Would the Tampa Bay Buccaneers consider trading for another cornerback?
The starting trio is set with Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish, and Benjamin Morrison. They also drafted Keionte Scott, who is expected to play the nickel cornerback role.
But after losing starter Jamel Dean in free agency along with a few other backups, the depth at outside cornerback is extremely thin.
A recent trade proposal links them to a former first-round pick that would bolster the depth.
Buccaneers linked to trade for Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold
FanSided's Jake Beckman recently named a potential trade target for all 32 teams this offseason, with Arnold being his selection for Tampa Bay. He wrote:
"For the first time in forever, we’re going to be seeing a Buccaneers defense without Jamel Dean. He went to the Steelers in free agency, so now Tampa’s starting cornerbacks are Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison. For depth, all they have is Josh Hayes and Ayden Garnes. No matter which way you spin it, they’re going to have a really, really bad pair of outside cornerbacks."Jake Beckman
Beckman calling McCollum and Morrison “really, really bad” feels a bit harsh, and perhaps it’s an uneducated take. McCollum put together a great 2024 season that led to his contract extension last offseason.
Morrison is certainly an unknown, but he was a second-round pick with elite college production, and he’s still only appeared in 10 games at the pro level.
Throw Parrish in the mix, who shined at nickel last year but is competing for an outside role this year, and the starting group is a promising young group.
Still, adding Arnold to the room would be a big help to the depth. He’s entering his third season, and has ranked as one of PFF’s worst cornerbacks in each of his first two seasons.
But Todd Bowles has a knack for developing cornerbacks, and he’s had a lot of success with his draft picks in the secondary. If the Lions would be willing to part with Arnold for cheap, the 23-year-old has plenty of untapped potential that could be unlocked with a change of scenery.
The move would be a boost to the depth, though, and not an immediate upgrade to the starting rotation as Beckman seems to believe. The Bucs might ultimately decide they’re just fine with the cornerbacks they have in house.
If McCollum bounces back and looks like the player they saw in 2024, Parrish builds on his impressive rookie season, and Morrison stays healthy and develops into the player believes he can be, the Bucs could have a quietly elite starting cornerback group.
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