3 bye week changes Tampa Bay Buccaneers should make
By Cory Kinnan
Bench Vernon Hargreaves
The Buccaneers have the worst ranked pass defense in the league this year, and a ton of the blame can fall into the laps of Vernon Hargreaves and M.J. Stewart. At this point, the Bucs know what they have in Hargreaves, a former first round pick, and it is not going to cut it moving forward; Stewart is in just his second year and still has some time to develop.
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However after drafting Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean both on day-two of the 2019 NFL Draft, it is time for the Buccaneers to see what the rookies can do. Carlton Davis has been playing fairly well this year and has been the Bucs’ best corner, so there is no need to replace him at this point.
Start Murphy-Bunting opposite Davis, and in nickel sets, slide SMB into the slot and let the physical Dean bully outside receivers. It is not a great plan to feed two rookies to the wolves, nor should the Bucs expect immediate progress out of their secondary, but it is worth seeing what the first year corners can do.
It is hard to see a path in which Hargreaves, due close to $10 million next season, is still in the pewter and red in 2020. If this is truly the case, then it is time to give the youngsters behind him the bulk of his share. Murphy-Bunting and Dean were both taken by this new coaching staff with high picks, it is time to see what they can do.