The Arizona Cardinals have officially lost their first free agent. Safety Antoine Bethea is joining the New York Giants after being released by Arizona, but linebacker Deone Bucannon, whose contract expires, also has a new team.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Bucannon is expected to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, reuniting him with head coach Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Arians and Bowles held those same positions when the Cardinals drafted Bucannon in the first round in 2014 and moved him from safety to linebacker.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Bucannon gets a one-year contract.
Bucannon struggled in 2018, battling injuries for the third year in a row and struggling to learn the defense the Cardinals ran. He played in 13 games and only started six, collecting just 38 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
He missed games due to injury for three straight seasons after a dynamic 2015 season.
He gets to prove himself once again in a defense that made him look like a player on the verge of being special.
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