The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed former San Francisco 49ers free agent safety Dashon Goldson to a five-year contract, according to Adam Schefter.
The 49ers wanted to include Goldson in their plans for 2013, but they have been unwilling to pay top dollar to many of their departing free agents. Goldson was after a deal around $8 million per year, which is right about what San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle makes.
Goldson had been after top safety money for some time, declining an offer to sign an extension that would have paid him approximately $5 million per season prior to the 2010 season. He tested the free agent market then, but didn't find it to his liking and ended up signing a one-year, $2 million contract to remain with San Francisco.
After his Pro Bowl berth in 2011, he played the 2012 season as San Francisco's franchise player. The Niners contemplated using the tag on him again, but they elected to let him test the market. His departure was essentially a foregone conclusion.
The Buccaneers make a ton of sense for Goldson. For one, they have all the cap room in the world, and they are trying to rebuild their entire secondary. They have a strong group of players up front but the back-end is in constantly flux. Goldson would add some much-needed stability to the mix after recent losses of Aqib Talib, Eric Wright and potentially Ronde Barber.
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