The Oakland Raiders made Stanford Routt an undeservedly rich man last year with an enormous contract equating to just over ten million dollars per year. Routt has been a solid starter who can make splash plays, but he never deserved Nnaamdi or Asante money. This move could work into the Bucs favor.
Tampa (with any luck) will draft Morris Claiborne with the fifth pick this year and will be fortunate if either of Talib or Barber play next season. Nothing can conceal the fact that the Buccaneers lack depth and talent at the cornerback position with Aqib Talib gone. Ronde Barber has not been more than a slot corner for a few seasons, but if he retires they'll be left with E.J. Biggers, Myron Lewis, or Elbert Mack starting. Fielding a secondary of that caliber will result in the worst pass defense in the league- especially considering the quarterbacks within the division.
Standford Routt is proven. Bringing him in would immediately upgrade the secondary along with putting a great deal of speed on the field. He doesn't just run the 40 with a sub 4.3 but plays with that speed. Routt is a big corner at 6'1'' and just shy of 200 lbs. His size allows him to jam some of the bigger receivers and his speed keeps him along side of them on the deep routes.
I have no illusions about his ability. He lead the league in penalties with 17 last year after Nnaamdi left. Without the superstar he needed to shoulder more of the secondaries responsibilities. Standford will probably never make a probowl and can't cover elite receivers. What he can do is step in as a good #2 corner next to Claiborne and provide tutelage for the younger DB's (namely Lewis who has underachieved as a 3rd round pick). As far as the penalties go, Routt has never approached that number previously. If Dominik gives him a look it won't be an expensive venture. The corner will be 29 at the start of the 2012 season and would put E.J. Biggers on the bench where he belongs.
Also, he was cut by the Raiders. Having that over your head in negotiations is known as a "disadvantage."