Benjamin Morrison Must Step Up Immediately
November 17th, 2025
Rookie cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
One way to teach a kid how to swim — though not very smart — is how parents did before electricity: Throw a kid in the river and he/she will learn how to swim real quick.
Hello, Benjamin Morrison.
With cornerback Jamel Dean injuring his hip — and man, Joe would be surprised if Dean starts at Los Angeles next week the way he limped off the field and in the locker room yesterday — Morrison is getting thrown into the river.
Better learn how to swim, Benjamin. Fast!
Yes, Joe knows the rookie second-round pick has gotten a fair amount of snaps this season in a rotation with Dean. It’s one thing to defend well against the slimy Saints. It’s quite another to defend well when you’re facing top-shelf quarterbacks.
Was anyone surprised when Josh Allen regularly targeted Morrison after Dean left early in yesterday’s loss to Buffalo? We all saw how Drake Maye went after Morrison last week.
Morrison doesn’t look ready to be a starter, certainly not the past two games, certainly not facing elite quarterbacks.
Oh, look: Here comes Matt Stafford and Sean McVay!
Morrison is going to have to grow into a veteran in a hurry.
Joe is certainly hoping Morrison can handle the Rams. Right now, that appears to be a very tall task.
(Ah, good ol’ hope. At Morrison’s alma mater, Notre Dame, players tap a sign as they enter the tunnel to the field. It reads, “Play like a champion.” Well, the Bucs have a “Hope to win” sign they tap when arriving for work in every office and the locker room at One Buc Palace.)
It’s awfully hard to hide a cornerback in the NFL. Lord knows the Bucs tried many times during The Lost Decade and the results were painfully predictable.
Only an idiot of an offensive coordinator wouldn’t target an adjusting rookie corner. And McVay is no idiot.
Cross fingers and toes, rub a rabbit’s foot, hunt for a four-leaf clover, work a rosary, whatever you have to do for good fortune; do it in an effort to aid Morrison next week facing McVay and Stafford.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:02 am
Bucs offense scores 44 and we get the Rams to overtime.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:04 am
“One way to teach a kid how to swim — though not very smart — is how parents did before electricity: Throw a kid in the river and he/she will learn how to swim real quick.”
I can tell Joe is a big John Wayne fan…
LOL!
BM seems to be a decent cover CB but he needs to stay healthy. He’s been injury prone since his Sophmore year at ND.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:04 am
McVay is Todd Blows DADDY
Every time there is a Bucs/Rams matchup educated fans know Todd is getting outmatched
6-5 here we come
November 17th, 2025 at 9:05 am
We need Dean back. I know might sound ridiculous to some, but we missed him yesterday. Collided with Parrish on that possession the rookie got that pick, and we didn’t see him in the game after that and it showed
There was that one JBF poster that kept saying Morrison was going to take Deans’ spot and outplay him all off-season?
Morrsion might as well be called “Poliwag” at this point with the target he has on him. Mind you, we drafted this kid because he thrived as a man cover corner collegiately. McVay & Stafford will know who to attack early.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:12 am
Hate to say it but when you get tagged for 44 points, Morrison wasn’t the only guy out of position and not getting the job done. The rest of the crew doesn’t have the “excuse” of being a rookie that missed most of training camp. This is the same system we’ve seen for the past few years. Seriously, Yaya Diaby was the coverage on a WR?!! Nelson covering Cook?!
November 17th, 2025 at 9:13 am
not ready for the nfl. barely had camp, injured during the season, kid of todd’s buddy from his playing days. what else is there to say about this guy at this time.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:17 am
I thought I was watching the lost decade yesterday the defense was clueless, and looked scared of Allen
November 17th, 2025 at 9:22 am
Majority of the corners in the league are going to struggle when you cant get to the qb. Pass rush has been a problem for years and hasn’t improved. Add special teams to that too. And Lichts 2 big off-season signings aren’t contributing and wont this year.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:23 am
Kid is probably going to get schooled again in LA as Bowles will use a very soft zone and McVay will target the kid along with YaYa and Nelson when Bowles has them plying 20 yards off of the line of scrimmage. Reddick is worthless as he is not on the field and Bowles will not use hime to rush Stafford anyway if he can play. Fire Bowles.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:25 am
Doesn’t matter any quarterback can find a wide open receiver when there is no pass rush. On a good note diaby is undefeated in roshambo with the tackles take the wins when you seem em.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:26 am
Bowels hasn’t seen a pass rush he likes don’t want em don’t know what they are even if I see them. Defensive mastermind.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:27 am
Licht can’t draft his way out of bad coaching. Let’s enjoy 9-8 and a possible division title with a first-round playoff exit, and talk about how great it is to have won multiple division titles with Todd Bowles at the helm.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:27 am
Marine, I was confused by your reference to “BM”. At first, I thought you referring to the head coach.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:28 am
Man cant remember the last time I saw so many wide open receivers. O well this is what u get with Bowles
November 17th, 2025 at 9:30 am
Oh now everybody wants Dean back lol. I did not notice a lot of Morrison out there. I wasn’t specifically looking for him, but I did notice he had good coverage on a deep shot.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:30 am
He will be fine…. Just not this season
He will have to man up and make plays on the ball before QB’s stop picking on him.
He’s a rookie and has missed a lot of full speed practice
November 17th, 2025 at 9:31 am
If braswell breaksout like Jason said he was we will ship him out get that sh!t out of here we don’t need it and don’t want it.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:36 am
AI
“ 4
Get to know Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-round pick Benjamin Morrison
Over three seasons at Notre Dame (2022–2024), Benjamin Morrison played in 31 games, recording 93 tackles (69 solo), 9 interceptions, and 18 passes defended. He was a Freshman All-American in 2022 and earned significant playing time in his debut season, making his first career start and tying an NCAA single-game record with three interceptions against Boston College. Despite a season-ending injury in 2024, he continued to be a leader on the defense and was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft “
November 17th, 2025 at 9:38 am
Thank God Bowles is getting him experience just in case Dean leaves. Im sure the team loves that idea. Fellas were going to get burned and lose games but Jamel might leave so we gotta suck it up for Benjamin and lose. Alright! LETS Lose on 3! GO BUCS!!
November 17th, 2025 at 9:39 am
He’s a rookie and he is going to have to take his lumps, Like Ronde did
@joe is no one going to bring up that play by Zyon yesterday where, not only was he 15 yards off but then just stood there as he watched their WR tip the ball up in the air and somehow catch it with his toes inbound…..All while Zyon just watching the whole thing. Something is wrong with this guy
November 17th, 2025 at 9:41 am
i’m not even watching the rams game!
November 17th, 2025 at 9:44 am
Rams game is not even on my radar, defense is not worth watching
November 17th, 2025 at 9:46 am
Todd will have Morrison rush the passer and Vita Vea drop back in coverage more than once. Exotic Todd will strike again. Rest assured the Bucs will lose this week. Todd out-coached again. Nothing new
November 17th, 2025 at 9:47 am
Jason’s not a the great talent evaluator he thinks he is. Nothing new.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:47 am
But at least we have an elite pass rush to help the rookie CB out! Oh wait… we love hoarding draft picks and dropping pass rushers into coverage 30 yards deep.
I also can’t believe at one point Todd rushed 3 and then had Vita Vea drop into coverage only leaving 2 guys to get after Allen. I’m dumbfounded.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:47 am
Problem solved, just have Morrison rush the passer and put Anthony Nelson on receivers.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:53 am
He’s a rookie.hes gonna struggle.hes gonna get targeted. Hes gonna get beat.
But his biggest problem, is that hes expected to cover NFL WRs forever.
Because our Dline can’t rush the QB.
Everytime you are yelling at our CBs, it’s only because of our pathetic pass rush.
Deion Sanders couldn’t cover WRs, with the time our DL gives them.
So scream about the rook all you want. He’s a rook- but he’s not the real problem.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:57 am
So far, Private Benjamin is looking like a comp to former Buc legend Hot Rod ( not Mulch ) Jones. It’s been fugly. Puka and Adams are frothing at the mouth.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:00 am
Who the heck is Tyrell Shavers and why did a UDFA torch us ?
November 17th, 2025 at 10:02 am
We need to bring Ariana back and demote Todd back to D.C. That’s my daily dream. I support Todd because hes the coach and I cant root against him. But his defense is horrific right now.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:04 am
Injury plagued year, probably finish 11-6, win the division and one and done
November 17th, 2025 at 10:14 am
This team is in trouble and bigger trouble looms with the Rams. This and the earlier blog about the defense in the locker room after the game yesterday really is telling. Guess all you can say is how many points will the Rams get this week. This could be a disgrace on national tv. The Bucs don’t play well in prime time. Baker does not play well in prime. To add to that the Bucs have no pass game currently or pass rush and the defense has been giving away big plays like it is Christmas time. Apparantly the defense is not concerned and Car. is now pushing to get the division title.
Wow from a season that truly looked like a super bowl run to a team that currently could not even make the playoffs.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:20 am
For everyone who is still Lichting Jason’s b*lls and asking why the Bucs just don’t pass the test…
Check out the picks from Rounds 1-3 over the past 11 years.
2014:
Rd 2 | #38: ASJ
Rd 3 | #69: Charles Sims
2015:
Rd 1 | #1: Jameis
Rd 2 | #34: Donovan Smith
2016:
Rd 1 | #11: Vernon Hargreaves
Rd 2 | #39: Noah Spence
Rd 2 | #59: Roberto Aguayo
2017:
Rd 1 | #19: OJ Howard
Rd 2 | #50: Justin Evans
2018:
Rd 2 | #38: Ronald Jones
Rd 2 | #53: MJ Stewart
Rd 2 | #63: Carlton Davis III
Rd 3 | #93: Alex Cappa
2019:
Rd 1 | #5: Devin White
Rd 2 | #39: Sean Murphy Bunting
Rd 3 | #94: Jamel Dean
Rd 3 | #99: Mike Edwards
2020:
Rd 3 | #76: Ke’Shawn Vaughn
2021:
Rd 1 | #32: JTS
Rd 2 | #64: Kyle Trask
Rd 3 | #95: Robert Hainsey
2022:
Rd 2 | #33: Logan Hall
2023:
Rd 1 | #19: Calijah Kancey (Can he stay healthy?)
Rd 2 | #48: Cody Mauch (Another Alex Cappa?)
Rd 3 | #82: YaYa Diaby (Just a guy)
2024:
Rd 2 | #57: Chris Braswell (Who?)
November 17th, 2025 at 10:22 am
Oh quit crying, grow a pair and move on. Yall sound like a bunch of babies. Take the L like a men and move on.
I swear my wife must be out here posting on this forum
November 17th, 2025 at 10:24 am
All of the focus on these guys character has probably missed us some really good players. Also constantly drafting guys who you played football with their dad just doesn’t seem to be working.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:26 am
Well Joe we all know it was only a matter of time before this was going to happen to Dean. I am not a defensive coordinator but maybe we should not have Yaya and Anthony Nelson in coverage down the field, we got burned twice by a hall of fame quarterback on Sunday. Oh and maybe we could stop a pass in the flats to a running back also. Mcvay may throw ten balls into the flat until the Bucs stop it. Maybe also in the fourth quarter, Todd, we could not play soft zone and have a defender within 10 yards of the receiver of your choice. Especially since we don’t believe in pass rush and the quarterback, insert name here, could have a sandwich and cold beer to pick it apart. Go Bucs let’s get back on track.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:27 am
ElioT:
Excellent summary. I give Licht a ton of credit for begging big brother Bruce Arians outta retirement. That changed everything after The Winston Era/Error.
He’s still well below .500 as the GM and is on his 4th coach. Tenured professors at Lefty U. have less job security than Licht.
The Licht House / Ring of Honor monikers are amusing but disingenuous. I understand staying on his good side is necessary/good for business, however.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:29 am
1I was torn on him from the beginning & I can see why now.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:30 am
Meh, it really doesn’t matter when you call for Yaya Diaby and Anthony Nelson to cover wide receivers 20 – 40 yards downfield. Or when your former all-pro, highest-paid safety in the league is out of position multiple times throughout the game.
This defense sucks.
The special teams suck.
Until those coaches are fired, we will be a mediocre team that’s just good enough to get stomped in the wild card and have low draft picks. Licht, Bowles and the organization will continue to celebrate mediocrity though.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:30 am
Good coaches run out guys like JTS and Braswell after 3 years. Never mind their draft status.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:32 am
I KNOW! Blitz him and have yaya drop back in coverage. That will work…
I swear, the best way to help a corner is to give him safety help or rush the passer.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:39 am
DS … ‘I thought I was watching the lost decade yesterday the defense was clueless, and looked scared of Allen’.
‘Clueless’ is such an apt description DS. Buffalo’s WRs are lower-tier in the NFL, and yet our defense made them look like world-beaters. That was shameful.
Two aspects of yesterday’s game really pissed me off.
1 – S/Ts play on kickoff returns was abysmal. If we just kick it into the end zone, they get it at the 35-yard line. So ANY return over 35 yards is unconscionable; just kick it into the friggin end zone. And yet, yesterday the Bucs allowed FOUR kickoff returns of over 35 yards … FOUR. The total of just those 4 was 190 yds allowed (61, 44, 41 & 44). Bills scored 1 TD on one of those drives, and a FG on another … 10 points … that were made a LOT easier because of field position from those returns.
2 – Explosive plays continue to haunt this defense (I view 10 yds or more on a run play & 20 yds or more on a pass play as being ‘explosive’). Yesterday it’s obvious that Bowles had his defense totally focused on stopping the Bills’ run game. And they succeeded. Bucs gave up ZERO runs of 10 yds or more; Bills longest run was 9 yards, and their average was 4.2 YPC (23-for-97 with 3 TDs rushing).
But we gave up SEVEN completed passes of 20 or more yds. THREE of them went for TDs, and ALL of them occurred on drives that the Bills scored on. IOW they were critical to the game outcome. And it’s not like these were contested passes; Bills WRs were wide open on most of them. That means either broken coverages or gross mismatches were created. The first is on the players; the second is on the coaches. I’ll go with the second in most cases.
Bowles’ Pass Defense schemes are archaic. Or maybe ‘clueless’ is the better word.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:39 am
Like others have said, not sure I can watch the Rams game. This defense is just so bad. A large part of it is coaching. As always, a no confidence vote for Bowles. The guy has never proven me wrong. If the Bucs win the division, it will still be one and done.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:54 am
The funny thing about “he’s a rookie” is that theres’ a handful of you that go out your way to bash a guy like Braswell, even though he hardly plays some of us see Morrison check in and know’s where in “uht oh” territory. Do you think Matt Stafford won’t watch tape or our injury report and give a rip that Morrison is a rookie? No, he’s going to take advantage of it until Morrison can play at a level where testing him doesn’t seem smart.
I know some won’t admit it, but we missed the hell out of Dean yesterday.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:54 am
Eliot… why would you leave picks off? Those were the good players that didn’t fit your narrative.
Expand to round 5 and check how many guys are still collecting NFL paychecks compared to every other team in the league.
Pretty sure those stats have been run and Licht is near the top of the league. This severe lack of talent can go into Seattle and win … comes back to coaching and developing.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:56 am
McCollum hasn’t been good either but put Parrish on the outside and Izien in the slot. Leave BMo on the bench. Get Bryce Hall up here. They have many options.
If Bowles isn’t doing what it takes to get the best players on the field to win games then he is doing the Bucs a disservice.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:58 am
Another second round bust.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:59 am
Let’s write an article about the real issue. The head coach/defensive coordinator having a defensive end dropping in coverage and getting roasted. He must be the only dumb coach in the NFL that thinks that’s a good idea.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:03 am
Where are my posts?
November 17th, 2025 at 11:05 am
The only solution is to put Parrish in Dean’s spot and have Vernor or Izien go to the slot. Morrison couldn’t cover the Bill’s no name no t nothing receiver corp. I shudder to think how he will look against Puku and Adams.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:06 am
Toad’s “exotic” defense that the color guys rave about is part of the problem. Morrison’s strength was supposed to be man coverage. So now he starts and how often will he play man or “the system” (that is so sophisticated to learn)? Simplify the system and rookies can do more than watch opponents catch ball after ball. Bowles just must have his system! He’s a defensive genius!!!
Where’s the survey???!
November 17th, 2025 at 11:10 am
Nelson wasn’t in coverage. He saw that it was blown and ran after the guy
November 17th, 2025 at 11:12 am
Morrison had zero training camp and is a rookie, give him time to develop. As mentioned in this thread Ronde Barber struggled as a rookie. Quite frankly McCollum didn’t look much better to me.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:16 am
I dont understand why we just can’t have Nelson & Diaby cover receivers for the first 30 yards downfield and then have the safeties run over and try to tackle the reciver after the catch.
That way we can dial up some more exotic blitzes that Todd is so famous for. Even if thet don’t get home, they look great and the announcers make a point to tell everyone what a genius Todd is.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:20 am
Lol bucs fans wanted dean cut in preseason in favor of morrison lol. Now look at em.. they begged for Sirvocea for 2 years, now look at them. Outside of the saints game whay has anthony nelson done? Besides
Get out of his run gaps. And dont give me a play or 2 where he is in coverage. All bucs fans do is cry for things, and then when they get them, they wonder why some of the players werent playing in the first place.
Does anyone remember when yaya was a rookie and he wasnt a starter and fans cried that he should get more snaps…well hell, he had more sacks as a part time player than a full time player. And before you blame bowles for player devolpment, how many of these players leave the bucs and light it up elsewhere…… I’ll wait
November 17th, 2025 at 11:22 am
“Morrison had zero training camp and is a rookie, give him time to develop. As mentioned in this thread Ronde Barber struggled as a rookie.”
Ronde also sat behind players who were more talented at the time and didn’t “struggle” he played 1 game, also that was almost 30 years ago
November 17th, 2025 at 11:25 am
Saskbucs
I AGREE!!!!!
zyon hasnt played well imo this year and morrison gives up huge plays every time he’s on the field….
bowles has to shake up something on his defense….send a message to the team…when VHGIII wasnt playing well and was caught laofing, BA sent him packing….that sent a message to the team…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 17th, 2025 at 11:27 am
@ Saskbucs – I left the good picks off as I wanted to focus more on the misses. No other motive. Jason has made some very great picks but, the batting % in rounds 1-3 is not good, not even close.
You can’t strike out on that many players and expect to have a sustainable winner.
Without Brady and Baker, JL would not have a job.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:28 am
I thought…Bowles was a Defensive Guru?
November 17th, 2025 at 11:30 am
Perhaps reddick could start earning his paycheck and help our secondary out
November 17th, 2025 at 11:31 am
McCullom was terrible yesterday, saw him observing and taking notes on many plays!!! Winfield better have a talk with his dad!!! he has totally regressed. We love you LVD but time to retire. Go Bucs
November 17th, 2025 at 11:33 am
its frustrating watching CBs fail in zone coverage when they excelled in man coverage in college….
and its frustrating to see LBs/DEs cover WRs down the field while lacking pass rush…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 17th, 2025 at 11:43 am
We need to have that risk it for the biscuit attitude at coaching
November 17th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
We should rename Jamel Dean Mr. Glass after the Samuel L. Jackson movie character.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:10 pm
Could it be that the Bucs lust got picked apart and beaten by a very, mobile and hard to sack quarterback yesterday? Heck the Bucs defense is not the only defense that has trouble with Josh Allen. But Josh Allen has never played in a Super Bowl. Amazing!!
I am confident the Bucs have a very good chance of beating the Rams in L.A.!! Baker Mayfield will see to it. Baker may even have a little inside information to share with the team. Hopefully, BI7 and CG 14 will be back to add to the offense!!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Rams !!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Todd bolwes is living in 2005. JL has always sucked. Lucked into Brady.
CLEAN HOUSE!!!! So many b ad moves and bad coaching
November 17th, 2025 at 12:28 pm
Bartow Buc, put down that meth pipe before it burns your lips and hands!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
You fans set your bar too high I mean it’s not like they have been absolutely horrid every time they run a zone scheme with constant coverage busts, oh wait.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
@ElioT & @Winny Testaverde
it’s not an excellent summary because he intentionally left off every good pick from rounds 1 – 3, only posting the average ones or the misses. So it’s actually moronic.
Why make a list of “round 1 – 3 draft picks” and then leave off:
– Mike Evans
– Ali Marpet
– Chris Godwin
– Vita Vea
– Tristan Wirfs
– Antoine Winfield Jr
– Luke Goedeke
– Rachaad White
– Graham Barton
– Tykee Smith
– Jalen McMillan
– Emeka Egbuka
– Jacob Parrish
Congrats on your presidential level of lying and disingenuousness.
What’s even funnier is that half the names you listed were still good picks / hey contributors to our SB win.
The best GMs only hit about 50% in the first round, and that number goes down from there. So you basically just proved Licht is a very good drafter.
Licht’s problem is that he gets too attached to his draft picks and refuses to upgrade when there are better FAs available. But as far as the draft comes, he’s pretty damn good.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
As for the names you did include:
Rd 2 | #34: Donovan Smith
Rd 2 | #38: Ronald Jones
Rd 2 | #63: Carlton Davis III
Rd 3 | #93: Alex Cappa
Rd 1 | #5: Devin White
Rd 2 | #39: Sean Murphy Bunting
Rd 3 | #94: Jamel Dean
Rd 3 | #99: Mike Edwards
Rd 1 | #19: Calijah Kancey (Can he stay healthy?)
Rd 2 | #48: Cody Mauch (Another Alex Cappa?)
^ All played HUGE roles in our SB victory and team success in recent years.
And guys like Noah Spence or Justin Evans looked great before having career-ending injuries.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
The problem with this team is coaching, not drafting.