Jacob Parrish Downplayed Todd Bowles’ Praise
May 10th, 2025
Bucs rookie CB Jacob Parrish.
Yesterday, head coach Todd Bowles was effusive in his praise for Bucs rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish. Meeting the Tampa Bay pen and mic club in person for the first time, Parrish seemed almost embarrassed by the props.
“I’m very comfortable with him [at] outside [cornerback]. He can start corner in this league probably for anybody, and he can play inside as well,” Bowles said of Parrish after the first rookie minicamp practice.
The way Parrish looks at it, he’s just an unproven rookie to prove himself.
“I don’t know yet,” Parrish said when Joe asked him for his reaction to Bowles’ words. “It’s early. We still have training camp.
“I’m just trying to get on the field. I will try anything to get on the field.”
Parrish had a pick-six in his first practice.
“It kind of made my day,” Parrish said. “I feel like I can [play] really fast.”
Joe took that comment by Bowles in a couple of different ways. Remember, Bowles is a disciple of Bill Parcells. Parcells loved sending messages to specific players through the media.
So Joe took Bowles’ words as being a direct shot across the bow to Jamel Dean to let him know his starting job is not secure.
May 10th, 2025 at 1:06 pm
Direct shot across the bow to Dean? WOW. You guys really stretch the inferences. Bowles said the new guy is a cornerback who can play nickel. That is all.
WOW to you! Actually, what Bowles said of Parrish was. “I’m very comfortable with him [at] outside [cornerback]. He can start at corner in this league probably for anybody, and he can play inside as well.” … After 1 practice. –Joe
May 10th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
well he said he can start, too
May 10th, 2025 at 1:19 pm
Were the Bucs to cut Dean after June 1 they would save 12.9 mil in cap money. Still think the Jalen Ramsey deal is dead?
May 10th, 2025 at 1:21 pm
But can he cover deep, empty space while receivers catch balls underneath and get lots of YAC? That’s the TB Trademark.
May 10th, 2025 at 1:21 pm
Dean I’m sure has open conversations with his agent, SOOO I’m pretty sure he knows EXACTLY how the Bucs feel about him!!!
May 10th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
I know Dean isn’t dependable, but he is talented. And the CB market has changed drastically where if he could somehow, some way be on the field for about 14 games he is actually a bargain.
Don’t expect the to get rid of him because he will be a good, healthy starting caliber CB on Week 1. It’s a dice roll.
May 10th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
I’ve been calling for a 4.3 CB for 10 years!
Finally!
I hope we draft 2 more corners best year too!
6 deep at CB. That’s the goal.
Name 1 DB Bowles hasn’t developed!?
Whitehead: 4th round rookie starter
Zion: 5th round starter
Izien: undrafted rookie starter
Tykes Smith: 3rd round rookie starter
SMB: 2nd round starter
MJ Stewart: still in the NFL. Special teams stud.
Carlton Davis: 3rd round starter and top 10 NFL CB
Jamal Dean: 3rd round NFL starter
Winfield: 2nd round All Pro
Merriweather: undrafted solid starter
Bowles is a master DB coach.
I want 2 more CBs next year also.
May 10th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
Need several CBs….but at $12+ mil maybe Jamel will take a cut. We could use the money to bring in 2 more WRs…..a bit thin at that position…
May 10th, 2025 at 2:00 pm
I don’t think the Ramsey deal is dead because we do need safety help.
I know Tykee wants to play there, but there is no guarantee we resign McCollum if both these guys are good. We might still need a nickel next year.
You can never have enough DBs.
May 10th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
12 mil for a starting corner is a great deal, When Carlton is making 22 a year and played 3 games last year. Cutting Dean would greatly hamper our qb depth. Cutting Dean would be silly.
May 10th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Been saying he’s the new #1 NCB . But if he unseats Dean on the outside, Superstar in the making, I’m not saying Dean is great but for a Rookie to come in and beat out a veteran would be impressive . This Pass D could go from (29th) to (10-15th) if that happens we’re going to SB.
May 10th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
Dean is a 4.3 corner. That’s after 2 ACL injuries in college. His speed is not the issue. He just can’t stay healthy long enough to be reliable.
That’s exactly the way I took Bowles commits. He is letting Dean know his outside corner job is not secure. Dean plays better when he has competition. We saw this last time in ‘21 when he was competing with SMB for the outside corner in camp.
May 10th, 2025 at 2:39 pm
5’10” on the outside. Sure. That’s hilarious. Who cares what off-season confidence-building (and draft coddling nonsense) propaganda TB throws out there, 5’10” ain’t no way week in and week out gonna handle TODAY’S WR’s without every jump ball and deep shot absolutely going the way of the opposing team’s WR. Doesn’t matter what the kid’s name is.
5’10” TODAY does not work as an outside CB full-time, well and sustainably.
Slot/nickel/inside zone…sure any blend of those. But not outside.
May 10th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
Stanglassman … ‘He (Bowles) is letting Dean know his outside corner job is not secure. Dean plays better when he has competition.’
Agree with your 1st statement, but not so sure about the 2nd one. Jamel’s play the last 2 years has really fallen off. In his 1st 4 years, Dean averaged 54.2% Completion Rate Allowed & 376 Passing Yards Allowed average per year. These last 2 years, Jamel’s averaged 68.0% Completion Rate Allowed & 498 Passing Yards Allowed average per year. That’s a MAJOR difference in performance for a starting corner.
He’s looked a LOT slower to me these past 2 years for some reason. Maybe injuries are finally catching up to him, I don’t know. My guess is that if his speed has been compromised significantly, because of injuries or whatever, he’ll have a tough time competing with Bruce Hall, Benjamin Morrison, and Jacob Parrish.
May 10th, 2025 at 2:55 pm
how much cap space without cutting dean do bucs have? any chance for adding lb depth?
May 10th, 2025 at 3:00 pm
@Drunk Bucs Fan
I think Drunk Bucs Fan nailed it with “it’s a dice roll”.
Jamel is competitive when he’s on the field. He just can’t stay on the field.
Sure, we’d save some cap space by cutting him after June 1, but we also need the veteran presence at the CB position to help bring the rookies along. If we cut him, that’s still a spot we need to fill, unless we’re willing to take one less veteran CB presence into the season.
And, as others have mentioned, the $12+ Mil we’re paying him this year is a bargain compared to what other CBs are getting.
But… how many games will he miss this year?
As for Jalen Ramsey, I’m not so sure we should go there.
He’s a proven playmaker, but we’re working on getting younger. This would take us in the opposite direction.
Jason Licht and his staff have done a masterful job of drafting guys that are staying with the team and improving every year as they do.
Ramsey would be an instant boost to our SB chances this year, but in a year or two we’d be looking at having to start all over again.
May 10th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
Yeah that WAS alotta talk from the coach after one daay of rookie minicamp. Message was sent and recipient was Jamel Dean. Will it be enough? not likely, these kids are better than Jamel Dean ever was. Thinking Jamel Dean will go for a 2026 5th round pick in the next few months.
May 10th, 2025 at 3:07 pm
Cutting Dean would be really dumb even if he gets hurt and can’t play we still need him to mentor all of our DBs because they are all pretty young even ZyonMc
May 10th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
I wouldn’t want him playing Mike on red zone jump balls but (according to Gemini AI) avg ht for corners is 5’11″‘-6’1″.
Assuming he’s got some spring in his step he could be effective, on the outside, against avg height wide receivers 6 – 6’2″.
I trust Todd knows what he’s doing.
May 10th, 2025 at 3:32 pm
I doubt Dean is going anywhere. Even if he loses his starting spot we need quality depth @ CB.
May 10th, 2025 at 4:17 pm
“I’m very comfortable with him [at] outside [cornerback]. He can start corner in this league probably for anybody…”
Many are assuming this could only be a veiled message to Dean…
Yet perhaps coach is being straight up and Parrish is really wowing on the field for all to see….
4.35 sec – 40, 1.51 sec – 10 yard split, 37.5″ vertical, 10’9″ broad jump
Maybe we are getting a Brent Grimes type player here (minus the wife drama) at the beginning of his career instead of at the end like with Brent. Grimes was short too – but in his prime with his quickness, hops and ball skills could pretty well hang with just about any WR in the league….
May 10th, 2025 at 4:20 pm
Dean is soft.
May 10th, 2025 at 4:26 pm
Wasn’t (isn’t) Ronde 5’10” ?
Less than that at the Combine. –Joe
May 10th, 2025 at 4:30 pm
Dean is in the top 20% of corners (when he’s on the field) His current salary, even for 12 games a year, is a steal
May 10th, 2025 at 5:16 pm
I’m pretty sure Dean starts the season. I would say Morrison will get the nod, tho when Dean gets a boo boo if he’s healthy. Bowles likes tall perimeter corners.
May 10th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
There are a lot of top NFL outside corners who are under 6’. Jaire
Alexander 5’ 10” , KC guy McDuffie is 5’ 10-11 depending on the source. Those were just 2 in the top 5 cbs in 2024. You need to consider their vertical. Parrish has a 37.5” vertical. You just can’t be 5’ 10” and have a 32” vert. I would agree that your outside CB Should be taller but there are exceptions.
May 10th, 2025 at 5:55 pm
Pickgrin. I believe it’s both. Todd putting it out there to the media just seems like he’s lighting a fire under Dean.
May 10th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
Lol…you simple broke POS 🙂