Darian

Stewart

The decision was sadly made for Stewart, as he failed to latch on anywhere this season after making 13 appearances for the 2019 Bucs. A 2010 UDFA, Stewart will be most remembered for his time with the Broncos, including a 2015-16 postseason run where he picked off Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game and made plays all over the field in the Super Bowl. Now 32, Stewart hangs up his cleats as a one-time Pro Bowler.

Stewart started the last four years in Denver. He struggled for interest after a down and injury-prone 2018, but this is a solid depth signing. In a young secondary, it won’t be surprising if Stewart finds his way into significant snaps.

Released by the Broncos three months back, this is the first known visit for Stewart. The soon-to-be 31-year-old (in August), Stewart battled nagging stingers last season and had a down year. Still, he’d be fine depth behind injury-prone starting safeties Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers.

The release saves $3.6 million in cap space. Stewart played through multiple stingers last year, but only missed two games. The Broncos are getting out early after signing Stewart to a four-year deal back in 2016. Coming off a down season, 30-year-old Stewart may have to settle for a prove-it deal.

He’s dealing with his third stinger in as many weeks. Denver played on Thursday night, which will give Stewart a few extra days to recover ahead of next week’s game in Kansas City. If Stewart can’t get the green light, Will Parks would likely fill in at safety.

Of the six ERFAs tendered, Stewart saw the most action last season, though he struggled mightily in pass coverage as the Rams’ starting strong safety. These players will be brought to Rams camp, all competing for roster spots.

These two also battled for the job in 2011, with Dahl opening the season with the gig. That lasted just five games, as Stewart took over for the final 11 weeks of the season. The Rams’ secondary actually ranked seventh in the league last year.

Stewart (hamstring) was also inactive in Week 1. Craig Dahl will start opposite Quintin Mikell at safety for the Rams.

After Quintin Mikell’s release, Stewart is now the elder statesman of the Rams’ safety group. Stewart’s main problem has been nagging injuries throughout his career, and he’s already dealing with them at OTAs. He sat out Thursday’s session with a calf issue. The Rams will see if Stewart can hold up through the summer. If not, they could make a move on Kerry Rhodes or re-sign Mikell.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the Rams would like to re-sign Stewart to a smaller, multi-year deal and consider him an internal candidate to replace Quintin Mikell. The Rams remain likely to be players on the free-agent safety market. They’ll be targeting free safeties like Detroit’s Louis Delmas.