Sean Murphy-Bunting Is Back
August 31st, 2026
Welcome back.
It was the common-sense thing to do.
The Bucs were staring at a borderline crisis at cornerback. After the Bucs announced their 53-man roster last night, the starting outside corners facing Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on opening day were Jacob Parrish, who has limited experience at outside corner, and bored Zyon McCollum.
Depending on who you are in the Bucs’ organization, the CB3 was either oft-injured and unproven Benjamin Morrison and a rookie undrafted free agent in Ayden Garnes.
Hey, Garnes is a great story but stories don’t win football games. Not against elite opponents.
Joe last night banged the keyboard for the Bucs to sign former Bucs corner Sean Murphy-Bunting, the Bucs’ 2019 second-round draft pick. He was a starting corner in 2020 when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl. He knows the defense so there would be minimal adjustment.
Well, the Bucs did just that today.
Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht signed SMB as a free agent, so he is back with the Bucs. No word yet on a corresponding move from the Bucs to make room on the roster.
This was just smart. Now if you want to argue it is a red flag to pick up Arizona’s trash, that’s reasonable. Or you could say the Bidwill clan has a rich history of dumb moves that dates back to the Harry Truman administration.
For Joe, it is just as likely Arizona made a mistake turning loose SMB.
August 31st, 2026 at 6:32 pm
Solid move. Not Earth shattering, but solid
August 31st, 2026 at 6:33 pm
GREAT depth that will push the young guys
August 31st, 2026 at 6:33 pm
I personally want to keep him over Dean. Hopefully hes good to go.
August 31st, 2026 at 6:35 pm
Please let the cut be Feeney
August 31st, 2026 at 6:37 pm
I guess he will backup Keionte Scott in the slot
August 31st, 2026 at 6:38 pm
Well that’s someone! Now what about a safety?
August 31st, 2026 at 6:38 pm
Thé Chiefs signed Pyburn.
I’m really pissed. He’s an elite young talent. Fordham is not an elite young athlete.
Whst thé heck do we need 5 MLB for?
They don’t rotate. LVD and SVD did not rotate with Deion Jones, Bulluck or Nick Jackson last year.
We only need 4 MLB.
OLBs rotate alot! Ànd they are more important than MLB.
I guarantee we will regret letting Pyburn leave. He will be thé next Trey Hendrickson. Mixed with Romanowski.
I’m really annoyed also with 10 offensive linemen. 10?
And none of the backups are even good.
Feeney, Skule, Chukwuma, Schrauth and Haggard are mediocre.
Pyburn? He looked like an absolute killer.
We could have had a badass OLB draft class with Bain and Pyburn.
I’m really bummed.
August 31st, 2026 at 6:42 pm
Zzzzzzzz
August 31st, 2026 at 6:42 pm
Bucs also just signed QB Easton Stick. He was with Robinson and T.J. Yates in Atlanta last year, so he knows the offensive system very well already. He also seems to fit the Mayfield/Daniels style far better than Browning ever did.
August 31st, 2026 at 6:43 pm
Good move. Hopefully he something left. The CB room is being held together by scotch tape right now. Bucs need to get another CB and Safety.
August 31st, 2026 at 6:45 pm
@Teacherman
Agreed!! Usually I don’t care too much about this kind of thing, but Jack Pyburn may be the best pass rusher Licht and his staff have EVER found in the draft/undrafted outside of Rueben Bain.
The guy was an animal in his brief amount of plays. If he plays with that same chip on his shoulder, we may be talking about Jack Pyburn for yearsss
August 31st, 2026 at 6:45 pm
We have 3 safeties on the practice squad
And Keionte Scott can play safety
There will be a lot of weekly roster moves this season
August 31st, 2026 at 6:47 pm
SMB missed all of last year with an torn ACL but seems to be good health now. Should a good pickup, even if he’s only a backup.
August 31st, 2026 at 6:54 pm
Ewwww….just another failed CB pick by licht……there was a reason he was gone in the first place….between him and Zyon, they can screw up a cup of coffee
August 31st, 2026 at 6:55 pm
Good pick up on Easton,, him and Daniels can work out the number 2 details in time as they practice and let the best man , whoever it is , play if Baker gets hurt .
August 31st, 2026 at 6:55 pm
I love this move picking up SMB. He knows the system and can play CB and slot. With his experience, he can be a mentor as well.
Pyburn was playing against 3rd team tackles so I’ll hold my enthusiasm for him. I wonder if he played against any 1st teamers in scrimmages? That would be more insightful.
August 31st, 2026 at 7:03 pm
I thought he was #17 (16 +1 was foreign-born exemption) for the practice squad. If that is the case, the Bucs do not have to make a corresponding move.
August 31st, 2026 at 7:04 pm
Pyburn had 3 sacks his entire college career, correct? Yes you take a 5th linebacker who can cover backs and plays special teams over someone who will never see the field.
August 31st, 2026 at 7:05 pm
Championship! What a joke. Dumpster diving GM. JBFs happy he’s back?
August 31st, 2026 at 7:09 pm
Hell ya! Great pick up! Go bucs!!!
August 31st, 2026 at 7:13 pm
Amen
August 31st, 2026 at 7:20 pm
A vet corner who knows the d can at least be in the way a little bit, right?
August 31st, 2026 at 7:21 pm
What a bunch of sad sack whiners in here. Another solid move by JL after he crushed the draft and UDFAs.
Go cheer for the Falcons or Panthers. I’m sure they would love to have you.
Bunch of miserable morons in here.
Where’s the Marine? Did she take my bet yet?
August 31st, 2026 at 7:21 pm
It’s all cause of you Joe.. 👀
August 31st, 2026 at 7:24 pm
We’ll bring Chris Conte & Dee Delaney back next.
August 31st, 2026 at 7:28 pm
This is up there with Bain falling to the Bucs in round 1. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good and Bowles just got lucky again.
Licht with no small amount of luck has upgraded this roster at every stage of the offseason, not just patched it with duct tape and bailing twine. Adding a 29 year old starting quality inside/outside CB who has succeeded in Bowles system is a coup. Let him play some safety too please.
As far as I can gather he was doing everything at camp in AZ and was a healthy scratch for the third preseason game so everyone out there was sure he would make the roster. Sacks are fabulous but covering receivers is what these Bucs do worst so this bit of help is going to be clutch whether injuries hit the CB unit or not.
Pyburn had all of 3 sacks in college. Please calm down.
August 31st, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Good from a depth standpoint, makes even more sense when you factor in that we didn’t have to wait for him to clear waivers and he’s coming in with a solid foundation in terms of what to expect(and do) within this scheme. Add the whole veteran leadership+scheme familiarity
Also Joe, you floated the idea of bringing SMB February. Idk which one, but somebody owes themselves a drink lol
“Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
February 2nd, 2026 at 9:17 am
“Remember what was perhaps a top-three play in Bucs history, the Scotty Miller touchdown catch against the Packers in the NFC title game? That play doesn’t happen if not for SMB, who picked off Aaron Rodgers at midfield to set up Miller’s catch.
SMB had knee surgery last May suffered in a non-football incident and missed the 2025 season. So Joe suspects SMB would come cheap.“
If SMB is good to go, and the Cardinals release him, then why not? It literally took us years to replace what we had with him, with Jacob Parrish.”
August 31st, 2026 at 7:36 pm
The prodigal son storyline would be cool. Remember SMB being lauded as the smarter of he, Dean, & Davis. Maybe not as a good a man cover guy as CDIII or as athletic as D, but that didn’t stop SMB from making some plays. Good guy to bring in, to help guys like Parrish, B-Mo, Keionte & Garnes. Also don’t think he’s priority to get on the field in a hurry. Work SMB & Morrison into the line up, and ride out with JP-Zyon-Scott.
No wild expectations, be better than Whitehead & Edwards we’re on the rebound for us
August 31st, 2026 at 7:40 pm
I guess Dennis will be the odd man out
August 31st, 2026 at 7:40 pm
Arizona had guaranteed most of his salary after they renegotiated it after his injury and for them to still cut him tells you all you need to know about his current status. He’s played most of his career in the slot and the last thing we need is another slot CB, especially one who has lost a step.
August 31st, 2026 at 7:54 pm
Pitiful to lose Pyburn like that.
August 31st, 2026 at 7:57 pm
CyberDelemma —
Actually, 2021 thru 2024 he took the majority of his snaps as an outside corner not a slot corner.
Not sure why you would not know that if you were a long time Buc fan.
He certainly could have lost a step — but not sure that you watched him at all this preseason.
August 31st, 2026 at 8:00 pm
Folks seem to forget that we are looking for depth, not a starter. Nobody’s releasing a starter. SMB provides depth and maybe he’s got something left in the tank to help out. He’s no worse than what we have probably.
August 31st, 2026 at 8:10 pm
If the Chiefs, who are elite talent judgers, jump on your castoff, who could return to college for big bucks, you should be having second thoughts.
August 31st, 2026 at 8:12 pm
Sean missed the entire 2035 season.
Complete ACL tear, partial MCL tear.
Coming back from that is a lot to ask, of a not so young knee.
He knows the system.hell be a help in the CB room, and on the sideline.
I don’t think he can be much help on the field.
And our CBs need help on the field.
Cutting Jack Pyburn is just further proof that The Bucs staff wouldn’t know a pass rusher if one sacked them.
The same incompetent crew that spent top 2 level picks on Noah Spence, JTS, Logan Hall, Calijah Kancey, Chris Braswell.
And rediculously signed Randy Gregory and Haason Reddick,
Just let a good Pass rusher walk out the building.
Other than Bane and Vea, Pyburn will be a better pass rusher than anybody on the Bucs roster.
Which is setting Pyburn a pretty low bar
August 31st, 2026 at 8:21 pm
Great move. Maybe he can snag three or four ints in the playoffs again.
August 31st, 2026 at 8:23 pm
Capt.Tim – The Bucs need help at cornerback, safety and offensive line. They don’t need another guy who you think is going to be a great pass rusher based upon a few snaps against horrible competition that is now not on any team’s roster.
All the guys they have on their 53 man roster at OLB are better than Pyburn. They don’t need a 6th who will never see the field when they have far bigger depth concerns.
But go ahead, whine like a Kyle Trask fan about a preseason phenom who will – mark my words – never be anything special in the NFL.
August 31st, 2026 at 8:24 pm
This is where we are…
August 31st, 2026 at 8:26 pm
A blind man could see this was going to happen.
August 31st, 2026 at 8:27 pm
Why all the slurping’ on Pyburn’s jock from these genius football minds. The guy had four sacks against Jets and Jags trash. I’m supposed to think he is a HOF edge now. How did he do in camp against our 1s and 2s? Never heard his name before the Jets game. Did nothing in the KC game. C’mon you guys will cry about everything.
August 31st, 2026 at 8:37 pm
Bunting would be a good sign … if he were a coach.
Other than that, I don’t understand the move at all.
He missed all of 2025 with ACL/MCL tears (mentioned above), and in 2024 he was ranked 167th of 222 corners eligible to achieve rankings.
Dean, who one person actually said he thought inferior to Bunting, had a 2024 ranking of 25th of 222.
Sometimes I don’t know from what planet some of you reside.
The internet is readily available to all who post here. Try using a few extra seconds to do some research before spouting out feelings instead of facts.
“Great signing.”
“Arizona was dumb.”
Maybe on your world, but not mine.
August 31st, 2026 at 8:41 pm
Donny, do you read what you write? “Did nothing in the KC game.” Apparently, the Chiefs saw something you didn’t. Who am I to believe? Some blowhard with a vulgar mouth or an elite professional football organization?
August 31st, 2026 at 8:52 pm
Donny and Scott,
I hate having to destroy your incredible skills of Prediction,
But
Pyburn is on the Chiefs 53 man roster.
Because Andy Reid is a real Coach, and an incredible judge of talent
You two are agreeing with the same incompetent staff that signed Randy Gregory. And Hanson Reddick. That wasted first or second round picks on Noah Spence. Logan Hall. Joe Tryon, Calijah Kancey, Chris Braswell.
This staff blew it. Again. A long list of failures.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a football mind like Andy Reid coaching the team?
August 31st, 2026 at 8:52 pm
I just can’t take licht serious at this point, he just does too much dumb stuff and 12 years in he still can’t find a franchise qb smh
August 31st, 2026 at 8:54 pm
Good move. Years ago, I advocated keeping SMB over Dean & Davis. Glad he’s back to add depth.
August 31st, 2026 at 9:02 pm
Garnes played pretty well vs Garrett Wilson, who is an elite receiver. Based off what I’ve seen from him, I would not at all bet against him become a quaility player pretty quickly – and unlike most UDFA guys Garnes has the raw physical tools you need to be successful, he has speed, good height, is a bit light, but that’s about the only real negative.
For SMB, as many have pointed out, he’s coming off a year long injury, and was released by a bad team. I’m totally for signing him and seeing if there’s anything still left, but I wouldn’t get my hopes too high.
August 31st, 2026 at 9:02 pm
Im curious what a vet like SMB is earning relative ti Izien’s $2 million in Detroit. JL, ROH, pfft
August 31st, 2026 at 9:03 pm
There is a reason none of y’all are running a team. So stop crying every time something doesn’t go how you wanted
August 31st, 2026 at 9:16 pm
I watched many Cardinals games last season because my cousins boyfriend was back-up lineman and I was GLAD SMB was no longer a Buc. He can’t play anymore! He’s terrible.
August 31st, 2026 at 9:17 pm
Teacherman. Are you really that stupid? Were you there at every practice watching him play? One is on the roster and the other is not for very good reasons. One, accrued stats against a bunch of guys that are no longer on NFL rosters. He wasn’t impressive during practices according to everyone that was there. The other guy, accrued stats playing with the first team in a few of the games. He also showed awareness, athleticism, and special teams prowess. Also, he absolutely dominated his last year in school. Pyburn barely produced in college. Was i rooting for him? Yes. Do I think he should have made the team over a guy like Dan feeney? Absolutely. But we are not missing anything. Do you recall the guy named George johnson? A defensive end from rutgers. The dude led the NFL and sacks in the preseason one year. He played with us for 2 or 3 years and was not even just a guy.
August 31st, 2026 at 9:17 pm
If SMB were actually healthy he A) would not have been release, and B) would not have been signed to our practice squad, but to the roster.
August 31st, 2026 at 9:18 pm
“I watched many Cardinals games last season” I meant in 2024. Sorry one year blurs into the next…
August 31st, 2026 at 9:18 pm
Yay. 100th different player from the 2020 they have recycled in the last five years. Turn the page..
August 31st, 2026 at 9:18 pm
Now trade for Dean and for Carlton Davis, bring back Suh
August 31st, 2026 at 9:27 pm
With the way are corners go down we will need him.
August 31st, 2026 at 9:52 pm
I don’t understand how Feeney is on this team and Pyburn isn’t.
August 31st, 2026 at 9:55 pm
Mike,
NFL teams aren’t religions.
They are a product, formed to MAKE MONEY. That’s it.
If I go to games, watch the team on TV, buy jerseys and merchandise- then I am a consumer- and entitled to voice opinions.
My money, and your money, pays the players/Coaches/GMs/Water boys.
Odd you think we aren’t allowed to speak.
August 31st, 2026 at 9:57 pm
Everyone is acting like Pyburn was getting sacks against Top level guys yes I would have like to keep him to But the Bucs knew he would go back to college if he didn’t make the 53 an he wasn’t making it over anyone else my so they did what they had to do this Bucs Defense has the Makings to be really good SMB knows the System an will be good for the younger Guys really the perfect guy to bring in.
August 31st, 2026 at 10:03 pm
Cardinal fans seem elated that he was cut lol oh well
August 31st, 2026 at 10:07 pm
Capt.Tim Says:
You two are agreeing with the same incompetent staff that signed Randy Gregory. And Hanson Reddick. That wasted first or second round picks on Noah Spence. Logan Hall. Joe Tryon, Calijah Kancey, Chris Braswell.
This staff blew it. Again. A long list of failures.
———–
But wait… those same people are the ones that signed Pyburn, so he must be a bum, right? But they’re dumb because they cut him… but he must be a bum because they signed him… the paradox…
August 31st, 2026 at 10:20 pm
I can’t believe we let Pyburn go when he had the best preseason stats in the entire NFL this year.
Didn’t we learn anything from the Summer of Kenny Pickett a few years ago??
August 31st, 2026 at 10:34 pm
“If SMB were actually healthy he A) would not have been release, and B) would not have been signed to our practice squad, but to the roster.“
They’ve got Garrett Wilson, Max Melton, & Denzel Burke. Wilson was on the PUP list and just got taken off pup for final cuts, so they released SMB who ran with their 1s at nickel at the start of camp. Last played in a preseason game 9 days ago and was held out of the finale.
Y’all are caring way too much about the opinion of the Arizona Cardinals for my taste. Rod Tidwell is one of their most famous players and he doesn’t even exist.
August 31st, 2026 at 10:44 pm
“Didn’t we learn anything from the Summer of Kenny Pickett a few years ago??“
Can’t forget Mason Rudolph. That’s all I think of when I read the calls for Tomlin on here. Hell of a builder of defenses, don’t get me wrong but between RBs & QBs that man was lost. Mike Tomlin couldn’t find a quarter back with a $1.25 at the dollar store.
August 31st, 2026 at 11:30 pm
Garrett Wilson isn’t a household name but he is a PFF second team All-Pro. He is their slot and Will Johnson and Denzel Burke are their starters on the outside. Both of them have broken out as the premium NFL starters most everyone expected them to be. Behind them is Max Melton for sub packages. The two remaining corners are darling draftees of GM Monti Ossenhoff who devotes more day two picks to DB than Bowles for real. The Cards are stacked with young talent at CB.
Fans noted SMB looked a step slow and loafed some, others said he looked better than ever. A coach raved in the press (perhaps to promote trade efforts.) We’ll see what he has left soon enough but his brain isn’t attached to the ACL so I see a DB who is as immune to the mental breakdowns that doom Bowles efforts as we can hope for. If he has lost a step, make him a safety. He’ll contribute. He isn’t Thunderbird Funderburke. He is a guy who can be relied on to maintain triangles and make his rotations according to Bowles’ designs. Bowles D gets busted at the weak links in the secondary and SMB won’t be that.
August 31st, 2026 at 11:42 pm
I must correct myself, Bowles D gets busted here, it gets busted there, it hearts busted everywhere!
But, like Anzalone and Scott, SMB does something about that great big hole that opens up in the middle thing that is so nauseating to watch. I like it.
September 1st, 2026 at 12:19 am
This move was probably in the works before the Bucs set their initial 53 roster. SMB’s agent was probably in touch with the Bucs, letting them know that he was expecting to get cut, which explains why the Bucs went so thin at the CB position.
September 1st, 2026 at 12:43 am
Cut Haggard. He is horrible.
September 1st, 2026 at 12:47 am
“This move was probably in the works before the Bucs set their initial 53 roster. SMB’s agent was probably in touch with the Bucs, letting them know that he was expecting to get cut, which explains why the Bucs went so thin at the CB position.“
5 CBs was very odd. 3 safeties, still a little odd.