Report: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Major Wright agree to deal
By Will Osgood
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a contract on Saturday with free agent-to be Major Wright.
NFL Network reported on Saturday night that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and safety Major Wright had agreed on a contract that will keep the veteran from reaching free agency.
More from NFL
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Chargers loosen grip on checkbook to pay Justin Herbert: Best memes and tweets
- Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
- Raiders: Saquon Barkley’s new contract may have screwed over Josh Jacobs
Terms of the deal were not immediately made known.
Wright signed a one-year deal in 2014 to follow Lovie Smith from Chicago to the state where he played his college ball. That deal paid him $795,000, according to Spotrac.
Wright is a strong “in-the-box” safety who plays the run well. He is not known for his abilities in pass coverage though.
Wright only played in 12 games before a rib injury sent him to the injured reserve list. But the 2014 Bucs were 28th in passing yards allowed and 26th in net yards allowed per attempt at 6.8 net passing yards gained per attempt.
And yet Wright will return in 2015.
Tampa Bay, who underperformed their expected win loss record of 4.5-11.5 by going 2-14 in 2014, possess the No. 1 overall pick on April 30, when the 2015 NFL draft gets underway.
They are currently expected by most NFL analysts to select another in-state collegiate player, Florida State’s Jameis Winston–the 2013 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
One thing is rather certain, the Bucs do not have an impact safety who fits Love Smith’s “Tampa Two” scheme, even though they maintain the rights to Dashon Goldson, who was a star in San Francisco.
The team traded away former first-round pick Mark Barron in one of the NFL’s rare in-season trades seven games into the 2014 season, after quickly realizing he was anything but a fit in Smith’s defense.
He ended up fitting much better with the team he was traded to–the St. Louis Rams. In nine games, including two starts, Barron had 3.0 sacks, a pass defensed and 21 tackles for Gregg Williams, playing a similar role to the one Roman Harper used to play in New Orleans.
That is the same kind of role Wright would ideally play. But the variance between Smith’s scheme and Williams’ is greater than the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.
The good news for the Bucs is that they added a fourth-round and sixth-round pick for Barron and a fifth-round pick from the Patriots for Jonathan Casillas. In all the Bucs have eight draft picks headed into the draft on April 30 (through May 2).
Perhaps they can find safeties who fit Lovie Smith’s defense then.
Tampa Bay also re-signed veteran corner Mike Jenkins on Thursday.
More from FanSided
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
- Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
- MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle