Double The Pleasure
April 12th, 2025
Focusing on corners.
Back at the owners meetings in Palm Beach — boy, that seems like a month ago; it was last week! — Bucs coach Todd Bowles made no secret that he wants a new corner, maybe more than just one.
Not only did Bowles grouse about needing a corner, he fretted about corner depth (was that meant to be a wakeup call to Josh Hayes?).
So this got Jenna Laine of ESPN thinking: The last time the Bucs had a terrible secondary, it was for two reasons. The first was, yeah, the Bucs really did have a bad secondary. And the second was it had a horrendous coach, the notorious Mike Smith, who was fired midway through that 2018 season.
The spring after the Bucs brought in Bucco Bruce Arians (and Bowles, too), Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht loaded up on cornerbacks in the draft, selecting Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean in the second and third rounds, respectively.
A year, later, Super Bowl, baby! (Boom, boom, boom, BOOM!)
And while Dean is with the Bucs, some fans are done with him and it seems Dean might be curled up near Bowles’ doghouse. So Laine is beginning to think Licht may just repeat what he did in 2019 and draft two corners.
Don’t be surprised if the Buccaneers ____ in this draft.
Select more than one cornerback. The Bucs don’t want to be caught flat-footed again like they were last season with injuries, and not only do they need a starting-caliber player, but depth is also a concern. Coach Todd Bowles said at the league meeting, “We don’t have a lot of depth. That’s crystal clear. … We hopefully will address that at some point in the draft as well.” Keep in mind that they doubled up on the position in the draft in 2019, selecting Sean Murphy-Bunting in the second round and Jamel Dean in the third.
And that was a wise move. While SMB was serviceable, the Bucs certainly don’t want a second-round pick to be just serviceable. To be fair to SMB, his pick at midfield late in the first half in the 2020 NFC title game set up the second-greatest play in Bucs history: the Tom Brady bomb to Scotty Miller to give the Bucs a 21-10 lead just before halftime.
The Bucs won by five, 31-26. Take away SMB’s pick, the Bucs likely don’t win that game.
So yeah, Joe is OK if Licht tries to recapture magic.
April 12th, 2025 at 8:19 am
Great point, Joe!
Licht has earned the right to do his thing and put together another championship-level roster.
Sure, we don’t sniff the SB without TB12, greatest field general ever, helping us put it all together. But, ain’t no way TB12 comes to Tampa if Licht didn’t build a great roster.
Go Bucs!
April 12th, 2025 at 8:28 am
I think everyone is caught up in the word cornerback but the reality is the entire secondary needs a dressing, so may very well be quarterback in a safety not just cornerbacks that are needed
April 12th, 2025 at 8:29 am
Also if the pass rush is not blazing, regardless if we use the first three rounds to pick a corner, the secondary will remain average at best
April 12th, 2025 at 8:31 am
Two later round guys ive been playing with in the mocks….Nohl Williams (who visited us) and BJ Adams. This way we can hit other D positions and one WR position earlier.
April 12th, 2025 at 8:32 am
Any D pick in rounds #1 or #2 is going to improve the squad. We need starters at ILB, CB and possibly S. We need depth at Edge and all D backfield positions. I don’t think Licht can screw this up if he goes D in rounds 1 and 2.
April 12th, 2025 at 8:33 am
That or draft one and then sign a vet afterwards. They freed up some cash just for those purposes im sure.
April 12th, 2025 at 8:46 am
This draft is deep with CB’s but there is only one Emmanwori at SAFETY or LB. If he is still available at 19, Licht would be foolish not to take him.
April 12th, 2025 at 8:58 am
SteveK
“Licht has earned the right to do his thing and put together another championship-level roster.
Sure, we don’t sniff the SB without TB12,”
Agree 100% with the first part Steve not so certain about the second part. Yes Brady is the GOAT but he had a team in place to win. I do give Brady’s reputation and connections credit for a big assist in JL’s acquiring some of the final pieces but it wasn’t JUST Brady.
In fact I’ll make a statement that’ll be easy for you and others to challenge, perhaps the only guy who will agree with me is Rod of all people.
I think the team COULD have won the SB with JW if he had half as much ability above the neck as he does below it.
As a JW antifan here I do respect his physical talent. I think BA did as well which is why he rode that horse as long as he did.
Remember the Bucs won their first SB with Brad Johnson. IMHO an underrated athlete capable of D1 Basketball as well as football. I think he also never got the respect he deserved for leading the Bucs to that SB.
I get the Brady love. I guess the divorce left a bitter taste in my mouth. He basically bailed on the Bucs and was even trying to get out of his contract.
Life is a two way street. YES Brady led the Bucs to the SB. YES TL and BA GAVE Brady the chance to get that 7th SB!!! I’m a huge believer in gratitude.
It should go BOTH ways however!!!
April 12th, 2025 at 9:06 am
I’ve been saying two cornerbacks for weeks (months?) now. Doesn’t make me a genius, just stating the obvious. You want edge rushing? You want blitzing? Gotta have confidence in the coverage. And oh yeah, interceptions trump sacks every day of the week and twice on Sundays (Thursdays and Mondays too).
April 12th, 2025 at 9:08 am
Unpopular opinion??? But other than getting the Bucs a super bowl I could care less for Tom Brady. Would have preferred Jameis Winston won it for the Bucs… Not a fan of his always liked Peyton ALOT more but thank him for the ring regardless….
April 12th, 2025 at 9:19 am
St.Pete,
Thanks for the reply.
I dare to contend if Bowles/Winfield Jr. don’t nap on Kupp in OT, then we win 2 in a row and Brady just retires.
I almost wish we would’ve traded him in 2022 (if that’s what he wanted). I love that he won us a ring, and would’ve been fine with setting him free. He deserved the MVP in 2021- setting a career high in passing yards.
Gruden and Dungy are great coaches, Dungy being HoF. I’d argue Arians is a great coach too.
Jameis has physical talent, but the turnovers and same old rhetoric after games was beyond tiresome. Seeing Fitzmagic light it up when he was suspended was awesome and proved another QB could do well enough.
I’d argue Brady was the driving g force of getting our franchise on track. One Super Bowl, should’ve been two if the pass D didn’t give up the booty. And nothing but playoffs since he came to our team in 2020.
Baker took advantage of the culture Brady set, and the current Bucs uphold.
We didn’t make the playoffs since what, 2008, before Brady came here? We were on a constant “swirly” of the nfl toilet bowel.
With 10+ wins this year, and another egg laid by Cleveland, we have the chance to not be the “biggest career losing percentage” of the four major sports. Do you think we are set on our current trajectory without Tom Brady sprinkling his ageless competitive pixie dust on our team? Hell to the no! He was the greatest field general of all time and taught our team a new level of culture/winning.
April 12th, 2025 at 9:21 am
St Pete,
I’d also contend that I’d agree with your QB/championship take for anyone not named, Brady.
April 12th, 2025 at 9:31 am
SteveK
Thanks for a respectful thought out response.
We’ll simply have to agree to disagree. I take your points however.
I would like your opinion on Bowles however if you think Chucky was a great coach. When Chucky went through his post SB run it was 7-9 and 5-11!!!
And in fact overall Bowles has a better record as a Bucs HC than Chucky, a better win %, barely but Bowles can still add or detract from that %.
Some of this stuff is clearly personal. Some folks do not like Todd’s personality I loathe Chucky’s loud mouth and how he totally lost his team.
Todd is boring…Chucky is EXCITING…Todd’s player respect him, by the end Chucky’s players “tolerated” him.
April 12th, 2025 at 10:01 am
St Pete,
Thanks
For the reply. Bowles is not a great coach because he hasn’t HC a Super Bowl winner like Chucky, Arians and Dungy (not in Tampa).
Bowels has done fine, would love to see him take us tow nfc title game or Super Bowl.
I’m still bitter about the OT loss to the rams in 2021 divisional playoffs. That’s a sh!t way to go out after an epic comeback that game. Bowles also should’ve called a timeout in Detroit in 2023, and I can think of a game in Cleveland where Winfield and Wirfs got hurt bc he didn’t let Brady go for the win in regulation. I’m not that impressed by those moments, but I do like his consistency in sacks, and for all intents seems like a very likable guy. Just win baby!
April 12th, 2025 at 10:13 am
SteveK
We end in agreement!!!
JUST WIN BABY!
April 12th, 2025 at 10:29 am
Zah Fraizer, Nohl Williams, Cobee Bryant all ballhawks that can be had later. Any 2 of them should do. I wouldn’t mind double dipping on DL either. Harmon in the first and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins out of Georgia later, that dude is a freak.
April 12th, 2025 at 10:40 am
Rounds 2 and maybe 3 is my guess
April 12th, 2025 at 11:26 am
Apparently you can just free-form ramble off topic here. And enough with the Brady worship. You people and your sports boners for celebrity QBs, it’s just weird.
Let us Bake.
April 12th, 2025 at 11:28 am
We need ball hawks safety and corner. Round 1 for premium players in the trenches or possibly Jihaad Campbell if his surgery is on track
April 12th, 2025 at 11:30 am
For me a home run draft would be one of the following three picks in the first round and the edge rusher such as James Pierce Jr or the Edge rusher from Boston College Ezeraiku or if he checks out medically Jihad Campbell. I would also be okay with one of the top two defensive tackles. I think there is enough talent in this draft that we can get a good safety and a good cornerback for our second and third round picks which is what I would consider doing and then go for a linebacker in round four or alternatively if Demitrius Knight is there in round two he might be an option and there are still good cornerbacks in round 3 and 4 but we do need to leave this draft with one corner one safety one inside linebacker and one defensive lineman
April 12th, 2025 at 12:08 pm
I really like those guys over at StickinUp4Centers—great content. I’m also a fan of Upton Stout, though he seems more like a slot corner/safety hybrid, similar to Izien and Smith. Am I the only one who’s been watching Thor Griffith? Seriously, the guy is a physical freak—insanely strong, high iq, great leverage, and explosive first step.
April 12th, 2025 at 12:34 pm
Canabuc Says:
April 12th, 2025 at 11:30 am
It’s been discussed here — Pearce is regarded as an uncoachable pain in the rear. Unless those allegations are proven bogus, the Bucs won’t be interested.
April 12th, 2025 at 12:54 pm
A year, later, Super Bowl, baby! (Boom, boom, boom, BOOM!)
Yep, and the year they won the Super Bowl they were playing tight coverage and non of this 10-15 yards off the line of scrimmage nonsense. I hope we see at least two stating caliber corners added as well as more aggressive coaching and technique on defense. Both have to happen not just one or the other.
April 12th, 2025 at 2:00 pm
JMO
I think SMB were the reason we won a SB.
Not at all.
April 12th, 2025 at 2:45 pm
@SteveK
With 10+ wins this year, and another egg laid by Cleveland, we have the chance to not be the “biggest career losing percentage” of the four major sports.
***************************************************8
You lost me on this one.
Cleveland 562 548 14
Tampa 318 457 1
If Cleveland goes 3 and 14, they will still be over.500 by 3 games
The Buc’s, on the other hand, need to string together a ONE HUNDRED THIRTY NINE game win streak just to get to .500. That would be 8 plus perfect seasons in a row.
We were 10 and 7 last year.If we did that for ten years in a row, we’d still be 109 games below .500.
For 49 years I have been anticipating/expecting a winning season with the championship ALWAYS being the ultimate goal each season.
Will I ever get to see the Buc’s reach .500?
Doubtful.
On the other hand, after 8 perfect seasons, getting to .500 would be just, meh.
April 12th, 2025 at 2:54 pm
I like this two new CBs idea a lot especially if its a pair with refined man coverage skills and talent. Many of the names I read in the comments are guys I have my eye on for the Bucs. Melo Dotson and Zy Alexander are two more. They both have size, press man chops and TO production. One of those two along with Nohl Williams would be dreamy. It sucks to hear Nohl Williams was in for a visit. The Bucs never draft the guys they have in to visit. Hopefully Licht and Co. were engaging in espionage and getting actionable intel on ILB Teddye Buchanan. That man is the “right player” to ensure the future of the ILB position and restore dignity and vitality to the Bucs offensive attempts to stop opponents from playing catch with the football when they have possession and eat up all the clock by maintaining possession by throwing the ball. Wherever they want to whomever they want. That is not defense. Its straight-up sluttiness. I hope the Bucs either grow or draft a pair soon.
April 12th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
Yep. 2 CB and 2 DL. If these positions are as deep as advertised, it would be great to get one of each early and one late. Fill in between with ILB and safety. Jason likes the double up method. I think Licht has a deal cooking too he’s keeping under his hat. Don’t be surprised when lightning strikes. All in baby. Go Bucs.
April 12th, 2025 at 3:47 pm
The Baker Boi(s) hate Tom Brady.
This is why no one likes the Baker Boi(s). They’re literally retarded.
If you want to know if you’re a Baker Boi, just answer this question.
Who is the better QB, Baker or Brady?
If you don’t answer Brady in less than 0.00001 seconds, you’re a Baker Boi, and should check yourself into the nearest nuthouse.
April 12th, 2025 at 3:57 pm
Career wise, of course Brady was better. But Brady’s last season with us wasn’t as good as Baker’s 2 seasons with us. And I like Baker better as a human. Brady is a celebrity d00sh-nozzle.
April 12th, 2025 at 5:16 pm
This is still what I think I do right now:
1st rd: Trade back
(2) OLB
(2) CB
(2) S
(3) ILB
(4) Best DL/OL – Available
(5) Best DL/OL – Available
Safety Gems are for the taking. We already have Antoine Winfield Jr.
if he wasn’t hurt and missing so many dang games last year we would have been fine. Same with inside slot CB smith , and the DL Kancey, CB2 Jamel Dean etc.
Sure we didn’t have depth last year we do now after this draft happens though. OL is weakest at start of season. Gotta be careful about it. Because after Baker we got nobody.
April 12th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
Brady a celebrity doosh-nozzle
Haha love it. Lmfao
April 12th, 2025 at 5:56 pm
Not only did they double up that draft, that was also one year after they had drafted Carlton Davis and MJ Stewart in the 2nd round. So 2 years in a row of doubling up at CB.
So no, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they did it again.
April 12th, 2025 at 7:32 pm
Unbelievable
And only one barely remains…
April 13th, 2025 at 3:33 am
I agree with Jenna!….Wait did I just say that?
I Looked at that 2019 draft the other day and Yup we really triple dipped. We also got Mike Edwards.
If Jason pulls that off this year I will make him King of the Draft Gurus! Boom!
Go Bucs!