Charles Tillman visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman (33) runs after an interception against the Washington Redskins during the first half at FedEX Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will party ways with star cornerback Darrelle Revis and his $16 million salary after not deeming him worthy of that sky-high salary no matter how elite he is, and the Buccaneers have to look at alternatives to Revis. Elite players like him aren’t easy to replace, and it will probably take two guys for the Bucs to make CB a position of strength and adequately replace Revis. Rookie Johnthan Banks looked promising last year, but the Bucs now have a need for a CB1 and a slot corner.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that long-time Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman is indeed visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and this move shouldn’t surprise anyone at all. The smoke between the Bucs and Tillman has been strong for quite some time, and he would reunite with former Bears head coach Lovie Smith in Tampa and be Smith’s willing and able Tampa 2 corner.
Tillman was amazing in 2012 and is still a very talented player, but he isn’t getting any younger and has injury concerns. The 33-year-old is coming off of a disappointing contract year due to nagging injuries, but he could still be a legit CB1 if healthy, especially if he plays like he did in 2012. I think the Bucs should sign Tillman, but they should definitely go after someone else. I could see Walter Thurmond being an option as an elite slot corner, but he’s visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars today and is a very speculative option on my part.