Buccaneers sign safety Major Wright

Major Wright is the latest addition for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the safety is 'likely' a Buccaneer, although the contract is not finalized yet. Update: The one-year contract has now been finalized, per Ian Rapoport. The former Bears safety was brought in for a visit yesterday, and left without signing a contract -- but apparently that didn't last too long.

Wright is a strong safety who played well under Lovie Smith, but who has struggled with injuries and whose play fell of a cliff last year -- which is why he's available at this point in free agency. The Bucs will hope they can get Wright back to his 2012 standard of play, but he'll probably have to show off his ability from the bench. At most he'll get on the field as a nickel safety in some sub packages, behind Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron. Both of those players have their salaries fully guaranteed, and are not going anywhere this season.

One major advantage for Wright will be his familiarity with Lovie Smith's defense, as he was a starting safety for Smith for two seasons in Chicago, notching seven interceptions in those two years alone. While he's exceedingly unlikely to take over a starting spot, Wright will certainly provide better depth than Kelcie McCray and Keith Tandy. If  he plays well, he may end up replacing Goldson in the future, when the latter's guarantees run out.