Last Friday, the Buccaneers added a perennial Pro Bowler to their secondary when the team announced that they had agreed to terms with free agent cornerback Brent Grimes. The 10-year veteran has been named to the Pro Bowl four times in his career, including the past three seasons in a row.
When meeting with members of the media on Monday, General Manager Jason Licht wouldn't say what Grimes' role will be – he just said that it would be significant.
"We're beyond excited to get a Pro Bowl corner," Licht said during a press conference at One Buccaneer Place. "The last three years have been the best of his career. He's going to come in an make an immediate impact for us."
That impact could very well come by creating turnovers. The Buccaneers gave up 240 passing yards per game in 2015, which was around the league average. But the team recorded just 11 interceptions, which were near the bottom of the league. Of those 11 interceptions, just two were recorded by corners.
Grimes has 13 interceptions over the course of the past three years and admitted that his ability to force turnovers was one of his strong suits.
Pictures from Grimes' career with the Miami Dolphins.
"What do I do best as a corner? Make plays on the ball," Grimes said. "I feel like that's my strong suit. I can go get the ball. That's what wins games in the league – making plays on the ball when the ball is in the air. I believe that's a strong suit for me."
Grimes is the fourth free agent that the Buccaneers have signed this offseason and the second defensive back to sign a contract. The team inked safety Chris Conte on Monday afternoon after signing Doug Martin, J.R. Sweezy and Robert Ayers earlier in the week.
