Risky Business
July 27th, 2024
Gamble.
Joe fully understands where Gregg Rosenthal is coming from.
It was a surprise to Joe when the Bucs traded veteran starting corner Carlton Davis to Detroit for a third-round pick. Joe thought it was a helluva roll of the dice to trade away your best corner and not draft someone on the first or second day of the draft to replace him.
Bowles professed confidence in Zyon McCollum, who Bowles deemed worthy of replacing Davis. Bowles said that McCollum has started so often at corner in place of either Jamel Dean or Davis when those two were injured (which happened often).
Therefore, Bowles said, the Bucs really didn’t lose a starter.
Not getting a high draft pick of a corner or a veteran starting corner to replace Davis is a gamble, typed Rosenthal for NFL.com.
The Bucs surprisingly dealt Carlton Davis and will count on youngster Zyon McCollum and third-round rookie Tykee Smith at cornerback. It’s a big risk.
Joe agrees but there is a backup plan (no pun intended). Remember the Bucs signed veteran Bryce Hall this offseason. He has several starts under his belt including starting all 17 games for the Jets in 2021.
No, he may not be Darrelle Revis but it’s not like Hall has never been a starter.
But overall, yeah, Joe agrees with Rosenthal. This is a risk for Bowles. Will McCollum demonstrate Bowles played his poker hand correctly?
July 27th, 2024 at 12:28 am
Again, these commenters aren’t doing their homework. First, Tykee isn’t a CB but a box safety or nickel, so Rosenthal didn’t know that. Rosenthal probably didn’t know about the starts and snaps that Zyon had last year. Like every CB, Zyon allowed some plays but he’s not a huge drop from Davis. Zyon showed progress through the season also. With Zyon being able to focus on the left side, I think he will progress, but he will be targeted a lot as teams will go after him rather than Dean/Hall. With Dean out so much, Hall will get a lot of snaps.
July 27th, 2024 at 12:31 am
How is Davis doing?
July 27th, 2024 at 1:15 am
Since we all know Kyle Trask is the best player in pro football history Bowles is a dummy for not starting him opposite Dean.
July 27th, 2024 at 1:43 am
Neal was also brought in off the scrap heap and well…
Counting on minimum wage vets to come in and start is an extremely risky position to put yourself in.
But, lets see what defense the Bucs play. If they do as I suspect, and jettisoned their man-to-man defenders because Bowles think super soft Mike Smith-like zone defense is the way to go, the you don’t need those expensive corners since they’re just going to be standing around anyways.
July 27th, 2024 at 1:55 am
Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson were 2 of 4 Detroit Lions players who passed their physicals and have been removed from an injury list Wednesday evening.
By Jeremy Reisman@DetroitOnLion Jul 24, 2024, 5:19pm EDT
July 27th, 2024 at 7:29 am
When your best is average it substantially lowers the risk of counting on a younger player. If I were a betting man (which I am) I’d put some money down on Zyon McCollum being as good as or better than 36th in the league at his position.
July 27th, 2024 at 7:43 am
Davis is the better player. Expect him to have a big year with Detroit. I’ve alway viewed Zyon as more of an athlete that can play football. Davis is a football player is a decent athlete. Zyon reminds me of a track guy that posts wicked fast sprint times that tries to become a WR.
July 27th, 2024 at 7:52 am
Yeah was kinda shocked too Bucs didn’t honor that deal with CD3 they got out of it so good for them. Who do we select with that pick ? Anyone here remember?
July 27th, 2024 at 7:56 am
I think Zyon is a solid option and considering the price differential, what we’re looking to do with current cap implications it’s time to move on from some guys who still have value left in the tank. We will know next year if we need a new CB. We probably will in all honest reality. The kid from Arizona is likely our guy as of right now. Well we will wait and see what happens. Hope Zyon works out as the #2. He’s worth the risk/reward I think.
July 27th, 2024 at 8:26 am
Go back and watch last year’s game against the Houston Texans and the three TD’s, (including the game winner) that Davis gave up. Besides that debacle of a game, his entire season was nothing to get excited about. Getting a 3rd round pick, which turned into Tykee Smith, for Davis is another example of how exceptional Licht is.
July 27th, 2024 at 8:38 am
We picked McMillan with the #3 we got for CD3, I’m good with it
July 27th, 2024 at 9:26 am
So has Davis even practiced for the Lions yet due to his recent injury?
July 27th, 2024 at 9:48 am
I, for one, have full confidence that the kid is gonna shine. Hall and Thomas are good backups as well. We are gonna be just fine at corner.
July 27th, 2024 at 9:50 am
I also seem to recall Funderbunk’s name banded about a little. Is that spelled right?
July 27th, 2024 at 9:55 am
^^^
*Funderburke
July 27th, 2024 at 7:28 pm
Don’t know what you’re love for Davis is I saw him getting toasted so many times last year he has bad hands and hurt all the time by the way he is hurt again
July 27th, 2024 at 9:34 pm
Can nitpick the depth and Zyon better or worse than Davis all day but there is no question the Bucs secondary improved overall this off-season. It’s the same for the WRs and the OL. Last year we had 3 CBs and Winfield, we had Evans Godwin and a ? at WR 3, we had 4 starters (1 with NFL experience at his position) on the OL. This year we have Winfield Whitehead, 3 CBs and depth in Thomas, Smith, Izien. Our #3 WR from last year is potentially our #4 now, and we have 6-7 guys who could start on the OL (4 of them with NFL experience at their position).
It’s clear as day why fans and the team themselves are saying we are improved from last year. Exciting times. Wild to me that media members aren’t doing this math.