NFL Rumors: Vincent Jackson and Cortland Finnegan a Package Deal to Buccaneers?

Talk about hitting two birds with one stone. 

According to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports, free-agent cornerback Cortland Finnegan is attempting to recruit fellow free-agent Vincent Jackson to follow him to his next team, and the final destination for the duo could very well be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Landing both Finnegan and Jackson—two of the top players at their respective positions in free agency this offseason—would make for a huge splash from the Buccaneers on the open market. It may also be the injection of life this franchise needs after a disheartening 2011 season under fired coach Raheem Morris.

Both Finnegan and Jackson are expected to reach unrestricted free agency on March 13.  

Finnegan is packed and ready to leave Tennessee after the Titans failed to put the franchise tag on the 28-year-old cornerback or negotiate seriously for a long-term deal.

The Buccaneers have a huge need at cornerback, considering the effect Father Time has had on Ronde Barber and the legal issues for Aqib Talib; these issues were magnified again today when Talib was accused of telling a woman he was going to "put a cap in" her.

Tampa Bay has long been considered a top contender to draft LSU's Morris Claiborne, and they still might even if they sign Finnegan. But adding the former All-Pro cornerback would allow the Buccaneers to get more creative with the No. 5 overall pick in next April's NFL draft, and Alabama running back Trent Richardson makes a lot of sense there if cornerback is taken care of in free agency.

It won't be cheap, however. Finnegan may cost in the range of $9-10 million a season with $15 million or more in guaranteed money. 

The Buccaneers have also soured on their receiver position, as former rookie breakout Mike Williams regressed in 2011 and no longer carries the "No. 1 receiver" label. Adding a playmaking deep threat like Jackson would allow Williams to slide back into the No. 2 role, which may be more suited to what he's physically capable of.

Signing Jackson would also make drafting a receiver such as Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon or Notre Dame's Michael Floyd no longer necessary, further expanding the options for the Buccaneers in the early rounds. 

Again, the cost will be substantial. Jackson is widely assumed to covet $10-12 million in yearly salary on the open market.

Would the Buccaneers be comfortable spending that much money in free agency after sitting on so much cash last offseason? It's a new regime in Tampa Bay, so we really can't tell early on. The Bucs will certainly have the cap room available to pull off both moves. 

In the end, I wouldn't take it to the bank that either player is going to sign in Tampa Bay. Finnegan is certain to get a lot of looks and money thrown his way once free agency opens, and the same goes for Jackson.

But if Finnegan can convince Jackson to team up, Tampa Bay looks like the clear early leader to sign the duo and, in the process, cross off two huge needs from their offseason wish list.