Bucs get depth on defensive front, add three players

TAMPA — The Bucs added depth on defense Saturday, agreeing to one-year deals with defensive end Pat O’Connor, outside linebacker Cam Gil and Rams free agent defensive tackle Greg Gaines.

O’Connor, 29, returns to the Bucs for his seventh season; he has been a key special teams player, with 15 career tackles and 1.5 sacks on defense.

Gill, 25, spent last season on injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury sustained in a preseason game against the Dolphins. He joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and recorded a half sack in Super Bowl 55.

Gaines, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Rams in 2019 out of Washington. He was part of the Rams’ Super Bowl 56 championship team and has 112 career tackles and 10.5 sacks.

This past week, the Bucs re-signed outside linebacker Anthony Nelson (two-year, $10 million contract, with $5.5 million guaranteed and a club option for 2024). They also re-signed free agent cornerback Jamel Dean (4 years, $52 million) and linebacker Lavonte David (one year, $7 million).

The Bucs lost defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who signed a three-year contract with the Giants.

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