The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed cornerback Ross Cockrell to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. The former fourth-round pick had 11 tackles and one pass deflection in 12 games (two starts) for the team last season and also played in all four playoff games. General manager Jason Licht called Cockrell "one of the best pickups" the team made in 2020. He becomes the latest member of last year's championship team to return. Cockrell will likely remain a valuable reserve in Tampa's secondary in 2021 after the club brought back all 22 starters from their Super Bowl squad a year ago. Cockrell saw playing time when both Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean missed time with injuries in the second half of last season. He played 270 defensive snaps over the final 10 games after playing on only one defensive snap through the first 10 weeks of the season.
Free agent cornerback Ross Cockrell will sign with the Carolina Panthers, according to Field Yates of ESPN. This will be a two-year, $6.8 million contract, joining Da'Norris Searcy as today's additions to Carolina's secondary. Cockrell did not receive real opportunity with the Giants in 2017 until the latter half of the year when Janoris Jenkins was lost to injury and both Eli Apple and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie were in and out of the lineup. Cockrell recorded a league-high three interceptions over the final two weeks of the season.