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Bucs sign former USF cornerback Mike Jenkins

 
Mike Jenkins
Mike Jenkins
Published March 21, 2014

TAMPA — Cornerback Mike Jenkins is coming home.

The former USF standout signed a one-year contract with the Bucs, the team announced Thursday. The deal is worth $1.5 million, the same salary he earned last year with the Raiders.

Jenkins, 28, was a first-round pick (25th overall) of the Cowboys in 2008, five picks after the Bucs selected Aqib Talib. He was named to the Pro Bowl in his second season after intercepting five passes. Injuries limited Jenkins in 2011 and 2012, and last season he signed with the Raiders, starting 15 games and recording a career-best 65 tackles to go with two interceptions and a forced fumble.

"We're pleased to welcome Mike back home to the Tampa Bay area," general manager Jason Licht said. "He's a proven corner who provides us with a valuable veteran presence, and we expect him to compete for a starting spot in our defensive backfield."

The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Jenkins, who played at Bradenton Southeast High School, is the 10th player the Bucs have added since the free agent signing period began last Tuesday, five on defense.

DOMINIK HIRED BY ESPN: Former Bucs general manager Mark Dominik, fired in December after five years without a playoff appearance, has landed a new job as an analyst with ESPN, the network confirmed.

Dominik, 43, will make his debut next week (March 27-28) on ESPN's NFL Insiders show, where he had made a guest appearance last month.

Dominik and coach Greg Schiano were fired in December after a 4-12 season. Dominik was 28-52 as general manager.

GOLDSON HIRES TACKLING COACH: Dashon Goldson made his reputation — and a lot of his money — by being a safety who punishes ballcarriers. But last season, the hardest hits came to his wallet as the league fined Goldson nearly a half-million dollars for helmet-to-helmet contact and personal fouls, suspending him for a game.

Now he's doing something about it.

Goldson has hired a tackling coach, Bobby Hosea, the owner of Train Em Up Academy in California, to adjust to new league rules.

"I said this can't be cool because every time I hit somebody I'm getting a fine," Goldson told Yahoo Sports. "At that point, I realized I have to figure something out."

All told, Goldson forfeited $455,000 in fines last season. A one-game suspension was overturned on appeal but he was fined $100,000. But Goldson was suspended following a hit on Atlanta's Roddy White and fined his game check worth nearly $265,000. Finally, he received a $60,000 fine for an illegal hit on St. Louis' Stedman Bailey.

"This is what got me my deal. This is what got me my name," Goldson said. "What I was doing was making a hit. Just playing hard and playing football the way it's supposed to be played. I'm hearing fans and coaches coming up to me after the game and say, 'I love the way you play, don't change the way you play.' This is after I'm being fined."

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PENN UNHAPPY WITH RELEASE: Former Bucs tackle Donald Penn signed a two-year, $9 million deal with the Raiders after being released by Tampa Bay last week. Penn said he didn't like the way he was shown the door.

"The way Tampa did me kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. I kind of wish they were on the schedule," he said on Sirius Radio. "I still appreciate what I did there in my eight years, appreciate the owners and everybody that gave me my opportunity. … The way they did it at the end, it wasn't right in my book."

Tampa Bay signed free agent tackle Anthony Collins to a five-year, $30-million contract.