Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is all about some safeties, especially when it comes to the position's role in his defense(s). 

It's not just because he's a former NFL safety, either. Bowles' defenses are defined by pressure and variety, which amplifies the responsibilities for everyone, but mostly in the secondary.

Poor play in the back end can provide disastrous results in the grand scheme of things. One doesn't have to go too far back for a concrete example: The first 8-9 games utilizing Bowles' scheme were hard on the young secondary and the results showed.

Right now, the safety position is in dire need of help. Fourth-year pro Antoine Winfield Jr. is a rising star in the NFL, but after him it's second-year undrafted free agent Nolan Turner and literally no one else. 

Fortunately, there is a glimmer of hope when it comes to adding help. There's one guy out there who would come in and not just make an immediate impact at the safety position, but elevate the secondary as an overall unit.

His name is Kevin Byard. 

The Tennessee Titans' All-Pro safety is one of the NFL's best, but has recently made headlines because he refused to take a pay cut. So now, it's fair to wonder where things go from here. 

And it's really easy to think about Byard wearing pewter and red. 

Byard and the Buccaneers are a great fit

The two-time Pro Bowler is the epitome of what the Buccaneers need at safety.

He's a versatile, do-it-all player that not only does it all – he does it all at an elite level.

Per Pro Football Focus, Byard graded out as 2022's third-best safety in terms of his overall defensive grade (79.2); he also finished with the fourth-best grade in run defense (78.0), the second-best tackling grade (90.6), and the third-best coverage grade (81.0) among all safeties with at least 977 defensive snaps (29 qualifying safeties).

Byard also missed just 4.7% of his tackle attempts, which was third-best. He wasn't asked to blitz often, but he has shown he can handle that type of responsibility when needed.

When it comes to actual positioning on the field, Byard can play the box, slot, or centerfield. He is better in zone than he is man coverage, but that's one reason why his fit with the Buccaneers is so enticing.

Byard and Winfield Jr. would make arguably the NFL's most versatile and complete safety duo. Either can play in MOFO coverages or man the middle in MOFC coverages. Both players can rotate in and out of the box, which would allow Bowles to constantly rotate safeties pre- and post-snap, making life absolute hell on opposing quarterbacks. 

Byard's elite intelligence and preparation is a major trait to factor in, as well. The Buccaneers secondary was lights out during the first few games of the 2022 season because of Logan Ryan's abilities as a communicator. Byard can provide just that, and more, which only helps rounds things out.

Byard's presence would also help the Buccaneers' current nickel situation which is, um, currently limited, at best. 

What would Byard's compensation be and how could the Buccaneers afford him?

A to Z Sports Titans reporter Sam Phalen was able to give some insight on Byard and what the Titans might want in exchange for his services:

At 29-years-old, Byard is still at the top of his game and the backbone of Tennessee’s secondary. He had one of the lowest missed tackle rates amongst all defensive backs last season, and only two players around the league have more interceptions than Byard (9) since the start of 2021. Byard is yet to miss a game in his seven-year NFL career, and is undeniably a top three player at his position.

The Titans will likely be asking for a Day 2 draft pick in 2023 for Byard, but his $19.6 million cap hit and Tennessee’s known cap constraints could lose the Titans some significant leverage if inquiring teams get the sense that Byard will be released as a cap casualty in June. – Sam Phalen, A to Z Sports Titans Reporter

A second- or third-round draft pick in exchange for Byard is extremely affordable and completely worth executing. The Buccaneers are very likely to take a secondary in the first round or on Day 2 of the draft, so why not get an elite player instead of gambling on a rookie?

A lot of people will then point to the fact that a rookie contract is much more cheaper and aligns better with the Buccaneers' current financial interests. 

To that I say: Yes, the salary cap is real. But GMs can manipulate the hell out of it.

The Buccaneers still aren't in the best of cap shape, but they could significantly lower Byard's $13.6 million base salary (and received cap hit) to $4.652 million by doing the following:

Give Byard a two-year, $30 million extension that also includes converting $12.435 million of his $13.6 million base salary into a signing bonus. Add a void year that takes up the 2027 season. Give him $20 million in guaranteed money via the form of a $5 million option bonus that is executed upon signing. The remaining $15 million that's guaranteed is his 2025 base salary that become guaranteed on the day after the 2023-2024 Super Bowl. The $17.435 million in bonuses are prorated over the five-year life of the deal and total $3.487 million per year.

Constructing a deal in the above hypothetical fashion immediately pays Byard $17.435 million instead of the previous $13.6 million in 2023, he's locked in with his new team for the next three seasons, and his extension puts him in the top-7 safeties when it comes to average annual value.

The big-picture question, however, is do the Buccaneers want to invest that much into the safety room? Winfield Jr.'s impending deal is going to average eight figures a year, so the Buccaneers will likely be contributing around $20+ million/year in cap dollars come 2024. That would put them in the top-8 of positional spending and could even jump them to as high as No. 3.

When adding in the importance of the safety position in this defense, one could easily argue the juice is worth the squeeze, there.

And, of course, there's the possibility the Titans designate Byard as a post-June 1 release. That may be the best situation for the Buccaneers. They wouldn't have to give up draft capital and the contract structure would be a lot more malleable.

Final word

There's a chance the Buccaneers offense rebounds in 2023, but as of right now, it looks like the defense is going to be the backbone of the team.

If the secondary is the heartbeat, then why not give it as many resources as possible to be as effective as possible? Adding Byard in some sort of fashion does just that.

And, it's a move that won't be a financial burden down the road. In all, it's a move that requires some maneuvering and investment, but it's one that will certainly pay off in a major way.