What to expect from Buccaneers defense in week one
By Rob Leeds
Familiar faces at cornerback
The secondary looks vastly different than the expectations were before camp began, but the final location of the starters became clear to anyone who watched the tape. The starting corners are Vernon Hargreaves and Carlton Davis (both no brainers as both players balled out for the duration of the offseason.) M.J. Stewart moved back to corner during training camp this year and also put out a very impressive tape and will line up at nickel for the Buccaneers for the time being.
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What is the surprise here? Neither of the two rookies who were drafted so high and touted so proudly are starters and are both actually the bottom two on the depth chart.
Jamel Dean had a pretty decent offseason and his final depth location was less his fault and more due to the fact that the veteran players simply performed at a higher level. Dean was able to play defense well and even had an interception, but his play was simply not high enough to crack a starting spot.
The other biggest surprise of this offseason was how poorly Sean Murphy-Bunting played. SMB was expected to take over starting corner duties almost immediately, but after several months of looking lost on the field and inefficient play it seems almost lucky that he retains a roster spot.
With both rookies so low on the depth chart, the Buccaneer front office begins to look more and more questionable for passing on other positions of need in the draft such as defensive and offensive line in the earlier rounds.