After spending the beginning of free agency focused on re-signing their own players, which they’ve successfully done, the Bucs have turned their attention to other new players.
On Friday, the Bucs added to their secondary by signing cornerback Bryce Hall, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times also added that it is a one-year deal.
A day after adding Jets strong safety Jordan Whitehead to the defense, the Bucs raided the Jets secondary again on Friday with the addition Hall.
Hall is a four-year player who was drafted in the fifth round by the New York Jets. He brings experience as a starter to the Bucs. In the first two years of his career, he started in 24 of 25 games for the Jets, recording 19 pass breakups and one interception in those opportunities.
The Jets shifted their focus at cornerback in 2022, drafting Sauce Gardner in the first round and signing D.J. Reed to make a fantastic cornerback tandem. Gardner has already been a two-time first-team All-Pro and won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Because of these moves, Hall was moved into a backup role, seeing the field a lot less in 2022 and 2023. He got two spot starts last season while playing in nine games.
Hall made the most of it, though as he recorded seven tackles, two pass breakups, one interceptions and one fumble recovery that led to his first career defensive touchdown on a scoop and score. Hall played 138 defensive snaps and primarily was on the right side at corner.
Bryce Hall Bring Good Depth To Bucs CBs
At 26 years of age, the addition of Bryce Hall brings experience to a young cornerbacks room in Tampa Bay. Hall has been a starter and also backed up two very talented corners, so he’s seen a little bit of everything. With the Bucs trading Carlton Davis III to the Lions, Tampa Bay appears poised to have Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum as their starters in 2024.
Due to Dean’s injury history, it’s unlikely he’s going to end up playing all 17 games next season. Adding a backup corner that can be ready to go in an instant was necessary this offseason, especially after the departure of Davis. Hall fills that void perfectly for Todd Bowles’ defense.
McCollum learned that first hand last season, constantly starting for an injured Dean or Davis. Hall also makes this the second former Jets player that the Bucs have signed this offseason.
The team brought back Jordan Whitehead on a two-year deal that was announced on Wednesday. Whitehead will resume his duties starting at strong safety next to All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr.
The addition of Hall doesn’t preclude the Bucs from still taking a cornerback in this year’s draft, especially since Hall was signed to just a one-year deal. Tampa Bay will also have to decide if it wants to re-sign Dee Delaney or go to the well with some of their young defensive backs, such as Josh Hayes or Keenan Isaac, who was on the practice squad last season.
As it stands right now, Bryce Hall figures to be the No. 3 cornerback on Tampa Bay’s depth chart, filling a big need with McCollum’s expected elevation to the starting role.
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