PFF links Buccaneers with $42 million cornerback ahead of free agency

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could certainly use a cornerback. Their depth at the position has been middling for a bit, and with cornerback Jamel Dean potentially getting released or traded during free agency, that need becomes more prominent.

There have been a number of free agents linked with the Bucs as free agency begins, with pass rushers and linebackers typically serving as the most prominent. But another player who gets mentioned with the team is cornerback Charvarius Ward, who won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2019 — and played against the Buccaneers in a Super Bowl loss in 2020.

Ward is set to be a free agent again after three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He's played very good football the two seasons prior to 2024, but a personal tragedy potentially led to a down year last year. If the Buccaneers could bring out the best in him, he could be a big free-agency signing.

Pro Football Focus recently wrote an article on five free agency matches for the upcoming frenzy, and one of the matches mentioned was Ward and Tampa Bay. Here's what writer Zoltan Buday had to say about the fit:

"Ward played as well as any other cornerback in the NFL in his first two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, as he earned an 89.1 PFF overall grade over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, which ranked behind only Sauce Gardner. In addition, his 2,163 snaps over this period also ranked fourth in the NFL. While Ward could not replicate this form and durability in 2024, that is largely – if not fully – due to an off-field tragedy. There is no reason to think that Ward, who will still be only 29 years old at the start of the season, cannot get back to his old form in the next couple seasons and become once again one of the best cornerbacks in the league. The cornerback position has been a need for the Buccaneers even without the expected cut of Jamel Dean, and Ward’s style works well with Todd Bowles’s aggressive defense.

It's unknown if Jamel Dean will indeed get traded or released, but a steep cap hit could make that very likely. And even if Dean stays on, injury history will see the Bucs need another option at corner. Ward didn't have any interceptions last year, but he netted five in 2023 — Todd Bowles said he wants ball hawks, and Ward could very well fit the bill.

Free agency officially begins at 4 p.m. on March 12.

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