The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hope to get Jamel Dean back from injured reserve soon, but in the meantime they've found another way to add some experienced depth to their young cornerback room. On Monday, the Buccaneers signed Troy Hill to their active roster, 19 days after they had added him to their practice squad.
To create a spot for Hill on the 53-man roster, the team waived safety Kaevon Merriweather.
Hill began this season, his 10th in the NFL, with the Carolina Panthers but was released in October. He has played in 119 regular-season games, with 60 starts, and his career totals include nine interceptions, three pick-sixes and 41 passes defensed.
Hill first entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2015, but he ended up on the Los Angeles Rams practice squad as a rookie after being claimed off waivers. He spent six of the next seasons with the Rams, with a one-season stop in Cleveland in 2021 before he was traded back to Los Angeles. In 2020, Hill started all 16 games for the Rams and recorded three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, 10 passes defensed, 77 tackles, one forced fumble and a third score on one of his two fumble recoveries.
Hill signed with the panthers in 2023 and in that season started three of 16 games and had an interception, six passes defensed, a forced fumble and 48 tackles.
Merriweather joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2023 and made the active roster as a rookie, eventually appearing in 16 games with two starts. He played in nine of the Bucs' first 10 games this season and recorded three tackles.
