The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went all-in on upgrading their defense this offseason.
On paper, the unit is much-improved. One of the only positions with any remaining question marks was cornerback. Tampa Bay has a group of promising young cornerbacks, but they lacked depth, particularly in the form of an experienced veteran.
They just solved that problem perfectly at the final buzzer of roster construction, reuniting with Sean Murphy-Bunting and adding him to the practice squad, per ESPN.s Jeremy Fowler.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign Sean Murphy-Bunting to practice squad
Have Jason Licht and the front office been reading The Pewter Plank? Just yesterday, I wrote about why a reunion with Murphy-Bunting makes sense for this team.
The veteran cornerback was drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he spent the first four seasons of his career with the Buccaneers. He recorded a total of nine interceptions, counting the postseason, and was a perfect fit for Todd Bowles’ scheme due to his versatility.
Murphy-Bunting has 65 career starts under his belt, and primarily serves as a nickel cornerback but offers the ability to kick outside if needed. It’s the perfect depth move for the Buccaneers who needed this type of veteran in the room.
He was released by the Arizona Cardinals as he worked his way back from a torn ACL and damaged MCL that forced him to miss the entire 2025 season, which is why a player of his caliber was available so late in the offseason.
Murphy-Bunting has a special place in Bucs history. They wouldn’t have won Super Bowl LV without him, as he recorded an interception in three consecutive playoff games en route to the Super Bowl. He was a ballhawk who seemed to always come up with a big play when the team needed it most. Having a presence like that on the practice field and in the meeting room is priceless.
The best part? The Bucs got Murphy-Bunting at an incredible value. Practice squad numbers are predetermined, so there isn’t much of a negotiation involved. The Bucs will have to pay him in the range of $18,350 to $22,850 per week on the practice squad based on his veteran status. He won’t count against the 53-man roster count unless the team elevates him to the active roster on gamedays.
This was a no-brainer move to put the finishing touches on an incredible defensive overhaul this offseason. The roster is in place for this to be a special unit, now it’s up to the coaches to develop a good game plan and for the players to go out and execute.
If Murphy-Bunting can recapture some of the magic he showed in Tampa Bay the first time around, this could be an even bigger addition than it looks like on pepper.
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