Ex-Buccaneers Starter Signs Deal With Division Rival: Report

Getty Former Buccaneers punter Bradley Pinion is signing with the Falcons.

A former Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter is taking his talents to a division rival shortly after his release.

Just a week after he was released by the Buccaneers, punter Bradley Pinion is signing with the Atlanta Falcons. According to a report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Friday, June 30, the Falcons are signing the 28-year-old punter.

“Veteran punter Bradley Pinion is signing with the #Falcons on a one-year deal, source said. Released by the #Bucs last week, Pinion is fully healthy now and gets to face Tampa twice a year,” says Pelissero.

Pinion had spent the past three seasons with the Buccaneers after beginning his career with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2015. The veteran punter was released by Tampa Bay in a cost-cutting move that saved the Buccaneers $2 million.

“Bucs gain about $2 million in cap space by cutting Bradley Pinion,” said Greg Auman of The Athletic on June 22. “They shed all of his $2.9 million salary with no dead money, but he’s replaced in top 51 by a player with a $895k cap number. They now have about $12 million in cap space for 2022.”

Bucs Released Pinion After Drafting Punter

The move was also expected after the Buccaneers used a fourth-round draft pick to select punter Jake Camarda.

“The Buccaneers are releasing P Bradley Pinion today, source says,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted on June 22. “Tampa drafted Jake Camarda in the fourth round. Pinion, who kicked and punted through a torn hip labrum and hip impingement last year, passed a physical yesterday. Expect multiple teams to have interest.”

During his three seasons with Tampa Bay, Pinion punted 168 times for 7,328 yards (43.6 average). While Pinion did win NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in Week 1 of the 2021 season — he punted four times, downing three punts inside the 10-yard-line of Tampa Bay’s 31-29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys — he never finished within the top 10 in a single season of any major punting category during his tenure with the Bucs.

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Bucs’ Bruce Arians Explains New Role With Team

Former Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians’ new role with the organization is a “What do you think?” job.

During an interview with Ira Kaufman and Clark Judge in the Eye Test for Two podcast, Arians added some detail to his current role with Tampa Bay.

“It’s a ‘What do you think?’ job,” Arians said, via Joe Bucs Fan. “Everybody asks me what do I think and they know they’re getting a brutally honest answer, whether it be Joel Glazer, Jason Licht, Todd Bowles or Byron Leftwich. It’s been fun going to practice, watching and learning some more, watching us change, looking at the new guys. Man, that draft class is going to be a home run. Looking forward to getting to camp.”

Arians announced his retirement in March from head coaching after three seasons leading the Bucs sidelines. His retirement paved the way for defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to take over the head coaching gig.

Although Arians won’t be on the sidelines for this upcoming season, his influence will still be felt from elsewhere.

“That’s the beauty of my job,” Arians said. “I get to be in the locker room, get to be around the coaches every day and still have a big hand in the draft. The relationships were always the biggest thing for me. Building a new team, watching the new guys come in. Now, Sundays might be different sitting upstairs. I might be able to still holler loud enough to cuss out the refs from up there.”