The Buccaneers are adding their first outside free agent of the 2021 off-season. Running back Giovani Bernard is signing a one-year deal with the Buccaneers, according to Tom Pelissero.
Veteran RB Giovani Bernard is signing a one-year deal with the #Bucs, per source.
Tom Brady and Bruce Arians both personally recruited Bernard, one of the NFL’s best receiving backs, after his release from Cincinnati. Another weapon for Brady and the Super Bowl champs.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 12, 2021
Bernard gives the team an element to the offense they sorely lacked in 2020 with a sure handed pass-catching back. Bruce Arians and Tom Brady played a big role in luring Bernard to Tampa Bay. Bernard also had interest from Kansas City.
The Buccaneers now have a pretty loaded back field with Ronald Jones II, Leonard Fournette, Ke’Shawn Vaughn, and newly signed Giovani Bernard. In a year many predicted the Buccaneers could select a running back early in the draft, this could change that strategy. This goes without mentioning that each back on the current roster is on their last year of their old or new deals except Vaughn.
Bernard has had at least 30 catches in each of his eight seasons in the NFL. He finished 2020 with 47 receptions for 355 yard and three scores. Bernard added 416 yards on the ground to go with another three touchdowns on a 3.4 ypc average. He turns 30 mid-season.
