Arians believes Bucs' leaky secondary is 'totally fixed'

Pass defense has been a major weakness for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the last few seasons, but head coach Bruce Arians believes the team is significantly improved in that regard heading into the 2019 campaign.

"I think (the secondary is) really, really good," Arians told reporters, according to NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman. "With Carlton (Davis) and Vernon (Hargreaves), we knew we had two solid corners, now we've got five solid corners. I think Ryan (Smith) came a long way.

"So, yeah, I think - earmarked as a problem set back in January - that's totally fixed. Let's knock on wood they stay healthy."

The Buccaneers struggled mightily in the secondary last season, surrendering the league's worst passer rating (110.9), yards per attempt (8.2) and completion percentage (72.5) against while allowing 34 passing touchdowns, the third-most in the NFL.

Tampa Bay's pass defense ranked 26th overall in 2018, last in 2017, and 22nd in 2016. Arians hired former New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles as the team's new defensive coordinator in January to help turn the unit around.

The Bucs have made their secondary a priority in recent drafts, spending seven Day 1 and Day 2 picks on cornerbacks and safeties since 2017. In the 2019 class, the club selected Sean Bunting in the second round and Jamel Dean and Mike Edwards in Round 3.

With Hargreaves and Davis set to start on the boundary, M.J. Stewart will compete with Bunting and Smith for the slot role. Justin Evans and Jordan Whitehead are expected to man the safety spots.

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