Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign CB Ayden Garnes

The Buccaneers' signing of Ayden Garnes to a three-year deal worth $3.12M total earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), which fairly reflects a depth cornerback acquisition in the lower-salary tier — the kind of role-player move most teams make on a rolling basis rather than a marquee transaction. At $1.04M AAV, this is a modest investment that suggests Garnes occupies a solid-depth or rotational tier within Tampa Bay's secondary, not a starter or premium reserve role. The contract structure keeps annual hit low and provides flexibility if the fit doesn't work, which mitigates downside risk in what is fundamentally a low-cost prove-it arrangement. The CVI grade lands right at the neutral line because the value matches the likely usage: a signing that neither overpays for production nor steals value, but simply fills a roster slot at fair market rates for a developmental or depth piece. With the team sitting at 8-9 and locked into the current NFC South picture, this type of low-risk, low-upside transaction is emblematic of offseason roster maintenance rather than a title-window win-now move — a pragmatic allocation in an offseason phase when deeper roster investments are still three months away.