The Bucs are addressing their depth in the secondary by making a second attempt at a low-risk, high-reward player. The team has agreed to a one-year contract with Bryce Hall according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Bucs Believe In Hall

Bucs CB Bryce Hall – Photo by: USA Today

This is the second consecutive year the team is betting Hall can be a major addition to their cornerback depth. They signed Hall to a one-year, $1,125,000 deal last year with the intention of having him as perimeter CB3 on their depth chart. The idea was to provide insurance for the oft-injured Jamel Dean. Unfortunately, that plan was nixed less than one game into the season as Hall suffered an ankle and leg injury that put him on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Hall is a five-year player who was drafted in the fifth round by the New York Jets. He brings experience as a starter to a Bucs team looking to improve their depth a year after struggling with Tyrek Funderburk and Josh Hayes taking turns filling in for Jamel Dean. In the first two years of his career, he started in 24 of 25 games for the Jets, recording 19 pass breakups and one interception in those opportunities.

He joins Kindle Vindor, who was signed by the Bucs last week, as key backups for the Bucs at corner behind Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum.

The Jets shifted their focus at cornerback in 2022, drafting Sauce Gardner in the first round and signing D.J. Reed to make a fantastic cornerback tandem. Gardner has already been a two-time first-team All-Pro and won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Bucs CB Bryce Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Because of these moves, Hall was moved into a backup role, seeing the field a lot less in 2022 and 2023. He got two spot starts last season while playing in nine games.

Hall made the most of it, though as he recorded seven tackles, two pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery that led to his first career defensive touchdown on a scoop and score. Hall played 138 defensive snaps and primarily was on the right side at corner.

The addition of Hall and Vildor doesn’t preclude the Bucs from still taking a cornerback in this year’s draft, especially since they were each signed to just a one-year deal. But the safe money is on this being but one of several moves the Bucs will make in both free agency and the draft to bolster the room.

Still, Hall can be seen as potentially one of the biggest upside moves the team can make this offseason.For his career, Hall has 122 tackles, five tackles for loss, 21 passes defensed, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. He