Tampa Bay’s cornerback group faces a consequential 2024 season. While the Buccaneers may avoid significant changes this offseason, they may begin making moves to prepare for an overhaul of the position in the near future.
Starters Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean may prefer to forget the 2023 season. Davis recorded his highest allowed passer rating when targeted since his rookie season (102.5), and Dean recorded his highest passer rating allowed as a pro (116). Both missed significant time, nine games in total, with injuries, an issue that has plagued both men across their NFL careers.
This would be less of an issue if they were not both on expensive contracts. While their deals were back-loaded, totaling just $11.3 million last season, it still only netted the Bucs two interceptions against 10 allowed touchdowns. Davis now enters the final year of his deal with a $20.4 million salary cap hit while Dean in his extension’s second year, counting $14.7 million against the cap.
Cutting or trading Davis would not be an outrageous move given his cap figure and possible signals of decline. However, having lasted on the roster to this point, Davis probably will not be a cap casualty, and the Bucs may have trouble finding a buyer for a cornerback who historically is not an interception magnet coming off a down year.
Instead, Davis will likely have to play his way into another extension in Tampa Bay, which could very well take him to the end of his career. While the interception ship has sailed, Davis has been a reliable cover corner who until last year typically finished seasons top-10 in pass breakups. A poor 2024 would no doubt mark the end of Davis’ career in red and pewter.
Dean is a lock for the 2024 roster but has little more room for error than Davis. In 2025, his dead cap figure is just $6.9 million while cutting him saves Tampa Bay $8.4 million against the cap. Staying healthy should be Dean’s primary goal through next January.
The rest of the Bucs’ cornerbacks are still on their rookie deals and have an opportunity to establish a long-term future in Tampa Bay. 2022 fifth-round pick Zyon McCollum had his name called often last season, showing marked improvement after a poor rookie season. His tackling improved, missing just 12.8% of attempts in 2023 against 32% in 2022, but he still struggled in coverage, allowing a 91.5 passer rating when targeted.
Undrafted rookie Christian Izien was a revelation in the slot, starting his career with interceptions in consecutive games and otherwise shoring up a position of notable uncertainty heading into last season. Izien was also the only Tampa Bay cornerback to play in every game last year.
McCollum and Izien aren’t going anywhere this year. Rookies Josh Hayes and Derrek Pitts were mainly special teamers who will have to compete not only for more playing time but a roster spot come August.
The main question for Tampa Bay is whether or not to start planning for life after Davis and Dean. McCollum has yet to prove he is a reliable starter, and Izien is likely going to remain a nickel corner. An addition or two would have to be made if the Bucs want an insurance plan for Davis and maybe even Dean.
Free agency holds few solutions for the Bucs in this regard. Quality corners are rarely allowed to hit the street, and those that do come with at best a comparable price tag as Davis or Dean. Even adding a mercenary just for 2024 would not make much sense, as he would take reps from a developmental player with more upside.
Tampa Bay’s only real option to shore up their cornerbacks is the draft. Some excellent prospects could be available when the Bucs select 26th overall, such as Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry or Iowa State’s CB T.J. Tampa. Both fit the big, physical mold that Bucs general manager Jason Licht appears to prefer for outside corners.
Licht also has a penchant for targeting defensive backs in the second and third rounds of the draft. Oregon’s Khyree Jackson, Rutgers’ Max Melton and Notre Dame’s Cam Hart are fits on Day 2 of the draft. Hart in particular offers fitting physicality and mirroring abilities, which were on full display when he contained Marvin Harrison Jr. in coverage last season.
NFL teams typically draft not just with next season in mind, but with the next four seasons. Tampa Bay will not be looking for an immediate starter at cornerback in this year’s draft, but they will be looking, earlier than it might be expected.
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