Jamel Dean Encouraged By Early Bucs Practice
May 14th, 2025
Jamel Dean
As Joe has told (warned?) fans here and during the Ira Kaufman Podcast, starting cornerback Jamel Dean is in strong position to keep his job for Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Health is routinely an issue for Dean, but he also consistently manages to stay healthy during spring practices and through training camp, and look good doing it. Answering the bell in Week 1 is not Dean’s issue.
The Bucs drafted two cornerbacks (Rounds 2 & 3) and there’s no question that Dean’s status is in jeopardy. But that doesn’t mean he’s not the favorite to start alongside Zyon McCollum.
Dean was in good spirits last night at a Bruce Arians Foundation fundraising dinner. He talked to Evan Closky of WTSP, Ch. 10, and shared how impressed he’s been during the Bucs’ spring training sessions (which have been closed to media).
Attendance and vibe have made an impact on the seven-year veteran and Super Bowl champ.
“It’s a great feeling knowing that we got some new pieces but we know they’re going to be great. They’re going to be very beneficial for our team,” Dean said. “And then just seeing everybody showing up for OTAs right now, building this camaraderie right now. You have no choice but to be confident this is your team.”
Are the Super Bowl ingredients in place, Jamel?
“Oh, yeah, this is definitely a group that can make it to a Super Bowl,” Dean said. “We just got to make sure we all hone in and just stay within our plans.”
May 14th, 2025 at 11:47 am
I don’t see this as a particular threat to Dean, but rather obtaining the depth of quality DBs to be a real contender.
May 14th, 2025 at 11:52 am
BUCS know he’s good for at least 10 games and that’s why they went back 2 back on corners so they have insurance after they had to patch up the secondary with scotch tape and elmers glue. Recipe for disaster whenever u have MULTIPLE UNDRAFTED ROOKIES listed as your starter. Smh
We won’t be caught with our pants down again. 21 & 25 will make sure of that.
🏴☠️💪💯
May 14th, 2025 at 11:53 am
*(last year)
May 14th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
You can never have enough CBs or WRs
May 14th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Besides the obvious “health” issues Dean has one other major problem. He can’t catch the ball!
The two draft picks show potential in that area in terms of creating more ints.
I’m hoping Zyon just had an off year in “catching” the ball. He covers well, is a willing and hard hitting tackler, and he seems to find himself in position but can’t quite close the deal.
May 14th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
We don’t want to JUST make it to the Superbowl.
May 14th, 2025 at 1:13 pm
Dean, Zyon, Morrison, Parrish @ corners
With AWJ, Tykee, Izien, Merriweather over the top
Secondary is shaping up if they can stay healthy.
May 14th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Dean is a good CB when he’s on the field.
Problem is, he has a problem staying on the field.
May 14th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Yeah, I think we run Dean into the ground. Play him till he is just injured beyond repair because when he’s on the dude is lights out and with the pass rush hopefully he can play more man coverage cause I think he’s great when he presses up on these people I do not like Dean when he’s off coverage with no pass rush
May 14th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Jamel Dean …“We just got to make sure we all hone in and just stay within our plans.”
Interesting quote, and good reminder that Jamel is a Todd Bowles product. Play within the system (Jamel has always done that very well I’m sure; Devin White probably not-so-much).
If Jamel is physically good, he’ll hold onto his starting gig by virtue of his experience IMO. However, I’m betting that our ‘youngsters’ will still get plenty of playing time. I doubt that Todd wants to get caught short-handed again in case of injuries like he was last season. One of the things I used to love about watching my Bama games is that Nick Saban would seemingly play 100 guys each game to get them experience for the future. Paid off handsomely in the end.
May 14th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
Pryda30 – could I interest you in some punctuation?
May 14th, 2025 at 3:20 pm
@Pryda30/DR
I hope that the Bucs are able to rotate the DBs, keep them all fresh and healthy, let the rookies get experience in the system, and play press coverage about 70% of the snaps.
Play Dean when it is a normal down and distance because Dean doesn’t give up much.
And, with 15 yards or more needed for a first down, I hope that the Bucs pull Dean and go with a ball hawk package, some of whom will be fresh because they sat while Dean was on the field.
Basically, when you send out the pass rush package, send the ball hawk package with them – a ball hawk being someone with above average hands for interceptions.
And, I hope that they give Smith help over the top or simplify his role now that they have more fast skilled DBs to make up for Smiths weak spots.
Smith is great forceing fumbles and making interceptions. But he also blows coverages and gave up the most Touchdowns Allowed of any Bucs DB last season while mostly playing part time as the Nickel Cornerback.
Now, maybe Smith got blamed for giving up some TDs because he hustled to the ball while the responsible ILB wasn’t even in the frame. But, there were some plays were Smith bit big on the play action and stood staring into the backfield while the receiver he was lined up with ran to daylight and took it to the house.
So, I am hoping for lots of press coverage, lots of rotation to keep all of the DBs fresh, putting good hands on the field on obvious passing downs, and scheming to protect players with known weak spots.
Last year, the Bucs didn’t have the skilled personnel to do all of that no matter what the coaching staff did with them. This year, the human resources are on the team, and I hope that the coaches use them to make the whole season look like a replay of the Super Bowl against the Chiefs.
May 14th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Toopanca … Last year, the Bucs didn’t have the skilled personnel to do all of that no matter what the coaching staff did with them.’
That was the key to last year’s fiascos on defense IMO: we didn’t have the skilled personnel. Bryce Hall had the potential to be superb in TB’s defense, but that came to a screeching halt in Game 1. I’m not at all impressed with Hayes, Thunderstruck, Thomas or Isaac as CBs, and doubt that any of them will even make the team this year.
This year’s CB group holds a LOT more promise IMO: Dean, McCollum, Bryce Hall, Morrison & Parrish (and maybe even 1 more). Our Safety group (Winfield, Tykee Smith, Merriweather & Izien) is all battle-tested & should do fine as long as they hold up physically (average for the 4 of them is 5’10” & 200 lbs, and last season the 4 of them collectively missed 18 games, plus Whitehead missed another 5).
May 14th, 2025 at 4:09 pm
Endless support for Jamel Dean who was a part of a group that had one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL last year and in 2023. Eight interceptions in 6 years and poor tackling makes me wonder why Dean is so protected on this blog? Don’t think that Licht went far enough overhauling the defense. Egbuka is a nice player but Bucs had a shot at Emmanworri to play the other SAFETY or OLB. The team, fans and frequent posters here are going to find out in 2025 that the defense is still deficient.
May 14th, 2025 at 4:16 pm
PFF tribe says Dean is one of the better corners in the NFL, and he’d had made a LOT more than his current salary were he a free agent
May 14th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Gipper … ‘The team, fans and frequent posters here are going to find out in 2025 that the defense is still deficient.’
Interesting bottom line Gipper. I think that our defense will make it back into the Top-10 IF … (1) we can stay reasonably healthy; and (2) guys ‘play up to their potential’. IF Vea gets hurt or Winfield has another sub-par year then we’ll have problems. I’m not so concerned about our Safeties as I am about our MLB and interior pass rush. Not sold on SVD and hoping that Anthony Walker is the real deal. Need more beef in the middle to help Vea.
May 14th, 2025 at 5:12 pm
@tampa bay Buc fan
I agree good sir.
So I hope we draft another 1st round WR next year. Re-sign Mike Evans.
And
Draft 2 more CBs next year.
I told you my goal
Three #1 wide receivers like Evans/Godwin/Brown
And 5. Yes Five Feisty corners. (High draft picks)
Imagine.
Dean, Zion, Morrison, Parrish, and two more rookies next year?
May 14th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
We play Falcons week 1 in their crib…
Last year Darnell Mooney flat out EMBARASSED Dean in those games…..
I don’t wanna see Dean trying to keep up with Mooney this year….
Would rather see Jacob Parrish & his speed or Morrison on Mooney…
Please not Dean 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
May 14th, 2025 at 7:04 pm
Dean is slightly above average, but won’t play if dinged, even if team Is fighting for a playoff spot.
I hope Morrison takes his spot soon
May 14th, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Dean starting at CB is not the disaster of Vernon Hargreaves starting. When healthy Dean is a good CB.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:52 pm
He’ll be hurt by game five.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:35 pm
The reason the Bucs have so few interceptions is the defense that Bowles has been forced to play due to a poor pass rush when rushing only four. If that changes this year, which I have every reason to believe it will, that allows the defense to play tighter and makes it far more possible to actually be where the ball is thrown and have a shot at an interception vs, being 5-10 yards away from the receiver in soft coverage.
May 15th, 2025 at 12:12 am
No way Dean is the starter for long–it is not reality. he will be dinged up by week 5 for sure. I predict a concussion by week 5. Perhaps a hamstring that is progressively worse by week 5.