Odd Explanation For Jamel Dean Success
October 16th, 2025
Joe has to call a timeout on Todd Bowles.
Cornerback Jamel Dean played 92 games in Bowles’ defense, including the postseason, before the 2025 season kicked off. That’s six years of football for Tampa Bay — including six training camps and all kinds and early morning film study with Bowles and the seasoning that comes with being a starter on a Super Bowl team.
That’s a seasoned veteran with intricate knowledge of the defense. And Dean is a sharp guy, an entrepreneur who has spoken publicly about how much he used to enjoy math study.
Dean even got a massive contract extension before the 2023 season, a blessing from the front office that he was a trustworthy veteran.
Yesterday, Dean turned 29 years old.
Today, Bowles was asked why Dean is playing some of his best football this season. Bowles’ response sounded like the head coach was saying Dean is just starting to mature in his role.
“I mean, it clicks. It takes a few years to get it all down and become a seasoned vet,” Bowles replied.
“He’s healthier, No. 1. When he was healthy, he always played decent football. I think the mental part of it is clicking with the physical part right now and he’s not thinking as much. He’s playing ball and he feels free, and he’s doing a great job.”
Joe is happy for Dean, but it sure sounds wacky to hear Bowles’ first sentence describing a seven-year veteran. Joe supposes it’s possible Dean has been slow to mature and he really is now finding his best groove.
If so, the Bucs are going to have a heck of a decision to make in the offseason on Dean, after paying fellow cornerback Zyon McCollum a king’s ransom and drafting two cornerbacks.
October 16th, 2025 at 2:32 pm
Yeah.. uh huh..
Dean is maturing into a free agent, after taking a huge pay cut.
October 16th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
this is probably the first time Dean has been healthy since high school lol…
Dean has suffered ACL tears in both knees along with a host of other injuries….
happy to see him putting it all together!!!!
6-1!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 16th, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Maybe Dean has leaned more on athleticism his career and he’s only now really understanding the importance of film study. It only takes a couple big plays made from extra studying to be a junkie. Honestly he may have just not tried as hard in the classroom.
October 16th, 2025 at 2:42 pm
Free agent Dean going for the bag
October 16th, 2025 at 2:42 pm
Happy for Dean….seems like a good guy…keep it up JD and you will paid!
October 16th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
Dean plays Great during contract years!
October 16th, 2025 at 2:54 pm
Dean had to re-work his fundamentals, who remember watching him face guarding WRs downfield in 2019? I do, he was only in year 2 the SB year and as we all know everybody learns at varying/different paces. Some are quick studies, some need more time than most and some need a tangible application or a ton repition. With that said, stay healthy, keep balling, and we won’t make a scene
October 16th, 2025 at 3:13 pm
Been trying to tell some you fools that Dean can play for a long time now
Playing “more freely” might be a lot of things
More man coverage good for his skillset
More confidence to know when to me more aggressive in certain situations
He’s always been a good tackler
But damn my man got a sack !!!
We need Dean to keep balling if we’re gonna win it all this year, cause this team could damn well do it
Go Bucs
October 16th, 2025 at 3:15 pm
We need lots of good CBs as they do get injured frequently, but if Dean plays well all season that will make it more difficult for Licht to keep him in 2026 and beyond. Licht has lots of good players that are going to want to get paid, including Mayfield, and the salary cap is not unlimited. Dean has probably just one more chance at landing a big contract. If he wants to get paid full market value I would understand, but it may be elsewhere.
October 16th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
The decision was already made on Dean when they asked him to take a pay cut. It’s working out to mutual benefit this year however.
October 16th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
Sucks he starts playing like this after hes set to be a free agent. Looking back on it now you wish we woulda kept him under contract for his last year next year but then again you dont draft Morrison in the second round to shelve him for two years but its never a bad thing to have an excess amount of good corners. Obviously Dean is better suited for man coverage not zone and obviously hes really motivated by playing for a new contract.
October 16th, 2025 at 3:31 pm
Sometimes you have to poke the rattlesnake with a stick to make it strike!! That’s what the contract negotiations were…
October 16th, 2025 at 3:31 pm
I want to say it’s because we are playing more man and less Zone, but I don’t know the number
October 16th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
Great job Dean
@Beeej
We are playing more man…. I haven’t tried to figure out the % but 🤷🏼
Both our picks last week were disguised zone coverages BTW
October 16th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Mayfield ,Dean figuring it and kicking ass I’m glad its here! LFG Bucs
October 16th, 2025 at 3:53 pm
Dean is a good CB we may sign him to 1 yr contract but he is never going to get another multi-year contract from us.
October 16th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
Dean will have a new home next year. They didn’t draft 2xDBs to keep him. He’ll play great for us this year and get paid next year. Win-Win
October 16th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
Dean will stay. The pay cut was fair based on his availability. He is still making good bank especially if he is getting incentives.
October 16th, 2025 at 4:22 pm
Healthy and Motivated to get paid next year but the absolute biggest reason in my opinion is that Todd Bowles finally decides to not play his 5 to 7 yard prevent cushion of death on every down and POOF…. Different Strategy = Different Results.
October 16th, 2025 at 4:24 pm
Hearing these comments just reinforces what common sense fans know
Todd Blows cannot scheme or coach up a pass defense to save his life
October 16th, 2025 at 4:32 pm
SlyPirate … ‘Dean will have a new home next year. They didn’t draft 2xDBs to keep him. He’ll play great for us this year and get paid next year. Win-Win’.
The perfect summation. Jamel didn’t take a massive pay reduction just because ‘he felt like it’. He was obviously pressured with the ‘threat’ of being traded or whatever. Bucs were just waiting for Morrison to get healed up & get on the field.
That said though, I think there’s even more to Jamel’s story. When I look at his first 4 years, he was excellent as an outside corner, allowing an average of only a 54.2% completion percentage, and he also got 7 INTs (average of roughly 2 per season). He played in 57 games, an average of a little over 14 per season.
But his performance fell off a cliff over these past 2 years, and I’m convinced it’s because he was injured & never really made it back to 100%. His completion percentage allowed ballooned to 68.0% over those 2 years and he got only 1 INT. Only played in 25 games total (12.5 games per season average). That’s a major difference in performance & availability, and you could see his ‘sluggishness’ on the field. He’d lost speed, and it was obvious. Not good if your forte is man-to-man.
Looks to me like he’s back in tip-top shape right now and the speed has returned. Kudos to Jamel for ‘betting on himself’ & doing so well. I hope that he stays healthy & earns one final awesome contract. But it won’t be with the Bucs. We burned that bridge.
October 16th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
It has taken Nick Emmanwori 3 games to “ click” as the highest rated defensive rookie with a PFF of 84. Some will recall I was a big booster of this guy as a Bus pick at #19. He is on his way of being named DROY. He is versatile playing S or LB. Not unhappy with EE. Would have been spectacular if JL could have found away to pick both
October 16th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
You can never have too many good corners
October 16th, 2025 at 5:26 pm
There’s a whole lot of 2025 football left. If he doesn’t get hurt between now and game 17, then we’ll start talking.
Have no doubt he’ll play good ball but will he stay healthy for the stretch?
October 16th, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Competition and FA is all that’s needed to be said. Ronde mentioned he seems like he’s more invested. Yea, he’s playin for a bag this offseason.
October 16th, 2025 at 6:36 pm
I just chalk it up to coach speak. Constantly answering to reporters.
I think it has everything to do with him being 100% healthy. When he is healthy he is very good. Hell his first few years he had seven INT’s. The last couple of years I think he had one. He’s always played 12 to 15 games because of injuries, I think sometimes those injuries linger and he doesn’t play as well.
I think right now he is playing totally injury free and confident. I am still positive he will sign somewhere else, but I would gladly take him back on a more team friendly contract because we have all seen how much DB depth is needed.
October 16th, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Someone hand me the hammer – it needs to bash against my skull again after reading this.
Todd…………
October 16th, 2025 at 8:23 pm
🔨🔨🔨
Can’t hurt, might help 😉
October 17th, 2025 at 12:18 am
Dean > McCollum
Couldn’t believe the contract that Zyon got.