Super Bowl 55: 4 free agents SF 49ers should watch for 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Linebacker Deone Bucannon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Remember back in the 2014 NFL Draft when former Washington State linebacker Deone Bucannon was going to be a massive force at the pro level?
Bucannon was, after all, the epitome of the new hybrid linebacker capable of manning the second level of defense while also serving as a legitimate safety-like cover option.
Unfortunately, it never materialized for Bucannon and the Arizona Cardinals, and Bucannon has since gone on to become a role player for the Buccaneers after faltering in Arizona. Even now, he primarily serves as a special teams ace and little more.
Yet the SF 49ers could look at the 28-year-old Northern California native as a possible reclamation project. While the Niners boast two quality linebackers already in Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, depth is always a bonus. And with strong safety Jaquiski Tartt poised to hit the free-agent market, it might not be a terrible idea to add to the offseason competition for the rights to replace Tartt in the starting lineup.
With at least a couple more years of quality football left in his body, paired with his role now as a backup, Bucannon would be a low-risk, possibly decent-reward option on the cheap.