Why Not Asante Samuel?
March 17th, 2025
Free agent CB Asante Samuel.
Joe is of the mind that the Bucs, just like they needed an established edge rusher and signed Haason Reddick, need a quality cornerback in free agency.
While the free agent crop has been picked through worse than a Plant City strawberry patch after St. Patrick’s Day, one cornerback catches Joe’s eye.
That’s veteran corner Asante Samuel. He didn’t play much for the Chargers last year due to a bum shoulder. Before that, Samuel was a three-year starter in Los Angeles. He’s still just 25.
One drawback on Samuel is he isn’t a ballhawk, which Bucs coach Todd Bowles professed to desire this offseason. Samuel has six picks, all from 2021-2023. Samuel just played in four games last year and had no picks.
When opposing quarterbacks target Samuel, he has allowed 59.5 percent of those targets to be completed. Jamel Dean’s career completion percentage when targeted is 58.7. So it’s not like there is a huge drop off.
BSPN NFL analyst and Chicago-area high school coach Matt Bowen has the following breakdown of Samuel.
Samuel has a playmaking mentality at cornerback, with the foot quickness and sudden closing speed to break on the ball. A shoulder injury limited Samuel to four games last season, but he has six interceptions and 26 pass breakups in his four years with the Chargers.
In the past four seasons, Dean has 34 pass breakups.
Joe is not necessarily looking to replace Dean with whatever leftovers are available after a week of free agency. Joe actually thinks Dean is a decent if not good corner. Joe’s issue is he can’t stay on the field.
Last year, for example, when Dean got hurt against the slimy Saints in New Orleans and missed four games, the Bucs cratered and lost four games in a row. Coincidence? Joe doesn’t believe in coincidences in the NFL.
Half of those losses in that four-game tailspin were one-score games. Don’t think the Bucs could have used Dean in those games?
And that’s why “this Joe” reached the end of his rope with Dean. Again, “this Joe” thinks he’s a good player but Dean could be Darrelle Revis and it wouldn’t matter if he can’t get on the field.
What bothers Joe is that Dean couldn’t finish three of the last four Bucs playoff games, the most important games of the year. The last two playoff games Dean couldn’t finish were one-score games as well. Don’t think losing a starting corner in a close playoff game makes a difference?
The Bucs will keep Dean. And Joe is OK with that so long as the Bucs have someone capable to fill in because you just know Dean will get hurt. It’s not if but when.
Would Samuel be OK with being a part-time starter?
March 17th, 2025 at 4:21 am
Joe!
At last we have found someone we agree totally on! Get this man on the next flight from LaLa land to Tampa!
Go Bucs!
March 17th, 2025 at 5:09 am
Would love to get Asante. He is the guy, FSU and St. Aguinas HS too! Unfortunately, other teams are going after him too. Thinking though, he would love to play in FL and for the Bucs. Another perfect fit.
March 17th, 2025 at 5:11 am
sounds risky
March 17th, 2025 at 5:45 am
Joe, I’m not sure I agree with you, here.
Jamel is ok. When he’s on the field. Not good or great. And there are too many times when he’s not on the field.
Could there be a connection between him being injured and our losses? Of course. But there are many other factors that could go into all of those losses. We’ve also won our fair share of games while he was sitting on the sidelines.
I haven’t done any homework on Asante Samuel.
Based on the numbers in your article, he doesn’t necessarily look like an upgrade.
Except that he stays on the field.
I agree that veteran help at CB is a need.
Make Samuel the starter and move Jamel into a rotational position.
If Jamel doesn’t like that he can leave. Or we can cut him.
March 17th, 2025 at 5:51 am
Kendall Fuller is still out there
March 17th, 2025 at 6:34 am
Bowles said he’s looking for ballhawks yet he’s sticking with Dean? See why fans question Bowles as a coach? Makes no sense. My guess is we come out of this draft with Dean’s replacement. Even if a rookie corner can’t beat out Dean in camp, you know it’s not if, but when does Dean gets injured.
March 17th, 2025 at 7:05 am
This guy is allergic to tackling. I think we’d do better to look in the draft. He could be good depth though, but don’t expect him to dominate his assignments.
March 17th, 2025 at 7:43 am
Samuel as the third corner would be nice.
March 17th, 2025 at 7:51 am
He can’t tackle, but he can cover
March 17th, 2025 at 8:00 am
I think the only reason we’re keeping Dean is because the free agency market went crazy for CBs this offseason. Only having to pay 13m to Dean is a bargain compared to what other guys got. Definitely need to target another CB early in the draft, along with DE, DT, MLB and WR.
March 17th, 2025 at 8:16 am
Simmer down Bucs fan. We are going to fix this in the draft and Dean can serve as a back-up. In a perfect world we’ll save Dean for the playoff run while giving his replacement some valuable reps during the season. I have the utmost faith in Jason
March 17th, 2025 at 8:19 am
I think Samuel would be a good pick up for depth at the vet minimum. Not expecting him to set the world on fire, but it doesn’t look like he would be a liability either. The best you can hope for in a back up is for them not to hurt you and a 59.5 completion percentage against is nothing to sneeze at.
March 17th, 2025 at 9:00 am
I wonder if Dean might be a draft-day trade item, to move to “GET” a player we want…
Samuel is 25 had a bad Shoulder in 24, was not actively available, and has similar numbers across the board with Dean, sure thing bring him in for an interview/exam. DRAFT 2 CB’s this draft… MLB, another DE/Edge, S, OLB, DT… Not necessarily in that order.
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 10:05 am
Should try trading Dean and Rachaad White.
March 17th, 2025 at 10:11 am
A Hard Pass !! Would of rather have Carlton Davis back than him even though Davis signed already with Patriots
March 17th, 2025 at 10:49 am
Gotta sign another CB before the draft, period….
March 17th, 2025 at 10:50 am
Miguel says stop the bs. Dean is acceptable now that nobody is let in free agency? The only high school coach from Chicago who’s opinion is worth anything is Max Burnnel. He could be texting from the beyond.
Draft one of the two Notre Dame CBs.
March 17th, 2025 at 11:27 am
Samuel is either not fully Healthy and/or his asking price is too high.
March 17th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
Pass there’s got to be a more promising corner in the draft than either. Dean got paid and just laid down. Best wishes to you sir but we have got to move on.. Go Bucs!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 2:59 pm
Hard pass. We can do better. No need for an already injured player.
Draft Barron out of Texas. He can hit, is a ball hawk, and knows how to win.
The defenses he was on were best in college for takeaways.
We need to get back to the days when the defense stole games for the offense.
CB was arguably our weakest position on defense last year.
March 17th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
Asante Samuel has missed a higher percentage of games than Jamel Dean.
Samuel has 50 games played in 4 seasons. That is 12.5 games per season.
Dean has 82 games played in 6 seasons. That is 13.7 games per season.
March 17th, 2025 at 7:06 pm
We need guys who can cover and make plays on the ball. I don’t care if it’s LB/CB/S. We just sucked tremendously covering anybody and getting our hands on thrown passes. Getting better at EDGE unless it’s a clone of Reggie White won’t matter. We need better defenders on the back 8.
March 17th, 2025 at 9:47 pm
Samuel has also played two full seasons. Dean is still looking for his first full season — and Joe is going to guess he will forever be looking for that milestone.
March 18th, 2025 at 9:10 pm
He only played 4 games last year, kind of contradicts your Dean argument.