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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in dire need of a cornerback ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
The 2021 Buccaneers have been banged up over the course of the first seven weeks of the season. But the unit that has succumbed to the injury bug the most is the defensive backfield.
Tampa Bay’s top two cornerbacks — Sean Murphy-Bunting (elbow) and Carlton Davis (quad) — have been sidelined for the majority of the season due to their injuries. Making matters even worse is the fact that both cornerbacks are on injured reserve — and they’re not expected back any time soon, according to head coach Bruce Arians.
Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman was signed to fill the void. However, he too has succumbed to the injury bug, as he’ll be sidelined for at least two games due to a hamstring injury.
With the trade deadline nearing on Nov. 2, the Buccaneers may have an “ideal” trade target, according to Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski. According to Sobleski, Houston Texans cornerback — and former All-Pro selection in 2018 — Desmond King, should be the Buccaneers’ ideal trade target.
“Desmond King was one of the league’s most promising young nickel corners just a couple of seasons ago, but he bounced between the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans within the past year,” says Sobleski. “Maybe he finds a new home in Tampa or simply serves as the salve the Buccaneers need to soothe their secondary pains. His skill set isn’t exactly what the team needs, but he can still help.”
What Desmond King Would Bring to Bucs
The 26-year-old cornerback earned First Team All-Pro honors as a cornerback and Second Team All-Pro honors as a punt returner as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2018 season.
While his play this season hasn’t exactly matched that performance, he is still playing at a solid level — especially considering he’s on a 1-5 Texans squad that ranks 25th in total defense.
In fact, one of the few strengths of this year’s Texans squad has been the pass defense, led by King. Houston ranks eighth in passing touchdowns allowed and sixth in interceptions forced.
The five-year veteran holds a 65.5 overall grade on defense and a 57.7 coverage grade on defense this season, according to Pro Football Focus. While those aren’t stellar numbers, they’re still superior to that of Sherman’s (50.5 overall grade and 48.1 in coverage) and Pierre Desir’s (53.5 overall grade and 52.9 in coverage).
Furthermore, his ability to play as a nickel corner would give an added dimension to the Buccaneers’ defense and his ceiling is obviously high (he posted the second-highest coverage grade at 91.1 among all cornerbacks in 2018).
The fact that he’s just 26 years old and could be acquired for low value due to the Texans’ rebuilding process definitely makes King an ideal trade target for the Buccaneers.
Buccaneers Will Be Without 4 Starters vs. Bears
The Buccaneers may be heavily favored (by -11.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook) against the Chicago Bears in Week 7, but they’ll have to take the field without four of their key players.
Head coach Bruce Arians announced on Friday, October 22, that Sherman, Rob Gronkowski (ribs), Antonio Brown (ankle) and Lavonte David (ankle) will all be sidelined for Sunday’s game.
While Tampa Bay will be without four starters, Antoine Winfield Jr. has cleared the concussion protocol, while Jason Pierre-Paul could very play despite dealing with nagging shoulder and hand injuries.
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