Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign CB Ayden Garnes

The Buccaneers' signing of cornerback Ayden Garnes earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), reflecting a depth-level acquisition that fills a roster need without breaking the bank but offers limited upside relative to investment. At $1.04M AAV on a three-year, $3.12M deal, this is a classic low-cost, low-risk flier—the kind of contract that allows a team to experiment with depth without cap consequence. Garnes enters an offseason roster-building phase where Tampa Bay (8-9, currently the 10 seed) is operating with maximum flexibility to add competition-level talent across the secondary, and this signing suggests the front office is looking to stockpile options rather than chase impact. The structure itself is NFL-efficient: short-term, fully adjustable salary allows the Buccaneers to part ways without dead-cap burden if he doesn't fit the secondary scheme or compete at the required level. For a depth cornerback on a prove-it deal in preseason, CVI grades exactly this type of move as reasonable but unremarkable—neither a steal nor a misstep, just prudent organizational roster management ahead of the regular season.