Buccaneers signing Ryan Neal

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are signing S Ryan Neal on a one-year contract. This move happens a few days after Neal was released by the Seattle Seahawks. He arrives in Tampa to help on rebuilding their secondary after many departures during this offseason.

Neal, 27, is coming to his fifth season in the NFL. For the past four, he played for the Seattle Seahawks, who first gave him a chance. He is an undrafted free agent who joined the league in 2019. After quick stints with the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles, being only a practice squad member, he moved to Seattle and played the last four seasons.

According to reports, Neal considered retiring in 2020 after being cut at the end of training camp. He ended up coming back and had his chance after Jamal Adams’ injury. His impact on Seattle’s secondary was immediate and he became a key player for the team.

Last week the Seahawks decided to release the player to help with the salary cap space. His time in the free agency market didn’t last much time and he is already with a new team for the next season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already lost Mike Edwards, Keanu Neal and Logan Ryan, and currently, only Nolan Turner is active on the roster at the safety position. Neal arrives being a strong candidate to be a starter.

Ryan Neal

During his four years in the NFL, among being only a practice squad member, a backup and a starter, Neal has played a total of 46 games in his career. He records 160 tackles (111 solo +49 assisted), two sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions.

A fun fact is that although he’s never scored a touchdown, he has two points in his career. It happened in 2020 when he blocked this punt versus the New York Giants and forced a safety. Seattle ended up losing this game by 17-12.