The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed free agent guard Keydrick Vincent to a two-year contract on Friday. Vincent was a starter for the Carolina Panthers for the past two years. To make room on the roster for Vincent, the Bucs released rookie guard Sergio Render. Standing at 6-foot-5, and weighing in at 325-pounds Vincent has a reputation as a powerful and physical run blocker.
The 32-year old Vincent helped the Panthers to produce one of the best running attacks in the NFL the past two seasons. In 2008 and 2009 Carolina had the third ranked rushing attack. They averaged 156.1 yards per game in 2008 and 152.3 yards per game in 2009. In 2008 the Panthers set a single-season franchise record with 2,437 rushing yards. That same year Vincent helped the Panthers set a franchise record for fewest sacks allowed with 20.
That wasn't the only season that Vincent was a starter on an offensive line that set a franchise record for fewest sacks allowed. In 2006 with the Baltimore Ravens Vincent contributed to a line that allowed only 17 sacks. Vincent started 12 games that season.
In his career Vincent has started 79 games and played in 97 contests. Vincent has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2004 he started 18 games at right guard for the Steelers including the playoffs. Vincent entered the NFL with Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent from Mississippi. In his third season in the NFL with the Steelers, Vincent was able to become a starter consistently. Vincent is from Lakeland, Florida and attended Lake Gibson High School.
Vincent is projected to compete with left guard Jeremy Zuttah for a starting position. Zuttah (6-4, 308) started 21 games at guard over his first two professional seasons. The 24-year old Zuttah was drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Rutgers. Zutttah was given the starting job at left guard entering the 2009 season after Arron Sears left the team during the 2009 offseason due to personal problems. Sears returned to the team late in 2009, but was never active for a game. Tampa Bay released Sears after the 2010 NFL Draft.
Render was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech at the conclusion of the draft.
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