The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting their No. 1 priority in free agency once again. Safety Dashon Goldson has agreed to terms on a five-year contract, a team source told NFL.com's Albert Breer on Wednesday.
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The Buccaneers later made the move official, announcing in a press release that Goldson has signed his contract, which NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported is worth $8.25 million per year ($41.25 million total) with $22 million guaranteed.
Goldson never received the long-term offer he wanted from the San Francisco 49ers, which should make the Bucs a little worried. The 49ers even refused to place the franchise tag on Goldson this year, despite the Pro Bowl safety's versatile skill set.
"I was very thankful I didn't get the franchise tag again, just so I could see my opportunities out there," Goldson said Wednesday, via The Associated Press. "I think this is the correct fit. I really truly believe that. It was time to go somewhere that really, really wanted me."
One of the biggest hitters in the NFL, Goldson can line up in a variety of places. He's a good run defender who occasionally was exposed in pass protection. Pairing Goldson with second-year pro Mark Barron gives the Bucs one of the most talented and highly paid safety combinations in the league. Coach Greg Schiano has a lot of options for how he wants to deploy them.
The Bucs spent huge bucks in free agency last year on wide receiver Vincent Jackson, cornerback Eric Wright and guard Carl Nicks. That group had mixed results, but Tampa Bay again had a ton of salary-cap room to play with this year.
The addition of Goldson should improve a lackluster secondary, but the Bucs still need cornerbacks. That begs the question: Could the Bucs use all of that cap space on a long-term contract and trade for cornerback Darrelle Revis?
With Goldson's move out of the way, they can move on to other deals.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
