The Bucks made some moves in the secondary this offseason, signing strong safety Jordan Whitehead and a pair from the Jets. Cornerback Bryce Hall. But the team may not be done working on its defensive backfield in free agency.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Tampa Bay is interested in the free agent cornerback. Tavierre Thomas He spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans.
Tavierre Thomas recently visited the free agent corner. #LionsWe are also planning a meeting with #backs, per source. The six-year veteran spent the past three seasons in Houston.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 16, 2024
Thomas, a six-year veteran, recently met with the Detroit Lions and is expected to meet with the Bucks. Thomas, who is 5-foot-10 and weighs 205 pounds, has logged most of his minutes as a nickel cornerback. The Bucks could be interested in giving Christian Isien some competition in 2024. Isien, an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers, started all 17 games as a rookie last year.
Former Texans CB Tavierre Thomas – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Thomas, a Ferris State product, started 22 of the 81 games he played for the Browns (2018-20) and Texans (2021-23). Thomas has 225 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, six pass breakups and six forced fumbles in his six years in the league, including Houston’s 39-force loss against Tampa Bay last year. This includes one time when he came from behind to win at 37. 9th week.
Thomas also had two interceptions, both with the Texans in 2021. He returned 1 of those 48 yards for a touchdown.
Thomas earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 72.2 with the Texans last year, including a defensive grade of 83.2 and a coverage grade of 69.5. By comparison, Isien earned a 66.8 PFF grade, 80.3 run defense grade, and 66.5 coverage grade in his first season in Tampa Bay.
The Bucks are actively working on rebuilding their secondary this offseason.
Bucks SS Jordan Whitehead – Photo Credit: USA Today
Tampa Bay made several moves this offseason to improve its secondary. The Bucks traded longtime starting cornerback Carlton Davis III, 27, and a sixth-round pick to the Lions in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Tampa Bay plans to promote third-year cornerback Zion McCollum to the starting position opposite Jamel Dean in place of Davis.
Bryce Hall is expected to compete with Keenan Isaac and Josh Hayes to replace McCollum as the team’s third cornerback this year.
Jordan Whitehead was signed to replace Ryan Neal, who signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay last offseason. Neal struggled in coverage and lost his starting job at the end of the 2023 season. The Bucks have no intention of re-signing Neal.
If the team signs free agent cornerback Tavierre Thomas, he would be the third new member of the Bucs’ secondary this offseason as Todd Bowles looks to improve his performance. Pass defense ranked 28th in the league last year. He gained 249.6 yards per game. This was a significant step back from 2022, when the Bucs allowed an average of just 208.8 yards per game through the air.
Thomas signed a one-year contract with Houston last year with a base salary of $1.5 million. Including bonuses, Thomas’ cap hit with the Texans last year was $2,147,060.
