In Elite Company
October 20th, 2021
Jamel Dean
Joe has a feeling Jamel Dean will be a 10- or 12-year NFL player.
The reason is simple.
The Bucs’ third-year cornerback can cover man-to-man. He might be lost in zones and not the most instinctive player, but Dean can cover. And that will keep you employed.
Dean has seven passes defensed this season (an official NFL stat) despite missing a game. Trevon Diggs, Marshon Lattimore and J.C. Jackson are the only defensive backs with more.
Consider that Dean has 31 passes defensed since the Bucs made him a third-round pick in 2019. The first four cornerbacks drafted that year — Deandre Baker (Giants), Byron Murphy (Cardinals), Rock Ya-Sin (Colts) and Sean Muprhy-Bunting (Bucs) — have 57 carer passes defensed combined. And they’re all in the league and contributing.
Bucco Bruce Arians talked about Dean’s skill in man coverage on his radio show last night.
The numbers bear it out, though it’s consistency and playmaking that make a top-shelf cornerback.
October 20th, 2021 at 10:43 am
“The numbers bear it out, though it’s CONSISTENCY and playmaking that make a top-shelf cornerback”.
Dean has been hit and miss in his first several years on the Bucs.
It is all about CONFIDENCE and maturity, that allows your talent to be displayed. BA mentioned Confidence also, like Sherman did.
BTW he is Dak’s favorite CB too lol
GO BUCS!!!!
October 20th, 2021 at 10:57 am
How much money does the NFL make in fantasy? Lots, right? What the hell is man-to-man coverage in the NFL? Smitty zone.
October 20th, 2021 at 11:00 am
lol lol SOE ….You have now entered the “Smitty Zone” sponsored by the local Fantasy football team lol lol lol
GO BUCS!!!!
October 20th, 2021 at 11:00 am
I’ve been a Dean fan since his bounce back game vs. Arizona in 2019 after getting roasted in Seattle. I agree with August on Dean needing to be consistent. I read somewhere that it takes 3-4 years for DBs to develop (OL too). Hoping we start seeing that next level this season. Dean locking up a WR, SMB covering the slot, and Davis covering the other side (with a safety over top to avoid getting toasted) has huge potential. Can they get to that point?
October 20th, 2021 at 11:01 am
More chances to pd because they throw in his direction A LOT.
He’s better than we think but I wouldn’t say he’s Elite or in Elite co.
October 20th, 2021 at 11:16 am
This is where stats mean squat, ahh NO, not good. Maybe longevity on special teams.
October 20th, 2021 at 11:16 am
The biggest thing Dean still needs to learn is to turn his head around when the ball is coming. I’ve always like Dean. We just have to remember that CB is one of the toughest positions to play now days with all the rules skewed to offense moving the ball with ease.
October 20th, 2021 at 11:23 am
He is the best the Bucs have right now with SMB and Carlton Davis out.
October 20th, 2021 at 11:24 am
Listnfrmafar Says:
October 20th, 2021 at 11:16 am
This is where stats mean squat, ahh NO, not good. Maybe longevity on special teams.
Very straight to the point List, stats can say a lot of things like passes defensed because they throw at you so much, like Rls mentioned.
I hope like every other fan that Dean will gain the confidence to play up to his talent level. So far it has been hit miss. Kind of like a tease. Can remember Ronde talking about him when he first came to the Bucs, about his speed and size, and how awesome he could be.
Well we all want to see that. But so far, Dean has not passed the eye test. Look at what Dak thought about Deans stats, he checked out of many runs, to attack Dean. It is all there on film.
Dean playing with confidence will be the difference in his play. Hopefully sooner than later. But again who knows. Hope he will.
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 20th, 2021 at 11:43 am
like his speed and ability to keep up with his man and his nack for grabbing INT’s in key moments. now he just needs to improve his awareness and get his head around while not mugging the WR.
October 20th, 2021 at 12:12 pm
August 1976 … If stats don’t mean diddly, why are some folks so bent on focusing on just that ONE game against the Cowboys? Every player has bad games, and yes, sometimes they happen to be the first game of the season against a QB who’s currently throwing at over a 73% completion rate. in reality though, that wasn’t the case with Dean or our other CBs.
But if you insist on focusing on that 1 game, Dak targeted both Davis & Cockrell NINE times, 1 more than he targeted Dean. And Jamel only allowed 5 completions, and got 1 PD on the day (that 62.5% completion rate is about 10% LESS than what Dak completed on the day and also 10% LESS than his season average. Didn’t allow any TDs either.
Rats, you trapped me into letting stats get in the way again. My bad. You’d think after all these years I’d be able to recognize a trap like that.
Oh and BTW August, in that Dallas game our CBs (Davis, SMB, Dean, Cockrell) were targeted 33 times & allowed 19 completions (57.6%). Our Safeties (Winfield, Edwards, Adams) were targeted 5 times & allowed 4 completions (80.0%). Our ILBs (LVD, White) were targeted 14 times & allowed 13 completions (92.9%). And our OLBs (JPP, Shaq) were targeted 5 times & allowed 5 completions (100%). We only got 1 sack & 9 pressures, our lowest on the season, despite 52 blitzes, our high on the season. Our CBs obviously stunk it up the most that game (danged sarcasm font is stuck again; just pulling your leg).
October 20th, 2021 at 12:14 pm
Who is dumb enough to throw lattimore’s way. He takes a receiver completely out of the game. Puts them on a milk carton
The recent game he missed the saints lost.
May be tops corner in league or at least in the discussion
October 20th, 2021 at 12:25 pm
lol lol DR, your keeping track with a lot of window dressing lol
The Bottom line, is Dean is picked on, and that will change when he decides it will change. Talent is there, but playing confident, play after play unlocks the ability. Period
BTW Money ball does not work, there still is the human element as you and everyone else knows if you want to win a championship.
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 20th, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Dean is an average CB…..Good in man to man, bad in zone…..and also he misses tackles……But is elite if you compare against, VHIII, and so many more that played for the bucs in the last decade….
October 20th, 2021 at 12:40 pm
I have always liked Dean. CB is the most difficult position in the NFL after QB.
The guy has amazingly fast, quick hips.
IMO, the Bucs pass D is better when running man.
October 20th, 2021 at 12:42 pm
DR, if Bucs had 52 blitzes, would that skew the stats for the ILB & OLB’s?
October 20th, 2021 at 12:50 pm
he’s been inconsistent, yet with all his tools, if he pulls it all together he has the potential to possibly be a number one corner…
it could happen in year 4 or 5 for him…he might be a bit of a slow developer…
sheeeet, they might let CD3 walk after this year with a huge contract looming, and go with dean and bunting as the corners in 2022..
hopefully we can keep all 3…
have faith peoples
October 20th, 2021 at 1:21 pm
Pretty polarizing subject
I like Bucco Bruce’s recent quote “we’ve won B a lot games with Dean “
October 20th, 2021 at 1:23 pm
Listnfromafar … ‘if Bucs had 52 blitzes, would that skew the stats for the ILB & OLB’s?’
Of course, and that’s why Todd Bowles hasn’t blitzed that many times in a game since. We got eaten alive with the short stuff.
And some seem to forget that the Cowboys had THIRTEEN drives that game (most all season for either team) because of FOUR Bucs’ turnovers (2 INTs & 2 fumbles). We also punted 4 times. None of that exactly helped the Bucs’ defense. Good thing that we scored 4 TDs on those other drives and that Tom Brady was able to get us into FG territory in that last minute. Not exactly our best game of Complementary Football this season.
October 20th, 2021 at 1:34 pm
August 1976 … You keep saying Dean is being picked on, but he’s not. He’s only been targeted 22 times in 5 games & is averaging about 4.5 targets/game. Davis has been targeted more … 26 times in only 4 games (1 shortened by injury). Cockrell targeted more … 31 times in 6 games. SMB targeted 7 times in 1 game (shortened no less). And Sherman targeted more … 16 targets in only 3 games (1 shortened).
But then look at the others. White – 38 targets (6 games). LVD – 35 targets (5 games). Winfield – 19 targets (4 games). Edwards – 19 targets (6 games). Whitehead – 19 targets (5 games). Opposing QBs are spreading the ball all around.
October 20th, 2021 at 1:42 pm
August 1976 … If stats don’t mean diddly,
I know you are huge about stats, that is what you put out all the time.
But at least read what was said before trying to go on with all kinds of numbers. Use all the numbers you want about Dean.
The human element is still there, and it is about CONFIDENCE, not just talent.
Maybe read again what I said, I agreed with List that SOMETIMES stats do not mean squat, not that all stats do not matter. And referenced RLs making a point about something I thought about also, meaning the pass defensed stat is skewed if other teams think they can pick on you, they go after you more than other players.
Here is a major stat, that matters.
How good a defense is at getting off the field on3rd down.
Which the Bucs have struggled this year.
When a CB lines up and concedes first downs simply by positioning, that does not help the defense get off the field.
Again in spite of all the stats, it comes down to a player playing confident, so that his talent will shine through.
DR simply read what I said before making a wrong statement about what I said.
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 20th, 2021 at 3:32 pm
At the beginning of the year I was wondering if Dean would beat out SMB because he is quicker and better at tight coverage.
Then SMB got hurt and Dean looked horrible to begin with.
Since then, Dean has looked pretty good. And in limited action, Delaney has looked pretty good too.
October 20th, 2021 at 4:41 pm
ive always wished they played him to his strength… Dean is a press man corner all day and a good one. but you play him in soft man or zone dude gets lost. when this team is healthy there is no reason to not play press man 75% of the time.
October 20th, 2021 at 5:45 pm
Our outside corner guys are not ever pressing on 1st down that I see. They seem to be protecting against the deep ball and that is what Bowles wants to do in a cover 3.
On 3rd down, it seems that Bowles may be much more likely to press Dean and other corners. But still Bowles is still not always pressing on 3rd down.
August seems to think that Bowles is calling press man coverage and Dean is just refusing to play press. I disagree with that assessment. I believe that Dean is playing the defense that the coach called or he would not be playing at all.
It is not a confidence thing that you are seeing August, I believe you are seeing a coaching decision.
October 20th, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Dean is still young and he will be only get be better and better. Will play a big role for years to come.
October 20th, 2021 at 9:45 pm
ROFLMAO!
When you’re targeted a gazillion times you’ll eventually have multiple pass break-ups.
This guy is TERRIBLE. One of the worst starting corners in the NFL.
October 20th, 2021 at 9:46 pm
CONTINUED… and if you ‘gamble’ for pass breakups at the risk of much more avg. yards given up to your man, that stat is WORTHLESS.
Poor tackler, poor cover man.