Tampa Bay Buccaneers Expected to Start Eric Wright Opposite Darrelle Revis
By Josh Hill
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a knack of being really bad in the regular season but somehow getting really good in the regular season. That was the case these past couple of months when the Bucs went from having the worst secondary in football to adding guys like Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson and rookie Johnthan Banks. But while Revis is the unquestioned No. 1 cornerback for the Bucs, with the addition of Banks and the pre-existence of Eric Wright on the roster, the question has become who will start opposite Revis as the Bucs’ No. 2 corner?
According to Bucs beat writer Stephen Holder, if the season started it would be Eric Wright and not Johnthan Banks.
"If the season began today, that job would belong to veteran Eric Wright. And it likely will remain his on opening day. But there’s one thing that could bring about an unexpected change here: A fast start by second-round pick Johnthan Banks."
This is an interesting development as the Buccaneers were all set to cut Wright when the season ended. Wright came in as the Bucs solution to the problem that was Aqib Talib and his off-field issues. But Wright himself proved to be a handful by getting arrested before the season started and then getting slapped with a suspension for failing a drug test during the season.
Banks is a rookie though, and the Buccaneers see no reason to rush him into a starting spot. Banks was a guy many thought Tampa would reach for in the first-round but he fell into their laps in Round 2 of this year’s draft. Now that they have him, they’re going to coach him up so that he can eventually become a lockdown No. 2 along side Revis and his successor as the No. 1 guy.
As for Wright, he’s been blessed with a second chance, and it’s in his best interest not to waste it. Tampa Bay could have cut him and not paid a dime but they elected to keep him and now allow him to start. A lot can happen between now and opening Sunday, but it’s looking like Eric Wright is getting one final chance to redeem himself in Tampa.