Former NFC West Standout on Placed 53-Man Active Roster
To understand the extent of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ urgency to revitalize their struggling defense, consider a significant roster change the team made prior to their Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants.
On November 18, just weeks after joining the practice squad, veteran cornerback Troy Hill was promoted to the active roster. Hill, who spent the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, highlights the Buccaneers’ efforts to strengthen their defensive lineup amid ongoing challenges.
“The Bucs made a roster move on Monday, signing cornerback Troy Hill to the active roster from the practice squad and waiving safety Kaevon Merriweather,” noted Scott Reynolds from Pewter Report. “The 33-year-old Hill was signed to Tampa Bay’s practice squad on October 30. The Bucs have been playing without starting cornerback Jamel Dean since he injured his hamstring in Week 6 at New Orleans and was placed on injured reserve. Dean returned to practice on Monday as the team opened his 21-day practice window and he said he felt great and did a lot of running during the bye week to work on his cardio and conditioning with the expectation that he’ll come off I.R. and start on Sunday at New York against the Giants.”
Hill has a notable track record, having led the NFL in defensive touchdowns in 2020 and having played in 119 career games across six different teams since gaining prominence at Oregon during the mid-2010s.
Hill Forged NFL Career Despite Being Undrafted
After going undrafted from Oregon in 2015, Hill managed to carve out a decade-long NFL career. He began his rookie season playing for three teams: the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, and St. Louis Rams. He eventually found his footing with the Rams, where he played for six seasons, including their move to Los Angeles.
In 2020, Hill experienced his best NFL season with the Rams, starting all 16 games and setting career records with 77 tackles, 10 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, and 3 interceptions. He also accumulated 119 interception return yards and led the NFL with 2 defensive touchdowns.
In a unique twist, Hill earned significant money in 2020 by switching jersey numbers twice. He received 32,000torelinquishhisNo.32jerseytofreeagentsafetyEricWeddleandthenchangedtoNo.20,whichhewaspaid 20,000 to give up for cornerback Jalen Ramsey after a midseason trade.
Hill’s standout performance in 2020 culminated in the largest contract of his career: a 2-year deal worth $ 9 million with the Cleveland Browns in March 2021.
Buccaneers Fighting for Playoff Position
The Buccaneers are currently 4-6 after suffering four straight losses and are desperately trying to keep their playoff aspirations alive amid a wave of injuries and one of the NFL’s weakest defenses.
Just how poor has the Buccaneers’ defense been? Heading into Week 12, they rank 31st in the league in team defense and have allowed 21 passing touchdowns over 10 games, placing them 30th overall in the NFL.
Despite their struggles, the Buccaneers have experience coming back from challenging situations. In 2022, they were 6-8, but rallied to finish 8-9 and secure a spot in the NFC Wild Card Round. Similarly, in 2023, they were 4-7 before going on a late-season surge to end at 9-8 and win the NFC South Division.
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