The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had many standout players during their unexpected victory in the 2023 NFC South Division and playoffs, which included defeating the previous NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card round.
One person who didn’t perform well during that period was the well-paid cornerback Jamel Dean, who signed a $52 million contract for 4 years in March 2023.
The Pewter Report’s Matt Matera noticed that Dean seems to be in trouble after missing an interception in the end zone against the Detroit Lions in a 31-24 NFC Divisional Round defeat and 29 games in a row without an interception.
Dean also sat out five games due to injury in 2023.
“Aside from staying healthy, Dean must also become better at catching the ball to prove he's worth his salary. He isn't getting his hands on the ball enough, and when he does, he's dropping potential interceptions,” Matera stated. “Just look at the big missed chance in Tampa Bay’s 31-24 playoff loss to Detroit when Dean failed to catch an easy interception in the end zone. The Lions then scored a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.”
‘All He Has To Do Is Catch The Ball’
In 2023, Dean played a career-low 12 games and it was his first season without an interception since being drafted from Auburn in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.
That's not because he wasn't trying.
When asked during OTAs what Dean needs to improve on in 2024, Tampa Bay cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross said straightforwardly: “Catch the ball.”
“If he (makes interceptions) he’s an All-Pro, he’s a Pro Bowler,” Ross said. “All he has to do is catch the ball. We’ve been emphasizing that in that room. And it really starts with me. I’ve got to increase more ball drills with those guys, I’ve requested these guys to catch 50 balls a day during this training camp right here. We’ll see, we’ve got to catch the ball. We could’ve led the league last year in takeaways had we caught the ball the way we needed to.”
The Buccaneers may not have much patience with Dean based on recent events. They traded the starting cornerback opposite Dean, Carlton Davis III, sending him to the Detroit Lions along with two sixth-round picks in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick the Buccaneers used on Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan.
Davis was another cornerback the Buccaneers invested heavily in, signing him to a $45 million contract for 3 years in March 2022.
Dean Will Have 2024 to Prove Himself to Bucs
Regardless of what happens, Dean will have 2024 to demonstrate he deserves to remain in Tampa Bay, which probably means getting some interceptions.
The Buccaneers only picked one defensive back in the 2024 NFL draft, but he’s a safety — Georgia’s Tykee Smith was selected in the third round (No. 89 overall).
According to PFF, Dean had a 68.3 percent grade in 2023. The Top 20 highest-graded defensive backs in the league all graded above 77 percent, and the Top 10 all graded above 82 percent.
