As expected, safety T.J. Ward was not on the market for long. The Buccaneers signed Ward to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
T.J. Ward lands with the Buccaneers on a 1-year deal
It didn’t take long for Tampa Bay to scoop up the former Broncos safety.
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Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
It’s a $4 million contract with incentives that could earn Ward up to $5 million, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
What happened: The Broncos were trying to shop Ward, but no trade partner emerged and the team cut him on Saturday as they pared the roster down to the 53-man limit. Since he is a vested veteran, he became a free agent immediately. There was plenty of competition for his services.
At least seven teams were interested in signing Ward, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson. He had “substantive” talks with three of them but decided on the Buccaneers.
What people are saying:
Ward, who earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2015, should be an instant starter for the Bucs, according to Sander Phillipse of Bucs Nation. Phillipse writes:
The Bucs have four safeties who can, theoretically, start in Keith Tandy, Chris Conte, J.J. Wilcox and Justin Evans, but all of them are limited in different ways and the Bucs can’t be happy with any of them—which is why they signed Ward, of course.
Ward’s former teammates in Denver are sorry to see him go:
What does Ward bring to the Bucs? Ward, 30, was still productive for the Broncos last season. He led the team in tackles with 69, and he had one interception, a sack, and three forced fumbles.
He also brings veteran leadership. Ward was respected by his Broncos teammates and was respected as a tone-setter for the Denver defense.
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