Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2015 Safeties Breakdown
Nov 30, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans strong safety D.J. Swearinger (36) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
SS D.J. Swearinger
The Buccaneers have a crowded field at safety in general, but their strong safety spot will be especially hotly contested. That doesn’t mean that Swearinger can’t make his mark, though, because he has more raw talent than any other safety on the Bucs roster right now. The problem is that he’s coming off an absolutely atrocious season, and he clearly needed a change of scenery after causing problems on and off-the-field for the Houston Texans with his immaturity and reckless playing style.
Swearinger, per Pro Football Focus, missed a whopping 16 tackles last season, putting himself in the Goldson range of tackling ineffectiveness. In fact, just seven out of 63 qualifying safeties missed tackles at a higher rate than Swearinger, whose overall body of work in run defense (unlike, say, James Ihedigbo‘s) did not make up for his poor tackling.
There’s no doubt that the hard-hitting and violent 23-year-old has raw tools and upside, and he used to defend the slot in college. The problem is that he’s inconsistent and has shown no growth in his first two seasons in the league, even if his tackle, INT, and PD counts modestly increased in his second season.
On the bright side, Swearinger showed flashes of quality in coverage, and that could prove to be a valuable asset for the Bucs if anything happens to the rising McDougald. Smith has to try and coax some legitimate consistency out of Swearinger, who is heading into a very important third year in this league after being claimed off of waivers by a team that is high on him.
ESPN’s Field Yates reported that seven other teams put in claims for Swearinger, and it’s confirmation that the young safety has the tools to succeed in this league. He’s clearly not short on talent, and if he can iron out his issues (not an easy task, but it’s do-able), then he could be a real asset as a future starter who looks better in coverage than some thought.
Next: A Slow UDFA