Last offseason, JJ Roberts was the talk of the offseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Â
The safety out of Marshall signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent and wasted no time making his impact felt in Tampa Bay.Â
Not only was he hurdling toward a spot on the 53-man roster, but he looked poised to carve out a key depth role as an undrafted rookie. He specialized at safety while being cross-trained at nickel and also contributed on special teams.Â
But all of the team’s big plans for Roberts were cut short when he suffered a torn ACL during joint practice with the Steelers ahead of the second preseason game. It was a heartbreaking turn of events, but Roberts is back with a vengeance heading into year two, and the door hasn’t closed on his future in Tampa Bay.
JJ Roberts has a golden opportunity with Buccaneers in 2026
The Bucs lost do-it-all defensive back Christian Izien in free agency. Izien played snaps at safety, nickel corner, and even a few emergency reps at outside cornerback. He was also a special teams contributor.Â
Izien might not be on the team anymore, but he left behind the blueprint for Roberts’ path toward a role in Tampa Bay.
"As far as roles, I'm very comfortable," Roberts told Pewter Report. "I take pride in being versatile and doing whatever the team needs. Whether it's nickel, safety, or anything else they need me to do. I'm locked in on learning it all and being someone they can trust in various situations."
He’ll have his work cut out for him, as the team drafted Keionte Scott to play the nickel role, and they signed Miles Killebrew — a backup safety who is a former First-Team All-Pro on special teams.Â
The secondary got stronger this offseason, and the competition is stiff, but Roberts is built for the challenge. There’s a reason why he became such a standout last offseason, and he’ll have to start from zero and do it all again.Â
If Roberts can return from his injury and make the same impact he was making last offseason, showcasing his versatility and special teams ability, he’ll be well on his way to a spot on the 53-man roster with a path to take over Izien’s role as the do-it-all depth piece for the secondary.
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