Jamel Dean Era On Thin Ice
September 28th, 2025
Will we see this scene again?
Joe is not trying to be mean; it’s just reality in the NFL.
“Your best ability is your availability.”
The old Bill Parcells quote is as true now as it was back when Parcells ran the Giants. A guy could be the next Jim Brown but if he can’t get out of the tub, he can’t help his team.
That’s where Joe is at with Jamel Dean. Last year Joe gave up on Dean because he was always hurt. “This Joe” still thinks Dean is a solid if not good corner. No Pro Bowler, but he gets the job done.
When he’s on the field.
In the Bucs’ last four playoff games, Dean has not been on the field in the fourth quarter, either because he wasn’t playing or he couldn’t finish the game because of an injury.
If you can’t help your team out in its most important games, what’s the point? That’s why Joe threw in the towel on Dean this past offseason. Not because of his ability, but his lack of availability.
So today, Dean gets hurt (again). He was having a strong season. Getting hurt in Week 4 is about on schedule for Dean. Last year, he first got hurt in Week 6.
So Joe is going to guess one of the rookies, Jacob Parrish or Benjamin Morrison will get the start for the Bucs next week in Seattle, though Morrison messed up a hamstring in the fourth quarter and his status is uncertain.
Parrish has played great as a slot corner and Bucs coach Todd Bowles has mentioned more than once that Parrish can play outside corner.
Morrison is getting his feet wet in the NFL as most of training camp he was hurt. He played well today, replacing Dean with three solo tackles and a pass defensed, but he left the game with a hamstring injury.
Whichever rookie replaces Dean, if he plays well, it could be a true changing of the guard at corner.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
Thought Morrison looked good when he was in there. Hopefully the hamstring isn’t too bad.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
Shocker, we try the same thing over and over and we get the same disappointing result by putting Jamal Dean on the field….
Can’t believe we had a Jamel Dean brigade forming in the off-season
September 28th, 2025 at 5:12 pm
Morrison played great!!
September 28th, 2025 at 5:15 pm
How was Dean having a good season because he got the pick 6? Dean healthy or not should not be starting anymore.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Fire the punter and special teams coach. Hire one of those Australian NCAA punters that runs off to the side and kicks it
September 28th, 2025 at 5:20 pm
I dont think Morrison is built for the NFL. He’s Dean 2.0.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:21 pm
the secondary was not todays problem
September 28th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Punter wasn’t an issue till we got stupid
September 28th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Our coverage was tighter after Dean went out… Don’t like that he is hurt, but reality is that he is not that good….
@joe, if “ Your best ability is your availability”: I am available, why am I not hired by the Bucs? A bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think? 😉
September 28th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
Well, Morrison seems to be ANOTHER player that can’t stay on the field. Just another injury prone Bucs player. Sad!
September 28th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
parrish has played every game including pre season. non-brittle.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:33 pm
Good, Dean continues to give a 5 to 7 yard cusion on wide recievers.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
I questioned them drafting Morrison from the beginning because of this exact reason. He can’t stay healthy & you’d think they would’ve learned from Dean & Carlton & with them always being hurt. Why can’t we just draft & sign players that aren’t injury prone? Especially on D.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:35 pm
I would’ve passed on Dean & Carlton from the beginning, too!
September 28th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
I get it guys get injured. The thing is this teams secondary is decimated by injury by week four every year. They keep resigning these injury prone guys. Then JL goes and drafts injured players because they are good value picks. I fully understand why a player in his thirties has recurring injury issues. But to draft young players straight out of college with injury history. Seems crazy to me.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:54 pm
Morrison looked good as heck and Parrish can’t be dropping them gimmies. Over all if we don’t start slow the only team seeing us is the Rams💯 fully healthy we gone be a problem. Gotta clean up our Special Team……. O n Dean is done ✌🏾
September 28th, 2025 at 5:57 pm
Crazy how bad special teams has been for a while now
September 28th, 2025 at 6:08 pm
Dean, if I’m not mistaken, is one of the highest “rated” corners in the league.
It’s great that Morrison looks good…. doesn’t mean Dean needs to go.
September 28th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Difficult to claim a changing of the guard when the guy supposedly replacing Dean is proving to be just as injury-prone and undependable.
September 28th, 2025 at 6:24 pm
@GoneGator
Correct sir
September 28th, 2025 at 6:24 pm
How close is Izien? Seems we may need him in the slot and Parrish out wide here soon. Morrison seems injury prone thus far as well but I will chalk that up to the hip surgery and his lower body not quite being ready for consistent battle.
September 28th, 2025 at 6:26 pm
“Good, Dean continues to give a 5 to 7 yard cusion on wide recievers”
The only people triggered by this are fans who don’t know how coverage works
How many passes have sailed over our CBs heads and resulted in explosive pass plays against us through 4 games?
September 28th, 2025 at 6:52 pm
Morrison seems more injury prone than Dean so not sure how he’s going to ever be a true replacement.
Then again our whole team is injury prone.
September 28th, 2025 at 6:59 pm
Dean should’ve been gone years ago. Licht loves to hang on to his clunkers.
September 28th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
Who was covering the middle of the field….
O wait…
Nobody
September 28th, 2025 at 7:37 pm
Because rookies perform so well in bowles complex defense. Dean? how about the rest of the mash unit not playing.
September 28th, 2025 at 8:00 pm
Dean, the man made of glass, should have been gone a long time ago.
September 28th, 2025 at 8:07 pm
I adore Morrison. He’s gonna be a great press corner.
September 28th, 2025 at 8:29 pm
@BoltsFan17
@JohnQCitizen
I’ve been saying that about Dean for awhile. He should’ve been gone already.
September 28th, 2025 at 9:26 pm
In the first half every receiver for the Eagles were wide open within 10 yards of line scrimmage. They played so damn soft. Then the second half- Zyon, Morrison and Parrish along with the safeties were locking receivers down! Those are no slouch receivers, why in the hell don’t they play the tight coverage every week???The defense dominated in the second half doing that.
As far as Dean, he’s been playing well this year and he’s capable of that as well, but the guy is a walking mash unit. He’s there for depth this year and then he’ll be gone.
September 29th, 2025 at 8:12 am
Availability aside, Dean has been one of the best corners in the league this year
September 29th, 2025 at 8:34 am
Should have been released, a long time ago, wasted money!
September 29th, 2025 at 10:20 am
Jamel Dean is a good player, but I agree. He’s injury prone. Maybe putting him in slot would keep him healthy longer?
Otherwise, he should not be starting. He has the talent, but they need to play him less to stretch him out during the season.
I hate when injuries prevent a good player from becoming great.