Bucs sign S Richard LeCounte III

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed third-year safety Richard LeCounte III on Tuesday.

The Bucs had room on the roster for the former Georgia standout after releasing former Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on Monday.

LeCounte, 24, had been selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and played in 10 games over two seasons, making one start. He totaled three tackles.

The Browns released him on Oct. 19, 2022, and the Los Angeles Rams signed him to the practice squad on Dec. 15. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Rams in January, then was released on Aug. 14.

Ryan Neal and Antoine Winfield Jr. are the starting safeties, according to the Bucs' website. LeCounte and Avery Young, who was signed on Aug. 7, are behind Nolan Turner, Christian Izien, Kedrick Whitehead and Kaevon Merriweather.

LeCounte is also listed as a reserve cornerback.

Blankenship, 26, played in 22 games from 2020-22 for the Indianapolis Colts, and in two games last season for the Arizona Cardinals. He has kicked 47 field goals in 56 attempts, and he is 54-of-58 on extra-point attempts for his career.

He lost the battle in Tampa Bay's training camp with veteran kicker Chase McLaughlin, 27, who has played for the Los Angeles Chargers (2019), San Francisco 49ers (2019), Colts (2019, 2022), Jacksonville Jaguars (2020), New York Jets (2020) and Cleveland Browns (2021).

For his career, McLaughlin is 67-for-85 on field-goal attempts and 88-for-90 on extra-point attempts in 47 games.