Jacob Parrish Will Play Outside And Nickel
April 3rd, 2026
Will Zyon McCollum be the 2026 nickel? Todd Bowles weighs in.
After asking Todd Bowles about second-year cornerback Jacob Parrish this week, Joe is confident Parrish will dictate where Parrish will play.
Bowles said he’s eager to further develop Parrish, last year’s third-round draft pick, and see if he’s matured enough and learned enough to bounce from nickel and outside cornerback throughout a game.
“He’ll definitely do both. He’ll definitely do both,” Bowles said of Parrish. “I think he needs more reps outside. I think he’s just as good as an outside corner as he is an inside corner. But it was so much for him last year to learn inside and outside confidently. I think he’s an outstanding nickel; I really do. But I think if you left him outside, he can be an outstanding corner, then you would have to get another nickel.
“So we’re going to rep him and we’re going to rotate him inside and out. And we’ll see how he comes out of it this spring and see how he feels in the summer and kind of go from there.”
Joe specifically asked Bowles if Parrish could have a Rondé Barber-type role, starting at outside corner and playing nickel on most third downs.
“It’s possible,” Bowles said. “It depends on how much he learns. You know, Rondé was a very smart player.”
Bowles praised Parrish’s smarts but wants to see more this offseason. “Hopefully, he can handle both.”
Joe asked Bowles if Zyon McCollum or Benjamin Morrison could move to nickel. Apparently, that’s not in the cards for Morrison, last year’s second-round pick.
“Zyon practices nickel every day. Between him and Parrish, they rotate all the time,” Bowles said. “He can play nickel at any time, so we always get him ready.”
April 3rd, 2026 at 9:21 am
either way, Parrish shouldnt come off the field…
im hoping we add a lengthy CB like Devin Moore to challenge Morrison & Zyon…Parrish is out best and most consistent CB at the moment
GO BUCS!!!!
April 3rd, 2026 at 9:27 am
Nickel has become a lynch pin defensive position. Defenses really need three starting caliber CB’s these days.
April 3rd, 2026 at 9:34 am
Not every rookie is a day 1 star so fans are unrealistic in that respect but every year still put their hopes and dreams into the rookie class. Best case scenario for this team is Morrison, Walker and Roberts all take big steps in year 2. Chances are some of these rookies are going to take time to develop like usual, Licht isn’t drafting 7 instant stars.
April 3rd, 2026 at 9:49 am
Am I alone thinking this is a bad idea? I’m of the school that a player should master one position. We should have a starting corner, and a starting nickel. No wonder the secondary aways looks so confused. The genius of Todd Bowles. Wants a bunch of jack of all trades, instead of masters of one.
April 3rd, 2026 at 9:54 am
Unfortunately Morrison’s first season had him missing lots of practices and slow development as a corner. 2026 will be still a learning season but he was drafted high for a reason…his college production.
It’s like walking a plank. You walk on a plank cautiously before you learn how to run across it confidently
April 3rd, 2026 at 9:55 am
So , in my opinion the Bucs currently have 1 starting corner , Parrish. They need 2 more actual corners who can cover. Morrison can’t stay healthy to play and plays poorly when he does play. McColumn is just plain awful, no better way to describe it. I mentioned before, I don’t see how the Bucs can start the season with McColumn and Morrison starting unless the Bucs are planning repeating 3 and 28 every game. I don’t know if you can find 2 shut down starting corners in the draft. It would be great if Morrison devloped but he can’t seem to stay healthy long enough to know.McColumn, I don’t have an answer, trade him if you can, put him on special teams , but sadly he is not starting material. He may be a great athlete, but he simply can’t play corner currently. He definately proved that last year!!
April 3rd, 2026 at 9:56 am
We won a super bowl rotating 3 CBs, SMB manned the nickel but also played matchups on the boundary. Also made some really big plays for us in the playoffs, but most fans don’t remember small turning points like that.
I personally think Parrish is a much better athlete in comparison to SMB, but SMB was also extremely intelligent and I think with a full offseason Parrish can get closer to being as high-IQ a player Murphy-Bunting was for us.
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:02 am
You’re not alone in your thinking Hodad. Agree 100%.
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:05 am
Smh why draft injury prone players high? I don’t get it. They miss half a season as a starter n not trusted thru their career 2 become a full time starter.
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:06 am
Why wasn’t Zyon benched? This is the problem with Bowles, he doesn’t hold players accountable
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:19 am
Zyon was pure trash. Regardless if he got bored he had plenty of chances 2 make tackles n be a part of the game but he took questionable angles n seemed like he gave up n didn’t care. No accountability
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:20 am
A guy like Indiana CB, D’Angelo Ponds can play Nickel or Outside CB
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:23 am
Bowles had options. Parrish Morrison Dean
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:24 am
Izien
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:35 am
Zyon looks bored….
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:35 am
In the old days, if you played in the secondary you were trained to play all of the secondary positions. Smith and Winfield are plenty good enough athletes to play inside or outside corner and safety. McCollum ought to have that skill set and Parrish does. I don’t know about Morrison yet, but we’d better leave him at outside corner for now. Still need at least another corner or two though.
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:48 am
yeah parrish better play and work in camp from the outside because morrissey straight up scares me…
morrissey is the new hargrievances
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:49 am
No depth to bench Zyon. Bowles just has to coach it better, ask him. Parrish the rookie was the 2nd best corner behind Dean. So we brilliantly drove Dean away. Now we only have one barely experienced starting corner. No need to bring in any FA until the good ones are all gone though. Whistling through the graveyard is our strategy. 65% confidence in JL….unbelievable!
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:50 am
let’s not even talk about the master blaster of cornerback disaster…………hargrievances
#CornerLack
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:50 am
“In the old days, if you played in the secondary you were trained to play all of the secondary positions. Smith and Winfield are plenty good enough athletes to play inside or outside corner and safety.”
Well it’s not even needing them to play their, but it’s good to know when you need all 5-6 in the grass to know where their peers are in those fits. So yea, I’d want my boundary CB to know that he’s got his safety over top or cancelling crossers so now I know to keep outside leverage and funnel things into the teeth of the defense AND NOT get beat outside or let a WR get on top of you.
The nuanced stuff thats more important than fans b*tching about man/zone or how much cushion a player gives up, that’s surface level stuff
April 3rd, 2026 at 11:09 am
In order to do your job, you if have to know your job. It’s got to be hard bouncing back, and forth between different jobs, for different plays. Would think that would lead to a lot more mental mistakes, giving up big plays. That’s our secondary in a nutshell. dazed, bewildered, and confused way to much.
April 3rd, 2026 at 11:14 am
I think a lot comes down to who they draft. If they draft a guy better suited for a nickel role, then Parrish will play a bit more outside. If they draft a replacement for Dean, then Parrish will primarily be nickel. But these guys get hurt and having a guy who can do both is super valuable.
April 3rd, 2026 at 11:17 am
Zyon didn’t play after the meltdown to Atlanta
Morrison was just as bad
April 3rd, 2026 at 11:51 am
It all comes down to how well Zion and Ben play, if they both stay healthy and what CB is drafted (expect at least one CB to be drafted).
April 3rd, 2026 at 11:51 am
Parrish is a mirror of a young Brent Grimes, only difference, Parrish can tackle.
April 3rd, 2026 at 12:07 pm
After also getting reps at safety, OLB, ILB, NT, DT, DE, and offensive guard, he’ll be so versatile in his confused state that he’s a perfect student of the scheme.
April 3rd, 2026 at 12:16 pm
Joe should ask Ronde’ about these comments and I bet Ronde’ would say there is too much cross-training and that the DB’s need to perfect their position. Right now, the only nickel we have is Parrish. Both Morrison and Zyon would be terrible nickels as both are terrible tacklers.
April 3rd, 2026 at 12:17 pm
What about JJ Roberts,he was playing lights out before his season ending injury.
April 3rd, 2026 at 1:00 pm
I think one season is not QUITE enough time to pronounce Morrison “injury -prone”
April 3rd, 2026 at 2:32 pm
Kgh4life … ‘Why wasn’t Zyon benched? This is the problem with Bowles, he doesn’t hold players accountable’.
Last year we had 6 CBs on the roster: McCollum (766 snaps), Parrish (746 snaps), Dean (660 snaps), Morrison (359 snaps), Vildor (164 snaps) and Hayes (0 snaps). That’s 2695 def snaps for 5 CBs (Hayes was just a Special Teamer) plus we used Izien a tad as a Nickel if I remember. Because Dean missed 3 games, Morrison missed 7 games, Vildor missed 5 games & McCollum ended up missing 4 games, that’s 19 games that our CBs missed (the equivalent of 1 CB on the season), so we really only had 4 CBs.
I doubt that Bowles had any real flexibility to bench anyone last season. The cupboard was pretty bare after subtracting for injuries. And this season, it’s even more bare … we’re down to McCollum, Parrish, Morrison, Josh Hayes (our Special Teamer), and a CB named Damarion Williams (he got 226 def snaps with the Ravens back in 2022, but hasn’t played since; I’m thinking he won’t make the roster). Guessing this is why Bowles said theh other day that Bucs need at least 1 and very probably 2 additional CBs for this season.
April 3rd, 2026 at 2:41 pm
We need to draft a very good DB love Monsoor Deland
April 3rd, 2026 at 4:17 pm
Nother option. Tyreek was really good in the slot as well. Pushing him up leverages his agression. Third safety may be easier to find in the draft if Izien can’t fill that role.
April 3rd, 2026 at 4:21 pm
Sorry. Tykee.
April 3rd, 2026 at 4:50 pm
I think Parrish should be given the chance to compete for a starting CB spot outside. Based on the money he got Zyon will be a starter much as we don’t like it. However Licht and Bowles thinking and logic is that Zyon is CB1 and since Morrison was drafted in the 2nd he would be considered CB2 and Parrish would play the slot. The jury is still out on Morrison and hopefully a full off season and he can stay healthy he can take a major step in year 2 as well as Parrish. I still don’t like the contract that Zyon got. I hate to say it but that will hurt the bucs if he doesn’t play well.
April 3rd, 2026 at 5:49 pm
813bucboi said that he likes Florida CB Devin Moore.
At 6’3 and 198#, Moore only ran a 4.50 forty at the Combine, so he is forecast to be a third round pick.
Looking at Moore’s film, he looks much faster. He usually sits in the receiver’s pocket, he has a great break on the ball, he plays the ball well, he had success blitzing, he looked goody in run support, and he tackles well. He really looks like a first or early second rounder.
That led to the rest of the story. At the Combine, he was still recovering from a sports hernia and probably was not running at his top speed. And, he had an earlier season cut short by a shoulder injury.
If he passes a physical and recovers his preinjury 4.4 time, which he should after a sports hernia, he would be a steal with the Bucs third round pick – if he stays healthy.
There may be a third round CB or OLB that will change my mind. But, right now, after DT Keyden McDaniel in the first round and ILB Anthony Hill in the second round, I would say roll the dice on Moore in the third round.
(A sports hernia is really just strained ligaments connecting to the pelvis and not a real hernia.)
April 3rd, 2026 at 8:15 pm
I still believe high picks need to be up front and build front to back but this article is why I would not be opposed to a safety pick.
If for some crazy reason Caleb Downs fell to 15 and he is clearly BPA, take him. Not sure about this Thieneman or small school Warren kid, is that his name ?
Parrish goes outside and Tykee plays nickel.
April 3rd, 2026 at 10:16 pm
Parish is good and will get better. But we HAVE to draft a CB who can start next year.
April 4th, 2026 at 10:52 am
Defenses really need 4 good corners- because the minute one goes out with injury (almost inevitable), his replacement will be targeted unmercifully. Offensive lines, secondary, and defensive line are all critical to have strong backups since coordinators will jump on anyone missing from these positions the most.