Brent Grimes signs with Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have added cornerback Brent Grimes, according to a report from Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud. Grimes, a four-time Pro Bowl selecting including each of the last three years with the Miami Dolphins, was released by the South Florida franchise earlier this month. His contract  with the Buccaneers is a two-year deal worth $16.5 million.

Grimes entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. After an injury forced him to miss his entire 2006 rookie year, Grimes was allocated by the Falcons to NFL Europa, where he played for the Hamburg Sea Devils in 2007.  Returning to the Falcons for 2007, Grimes appeared in two games, making 12 tackles. He moved up to regular playing time and eventually starting over the next few years, making one Pro Bowl in 2010 for Atlanta and tallying 59 appearances with 43 starts, 13 interceptions, 56 passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 254 tackles in six seasons.

After an Achilles tear in Week 1 of the 2012 season cost him nearly the entire year, Grimes signed as a free agent with the Dolphins in 2013, making the first of three consecutive appearances in the league's annual all-star game. He missed one game over the three seasons, starting all 47 games in which he appeared, and recording 13 interceptions with two touchdowns, 43 passes defensed, one forced fumble, and 167 tackles.

The Dolphins approached Grimes about a pay cut this year, but the cornerback refused to re-negotiate his contract and ultimately demanded a release.

A part of Miami's decision to release Grimes was the behavior of his wife, Miko, who repeatedly used Twitter to rant against the team, the league, the South Florida media, the team's fans, and, specifically, quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Her Twitter account, which was active the last few days as she again began ranting, appears to have been deleted.