Former Washington State safety Deone Bucannon lands with New York Giants

Fewer than two weeks after losing his job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, former Washington State safety Deone Bucannon nailed down another one in the Big Apple.

The New York Giants claimed the free agent on Tuesday, reuniting Bucannon with his first defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in the NFL, James Bettcher, who was in Arizona when the Cardinals selected the former Cougars player in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.

Bucannon, who’s been a hybrid defender at the professional level, mostly playing inside linebacker, is with his third team in six years and will look to help a Giants club that ranks just 28th in the NFL in total defense. The Buccaneers signed Bucannon on a one-year, $2.5 million contract on March 13, reuniting the player with former Arizona coach Bruce Arians, but the organization waived him on Oct. 9.

The former AP All-American and All-Pac-12 first-teamer had his best NFL season in 2015, when the 6-foot-1, 211-pound Bucannon recorded 112 tackles, three sacks and one interception in 16 games. He’s played in 75 games over six seasons and has 409 career tackles, seven sacks and two interceptions.