Bucs Gameday

Buccaneers urged to sign former Florida State star

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could bring a collegiate star back to his home state.

Jeremy Brener

Detailed view of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet against the New Orleans Saints.
Detailed view of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet against the New Orleans Saints. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made a lot of changes to the cornerback position over the offseason.

The team selected Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish early in the NFL Draft, but they may not be done adding to the position group.

Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox suggested the Bucs should sign Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.

READ MORE: Tom Brady tops list of Bucs named to NFL’s All-Century team

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. reacts after the Chargers lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. reacts after the Chargers lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Samuel to the Bucs?

"Several teams will be interested if Samuel is deemed healthy before training camp. He's had tackling issues and isn't the most physical corner. He has tremendous ball skills, though, is only 25 and showed a ton of growth before last year's injury," Knox wrote.

"Samuel started 16 games for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 87.4S in coverage that season. He logged an impressive 26 pass breakups over his first three seasons.

"Signing Samuel would make the most sense for teams willing to take a risk at cornerback. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be just such a team. Tampa was good enough to win the NFC South (again) in 2024 but ranked 29th in passing yards allowed."

Samuel, 25, remains unsigned after becoming a free agent for the first time in his career.

He played in just four games last season due to a shoulder injury, and that's a big reason why he hasn't been signed yet.

A contract with the Bucs would bring Samuel back to his home in the Sunshine State, and he would have an opportunity to compete for a starting job.

READ MORE: PFF ranks Buccaneers linebacker outside Top 20 in latest rankings

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 offseason.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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