Around this time last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were preparing for free agency and the draft. The 2015 season revealed just how porous the defense was and it needed much help. General manager Jason Licht shored up a defense tailored to new defensive coordinator's Mike Smith's style of play.
In free agency, the Bucs signed a pass rusher in Robert Ayers and a diminutive cornerback with speed in Brent Grimes. For the draft, Licht drafted another diminutive speed corner in Vernon Hargraves III as well as another pass rusher in Noah Spence.