Todd Bowles Gets Candid About Benjamin Morrison; GM Lauds Rookie
November 19th, 2025
Problems broken down by coach.
Rookie cornerback Benjamin Morrison’s growing pains have been felt by Bucs fans, especially the past two weeks.
Joe’s not exaggerating.
Morrison has been roasted and toasted by the Patriots and Bills. Matthew Stafford and the high-flying Rams await.
Before Sunday’s kickoff in Buffalo, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht said, via the Buccaneers Radio Network, his 2025 second-round draft pick “had a little bit of a welcome-to-the-NFL moment” against the Patriots. But Licht noted fans should be bullish on Morrison because he’s showing his promise on the field.
“Don’t sleep on Ben Morrison,” Licht said with conviction.
Joe heard that and smiled, and then Joe really perked up when starting cornerback Jamel Dean got hurt in the first quarter minutes later. Morrison was thrust into action. It didn’t go well.
Yesterday, Todd Bowles told the Buccaneers Radio Network that Morrison had “two busts” in the game and is thinking too much.
“Ben knew the gameplan, obviously, he had two bad plays [in Buffalo]. Obviously he can’t have the two plays that he had,” Bowles said.
“He’s getting more experience and he’s coming into his own right now. But Dean just has more experience right now and has made more plays. So losing somebody like that — and you’re losing your playmaker — and having a guy that’s just coming into it and having to get more reps, you know, you lose a little bit mentally that way. But [Morrison] fought and he battled. Obviously he didn’t lose the game. He made some decent plays then he had two busts.”
Bowles went on to explain what’s dragging down Morrison’s game.
“Seeing things for the first time, I think it’s translating different in the pros than it does in college,” Bowles said. “And I think he’s very bright mentally and he’s trying to put two and two together and I think he’s doing a good job at handling all that. He just has to handle his spot and not try to see the entire game. That’s when he gets in trouble. When he doesn’t look at his side and he tries to see the entire game, then he starts thinking too much when he just goes out and plays his game, and uses his fundamentals and technique. He’s great.”
Simply stated: Morrison is a rookie and he’s no Jacob Parrish.
November 19th, 2025 at 11:46 am
Oh Brother. We are about to really lose 4 of 5 games wont we??
November 19th, 2025 at 11:54 am
The lack of accountability for this team continues! I’m not saying you’ve got to throw the guy under the bus (the loss is more on bowles than him), but the way they’re talking about him, you’d think he won NFC player of the week.
November 19th, 2025 at 11:58 am
Morrison is doing fine for a rookie. I’m more concerned how Mccolum is giving me JTS vibes
November 19th, 2025 at 12:03 pm
Vildor is the better option right now but I haven’t lost faith in BM he’s just a rookie with no training camp and it shows
November 19th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
The level of talent takes an obvious nose-dive when Morrison comes in for Dean.
The latter has a track record when healthy, the former is a rookie who’s mettle will be tested until he can make whomever he’s guarding a low % option for opposing QBs. Until that happens, it’s flame on like Johnny Storm.
Here’s what’s weird to me, on defense a guy like B-Mo can see the field when the guy he’s playing behind is healthy/hurt.
Meanwhile on offense guys like Culp, Kam Johnson, & Payne Durham have a combined 8 targets for 4 catches while being healthy/avalaible all season. For all the “we dont have mike/chris/Jmac” then why the blue hell aren’t the other guys getting more action.
Cade Otton is unofficially WR2 right now.
November 19th, 2025 at 12:05 pm
Parrish is a dog. Morrison sips milk from a saucer.
November 19th, 2025 at 12:06 pm
“Morrison is doing fine for a rookie. I’m more concerned how Mccolum is giving me JTS vibes”
Jacob Parrish is doing “fine” for a rookie, Morrison is getting slow cooked like a pork shoulder
November 19th, 2025 at 12:08 pm
It’s starting to seem like giving Dean a pay cut (nearly guaranteeing he signs elsewhere next year) was a huge mistake
November 19th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
“”“Don’t sleep on Ben Morrison,” Licht said with conviction””
Jason has lost a lot of credibility for his boasts about Chris Braswell, Diaby, Dennis and others before the season.
November 19th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
Ready or not there’s only one way to get NFL experience, this is not a SB caliber team with the players available to play.
Giving CG that massive sentimental contract was not a good decision, cold but still not a good decision.
Let’s move Garrett Green up to the 53 …. Soon !
Bucs pick @19
November 19th, 2025 at 12:27 pm
I’m still waiting for Licht’s premonition that Braswell is going to shock the world. Licht is overrated and thinks way too highly of his draft prowess and overall performance as GM, mainly because he drinks too much of the aas kissing kool aid from the local media. Instead of keeping receipts he should be paying his dues because this team has a lousy defense with minimal talent and he sat on his soft hands at the trade deadline, telling the world that this is not a superbowl caliber team.
November 19th, 2025 at 12:39 pm
He could be equivalent to Parrish but he’s missed a lot of time early on dealing with injuries….AND he’s a rookie. Ronde Barber was avg at best his rookie year and he developed into a HOF player. Let’s be honest, Bowles scheme is exceptionally difficult for veterans to master, Winfield has had some mental errors this year and he’s in yr 4? The scheme doesn’t do anyone any favors no matter how long they’ve been in it so that’s on the coach more than anything. The idea the scheme only can be functional if there’s perfect execution has proven to be ineffective. Yaya 30 yds down the field isn’t busted coverage, it’s a terrible scheme. Winfield attempting shed 300 lb blockers for an exotic pass rush isn’t a matter of poor execution, it’s a failed scheme. Our HC being a former secondary player has a flawed perspective that the game is won on the backside of the defense instead of upfront with your big men. At some point we have to start calling it for what it is, not what it was supposed to be.
November 19th, 2025 at 12:54 pm
It appears more and more that Bud Licht is the problem. Personnel and coaching are ultimately his responsibility.
November 19th, 2025 at 12:58 pm
He is a rookie who missed the beginning of the season in a bad scheme what are we even doing here.
November 19th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
The real issue is that the defensive scheme is so complicated that losing any starter turns our D into a mess. I think we’d all be happy with a 4-3 defense that lets pass rushers rush the passer, that didn’t require a masters degree to run. It’s hard to swallow when the broadcasters talk about Bowles masterful defense that will confuse QBs, only to watch the defense give up 400-500 yards. This is getting old.