Brent

Grimes

The veteran has been on a decline for several years, but he still was a passable corner in 13 games with the Bucs last season. Set to turn 36 in July, Grimes has not been linked with any team to this point in free agency, but it is possible that changes once we get closer to training camp.

This doesn’t come as a surprise after Grimes was a late-week downgrade. With Carlton Davis (knee) and M.J. Stewart (foot) also out, the Bucs are down to Ryan Smith and De’Vante Harris as their starting corners.

Grimes was downgraded and didn’t participate in practice on Friday, but could still suit up against Carolina Sunday. If that weren’t enough, both Carlton Davis (knee) and M.J. Stewart (foot) have already been ruled out in Tampa Bay’s secondary. If Grimes can’t go, the Bucs would have no choice to start Ryan Smith, De’Vante Harris, and Javien Elliott.

He’ll be back to shore up a Bucs secondary that has yielded over 300 yards in back-to-back weeks. Grimes will do his best to slow down Antonio Brown, though obviously quieting the best receiver in football is a Herculean task.

Grimes missed the first two games, but he plans to practice Thursday and be active on Monday night. It is good news for a secondary which has given up the fifth-most points to quarterbacks through two weeks.

“We’re not wasting any time with our discussions,” said Dimitroff. “We feel like we can come to a good conclusion to this negotiation. ... Brent Grimes is a fine football player and we’d like to have him back.” Dimitroff acknowledged that the franchise tag is a possibility if needed.

GM Thomas Dimitroff confirmed that a long-term deal remains the goal for Grimes, who is due $10.431 million under the tag. Bypassing Dunta Robinson as Atlanta’s most effective corner -- and one of the top-five in the NFL -- Grimes would have landed a mega contract on the open market, perhaps from the division rival Bucs. With Grimes tagged, MLB Curtis Lofton is set to hit the open market.

“We hope to be able to continue to discuss through all the issues at the appropriate time,” added the agent. GM Thomas Dimitroff suggested the tag was applied so both sides could continue to work toward a long-term contract. Grimes may miss offseason workouts, but it’s rare for a franchise player to miss game action.

It’s likely for a sixth-round pick. Atlanta’s interest in Samuel wasn’t just a smokescreen to get Brent Grimes to sign his franchise tender. As NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal points out, even with Samuel restructuring his contract, the trio of Samuel, Grimes, and Dunta Robinson would be the most expensive in NFL history. Robinson’s $5 million salary is fully guaranteed, which means he or Grimes will likely see plenty of time in the slot. The Eagles, meanwhile, will have close to $20 million in cap space after the trade.

Long-term talks are still in the “early stages.” It was reported in January that Grimes would likely “point to” the six-year, $57 million extension Dunta Robinson signed in 2010 as a starting point in negotiations.