Don’t Drag Zyon McCollum
May 8th, 2025
In good standing.
After Bucs coach Todd Bowles talked about adding corners all offseason and then the team drafted two, don’t be confused.
In a draft wrap-up typed by Jeremy Fowler of BSPN, he states the Bucs drafted two corners on Day 2 of the draft because the team was so thin and a lacking quality at the position.
Fowler added to not take Bowles’ words or the team’s actions as any sort of indictment on starter Zyon McCollum. His intel is the Sam Houston State product is still in good graces with Bucs’ shot-callers.
The Bucs are very high on veteran corner Zyon McCollum entering Year 4, but they were intentional in adding two corners on Day 2 (including Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison in the second). Head coach Todd Bowles wanted better depth coming out of last year.
Not just depth but production. A guy could be the next Darrelle Revis but if he can’t answer the bell, it doesn’t matter one iota how talented he is when he’s wearing street clothes on a Sunday afternoon.
Also interesting was Fowler noting NFL teams believed the Bucs were going to draft a corner last year. The Bucs apparently were “linked” to corners Mike Sainristil (Commandos) and Dru Phillips (Giants) in last year’s draft. Joe was a big fan of Sainristil coming out of Michigan.
So it seems Bowles has been wanting a reboot of Bucs corners for some time.
Shilo Sanders is moving out of Colorado and heading to Tampa Bay for the Buccaneers Mini Camp 🔥
🎥 : @ShiloSanders pic.twitter.com/pTTNUk8ejY
— We Coming 🦬 (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) May 7, 2025
May 8th, 2025 at 6:23 am
Glad that Zyon is in good standing. This could be his break-out season.
Very happy the Bucs gave Shilo a chance. I hope he does well. Good kid!
May 8th, 2025 at 6:50 am
The Putrid Pass Defense is this teams Achilles heel. If the Pass Rush with 4 Rushers only can get this team off the field on 3rd downs then this is a Super Bowl team. The Offense is Top 5 with a Stud QB, top OLine, great RB and what maybe the best WR core in the league. Let’s get it on. Go Bucs!!
May 8th, 2025 at 6:57 am
I like zyon and think he will only get better. Dean ain’t cutting it
May 8th, 2025 at 7:27 am
I would have to think that Shilo Sanders will be walking into a locker room unlike one he has ever experienced before. His name will not carry the same weight that it did before and his father will not be the one in charge. He will be a small fish in a very big pond. That will be something unlike anything he has ever experinced. There’s going to be some adjustment needed and how he handles that will be a challenge that will likely go beyond what the average rookie would normally face.
May 8th, 2025 at 7:41 am
Zyon’s game picked up when he moved to the left side and didn’t have to game plan for both sides. I think he had two picks last year, so tied for team lead – still not great. His tackling has been his weakness, he did better last year, but still needs improvement. I think he will continue his improvement this year, especially if the Bucs can manage a pass rush.
May 8th, 2025 at 7:44 am
If every DB is coached to never let anything over their heads and never take a risk of getting beaten deep whilst pass rushers are dropping into empty zones, we could have Revis, Prime, Sherman and Ronde back there and see the same lousy results.
Hoping the head coach has ordered the defensive coordinator to make effective adjustments.
May 8th, 2025 at 7:56 am
Algo doesn’t like criticism. Whatever.
May 8th, 2025 at 8:17 am
I remember a few times last year, and a couple in the Atlanta game, where he tried to make splash plays but just missed. I think last year was for feeling out exactly when to strike and when to accept the fact that a sound tackle is the play.
May 8th, 2025 at 9:01 am
Shiloh from CO.
…get ready to hit that heavy wall of humidity and low 90s….
and rain ….
Supposed to rain all weekend.
Maybe it will cool things off a bit and they’re under a roof anyhow.
May 8th, 2025 at 9:32 am
Does he really need a box truck?
Seems like an overnight bag might be appropriate.
May 8th, 2025 at 10:41 am
I was very fortunate my parents paid for college. When I graduated, I took a loan and piled my life belongings into an 8 year old 4 cylinder Toyota.
Things sure have changed when a moving truck is needed. I sure miss that old “Toyleta”.
May 8th, 2025 at 11:14 am
I think when Shilo gets to Tampa Winfield will take um under his wing you know as his dad is an ex nfl player to just a thought and I’ve heard Winfield is very helpful when it comes to getting his teammates right
May 8th, 2025 at 11:15 am
Certainly happy we got Barton and solidified the OL but there were instant impact DBs in that draft last year.
Didn’t have a chance at him but Mitchell looked really good, Sainristil played well for the Commanders and Dejean made some plays as well. I’m sure I am forgetting a couple guys.
May 8th, 2025 at 11:37 am
zyons not that good.
May 8th, 2025 at 12:05 pm
OMGoodness…
Is it a small world or what???? Because he (Zyon) was just commenting recently about someone named “jimmy’s” Mom!
Said the Very same thing! Crazy right???
May 8th, 2025 at 1:31 pm
NEW THING FOR THE BUCS … DEPTH
The Bucs are a complete team and a young team. Over the next few years, the team will get deeper and deeper at every position. Next year we’ll draft 2xILB, OL, WR, QB, DL. It’s not a rub on anyone. The team has starters and it also has draft picks to use.
May 8th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Zion is very good.
The draft was depth and putting Dean on notice.
May 8th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
Who thought Zyon was put on notice? Not anyone that actually watches the team.
Also you need at least 3 good corners, it’s not 1985 and people aren’t starting 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 RB and a FB.
May 8th, 2025 at 4:12 pm
McCollum said. “There are certain calls and certain coverages in which we’re needing to play a little bit softer because the underneath coverage is playing very very aggressive. “And we need to be able to stay on top of routes and then there are certain situations where we go up and we play really really aggressive. They also give us leeway and to be able to do our own thing and depending on what we’re expecting, the offense that we’re running up against, will determine how we play certain things and the way that we play certain things. It just has to do with a lot of moving parts.”
so, when we showed press they knew we were blitzing?
McCollum said. Just being able to show the quarterbacks different looks in general is really what’s going to do it and us working as a defense and us working with the help that we have and communicating in that aspect. I think that in particular just me being a corner, I have a pretty pretty large tell on what a defense is doing. I know quarterbacks normally read safeties and they’ll see fronts and everything. But I think corners can also show a lot and disguise a lot by moving around and I think that’s putting an emphasis on just getting better at that. Being at the line of scrimmage more is going to confuse quarterbacks a little bit better when it comes to disguising coverage.”
May 8th, 2025 at 4:13 pm
wonder what bowles’ epiphany was
May 8th, 2025 at 4:59 pm
If he was that good, then why is the pass defense so lousy?
Oh wait, that’s right, never mind.
I forgot that Todd Loser Bowles was the DC as well as HC.
It all makes sense now.
May 8th, 2025 at 6:02 pm
As was the case on far too many plays for Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, a missed tackle allowed the Falcons to turn a short gain into the decisive touchdown. Tampa Bay cornerback Zyon McCollum made a play for the ball as Hodge made a catch only 5 yards downfield, but McCollum’s whiff left Hodge with open field for the winning play.
May 8th, 2025 at 6:04 pm
Cornerback Zyon McCollum blew an outside-gap assignment, resulting in a 14-yard Anthony McFarland touchdown. Like his teammates, he also missed tackles.
Bowles said Friday that the missed tackles happen when players leave their feet too early.
McCollum is now working on staying grounded as long as possible.
“If I’m missing a tackle in a game, at any point in my career,” McCollum said Sunday, “it means I need to work on it.”
May 8th, 2025 at 8:05 pm
Truth says “The Putrid Pass Defense is this teams Achilles heel. If the Pass Rush with 4 Rushers only can get this team off the field on 3rd downs then this is a Super Bowl team. The Offense is Top 5 with a Stud QB, top OLine, great RB and what maybe the best WR core in the league. Let’s get it on. Go Bucs!”
I agree 100 %
Add in a 95% availability of SVD and LD. If SVD recovers from his surgery and both him and LD can stay on the field, this revamped defense can be decent to great fast marking the Buc’s already talented offense look even better!!!
It may be to soon to shift through all the hype, but this draft is starting to look similar to the last! We all know how that went!!
May 8th, 2025 at 10:49 pm
I rewatched a few games from the 2024 season. I’m trying hard not to be negative about the defensive coordinator’s scheme and choice of play calls, and also trying not to be overly harsh concerning the head coach’s decision making in close games where, to anyone with even two blind eyes can see the offense is the strength of the team, he continually put it in the hands of the defensive coordinator, whose unit gave up 4th quarter drives like candy bars at halloween.
I’ll be better after some ethanol medication.