ESPN gives Bucs solid marks for their offseason, but dings them for a decision that was likely the right move
The Bucs made a bold move this offseason, and it was one that probably ended up being the right one.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will certainly have some new faces in key areas in 2026 as they look to recapture the NFC South title in 2026.
The Bucs made some savvy moves, including signing Detroit LB Alex Anzalone and edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad and Pittsburgh RB Kenneth Gainwell in free agency. They got some potential defensive impact players early in the draft in Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain, Jr. and Missouri LB Josiah Trotter. Georgia State WR Ted Hurst and Miami DB Keionte Scott also have the potential to contribute early.
As such, it’s no surprise that the Bucs received solid marks from ESPN’s writer Seth Walder on Tuesday. Walder gave the Bucs a grade of B and was complimentary of a number of the aforementioned moves by Jason Licht.
However, the move Walder liked the least was allowing CB Jamel Dean to leave in free agency.
Bucs earn an offseason grade of B from ESPN; dinged for losing CB Jamel Dean
“The Buccaneers also lost Dean in free agency,” Walder wrote. “Given the contract he signed — $12.25 million per year from the Steelers — I would have tried to keep him.”
The thing is, Dean and the Bucs had a complicated relationship. Dean, the Bucs’ third round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, certainly became an important part of Tampa Bay’s defense as they rose from an also-ran to Super Bowl champion and perennial NFC South champion during his time in Tampa.
But Dean will turn 30 years old during the second month of the upcoming 2026 season. Players who turn 30 typically start heading down a road of diminishing returns, particularly defensive backs.
Availability is also a concern. In his seven-year career, Dean has yet to make it through a full season unscathed. He hasn’t played in 15 games since 2022, and he’s missed a combined 12 regular games over the last three seasons. That’s a lot of missed football to potentially be paying in the ballpark of $13 million per season for.
Also, despite three interceptions last season, Dean seemed to be in Todd Bowles’ dog house too often, particularly for dropping the football in key moments. He also got called out for getting beat by Tetairoa McMillan for a touchdown in the Bucs’ 23-20 loss to Carolina last season. Getting called out publicly isn’t something that Bowles does all that often, so that should say something.
The Bucs will look to Jacob Parrish and/or Benjamin Morrison to fill Dean’s shoes next season, and that will tell the tale on whether the Bucs should have addressed the cornerback position better. But it simply seemed as though it was time for Dean and the Bucs to go their separate ways.