3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers that need to see the field more
By Rob Leeds
Jamel Dean has been one of the best Buccaneers on the field the past two weeks, offense and defense. The second-year corner has five passes defended over the two contests as well as a pick-six, and the Buccaneer secondary will continue to trend upward.
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Regardless of what anyone may think, Dean was the main reason why the Buccaneers were able to win the matchup with the Packers. The pick-six against Aaron Rodgers brought Tampa Bay back from the brink, and the defense was able to pick up the slack left by the offense.
Dean has been a monster ever since he arrived with the Buccaneers, and his incredible production has come on limited reps. It’s hard not to wonder what Dean’s stat lines would look like with double-digit starts on the season.
Dean still sees more playing time this year than he did last season, but it still isn’t enough. The former Auburn corner is averaging 68% of the defensive snaps, and that number needs to be higher.
Given the incredible production, Tampa Bay needs to see what Dean can do with a more significant share of the reps. Even a jump to a 75% average could help the Buccaneer defense, but Dean could likely manage with more.
The Buccaneer secondary has already made massive improvements over the past, and there isn’t much reason to make a massive change now, but Jamel Dean and the Buccaneers would both benefit from increased reps.