Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2015 Safeties Breakdown

Aug 23, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago Bears free safety Chris Conte (47) attempts to intercept the pass to Oakland Raiders wide receiver Rod Streater (80) during the second quarter at O.Co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

FS Chris Conte

It’s unlikely that Bears fans will forgive Conte any time soon for the role he played in their Week 17 loss to the Green Bay Packers that costed them a playoff spot, but that blown coverage assignment and terrible season shouldn’t define Conte as a player. Mel Tucker and his oft-criticized defensive scheme (as well as the Bears awful front seven that season) put way too much stress on an overwhelmed duo of safeties, and Conte was markedly better in his 474 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, in 2014.

Conte isn’t an above-average starting option by any means, but Smith should be able to get starting-caliber play out of him at the free safety spot. He’s still pretty young at 26 and played his best ball in Smith’s final season in 2012, and Conte does bring some ball skills to the table with back-to-back three-interception seasons under his belt.

If he can shake off the nagging shoulder injuries, then Conte should be the team’s every-down starter at FS. He’s definitely better in coverage (and a more consistent tackler) than Goldson, so he looks like a nice upgrade by default for the Buccaneers, especially since there aren’t any better options at the position on the roster.

Next: Diamond In The Rough?