If cornerback is the Bucs’ weakest group, they’ll be fine

We often talk about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ best players, but their biggest weaknesses don’t get a lot of attention. Today in highlighting the worst aspects of your favorite team: Gregg Rosenthal breaking down every team’s weakest position group.

For the Bucs, that would be cornerback. At least according to Rosenthal, who doesn’t have much faith in their ability to keep the defense playing at a high level.

In the Grimes Media Power Rankings, Miko topped Brent last season for headlines despite Brent turning in one of the most randomly dominant seasons ever for an aging cornerback. Expecting Grimes to back that up at 34 years old is unfair, and the Bucs are very thin after their starters at the position. The team will be targeted in a pass-happy division.

Not sure what that shot at Miko Grimes was about—it’s not like she was more relevant to the Bucs last year than her husband was—but this sounds about right. Grimes may still perform at a high level this year, but he’s likely to get at least a little worse, and he almost certainly won’t get interceptions and 24(!) passes defensed again.

That said, the Bucs are obviously counting on some young players to step it up this year. Vernon Hargreaves should get better in his second year, as most players do, which would get them one more solid starter. Ryan Smith, last year’s fourth-round pick, is waiting for his first playing time and progressing as well.

There’s also Jude Adjei-Barimah, the former undrafted rookie who has impressed in two years in the league. And if that all is not good enough, the Bucs have veteran Patrick Robinson, who’s a decent utility player, as well as new veteran Robert McClain.

None of those players are dominant, exactly, and Grimes’ likely decline will certainly hurt the secondary. But this position has depth and some solid players. If that’s the team’s weakest position group, I think they’ll do just fine come September.