Jason Licht subtly made Buccaneers' draft plans clear with Jamel Dean update

Well okay then.
Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) celebrates after a fumble recovery in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) celebrates after a fumble recovery in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Jamel Dean to a four-year deal two years ago and, so far, he has not lived up to the contract he signed. Injuries have been to blame there, as Dean has missed nine games over the past two seasons.

Even when you take the injury concerns away, Dean has not been producing to the level that Bucs fans were hoping for. He has just one interception over the last two years and it wouldn't be shocking if the team tried to move him, whether by trade or simply by releasing him. General manager Jason Licht even noted Dean's injuries when discussing the state of the Bucs' cornerback position.

“So Jamel, he’s had some injuries [the] last couple years,” Licht said. “He was a really good player not too long ago. He has high expectations for himself, we have high expectations for him. And we feel good about Jamel.”

While Licht said the team has high expectations for Dean in what will be his seventh NFL season, he did note that the Buccaneers could use some more cornerback help.

“But we can use some help there, whether it’s depth, whatever it is. We could use some help there.”

Jason Licht says Buccaneers "could use some help" at cornerback

The fact that Licht mentioned Dean's injury issues and then goes on to say that the team needs help at the position looks to indicate that the Bucs will be adding cornerback depth in the draft. The team holds the 19th pick in the draft and should be able to land some solid help on defense.

Maybe Tampa doesn't add a cornerback in the first round but they have two selections on Day 2 to try and add some help there. Licht has done wonders with finding talent for this team so if he says the team needs help at cornerback, fans should believe in his abilities to bring help to the position. That way if Dean misses time in 2025 (or if he's not on the roster at all), the Bucs will be prepared in the secondary without him.

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