The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' needs in the secondary were well noted heading into the offseason. When they signed Damarion Williams after his release from the Seahawks last year, expectations were not very high; they weren't any higher entering this offseason either.
Williams entered Buccaneers camp as a fringe cornerback. The type of player who had a good chance of making the practice squad again, but just as easily could have found himself as a cut candidate. Needless to say, Williams is turning heads and making a case for a roster spot. Todd Bowles has liked what he has seen so far.
What were the biggest takeaways from #Bucs HC Todd Bowles during his Friday press conference?
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) July 31, 2026
Here’s a quick thread, beginning with his thoughts on CBs Demarion Williams and Ayden Garnes. Each has gotten an extended look so far during training camp. pic.twitter.com/X8OzjfRMPY
Damarion Williams is having a strong training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's a long time between now and the start of the regular season. For players like Williams, it's a constant battle that must remain consistently good. Players on the fringe can't afford to have bad practices.
Bowles' positive comments on the third-year veteran mean that he has been seeing what Williams has been doing. This is important because during another Q&A, the Buccaneers' head coach said he tends not to watch specific players on the field, but rather the techniques and fundamentals they are working through.
If Williams is catching his eye, it's notable. Williams' time in Baltimore wasn't productive. Locked behind a solid group of corners, the former 4th-round pick in 2022 played in only 15 games during his first two seasons in the NFL.
Williams' NFL career has gone from the East Coast to the Northwest and back to the East Coast again. He spent time with the Seahawks after the Ravens released him in October of 2024. He spent the rest of the year on Seattle's practice squad, eventually being released in 2025.
The Buccaneers signed him to their own practice squad last season, and then to a futures contract after the season ended. Now, he may have his best chance to stick, provided he can continue moving forward and progressing.
That's the toughest part for a journeyman NFL player. Although he was with Tampa for part of last season, it's hard to make the right impressions when you are running the scout team defense, and that is exactly what he was doing.
Entering camp, Williams wasn't expected to do much more than give Todd Bowles and Jason Licht a reason to keep him on the PS again this year. Williams apparently has other plans, and if he can continue to turn his head coach's head, he increases his shot of being with the team as a key depth piece throughout the 2026 season.
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