By Jordan Long
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added depth to a position of need, safety. They have 3 who are injured, Mike Edwards, Justin Evans, and D’Cota Dixton. Edwards is dealing with a hamstring injury and is expected back at practice next week. Evans is close to being back with the team after a foot injury. Dixton is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. They decided to sign safety Darian Stewart to the mix. The terms of the deal were not announced.
Stewart is one of the top hitting safeties in the NFL. He has played for 9 years in the league with the Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and the Denver Broncos. The previous 4 years he was in the Mile High City with the Denver Broncos. Stewart was part of the “No Fly Zone” which helped Denver win Super Bowl 50.
The Broncos decided to part ways with Stewart in March, saving the Broncos $6.37 million in salary cap space this year. He was also due to make $5 million this season and next year. Denver replaced Stewart with Kareem Jackson in free agency. They have a young starter in Justin Simmons. Stewart was the odd man out.
Stewart should make the Tampa Bay secondary better. He is the last line of defense and rarely misses a tackle. Stewart can play in coverage, force turnovers, and sack the quarterback. In pass coverage, Stewart totaled 11 interceptions and 46 passes defended. He also added 454 tackles. Once a receiver catches the football, Stewart can knock it out of his hands for fumbles, forcing 6 of them in his career. When comes to sacking the quarterback, Stewart has 5.
The Buccaneers are hoping a healthy Stewart will be the key to making the defense improved. He hardly ever misses a game due to an injury. During his time in Denver the last 4 years, Stewart was out 3 games. He is regularly in the lineup making plays. The worst case for Tampa Bay is they have to cut Stewart if he isn’t playing well. It is a win-win for both sides.
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