The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a home run offseason to this point.
They entered the offseason with glaring needs at pass rusher and inside linebacker.
To address their pass rush, they signed Al-Quadin Muhammad, who is coming off an 11-sack season with the Detroit Lions, and drafted Rueben Bain Jr. with the No. 15 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
At inside linebacker, they signed veteran Alex Anzalone and drafted promising rookie Josiah Trotter with their second-round draft pick.
While most pressing needs have been thoroughly addressed, there is one key area where the roster could still use an upgrade to give the Bucs the best chance to succeed in a crucial 2026 season.
Buccaneers need to sign a veteran cornerback before 2026 season
The cornerback position remains the biggest question mark for the Buccaneers, and there are a few on the market that would be solid fits for Tampa Bay.
Zyon McCollum is the only cornerback locked into a starting job. Second-year players Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison are currently competing for the starting job opposite McCollum.
Parrish was the starting nickel cornerback last season, but if he wins the outside job, it’s expected that rookie Keionte Scott will take over in the slot.
McCollum, Morrison, Parrish, and Scott form a young, promising group — but they’re largely unproven.
McCollum is coming off a down year in 2025, and the team is hedging their bets on a massive bounce-back season from their CB1.
Morrison missed seven games as a rookie due to injury, and he’s already missed time this offseason with nagging injuries.
Parrish was the team’s best cornerback last season in the slot, but being a full-time starter outside is a new challenge that the team hasn’t seen him conquer yet.
Scott was a dynamic college player at Miami, but it’s a given that he’ll deal with rookie growing pains, and the secondary can’t count on him as a savior.
The oldest starter in the cornerback room is McCollum at 27 years old, and the Bucs need a veteran who cannot provide both leadership and much-needed depth in the room.
2 perfect-fit free agent cornerbacks Buccaneers can sign
Rasul Douglas
Douglas played in 15 games for the Miami Dolphins last season, starting 13 of them.
He notched two interceptions and 13 passes defended, tying for the second-most of his nine-year career.
Douglas is known for being an outgoing person and a positive presence in the locker room, as evidenced by being named the Stand-Up Guy Award with the Green Bay Packers in 2022.
He’d be a good fit for the Bucs locker room and provide the veteran presence the team is missing at cornerback.
Tre’Davious White
White is years removed from his prime that saw him earn both Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods in 2019 and 2020, but his 12 years of NFL experience would be an asset for the Bucs cornerback room.
He played in 16 games last season and botched five passes broken up and an interception.
He could be a player-coach of sorts at this point of his career, similar to Richard “Coach Sherm” Sherman was in his stint in Tampa Bay, sharing his wealth of knowledge with the young defensive backs.
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