Playing for safety again, Keanu Neal is back in the NFC South.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign Neal, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday. The team later announced the signing, along with the re-signing of backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
Neal, who played safety for five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, played with the Dallas Cowboys last year and switched to linebacker on defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s plan.
Now, Neal is moving back to the NFC South from Quinn, who was also his head coach at Atlanta, to play for the Bucs.
Plagued by injuries last season, the Buccaneers’ defensive backfield now has plenty of depth. Neal will bump into safety with recently signed Logan Ryan and Antoine Winfield Jr. with Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting on the corner points.
Neal, 26, was a Falcons first-round pick in 2016 and was immediately pushed onto the starting lineup. He produced consecutive 100 tackle seasons and won a Pro Bowl selection in 2017. Injuries kept him down to just four games over the next two seasons, and 2020 was his last in Atlanta.
In 2021, Neal rejoined Quinn in Dallas and switched to linebacker, where he played in 14 games from five starts and had 72 tackles. It wasn’t the best fit, however, as evidenced by his 35.9 overall Pro Football Focus score.
Now Neal returns to safety with a team he knows well.
The Bucs have another veteran and another top-flight defenseman.