ESPN: Benjamin Morrison Pushing Jamel Dean
August 5th, 2025
Heat from a rookie?
Joe smells a plant.
It’s hardly a novel idea for a team suit or a coach to give a reporter intel that may not exactly be accurate but instead is meant to serve a purpose. To motivate a player or even a team.
And that’s exactly what Joe smells here in a dispatch from ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano. He visited One Buc Place a week ago. And, since the four-letter has a billion-dollar contract with the NFL and is trying to buy a piece of the NFL, they have access to folks behind the scenes where doors are otherwise locked for the local pen and mic club.
Someone dropped the following nugget in Graziano’s lap:
Second-round rookie Ben Morrison is competing with Jamel Dean for one of the outside cornerback spots and has a good chance to win that competition and play opposite Zyon McCollum.
Joe is at every practice and Joe does not see that at all. If someone with the Bucs told Graziano that Jacob Parrish was pushing Jamel Dean, Joe could see that. But not Morrison. Not yet.
Now Joe’s not saying Morrison is struggling. So long as he isn’t covering Mike Evans, then Morrison is making solid progress. Still, Morrison is behind Parrish. He’s narrowed the gap in the past week, though.
Morrison has made plays of late, but not as many as Dean and not as many against the first-team offense as Dean has.
If Joe had to rank the top five corners now, as of Aug. 5, 2025, here’s the list:
Jamel Dean
Zyon McCollum
Jacob Parrish
Bryce Hall
Benjamin Morrison
The difference between McCollum and Morrison is very, very close.
So no, unless Dean gets hurt — always a very real possibility with Dean — Joe does not see Morrison beating him out. Not today.
Joe has a hunch whoever tipped off Graziano that Morrison may beat out Dean, that certain someone is looking to keep Dean motivated by exterior methods. As in outside of One Buc Palace.
To quote The Pope of sports radio, Mike Francesa, “That, my friends, is a plant.”
August 5th, 2025 at 7:23 am
You’re surely right Joe since you’ve been at all the practices, but it’s heartening to all us Bucs’ fans that we now have FIVE CBs who are so close in talent.
August 5th, 2025 at 7:34 am
I think our secondary is as strong this year as it’s been in years. Not as good as Barber & Kelly , but we aren’t going to get picked to death this year. Reddick is going to be a major factor
August 5th, 2025 at 7:41 am
How far back is Vindor trailing the pack?
August 5th, 2025 at 7:44 am
Feels like my team FINALLY has rich people problems. I’m chill and basking right now.
August 5th, 2025 at 7:45 am
But Defense Rules. Imagine how disheartening it must be to see Dean at the top of that list for Dean skeptics. Hahaha.
August 5th, 2025 at 7:51 am
And Joe, putting Dean at the top of that list? I like him too but he better make some plays this year. He could start by picking off Penix early and then separating Bijan from the ball late on opening day. That oughta do the trick.
August 5th, 2025 at 7:55 am
So , Jamel Dean is the best we’ve got.
August 5th, 2025 at 8:04 am
Both are going to be good players, but remember Morrison hasn’t played since he got injured early last season. The fact that he is coming along so quick is a good sign. Licht scored big drafting these two CB’s and I think we are going to see a world of change in our sacks not because of our edge rushers but because of these two guys locking people down.
August 5th, 2025 at 8:04 am
I think our secondary is as strong this year as it’s been in years. Not as good as Barber & Kelly , but we aren’t going to get picked to death this year. Reddick is going to be a major factor
August 5th, 2025 at 8:06 am
I’ve been to a couple practices and haven’t noticed Parrish outside at CB. I’d put Hall at 3rd among outside CB.
August 5th, 2025 at 8:30 am
i see good quality depth
GO BUCS!!!!
August 5th, 2025 at 8:39 am
Play Dean over Morrison, because QBs respect Deans’ presence on the field and certain options off the route tree aren’t available for QBs when Dean is healthy and available.
No need to baptize the rookie by fire, who doesn’t have the rep Dean has and would act like putting a target on him especially if he isn’t out playing Dean. Guys in a rush to get rid of talent at a position we’ve been scrambling to replace since we lost SMB & traded Davis.
August 5th, 2025 at 9:48 am
Bucs didn’t draft Morrison to ride the bench he’s going to get plenty of snaps
August 5th, 2025 at 10:18 am
You go Joe! You go Joe!
August 5th, 2025 at 10:20 am
joe, i see josh hayes listed on some depth charts as the backup at LCB, while Hall is third string at RCB. I’ve seen Morrison play LCB very well, so it would be interesting to learn which sides guys are better on. the way I see it, Hall is CJ’s backup at the LCB spot since Jacob is playing so much nickel.
August 5th, 2025 at 10:26 am
If planting motivation is the necessary strategy to get a guy making $14 million per year and in a contract year to keep an edge, he’s hopeless. Never a fan of guys who need outside motivation to keep them focused. Fournette was that way, if he had to compete for touches, he was a beast. The moment he got paid he slacked off, came to camp out of shape, ultimately flamed out of the league.
August 5th, 2025 at 11:10 am
“Bucs didn’t draft Morrison to ride the bench he’s going to get plenty of snaps”
Yea, but if he’s not better than Dean draft status means jack squat. I keep seeing people on here say this, but we’re not paying Dean to sit on the bench either and both are bouncing back from an injury plagued 2024 season.
Deans’ problem isn’t motivation or lack thereof, it’s staying healthy and it’s really that simple.
August 5th, 2025 at 12:23 pm
I’m pretty sure both Morrison and Dean will get time. No sense driving either into the ground.
August 5th, 2025 at 4:34 pm
Dean looks big and solid in practice …maybe the competition will light a fire or he’ll get hurt like always
August 5th, 2025 at 7:58 pm
Dean is paid well for a player to only produce on a mediocre level. He shows no motivation or aggressiveness. He walks n runs stiff, is timid, clumpsy, passive, soft, fragile, continues to drop passes thrown in his bread basket, n as usual, is injury prone. When I saw Morrison defending the receiver, I saw a player who was motivated n aggressive, a player who shadowed the receiver n played the ball for an int, I was super impressed. Com on man, because Morrison is a rookie, he should not be excluded from starting over Dean, he runs circles around the man.
August 6th, 2025 at 6:15 pm
Defense rules
Great way to look at it, Dean is good on paper it seems, but hard to notice watching him live. Got my money on the rookie getting snaps early while also hoping for Dean’s greatest year yet.