Tag: carlton davis

Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis listed as top NFL corners in new ranking

Tampa Bay’s dynamic duo continues to get respect before the 2023 season.

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The Bucs’ fearsome cornerback duo is getting some respect as the season draws nearer.

Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson released his list of the NFL’s 32 best corners, and both CB [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] and CB [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag] made the cut. Dean was ranked at No. 10 on his list, while Davis came in at No. 29.

Here is what Monson had to say about Dean, complimenting his ability to lock down receivers at the point of attack:

One of the league’s most underrated cornerbacks, Dean finally cashed in this offseason with a big payday from the Bucs. He has four straight seasons with a PFF coverage grade between 74.7 and 78.9, and though he doesn’t make a lot of plays on the football, he makes quarterbacks and receivers work for every yard.

The entire Bucs defense didn’t get a lot of interceptions in 2022, so that’s certainly an area Dean will look to work on for 2023. Many may call him underrated, but Dean’s likely hoping that fans around the NFL learn his name as he plays the first year on his new contract this coming season.

Meanwhile, Monson acknowledged that Davis didn’t have a marquee year in 2022 but still managed to impress in his time on the field.

Davis isn’t coming off his best year, but he still led the Tampa Bay cornerbacks last season with 11 pass breakups, more than double the next-best total. He allowed an 85.8 passer rating into his coverage and has elite size and strength for the position.

Davis is set to have a higher base salary and prorated bonus than Dean for both 2023 and 2024, but his contract ends after that with three void years. As such, Davis might have some incentive to play at his best in the two coming seasons in hopes of getting a new deal himself, so he could be poised for a breakout year sooner than later.

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Dean gambled and proved Ohio State wrong

Former Auburn CB Jamel Dean bet on himself, and now he is $52 million richer.

After spending some time in limbo, former Auburn cornerback [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] recently re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a four-year, $52 million contract.

Dean, a native of Cocoa, Florida, says that he is happy that he gets to continue playing in his home state.

“I honestly didn’t want to leave,” Dean said after signing his new contract. “I’m born and raised in Florida. I’m close to home. I’m comfortable, so I was like, ‘Why would I leave?'”

Tampa Bay‘s vote of confidence in Dean is a great chapter in his comeback story. Dean suffered two crucial knee injuries in high school, then another before the 2016 season at Auburn. Prior to enrolling at Auburn, Dean originally signed with Ohio State. Due to his knee concerns, medical personnel did not clear him to play, despite getting clearance from renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

He transferred to Auburn in 2015, where he started at cornerback during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Now, he is one of the fastest defensive backs in the NFL despite his history of knee injuries.

“Honestly, I don’t know why my knees was an issue,” Dean said. “I went two seasons in college without my knees being a problem, and then when I ran the 4.30 at the combine, I was like, ‘That should eliminate the knee situation.’”

Dean’s gamble truly paid off, as he has signed his second contract with the Buccanneers. He says that he is thankful that he continued playing football despite being discouraged from his former program.

“I’m glad I didn’t quit because everything paid off,” Dean said. “I proved Ohio State wrong when they told me I had a 3 percent chance of being successful in football. So I took the gamble, and it paid off.”

In four seasons in Tampa Bay, Dean has recorded 193 tackles and seven interceptions. He, alongside fellow former Tiger [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag], helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV.

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Jamel Dean to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In a surprising move, Jamel Dean will be staying in Tampa Bay.

[autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] will not be switching teams in free agency after all.

The former Auburn corner has agreed to a four-year, $52-million deal to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Ian Rappaport of NFL Network. He has been with the Bucs his entire career after they drafted him in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Dean started 15 games for the Bucs last season and made 57 tackles, picked off two passes, and broke up eight passes. In his four years with them he has recorded 7 interceptions, 41 pass breakups, and 156 tackles in 57 appearances with 38 starts.

He was a key member of their secondary in 2019 and helped them win Super Bowl LV. The new contract will allow him to continue to start alongside former Auburn cornerback [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag] in Tampa.

Dean started his college career at Ohio State before transferring to Auburn after suffering a torn meniscus. He spent 2015-18 on Plains before heading to the NFL.

He is the third for Tiger to agree to a contract today, Johnathan Jones has re-signed with the New England Patriots and Jarret Stidham is set to join the  Denver Broncos.

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Bucs restructure multiple contracts, create $44 million in salary cap space

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a flurry of contract restructures Friday, clearing a ton of much-needed salary cap space

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made some serious progress on their salary cap woes with additional contract restructures on Friday.

Tampa Bay has restructured three other players’ contracts after doing so for defensive tackle Vita Vea, according to FOX Sports writer Greg Auman.

The team has also reportedly restructured with cornerback Carlton Davis, center Ryan Jensen and wide receiver Chris Godwin. Combined, the four restructures create 44 million dollars in cap space for 2023.

The space is sorely needed for the Bucs, who entered the offseason $55 million over the cap, and it has been hard at work making moves to get under it. Tight end Cameron Brate, tackle Donovan Smith and running back Leonard Fournette are set to be released, which should clear space, and these latest restructures will do quite a bit more to get under the cap to ensure the team can operate with its roster and sign its upcoming draft picks in the 2023 draft.

Quite a few other players on the roster could be potential cuts, so it will be interesting to see what else general manager Jason Licht does to alleviate his team’s situation in the coming weeks toward free agency.

7 DB prospects the Bucs could target in the 2023 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could target these defensive back prospects in the 2023 NFL draft

With most of their secondary due to hit free agency, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will no doubt look to the draft to replenish their defensive backs. Fortunately, this draft is chock full of talent to restock Tampa’s defensive backfield.

The Bucs could very well lose starters Jamel Dean and Mike Edwards as well as Sean Murphy-Bunting, Keanu Neal and Logan Ryan. They accounted for 3156 cumulative snaps in the secondary. Dean in particular played more than any other defensive back for Tampa.

Already $56 million over the cap, the Bucs likely will not be able to re-sign many of their free agent defensive backs or otherwise acquire free agent talent to replace them. The draft is their only alternative.

This year’s draft class does not have the top-end talent of last year’s class, but there should still be many potential starters littered in the first and second rounds, both at cornerback and safety. The Bucs will have some flexibility in addressing needs while getting good value on the players they pick.

Here are seven defensive backs the Bucs could target in this year’s NFL draft:

Photo Gallery: A look at Prince Tega Wanogho’s time with the Kansas City Chiefs

Wanogho became the 20th former Tiger to win a Super Bowl ring when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

Auburn was well represented in Super Bowl LVII, as three players graced the rosters of the Philadelphia Eagles and the victorious Kansas City Chiefs.

When the dust settled, offensive tackle [autotag]Prince Tega Wanogho[/autotag] rose victorious with the Chiefs, becoming the 20th former Tiger to earn a Super Bowl ring.

Wanogho’s win with the Chiefs marks the third straight season that a former Auburn player has been on a championship roster. [autotag]Blake Countess[/autotag] was a member of the Los Angeles Rams roster that won Super Bowl LVI while [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag] won Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

To mark the occasion, let’s take a look at Wanogho’s career as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs:

Auburn corner shows out in Buccaneers win

The former Tiger made a big defensive impact in Tampa Bay’s win over the Saints.

The Tigers may not have performed well on Saturday, but their exports to the NFL have (almost) made up for it.

One such player is Buccaneers cornerback [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag], who helped propel his team to 20-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Dean picked off two passes from his former teammate Jameis Winston, contributing to one of five turnovers for the Buccaneers’ defense on the day.

Dean picked off Winston on back-to-back drives. The first pick came with just under 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter when a Winston pass deep to Chris Olave was jumped by Dean at the very end of the play, giving the Buccaneers a touchback. On the ensuing drive, Winston sailed a pass intended for Juwan Johnson that Dean was ready to intercept. He brought the pick back to the New Orleans 29 yard-line, which allowed the Bucs to put up seven points on the ensuing offensive drive.

Former Tiger [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag] also contributed to the team’s turnovers, recovering a fumble from Olave late in the game to seal it for Tampa Bay.

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6 critical matchups to watch in Saints vs. Buccaneers

Big battles are brewing at the line of scrimmage, the second level of the defense, and deep downfield. 6 critical matchups to watch in Saints vs. Buccaneers:

It’s going to get heated at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. Big battles are brewing at the line of scrimmage, in the second level of the defense, and deep downfield whenever each team has the ball. Critical matchups in each phase will determine this clash between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers; if New Orleans falls behind like they did last week, a good team like the Buccaneers will put on the pressure to prevent another Saints comeback. Here are the one-on-one battles we’ll be watching closely:

Michael Thomas removed from Saints injury report for Week 2 vs. Bucs

How far has Michael Thomas progressed? He’s been removed from the Saints injury report ahead of their Week 2 game with the Buccaneers:

The long, frustrating return from a 2020 injury for Michael Thomas was maybe the biggest storyline of the New Orleans Saints offseason. Initially limited in training camp while recovering from ankle surgery, Thomas suffered a setback late in the summer with a sudden hamstring issue that put him on ice for a little longer. He practiced on a limited basis leading up the season-opener with the Atlanta Falcons and was officially listed as questionable to play at all.

Then he hit the field during a real game for the first time in 602 days and caught 5 passes for 57 yards. After experiencing some early timing miscues and dropping an off-target pass from Jameis Winston, Thomas shook off the rust and went to work, scoring two critical touchdown receptions against top Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. Can’t Guard Mike is back.

We got further proof of that on Wednesday’s first injury report ahead of Week 2’s game with the Atlanta Falcons: Thomas was not listed at all. That’s a huge improvement after he was listed as limited in each of their three practice sessions a week ago with that hamstring issue. He practiced fully on Wednesday and, presumably, will continue to do so. It’s at least something to look out for.

So as far as the team is concerned, his injuries are behind him. Thomas is back. He’s converting first downs and hitting pay dirt and flexing on his opponent’s best corner again. He’ll continue to shake back and develop chemistry with Winston and reassert himself as the top option in the passing game. And the good thing is that the Saints won’t be rushing him into that role. Jarvis Landry is an accomplished veteran who Winston already trusts. Chris Olave is an exciting rookie who made the most of his opportunities in Week 1.

Thomas has gotten his body right. He’s put in the work, mended fences, and now he’s fixed a laser-focus on preparing for his next opponent. Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis was the last corner to play against him at full health, and that’s his next challenge. He’s done everything possible to rise to the occasion. Now let’s see it.

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Carlton Davis remembers previous battles with Tyreek Hill after Bucs-Dolphins practice

Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis faced Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill on Wednesday, reminding Davis of previous (unsuccessful) battles.

The NFL can be a trash-talking league at times, but as is the case anywhere else, if you talk big, you’d best be able to back it up. If not? Well, you’re going to be respectful when you next face the object of your worst nightmares as a player.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis experienced this phenomenon on Wednesday when the Bucs started joint practices with the Miami Dolphins. This is in preparation for the Bucs-Dolphins preseason game on Saturday, and Davis went up against Miami receiver Tyreek Hill in practice. It’s generally not fun to deal with Hill in coverage, and Davis had no illusions regarding who he was going up against.

“He’s a different kind of receiver all around,” Davis said of Hill today. “He brings something to the game that no other receiver does, so to be able to go up against him in practice, especially early on in camp, just helps you fine-tune your skills and your technique. It was pretty good today. I’m excited to go back up against him tomorrow, him and [Jaylen] Waddle. They’re just two fast, twitchy guys that you’ve just got to love and embrace going up against them. Like I said, there’s no other receivers in the league that can do what they do.”

Hill broke up a pass to Hill in the first rep of one-on-ones, which is nice.

“I guess that is a good tone-setter, just starting it off fresh, because usually you’ve got to get into it. You’re a little cold coming off, just starting practice, but I was ready. I’ve been up against him a couple of times in the past so I kind of know a little bit about his release packages and what he brings to the table. But at the end of the day, it’s about competing. It’s about you wanting to win, and I got the best of him on that rep.”

Davis knows the hard way how tough Hill can be to cover.

When Tampa Bay faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs (Hill’s former team) in Week 12 of the 2020 NFL season, he was tasked with covering Hill one-on-one. It did not go well for Davis at all; he allowed three touchdowns to Hill. and 12 catches on 15 targets for 236 yards, 50 yards after the catch, and an opponent passer rating of 158.3 — the highest possible passer rating. The Bucs lost, 27-24.

“Yeah, yeah,” Davis said, when asked whether he remembered that game, and how he and the Bucs recovered to beat the Chiefs, 31-9, in Super Bowl LV. “That’s something that’s going to stick with you. Just having an off game, and then coming back and playing a great game in the Super Bowl, that’s something that’s going to always be a part of my memory, just because it was a pivotal moment in the season both times for us. Going up against him today was a good flashback. It was fun to get out there and just face him. Let’s do it again. As a corner, I feel like you’ve got to have that mentality, to always want work, to always want to go up against whoever puts you to the test. Whoever’s out there. So, it was fun.”

It was not fun back in Week 12. There are very few guys in the league who can cover Hill without safety help, and on that day, Davis was not one of them.

The first Hill touchdown came with 6:59 left in the first quarter. The Bucs were in Cover-3, Davis was playing Hill way off, and Hill just smoked Davis with a little shake off a vertical route. Hill was so fast, that even when he had to slow down to catch Patrick Mahomes’ pass, he was still on the way, smoking.

The second touchdown came shortly thereafter — with 1:42 left in the first quarter. Davis had Hill in the inside left slot in a 3×1 formation, the Bucs were playing Cover-1, and Davis had Hill in a “Man everywhere he goes” situation. You can see how that worked out.

Touchdown No. 3 same with 7:04 left in the third quarter, and… well, I dunno how you defend this.

To his credit, Davis was far more effective in that Super Bowl matchup — then, he gave up just two catches on three targets for 14 yards, four yards after the catch, and an opponent passer rating of 77.0. The Buccaneers had Kansas City’s banged-up offensive line dead to rights, which greatly impacted Mahomes’ ability to make his usual supernatural throws, but Davis still had a much better game — and he wasn’t targeted once when covering Hill.

So, there was no trash talk either way on Wednesday.

“It’s fun, it’s all love out there,” Davis concluded. “We’re just out here competing, trying to get better. We don’t play them [in the 2022 regular season], so there’s no real beef. If it was a team that we had on the schedule it might be a little different. But, no, we’re cool.”