With Rookies Benjamin Morrison And Jacob Parrish, Bucs Might Play More Press Coverage
May 2nd, 2025
Very few things seem to drive Bucs fans wilder than seeing ol’ Jamel Dean standing 15 yards away from a receiver before a snap and then watch the guy run Scot-free down the field and catch a layup pass for a first down.
It’s enough to throw a cheap beer at the TV.
Bucs fans want press coverage and Joe can’t blame them. Be a man, cover your receiver. This ain’t Syracuse basketball!
Saturday after the draft ended, new Bucs assistant general manager Rob McCartney was asked if adding corners Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish on Day 2 of the draft may enable the Bucs to play press coverage more.
McCartney said that’s the hope, at least than last year.
(Joe’s got to be careful typing the names “Benjamin Morrison” and “Jacob Parrish.” Dang spellcheck wants to either change Morrison’s first name to “Ben” or his last name to “Moore.” This guy ain’t a painter in New Jersey. And Joe tends to have Larry Parrish and Roscoe Parrish on the brain for some reason.)
“I think that’s always the goal is to be able to get pressure with four [linemen] and have corners that make it really hard, no matter if they’re in off [coverage] or if they’re in press, or man or zone and [are able to] disrupt the catch point,” McCartney said. “Now we have guys who can take the ball away and two guys that can really run, too.
“I think if we can get pressure with four we will be better and that will allow us to be a lot more versatile and hopefully press a lot more in coverage.”
Pressure up front is the secondary’s best friend. There simply is no substitute for getting after a quarterback. Yes, of course, that means sacks.
Part of the Bucs’ problem on defense last year was quarterbacks had no fear of an edge rush. They could move around and buy time for receivers to get open. Or more open as the case may be.
Joe swears would draft three friggin’ edge rushers every spring until one great one finally shakes out.
Chase your dreams ☘️
An inside look at Benjamin Morrison’s path to the @Buccaneers #GoIrish☘️ | #NFLDraft | @BMoe_21 pic.twitter.com/0cZKE75OTm
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) May 1, 2025
May 2nd, 2025 at 10:33 am
As always thanks for the scoop Joes…..ya gotta find a better photo of McCartney though…hahaha
May 2nd, 2025 at 10:36 am
love the 3-2 zone reference Joe, keep it coming. sorry ‘cuse
May 2nd, 2025 at 10:38 am
interestingly the only/primary weakness of ‘cuse’s 3-2 zone is, drumroll please, the middle (foul line area), just like ours. no wonder teams torture us with 15 play drives, they basically have no choice
May 2nd, 2025 at 10:57 am
It goes both ways! Just look at how the Commanders had a 15 play drive and an 11 play drive. If the ball is out of the QB’s hands in less then 2 seconds to a wide open receiver doesn’t matter if Reggie White is rushing the QB. With the amount of cushion WR’s were getting against us it was basically pitch and catch. All we were doing is trying to eliminate the long ball.
May 2nd, 2025 at 10:57 am
It all starts with the front. A healthy Kancey and Yaya. Improvement from the Alabama kid. The new LB helping his mentor, LD.
They need more pressure without it requiring a blitz every time.
May 2nd, 2025 at 10:57 am
I’m hearing that there are plans to line Desmond Watson opposite the opponent’s # 1 WR….thus forcing the receiver to run around Watson. Estimate 2.5 seconds.
May 2nd, 2025 at 10:58 am
Wouldn’t playing press help with the pass rush? Get your hands on the receivers at the line of scrimmage to make their routes take longer to develop…
May 2nd, 2025 at 11:01 am
Great pick. He loves ball, comes from an amazing family and has the drive to be the best. Love it.
May 2nd, 2025 at 11:06 am
WiscJoe
Agreed. It worked so well from 1997-2002 that the NFL changed the rules to benefit offense.
Sad day for actual football.
May 2nd, 2025 at 11:08 am
my favorite part of article – Saturday after the draft ended, new Bucs assistant general manager Rob McCartney was asked if adding corners Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish on Day 2 of the draft may enable the Bucs to play press coverage more.
McCartney said that’s the hope.
I really really really wanna believe him
May 2nd, 2025 at 11:31 am
Nah, this would never work. Deep soft zone with 15+ yard cushions is the way.
May 2nd, 2025 at 11:42 am
I will say when SU had the right players that could play that zone, it was extremely effective. Unfortunately, the Bucs have had a lot of DBs who do’t seem to understand the concept of zone as well as they should. I love the 2 new guys based on the college tape. Them with Zion, Tykee, AW can be very dynamic. A healthy reinvigorated Dean would be wonderful too
May 2nd, 2025 at 11:42 am
good cause they sucked in zone coverage last year. To many times defenders were not in the right spots and wide open WR.
May 2nd, 2025 at 11:49 am
Gotta love seeing the open discussions about harder coverage and Todd getting a game situation consultant. If utilized properly that could mean an 11 or 13 plus win season this fall.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:06 pm
I’m a Dreamer too.
My dream for today is that more Buc fans start to embody the same values as our players.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:08 pm
Outstanding basketball reference for someone that doesn’t watch bball nice 👍
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:19 pm
WOW! What a video! What’s not to like about this kid. He epitomizes the type of player Bowles covets. Praying that his hip is totally healed and that his dreams come true.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Awesome video on Morrison’s ‘path to the draft’.
The young man seems to really have his priorities straight…
Hopefully he ultimately gets to check every football related item off on his dream board – including HOF induction….
What an amazing family he has as well….
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Basketball references are great because you prevent them from shooting mostly. The great defenders always steal the ball though.
Which brings us to playing defense with football.
Stop the receivers from catching it and you won’t have to worry so much about bad tackles.
Press man within 5 yds is becoming a lost art.
Way too many free releases these days.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:27 pm
Have the Bucs done enough at ILB and Safety to play Press Coverage in most alignments? Won’t they give up the middle of the field to completions like they did last year?
At Nickel CM/Safety, Tykee Smith is a Zone Defender, not a Press/Man Defender. Anthony Walker is probably the closest the Bucs have to a Press/Man ILB.
The best way for the Bucs to play Press Coverage may be in Dime with a four man front:
– Winfield as Free Safety
– Izien at Box Safety
– Dean at Right Outside CB
– McCollum at Left Outside CB
– Morrison at Nickel CB
– Parris at Dime CM
– Anthony Walker at ILB
– Reddick at Edge
– Vea at DT
– Kamcey at DT
– David Walker at Edge
If the Bucs had Jihaad Campbell or even Jeffrey Bossa to put in at ILB with Anthony Walker, or if they had Xavier Watts or Andrew Mukaba to put in at Safety, they could play a lot of Press Coverage. And, depending upon the match ups against other teams, they may be able to play it in other alignments. But, against good teams, I don’t expect to see it much except in long yardage, and I hope that ILB Anthony Walker is enough of an upgrade to help them squeak by.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:28 pm
If the middle of the field is wide open, the pass rush will never matter.
That was proven in the playoff game vs the Rams 4 years ago.
Bowles kept dialing up the rush and they picked apart the defense with ease.
This soft as butter Swiss cheese zone scheme is a blessing to every opponent.
Just go ask Kirk Cousins. We made him look like Dan Marino.
28-27
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:46 pm
Honestly if I watch our Defense next year and see the CBs being closer than 7 yds off the opponents WRs I dont know how I will react.
I dont know if I will believe what I m watching.
Go Bucs
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:57 pm
What a wonderful kid from a wonderful family. It is impossible not to root for this kid.
May 2nd, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Bowles wasn’t known as a zone guy until recent times in Tampa., probably because he wasn’t getting to the QB fast enough with 4, and blitzing in man coverage, especially against a good QB is a recipe for getting toasted.
May 2nd, 2025 at 2:14 pm
agreed Joe, seeing Dean give a 15 yard cushion and then not be able to tackle. In essence no one there would have been just as effective. (lawnchair) It makes me hate Todd Bowles and blame him for allowing this to happen.
May 2nd, 2025 at 2:43 pm
I love this kid, what a cool video- I was a doubter when I heard about the surgeries and could he even run? Knew nothing about him. I love this story and am so glad he’s a Buc, a big dreamer with an amazing mindset and a good kid from a great family! Welcome to Tampa! I believe in you too now! Go Bucs! Let’s go!
May 2nd, 2025 at 2:55 pm
Our defense will be top 10 @ minimum…
Possibly top 5 now that Todd and his position coaches have starting quality players to coach.
Todd and the Bucs = NFC south champs 3 years (soon to be 4) in a row!
May 2nd, 2025 at 2:55 pm
McCartney … “I think if we can get pressure with four we will be better and that will allow us to be a lot more versatile and hopefully press a lot more in coverage.”
Get pressure with 4 DLinemen? Wow, what a concept. I wonder how many times that’s been written on JBF. Now look at reality. Bucs don’t get a REALLY good pass rush out of 4 DLinemen UNLESS Vea (brute strength) & Kancey (quickness) are both out there. And that happens on about what, 50%-60% of the total defensive plays at best? If the typical game has say 60 def plays, that leaves about 25-30 plays per game for our opponents to take advantage of. And they do.
Reality is that the Bucs don’t have a CONSISTENT 4-man pass rush. We’re a light team in the defensive Front far as I’m concerned, and that’s caused us to have to blitz a whole bunch to exert pressure. Excessive blitzing pulls at least 1, and often 2, defenders out of coverage. LVD blitzed 80 times last year, the most on the Bucs. Back in 2021, Devin White blitzed 133 times, and got a total of 3.5 sacks. Whoopee!
Oh if we only had the Vea clone to take up that other 40%-50% of the defensive snaps when Vea’s not in there, and give us a more CONSISTENT pass rush.
May 2nd, 2025 at 2:59 pm
Just listened to Chris Simms talking about the Egbuka pick. He said he didn’t love Egbuka as a player, but he refused to criticize Jason Licht. Simms basically said “I didn’t have him in the first round, but why would my board be the correct one?, Jason knows what he’s doing”.
JL FINALLY getting respect.
May 2nd, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Watching the Bucs corners playing 8 yards off on 3rd and 5 last season drove me nuts
May 2nd, 2025 at 3:24 pm
I’m hoping we can actually have something close to a medeocre defense.
Because currently we are less than even that low bar.
Better hope all this fake oppotomism pans out to be the result.
If not, we’re in for the same ending we’ve gotten used to.
Ignoring reality usually doesn’t go well in the end.
May 2nd, 2025 at 3:25 pm
Optimism*
May 2nd, 2025 at 4:26 pm
Gonegator-
This year would make it 5 years in a row!
*Longest streak of playoff appearances in the NFC is held by Dem Boyz Frm Da BAY!! 🔥💪
May 2nd, 2025 at 4:31 pm
The people that whine and complain about Dean playing 15-yards off the line of scrimmage are particularly stupid. Do they really think Dean is choosing to do that and the coaches have no say in the matter? The answer is yes, they literally think that Dean is being told by coaches to line up at the LOS, and he’s going rogue, and apparently the coaches are too scared to bench him I guess.
Anywho, the Bucs literally ran more zone than any team in the NFL last year, mostly with disastrous results. You’d hope that someone there on the team would perhaps go back and watch how the defense played in the Super Bowl year, and remember how they won – and it wasn’t by sitting back in a super soft passive zone defense.
May 2nd, 2025 at 4:37 pm
They should play more press coverage. Too many off coverages allowed easy completions, it was frustrating.
May 2nd, 2025 at 4:42 pm
SwissCheese
Well nobody ever accused a science denier as being informed or accurate.
You WORK you arse off to select the worst possible looks but in your search for negativity you blow past FACTS.
“28-27” ? Are you simply trying to make Bowles look worse than he is?
A quick check of Pro Football Reference has his record at 27-24!!! You’re so desperate you can’t even get it right?
Meanwhile you are the perfect example of looking for the WORST you can find so desperately that you have to inflate your negativity.
You say pototo I say potato. I get differences of opinion.
But you deflate his actual numbers and simply look for OPINIONS to make him look worse. For example one could say a coach who won Division titles his FIRST three years at the helm did a pretty good job. You would say…oh waaa it’s the NFC South.
One could say that Todd is the THIRD WINNINGEST coach in Bucs history, you would counter with the Bucs were an expansion team and everybody knows how badly the Bucs sucked…one could say but Todd is only one of four winners in that group of 13 and is ahead of the vaunted Chucky.
There is valid criticism for every coach, every player, every poster but you go so far to the dark side as to come up with absurdities like comparing Baker to Fameis!
And again respectfully with no name calling I’m genuinely curious as to what motivates you. There are many here who are laughing at me for engaging a troll but perhaps you have some “justification”.
May 2nd, 2025 at 4:53 pm
TB#1
“Ignoring reality usually doesn’t go well in the end.”
What is the “reality” of last season’s D? How about losing the #1 safety in the league who was able to freelance and cover up many mistakes. AW was an actual game changer capable of making the proverbial BIG PLAY that turns things around.
Then lose the projected starting ILB SVD in perhaps the thinnest position group on the team.
Dean’s constant disappearances are obvious. The Bucs were 7th in sacks but as D.R. has pointed out that came primarily from the interior. NO real edge rush.
So AGAIN a team handicapped by cap restraints from mortgaging the farm for the SB…a team then decimated by injuries at KEY positions on the D…yeah that’s the ticket lets base our judgements on LAST YEAR’S TEAM.
May 2nd, 2025 at 5:51 pm
stPete, no not THE St. Peter, LOL, applause
May 2nd, 2025 at 5:58 pm
@WeDemBoyzFromDaBay
🤘🏼
May 2nd, 2025 at 7:48 pm
Man we picked up some really good dudes in this draft. Really liking this Morrison pick. He obviously can face adversity and overcome.
May 2nd, 2025 at 9:07 pm
Man coverage
Let’s go
We all know who can cover
May 2nd, 2025 at 9:31 pm
DR – I’m with you man. Beasts on the D Line trump all else.
May 3rd, 2025 at 5:48 am
Joe, the Falcons used two first round picks on edge rushers. I guess you have them winning the superbowl? They should easily overtake the Bucs now for the division. If only Licht would’ve done the same. Instead we got a receiver. Two edge in first for Falcons equals superbowl, right Joe?
May 3rd, 2025 at 6:05 am
Great video Joe. Thank you. What an awesome kid and his family too