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Kelly Signs With Lions |
 Tampa Bay free agent cornerback Brian Kelly has signed with the Detroit Lions (Getty) |
Tampa Bay free agent cornerback Brian Kelly signed with the Detroit Lions on Saturday. Kelly, 32, bought himself out of the final year of his contract with the Bucs and became a free agent on Feb. 29. He notched 22 career interceptions in 10 seasons with the Bucs.
Cornerback Brian Kelly's 10-year tenure in Tampa Bay officially came to an end Saturday when he signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Lions.
Kelly, 32, paid $500,000 to Tampa Bay in order to buy himself out of the final year of his contract, which allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent on Feb. 29.
The 5-foot-11, 193-pound Kelly originally entered the NFL with the Bucs as a second-round pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
Kelly notched 429 career tackles, 22 interceptions, two forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and 118 passes defensed in 130 games (79 starts). He was Tampa Bay's starting left cornerback on the Bucs' Super Bowl XXXVII team.
The former USC Trojan has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, playing in just 13 games over the span. Last season, Kelly played in 11 games (four starts) and notched 25 tackles, two interceptions and nine passes defensed.
Even though Tampa Bay still has Ronde Barber and Phillip Buchanon under contract, Kelly's departure has the Buccaneers in the market for a cornerback. They are expected to sign one in free agency and/or select one in the 2008 NFL Draft.
In the meantime, Detroit, which had the 32nd-ranked defense in the NFL last year, continues to collect former Tampa Bay defensive players. In addition to Kelly, Bucs restricted free agent safety Kalvin Pearson has already signed an offer sheet with the Lions. The Bucs have until Mar. 12 to match it.
The Lions have also signed several other former Bucs players over the last two years, including defensive tackle Chartric Darby, safety Dwight Smith and defensive end Dewayne White.
Those former Tampa Bay players have been recruited by Detroit head coach Rod Marinelli, defensive coordinator coach Joe Barry and defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake, all of who previously worked on the Buccaneers coaching staff.
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Comments
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10:46am, March 9, 2008
hwaii50
3:04pm, March 9, 2008
Horse
We still have 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks and I hope that we select DL, CB, WR. Somehow we should draft draft a QB for future potential in Round 5 or 7. I think that we are still in good shape. Kelly leaving really doesn't effect us.
Go Bucs
4:46pm, March 9, 2008
DLS5492
6:44pm, March 9, 2008
nickg
9:30am, March 10, 2008
cremdon
10:54am, March 10, 2008
kysteve9
I see trend to get younger and faster in TB. Just as long as we keep some experience and leadership sprinkled in to season the new guys we should do okay.
nickg...I hope he got a bunch...I am sure he will get more from them than from us...not saying he doesn't deserve it just a fact. They need him more than we do at the present time. You never know about a trade like this it could haunt us down the road but he has to do what is best for BK and his family.
GO BUCS!!!!!!!
2:12pm, March 10, 2008
nickg
3:03pm, March 10, 2008
pinkstob
Now there are a lot of good CB's in the draft (my personal favorite is A. Cason) so if we land one of those guys maybe we'll be alright. We did find T. Jackson in the 4th round so I trust the scouting department.
2:58pm, March 11, 2008
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