have not re-signed guards Matt Feiler or Aaron Stinnie — during an offseason that featured higher-priority player-retention tasks — opening the door for Bredeson to compete for a starting job or settle in as a swing backup.

The Jets chose Hall in the 2020 fifth round and used him as a starter in 26 games. Twenty-four of those came over Hall’s first two years, as the Jets refrained from investing in corners. That changed in 2022, via the D.J. Reed signing and Sauce Gardner draft pick, relegating Hall to a bench role. Hall did return a fumble for a touchdown last season but only played 138 defensive snaps.

The Bucs traded Carlton Davis to the Lions this week. While Hall could conceivably be thrown into a competition to replace the veteran cover man, it seems likely the Bucs will bring in a higher-profile option as the favorite to start opposite Jamel Dean.