Kolotol: Buccaneers need to call talented free agent safety for playoff push

The Buccaneers need to get busy in free agency if they want to stem the bleeding from losing Jordan Whitehead and Mike Edwards as soon as possible.

The Buccaneers have an uphill battle ahead as their season marked by backups in starting positions continues.

After playing through the first half of the season with some combination of their starting corners out of games, the Bucs will now see their dominant safety room at half strength. Mike Edwards is done for the next three weeks, and it looks like Jordan Whitehead could be out for at least that long as well.

The coming games shouldn’t be too difficult for the Buccaneers to win, with the exception of the matchup against the Bills, but Tampa should still make every move possible to ensure they have the best talent on the field at the end of the season.

Andrew Adams and Ross Cockrell should see some extra time on the field in the short term, but the best decision for the Bucs going forward could be to get busy in the free agent market, and there is no better free agent safety than Tre Boston.

Boston wouldn’t replace Whitehead in the box, that job would likely fall to Adams, but Boston is still an excellent ball-hawking option to replace Edwards in single or double-high looks or in the nickel role if the Bucs struggle with any more injuries at corner.

Boston hasn’t played this season, but his past two seasons with the Panthers show he would be a great fit in the secondary when called upon.

Over the past four seasons, Boston has accounted for 12 interceptions and 18 passes defended. This level of production may not look sustainable, but look at what we say about Mike Edwards. There could be a legitimate fit there, even if Boston isn’t at Edwards’ level at this point in his career.

The Buccaneers may wait to see the extent of Jordan Whitehead’s injury, and if the news comes back less than stellar, Boston could be the perfect option to keep the secondary intact and stay in competition for the top seed in the conference.

Want to write about the Buccaneers? Apply below!