Former Georgia Bulldogs star safety Richard LeCounte has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. LeCounte’s signing comes shortly after the Los Angeles Rams waived him following preseason Week 1.
It did not take LeCounte long to find a new NFL home. He will compete with safeties Kaevon Merriweather, Nolan Turner, Kedrick Whitehead, Christian Izien and Avery Young to be a backup safety for Tampa Bay. Antoine Winfield Jr. and Ryan Neal are expected to start at safety for the Buccaneers.
LeCounte had played in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns selected LeCounte with a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft. LeCounte played in 10 games and recorded three tackles during his time with Cleveland from 2021-2022.
The former Georgia standout was a playmaker in college. LeCounte finished his college career with 176 total tackles, eight interceptions and four forced fumbles.
LeCounte tallied four tackles in the Rams’ preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Buccaneers waived former Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to make room on the roster for LeCounte.
The official Tampa Bay Buccaneers website announced LeCounte’s signing via social media:
We've signed S Richard LeCounte III.#GoBucs
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 22, 2023
