The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to a 2-1 start, but cannot stop the pass. Can signing Richard Sherman make a difference?
After the experience of the team’s first loss on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a move to bolster an ailing secondary. By signing Richard Sherman, the Buccaneers added the highest credentialed cornerback on the free-agent market. It is also the type of aggressive move the win now Buccaneers have been accustomed to making ever since the team signed Tom Brady.
Richard Sherman may not be the same cornerback he was in Seattle or even when he helped the 49ers make Super Bowl LIV, but he does bring an established veteran presence to a struggling secondary. The Buccaneers rank 32nd in the NFL in passing defense. They have looked anything but dominant in three games.
The team has given up a mind-boggling 1,015 passing yards to opposing quarterbacks through the first three games of the season. That’s good for an average of 338.3 yards per game. It could comfort the team that two of those games were against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys and Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Both offenses have been two of the league’s best in the first three games.
The team has given up a mind-boggling 1,015 passing yards to opposing quarterbacks through the first three games of the season. That’s good for an average of 338.3 yards per game. It could comfort the team that two of those games were against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys and Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Both offenses have been two of the league’s best in the first three games.
Clearly, the Buccaneers do not want to see how things average out once they hit less talented offenses. Bringing in Sherman is not just a panic move, but also a move out of necessity. The Bucs have been playing without starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting due to a dislocated elbow on opening night. On Sunday, cornerback Jamel Dean missed the final three-quarters of the game with a knee injury.
Although Dean returned to practice on Wednesday, he did struggle throughout the preseason. Sherman can provide insurance for Dean even when/if Murphy-Bunting can return to his normal self while also adding veteran experience. He has accomplished more in his career than any other player in the team’s secondary.
Even though the defensive scheme is different than what Sherman has been used to in San Francisco and Seattle, he should be a positive contributor for this Buccaneers team. His sure tackling abilities will be welcomed to a team that has struggled to tackle especially in the passing game. His confidence and willingness to trash talk with opponents should also fit in well with his new teammates.
Sherman brings five Pro Bowl appearances and three appearances on the All-Pro team with him to Tampa Bay. Most important is his playoff experience with four trips to the Super Bowl on his resume. Sherman joins Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski as players on the team who have previously played in back-to-back Super Bowls. He can help guide some of the defensive players through the difficulties of making it back a second year in a row. Overall, this should be a positive signing for the Buccaneers.