On Wednesday, defensive end Jacquies Smith signed the one-year tender offer extended to him in March as a restricted free agent. The signing of the document was mostly a formality for Smith, but having him back on the field in 2017 could prove very significant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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The Buccaneers hope Smith can once again be an important part of their pass-rush rotation after he missed almost the entire 2016 season due to a knee injury. Smith had 6.5 sacks in 2014 and 7.0 in 2015, in both cases providing the team with its best edge-rushing complement to Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.