The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' cornerback Jamel Dean is having a standout season, and everyone is noticing. Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud tuned in his opinion in response to his league-leading 29.7 passer rating allowed.
""A good reason not to take Jamel Dean off the field for 10 snaps a game to give reps to a rookie.""Rick Stroud
That rookie is cornerback Jacob Parrish, who has struggled at times this season. Parrish boasts a 69.2 completion percentage allowed, above league average. The rookie certainly isn't elite yet, but he has played 67% of defensive snaps this season.
Another rookie corner back receiving playing time in Dean's stead is Benjamin Morrison. Despite a strong season, Morrison has played just six games due to injury. The 2025 second round selection has just allowed 58% of completions his way, but struggles against the deep ball.
His 108 passer rating allowed and 15.2 yards per target highlight this struggle. On the other hand, you have Dean, whose 45.9 completion percentage against leads the team by a wide margin. Dean hasn't allowed a touchdown yet this season and has recorded three interceptions.
Shockingly, Dean hasn't played much more than Parrish. His 75% of defensive snaps played is second among cornerbacks to Zyon McCollum's 100%. For some reason, Dean has played 80% or more defensive snaps just twice in eight games this season. Taking your elite defensive back off the field is odd in any situation, but especially with how well he's playing.
Rick Stroud's clear message highlights Jamel Dean's standout season
The veteran cornerback is in his seventh elite season in Tampa Bay. Throughout his career, he's allowed a 57.5% completion percentage and grabbed eleven interceptions, but somehow, never been elected to a Pro Bowl.
The 29-year-old leads a strong cornerback room that has been successful in stopping the pass this season. Despite elite efforts, the Bucs rank 24th in pass yards allowed per game. This is not the cornerbacks' fault, as the linebacker core is a proven liability against the pass.
Moving forward, retaining Dean is key to continuing to lead the corner back room, but Tampa Bay made that harder on itself. In September, the Buccaneers restructured Dean's contract to give cap space, but it will end a year sooner.
Dean will become a free agent after this season, and Bucs fans will hope to retain him. Unfortunately, his $4.5 million restructured salary will likely not repeat itself, despite entering his age-30 season. For reference, the Bucs were originally paying him $12.5 million this year.
Regardless of contract questions, Dean is an elite cornerback the Bucs are thankful to have. If he continues this production, he could easily be an All-Pro by the end of the season. One thing's for sure: head coach Todd Bowles must keep Dean on the field for continued success.