Buccaneers, Bucannon agree to the deal

Linebacker Deone Bucannon is set to reunite with his former head coach, Bruce Arians, after agreeing to a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to reports Tuesday. Bucannon struggled last season and lost playing time with the Arizona Cardinals, making 38 tackles in 13 games (six starts). His deal with the Buccaneers, which he can sign Wednesday when the new league year begins, is expected to be for one year, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Bucannon, the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2014, is hoping to regain his market value in Tampa Bay, where he will also have experience playing for defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who held the same role in Arizona in 2014. The Bucs' outside linebackers coach is Larry Foote, one of Bucannon's teammates during his rookie year. Bucannon, a hybrid linebacker/safety, averaged 91.5 tackles a season from 2014 to 2017, when Arians was the head coach in Arizona. Bucannon has started 56 of his 70 career NFL games and intercepted two passes.