Todd Bowles Test Driving Several Corners At Nickel
June 4th, 2026
Where is Jacob Parrish playing?
Joe’s looking for clarity. Joe isn’t sure what KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles is looking for.
Maybe Bowles honestly doesn’t know yet who will be at outside cornerback? Maybe he’s using hackneyed 1960s high school coach gamesmanship, where the coach tries to hide who is playing where (like dumb old school coaches tried with having guys change jerseys every week).
If a guy practices at one position and one position only, Joe is sure he’s more likely to become proficient or at least play better at that position.
But Bowles on Thursday said he’s trying three guys at nickel corner: The incumbent, Jacob Parrish, Zyon McCollum and rookie Keionte Scott.
(The fact Bowles didn’t say he’s giving Benjamin Morrison a spin at nickel, does that mean Bowles is giving Morrison a gig at outside corner?)
Last year there was no question who was the Bucs’ second-best corner. It was Parrish. So with last year’s best corner (Jamel Dean) gone, wouldn’t you want Parrish on the field every snap at outside corner?
Also, the fact Bowles has McCollum taking snaps at nickel suggests McCollum doesn’t have his starting outside corner spot locked down.
On Tuesday when Bowles spoke, he was asked about Parrish practicing both slot/nickel and outside corner.
“Oh yeah, him and Zyon both,” Bowles said. “We have mixed them in there, and Keionte has gotten in there as well.
“So we’re kind of mixing guys in right now, just to see what they know.”
Look, Joe isn’t against guys knowing how to play multiple positions because injuries can and will happen. And McCollum has played nickel in this defense. So Bowles has cutups of his performance there.
If it was up to Joe, Parrish would already be practicing at outside corner full-time and whoever wins between Morrison and bored McCollum gets the other starting corner gig.
You crowed about Scott enough after tha draft that he should be at nickel.
Boom. Done.
Why is Joe stressed about this? In case folks at One Buc Palace forgot, Week 1 the Bucs defense will face Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow on the road. Joe wants the two starting corners to get as many reps at outside corner as possible, beginning right now.
Joe has stated a couple of times on the “Ira Kaufman Podcast:” You know what you have if you have five nickel corners? You’ve got a two-bit secondary.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:06 am
Already see what position tanks our season, last year OL, WR injuries previous season, this year CB is our most questionable position
June 4th, 2026 at 9:08 am
ILB was awful last season too
June 4th, 2026 at 9:11 am
I don’t have a problem with moving players around to see who excels. This is the time of year to do it. Very young team at that position! We have to hope the pieces fit.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:15 am
“In case folks at One Buc Palace forgot, Week 1 the Bucs defense will face Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow on the road. Joe wants the two starting corners to get as many reps at outside corner as possible, beginning right now.”
When it’s time to gameplan for Cincy, they’ll gameplan for Cincy.
Right now though, it’s about the pliability of the personnel on hand.
Being able to cross-train 2 of 3 supposed starters, makes it so that if the plan is to play more man-where Morrison excels & should remain outside-then you can work different matchups and know you can trust guys put in position no matter the movement pre-snap.
You can sell zone pre-snap, when you have reliability in you CBs to not have them move with WRs, but still change assignments on the fly adjusting to whatever motion while actually staying in man coverage.
The reports that Parrish got bigger this offseason from what I’ve seen of him in the photos on the team site are 100% accurate.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:20 am
A two-bit secondary built by a two-bit GM and coached by a two-bit HC\DC.
Just gotta coach it better, scheme it better, draft it better, play it better.
Solved!!!! SB after SB for the rest of the decade. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
June 4th, 2026 at 9:22 am
Reality is setting. The draft usually brings excitement and great expectations. Now, we see the gap between good and great. Again, it falls on the man stocking the roster. To him I suggest, “No, it’s not going to be alright. Don’t pass on your favorite word, ‘Hope’. We are deaf to that. If that’s the only description you have, it’s an admission of failure.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:23 am
Cincy 55 Bucs 23 And the Pom Pom squad will still love Bowles and his Swiss cheese scheme.
Pathetic
June 4th, 2026 at 9:31 am
Wooooohoooo….another jack of all trades, master of none experiment. See AWJ.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:35 am
Morrison will be better, with training camp and preseason, have no idea if he will be a capable starter. Our best hope is that Zyon remembers how he played in 24
June 4th, 2026 at 9:42 am
But three straight division titles!!
I’ll never understand how this guy didn’t get canned.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:48 am
You think just throw in a rookie and anoint him starting nickel on the first week of OTAs? He needs competition and some mentors to get up to speed. He also came in injured. If Scott doesn’t look ready, should you not know who your best option would be at nickel?
Parrish succeeded at nickel. Suddenly you dont mind moving successful players positions around?
Morrison is not tough enough to be in nickel and never has been a nickel. So he wouldn’t be put at the nickel.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:52 am
A wrist??? It’s not like the guy had a bum knee or a broken ankle or a fractured shoulder.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:54 am
WiscoJoe Says:
June 4th, 2026 at 9:42 am
But three straight division titles!!
I’ll never understand how this guy didn’t get canned.
^^^^^^^^^^
Remember when someone from the media asked Bowles why the CB’s play so far off the LOS, and he said something along the lines of that they as far off as they feel comfortable with…Does that sound like someone who knows what they’re doing? Since when do defensive players play where they want to? Not good.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:56 am
LynchMob50 Says:
June 4th, 2026 at 9:23 am
Cincy 55 Bucs 23 And the Pom Pom squad will still love Bowles and his Swiss cheese scheme.
Pathetic
^^^^^^^^^^
Lovie was “Tennessee Ready”, Bowles will be “Cincy Ready”. Hahahaha
June 4th, 2026 at 10:02 am
Just put guys in their roles and let them master it, Bowles is just causing more confusion.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:17 am
Scott could play ILB at times too and pull it off.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:18 am
“A wrist??? It’s not like the guy had a bum knee or a broken ankle and a fractured shoulder.”
It was a fractured wrist with a recovery window of 3-6 months.
Same exact procedure Capehart had.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:21 am
And completely different position. Capehart has to use his hands with brute strength each and every play. Not a nickel in underwear football.
(Ronnie Lott played with an amputated pinkie. Larry Wilson played with two broken hands.)
June 4th, 2026 at 10:23 am
No one is gifted a spot joe no matter how parish gets your juices flowing well except for Morrison who is one of the starting corners.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:25 am
“And completely different position. Capehart has to use his hands each and every play. Not a nickel in underwear football.”
Well yea, not a debilitating injury at all and from what I’ve seen of OTAs, both have their wrist wraps off already. It’s not even like they’re still “injured”
June 4th, 2026 at 10:29 am
Not against this at all…kinda a nonstory imo lol
Zyon may shadow a teams best WR which would put him in the slot at times and will probably keep him from being bored lol…Parrish will play both as well….KS im sure will play both slot and FS
GO BUCS!!!
June 4th, 2026 at 10:37 am
Joe … ‘Last year there was no question who was the Bucs’ second-best corner. It was Parrish. If it was up to Joe, Parrish would already be practicing at outside corner full-time and whoever wins between Morrison and bored McCollum gets the other starting corner gig.’
MAYBE Bowles is concerned that Parrish was targeted 77 times in 17 games last season and allowed 55 catches for a 71.4% Pass Completion Percentage Allowed. That’s significantly higher than McCollum’s 59.9% Allowed or Morrison’s 58.5% Allowed. Granted, Parrish was a rookie, but so was Morrison.
The other thing that strikes me about Parrish is that the Nickel position allows CBs to be more flexible IMO, and Jacob got excellent results blitzing, etc. He blitzed 21 times and got 2 sacks, 1 QB knockdown, 1 Hurry, 7 TFLs, plus he got 7 PDs & 2 INTs last year. I think that’s excellent productivity for a rookie in the 746 def snaps that he got.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:47 am
While I agree, in principle with Joe, I don’t think Scott is going to be Week 1 ready for primetime. I suspect they will use him situationally until he catches up with the Pro game. Morrison should have a better grasp this year, and McCollum either got his wake up call or he didn’t. We’ll find out about those 2 once the pads come on.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:53 am
Revamped and healthy Dline and Bain will help!
June 4th, 2026 at 10:54 am
“That’s significantly higher than McCollum’s 59.9% Allowed or Morrison’s 58.5% Allowed. Granted, Parrish was a rookie, but so was Morrison.”
This doesn’t tell the whole story though DR.
Morrison played in 36% of our total defensive snaps. Gave up 24 catches on 41 catch for 364 yards and 3 TDs. 112 passer rating when targeted in 359 snaps in 10 total games played
Parrish played in 71% of our total defensive snaps. Gave up 55 catches on 71 targets for 562 yards and 2 TDs. 89.9 QB rating when targeted in 746 snaps in 17 total games.
Parrish as a Nickel also had to deal with anything being thrown to the flat which highlighted his almost elite abilty to break down and make plays on ball carriers in space.
Those “targets” in close confines help skew the completion % in comparison to Morrison playing on the boundary defending more space and longer developing routes that can take him from the first to the third level.
Parrish was unquestionably the better player last year. Just comparing completion %’s doesn’t paint the whole picture.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:57 am
The defense is looking better than it has in at least two years.
The front five and the rotation look to be much improved and very good overall.
The ILBs look to be much improved and good to very good with unanswered questions about depth.
The DBs look to be healthier and probably good enough with depth that is probably good enough. With the improvements on the front five, there should be less pressure on the DBs which should make them look even better and create opportunities for them to attack instead of playing soft.
The offense is more of the same.
This team should win the division handily and advance in the playoffs if it can stay healthy.
June 4th, 2026 at 11:35 am
We spent 75 million last year on guys who were either too hurt to even practice or bored or just were not only worthless but had a trail if tears with 2 teams to go with it. And we get articles about loyalty violations? Loyalty to what?
We were due some bad luck I agree but slate is even now. Mistakes ok. Crap nfw
June 4th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Here we go again, this playing young drafted defensive players at multiple positions immediately into there development process. feel bad for Keonte Scott and Ruben Bain. Same ol defensive coaching hwe have seen over past seasons. I’m curious to see how Logan hall does with the Texans. if he has the highest sack total of his career at defensive end. Then we will know it was the coaches here and that held him back. Zach Rob will be HC in 2026 if the team has a good offensive season.
June 4th, 2026 at 12:33 pm
This defense does it backwards here, Bucs Defensive lineman cover receivers and RBs. The Bucs defensive backs rush the QB and tackle TE’s and go against offensive lineman. Crazy defensive philosophy here.
June 4th, 2026 at 12:53 pm
Joe, why do I have to point this out again? A player can be both an outside CB and a nickel CB? Ronde Barber spent his entire career on the outside UNLESS the team was in nickel, then he moved inside. Sean Murphy-Bunting did the same thing while he was here. Why is this concept lost on you?
June 4th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
A great take on this Joe. I hope Morrison plays up to his 2nd round pick status and starts at corner opposite Parrish. I hope Keonte can play nickel well and sub for Trotter in passing downs. I don’t like Zyon at nickel as he’s a terrible tackler and poor in man coverage.
June 4th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
“Sean Murphy-Bunting did the same thing while he was here. Why is this concept lost on you?”
Tykee from Nickel to Safety in 1 year.
Parrish played Nickel and outside last year.
Jordan Whitehead was a safety in name, but played like an extra box LBer. Scott is just as physical and way better in coverage.
You would figure, those questioning this would see the more spots a player could play the easier it is to get that player on the field, thus making it easier to adapt to matchups on a week-to-week basis, but nope.
They’re in this thread talking like there aren’t at least a handful of players who played in this defense and for this team that haven’t done it while being good at it.
June 4th, 2026 at 1:22 pm
Just gotta LynchMob50 it better.
June 4th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
Any chance of test driving a new HC?
June 4th, 2026 at 1:41 pm
It all starts up front….
A vastly improved and more consistent pass rush will make all our young DBs look better than average.
I LOVE the talent that GM Licht has assembled for our defensive back field – 100% via the draft….He’s been picking up good DBs every year on day 2 and 3 for the last 3 years….
This year it was Scott in the 4th. Last year it was Morrison and Parrish in the 2nd and 3rd. Year before it was Tykee Smith at the bottom of the 3rd.
McCollum is due for a big year IMO…
Winfield Jr is overdue for a big year and I expect we see a LOT of big plays from him in 2026….
Throw in UDFA JJ Roberts who the team thinks has a lot of talent and that’s 7 good, mostly young and very versatile Defensive backs!
Yes – the Bucs need to add a decent vet (who can play outside and is good at ST) to the CB room – as insurance. Licht knows this and is just waiting to find the right player at the right price for that role…
But the core of our defensive backfield is solid and stacked with young talent.
A LOT of attention was correctly placed on bolstering the defensive front 7 this offseason – and that will greatly benefit the defensive backs this year.
Bank on it!
June 4th, 2026 at 2:07 pm
Expecting the worst from the defense this year, but hoping for the best. There’s some talented DBs back there, but overall not a strength yet. It’s up to the front seven to be much improved for this team to be competitive, along with the OL staying healthy. If Baker has time to throw, I think he can overcome losing Mike with these young WRs.
June 4th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
Injuries happen and you need dudes who can flex to other spots. Good to know who can do what well so that when you mix it up, it’s not based on conjecture, but tape.