The Buccaneers have been seeking a boost in their secondary for several years now. In the draft, they added rookies Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison, but an established veteran could help round out their DB room. Lucky for Tampa, the Green Bay Packers just parted ways with a 2-time All-Pro, and he’s on the hunt for a new team. Should the Buccaneers be intrigued?
During these past few seasons, Tampa has struggled with defending the pass. A big chunk play through the air knocked them out of the playoffs in 2022; Cooper Kupp exploited Tampa’s secondary, allowing the Rams the field position for a game-winning field goal. Rookie C.J Stroud threw for 470 yards (a rookie record) and five touchdowns against the Bucs in 2023. In 2024, Kirk Cousins threw for 500 yards on primetime, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a nail-biting overtime win.
It would be more than fair to say that Tampa’s first-round selection of Emeka Egbuka in the 2025 NFL draft was a shock for most Bucs fans. A surface-level NFL watcher could tune in any given Sunday and understand that the Bucs need a better pass defense.
A significant issue with their pass defense is somewhat out of their control, as injuries have plagued their defensive backfield. This past season, starting corner Jamel Dean played a career low 12 games for Tampa due to hamstring and knee injuries. The newly acquired Bryce Hall fractured his fibula and dislocated his right ankle during Tampa’s season opener, causing him to miss the entire 2024 season. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. missed Weeks 2-5 with a calf injury, then missed the final four games of the season with a sprained knee. Like Dean, he also played a career low of games this past season.
When it comes to their DB room staying healthy, it seems like the Buccaneers just can’t catch a break.
Another issue with their pass defense has been their lack of a pass rush. The Buccaneers addressed this issue this offseason by acquiring veteran Hasson Reddick, while also drafting David Walker and Elijah Roberts.
Regardless of pass rush issues, most of the blame for this below-average Tampa pass defense falls on the shoulders of the DB room. All it would take to bolster that room is a solid, reliable veteran to anchor down one side of the field.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Jaire Alexander’s seven-year tenure in Green Bay is officially over. This past Monday, the Packer moved on from the veteran DB, and he is now set to hit the free agent market.
His career has been outstanding thus far; he has been named an All-Pro twice and has also been selected to two Pro Bowls. In his time with Green Bay, he was a lockdown corner, accounting for 12 interceptions and 70 pass defenses. He has also been an efficient tackler, tallying 287 combined tackles, with an average of 63 per season.
Now, Alexander is searching for a new team, and the Buccaneers could be an ideal spot for both parties.
One issue with Jaire Alexander is his history of injuries. Alexander only participated in 78 games in his seven-year career. From 2023-2024, he did not play a combined season’s worth of games, only suiting up for 14 contests.
If the Bucs were to pursue Jaire, this is a risk they have to take into account. When he is healthy, however, he is one of the best in the league. With Tampa’s Super Bowl window beginning to close, the Buccaneers must pounce now. Moves like signing Hasson Reddick show that the Bucs are in win-now mode, and adding Alexander would only enforce that agenda. If the Buccaneers can get a healthy Jaire Alexander, they could push themselves into the limelight as genuine contenders to look out for.
There’s no time like the present for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady established a winning culture, Baker Mayfield is coming off of an MVP-caliber season, and things are finally starting to look up.
For a chance at a Super Bowl run, Jaire Alexander could be the missing puzzle piece; Tampa should pursue him with everything they’ve got.
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