The Tampa Bay Buccaneers feel very thin at cornerback right now. With top corner Zyon McCullom dealing with a groin injury and second year pro Benjamin Morrison having to deal with a hamstring injury, there isn’t much experience at the position right now.
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I have talked about the Bucs adding a depth veteran cornerback for several weeks now. Someone who could step in and start if McCollum doesn’t bounce back or if Morrision or fellow second year corner Jacob Parrish doesn’t work out or there is an injury, etc. Just someone with experience who could bring some extra insurance at the position.
Thus far, the Bucs have not really addressed the position since the draft. There have been a few low end names brought in, but those are little more than camp bodies. No real contributor who can help this room has been added.
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However, perhaps general manager Jason Licht has known something that we didn’t. And the more camp goes on, the less and less likely it feels like the Bucs need corner help. To the point where I have reached the conclusion that the Buccaneers will not add a veteran cornerback.
We know the top three on this team are pretty set in stone with McCollum, Parrish and Morrison. Beyond that, rookie Keionte Scott is projected to be the starting nickel as a corner who is being cross trained at safety. Finally there is Josh Hayes who is a special teams player.
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That’s five corners who are pretty well set in stone. Each brings value in their specific role. This leaves potentially one spot left for a veteran corner.
The problem is that there have been some unexpected performances in training camp. Undrafted rookie Ayden Garnes and veteran Damarion Williams have both reportedly played well in practice. On Friday, we got a chance to see that in game action.
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Williams led the team with 12 tackles as well as a sack. Garnes had the play of the game when he intercepted Bailey Zappe and returned it for a touchdown. Both showed well to build on their strong training camp.
It seems like both, specifically Garnes, are making a legitimate push to be on this roster. This leaves the Bucs with a difficult decision. Should they roll the dice on one of these unproven players who have done well in camp or take a swing on a veteran?
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I believe there are two factors that will influence this choice.
The first is what veterans are available. Most players that the team might want have already been signed. So barring a trade or a training camp cut, it won’t be a deep pool of talent to choose from.
The other factor is what a player can do on special teams. We are talking about the fourth or fifth corner on the roster and that’s a player who has to play on special teams. Not all veterans may want to play special teams after several years of starting on defense in the league.
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Both of those factors play in favor of the Bucs keeping one of their in house players. An undrafted rookie or a guy who has bounced around on practice squads understands that special teams is part of them making the team. Then it’s just a question about their ability to play on defense and thus far Garnes and Williams are looking good compared to what’s out there.
That doesn’t mean that things can’t change depending on who becomes available. Or if the level of play we’ve seen in camp is unsustainable. But right here, right now we are at a point where adding a veteran cornerback might not make as much sense as it did a month ago.
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