Cornerbacks:Brent Grimes was signed as an unrestricted free agent, by the Buccaneers after he was a cut by the Dolphins in an effort to free up salary cap space. Grimes has played well over the past three years, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl berths. At 5-foot-10, 185-pounds Grimes is slight in stature, but plays much bigger than his listed measureables. Grimes, an undrafted free agent out of Shippensburg and signed with Atlanta in 2006, Grimes went to camp with the Falcons – was released due to a groin injury and was resigned in January of 2007, Grimes was allocated to NFL Europa, where he was shuffled between the Amsterdam Admirals and Rhein Fire before settling in with the Hamburg Sea Devils, where he recorded two interceptions and one sack while a member of Sea Devils squad which won World Bowl XV. In 43 career games at Shippensburg, Grimes was an All-PSAC Western Division selection, three-times as a defensive back. He was also a three-time All-American. Grimes ended his college career with 27 interceptions and 38 passes defensed, the most in PSAC history. From 2009-2015 Grimes ranks fourth in interceptions with 25, despite missing all but one game of the 2012 season. Richard Sherman is the only player on the list in the top four, who was not in the league during the 09’ and 10’ seasons the other two players are Charles Woodson, a shoe in for the Hall of Fame and former Buccaneer Aqib Talib. Grimes has superb overall athletic ability, including speed and leaping ability. Grimes is one of the better cover corners in the NFL and capable of shutting down even top wide receivers. The Bucs signed Alterraun Verner as an unrestricted free agent from the Tennessee Titans in March 2014. Verner was originally drafted in the 4th round (104th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Titans. In his four seasons with the Titans, he played in 62 regular-season games with 47 starts. He had 60 pass breakups and 11 interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Verner since signing with the Bucs has three inceptions and 13 passes defensed in 30 games played with 20 starts. Verner is an average-sized corner with excellent quickness. He is an instinctive coverman who has gotten worse each year, with the Bucs partly due to a bastradized scheme being used by former coach Lovie Smith. Verner plays well in both man and zone coverage. Verner makes plays on the football, but is known as a bit of a gambler and will also give up the big play. He is not a physical run defender or strong tackler. Verner’s confidence level has dropped and plays with less cocky swagger.Johnthan Banks was selected in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers. Banks has started 37-of-45 career games, totaling 130 tackles, 16 passes defensed and seven interceptions returned for 102 yards and one touchdown. Banks was a team captain who started 45-of-51 games at Mississippi State (2009-12), including every game in his final two seasons. He recorded 221 tackles, 26 passes defensed, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, four quarterback pressures, one fumble recovery and 16 interceptions for 320 yards and three touchdowns. Banks was the winner of the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back). Banks was in coach Lovie Smith dog house for much of the 2015 season, at one point being benched and relegated to a mere spectator. He played in 14 games, with seven starts, recording 25 tackles and one pass defensed. Banks is a decent-sized corner with only average athletic ability and speed. He flashes solid cover skills but will also give up the big play - has not been used to his strengths.Drafted in the first round (11th overall) of the in 2016, NFL Draft by the Buccaneers Vernon Hargreaves is a pure cover corner. Exceptional balls kills, explosive click and close ability. Possesses oily hips and smooth transition in his back pedal to turn, open up and run with receivers. He’s an instinctive player with excellent balance and body control. He shows a solid ability to mirror route progressions. A ferocious competitor that shows a toughness and willingness in run support. Has decent height weight measurable and is thickly built. Hargreaves played collegiately at the University of Florida. He amassed 38 passes defensed and 10 interceptions over last three years, starting 35 of 37 games he played in. Hargreaves as a high school player was named the National Defensive Player of the Year at the 58th Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards. He was named All-Western Conference, All-Hillsborough, All-Suncoast, All-State, Class 8A Defensive Player of the Year and the Guy Toph Award winner as Hillsborough County’s top senior football player. He chose the Gators over an estimated 50 offers including Clemson, Vanderbilt, Miami and Notre Dame. As a senior in high school Hargreaves was Defensive MVP from the IMG Madden 7-on-7 National Championship. His father, Vernon Hargreaves, Jr., is the linebackers coach at Arkansas.Josh Robinson was signed by the Bucs as a free agent in March of 2016 from the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the University of Central Florida. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round (66th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. He started 35 of his 38 career games played at UCF. He earned 1st-Team All-Conference USA as a sophomore and junior while garnering 2nd-Team honors as a true freshman. Robinson set UCF freshman record with 6 INTs as a true freshman in 2009 and his 6 picks tied for 2nd in the Golden Knights’ single-season records. He concluded his collegiate career with 10 career INTs, good for 5th in UCF history. In his four year NFL career Robinson has started 21 of 47 games, notching five interceptions, 15 passes defensed and 157 total tackles. Robinson has decent size and good speed; he plays with good quickness and instincts. Yet, has had an up and down career to this point. He flashed promise as a rookie but followed that up with a disastrous sophomore season in 2013, when he was used as a slot cornerback. He tore his pectoral muscle, during Organized Team Activities, in 2015 and started Training Camp on the Physically Unable to Perform. He returned to have his worst season as a pro.Ryan Smith drafted in fourth round (104th overall) by the Bucs in the 2016 NFL Draft. Smith played for collegiately for North Carolina Central where he played safety his first tow season and corner his last two seasons for the Eagles, He started 42 of 45 games amassing 263 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 31 passes defensed, seven interceptions, one forced fumble and eight fumble recoveries. Smith becomes just the second NFL draft pick in the last 25-years from NCCU's. Coincidently, the other, defensive end Greg Peterson, was also chosen by Tampa Bay in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He’s a versatile player who offers position flexibility. He can play either safety or corner. Shows smooth back pedal and does a solid job of mirroring receivers. He does a good job reading quarterbacks eyes and sliding in zone coverage restricting passing windows. The Bucs signed Jude Adjei-Barimah as a college free agent in July 2015. Adjei-Barimah played for Bowling Green where he started 20 of 52 games and accrued 150 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, 4 interceptions and 18 passes defensed. As a rookie, played in 13 games, with seven starts, and recorded 33 tackles, including one for loss, and one pass defensed. He made his NFL debut against Carolina on October 4, 2015. Adeji-Barimah made his first career NFL start versus the New York Giants on November 8, 2015. Adjei-Barimah has ideal size and length to play corner. Has decent overall athletic ability and skills to contribute in the NFL. He might be better suited playing safety in the pros facing the action. Joel Ross was signed by the Buccaneers in December of 2015. He entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Dallas Cowboys at the conclusion of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Appalachian State. He was an unheralded stalwart for the Mountaineers since his second collegiate season. Ross has good speed, decent cover skills, and showcased solid effort. He’s a good tackler with the ability to close and make plays. Ross demonstrates a good grasp of reading routes.
