Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran starter at risk of being released

The Buccaneers could be forced to make significant changes this offseason.

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) celebrates after a fumble recovery in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Jamel Dean to a 4-year, $52 million contract just a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, Dean hasn’t provided anywhere near the level of production the Bucs’ front office expected when they made the deal.

It’s not that Dean hasn’t been good when he’s been in the lineup, it's that he simply hasn't been in the lineup enough.

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Dean has experienced his fair share of injuries over the years, but over the past two seasons, he's missed a total of nine games, while missing large chunks of others, including the postseason.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown stretches out for a pass, while being guarded by Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As head coach Todd Bowles has said many times, "your best ability is availability" and Dean simply hasn't been available enough to be considered a reliable player within Bowles' defense.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently took a deep look at each NFL team and tried to predict free agent signings, departures, and a variety of other possible outcomes.

In his assessment of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Barnwell believes that Dean is a legitimate candidate to be released this offseason.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean breaks up a pass. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

"The Bucs have six players with cap holds over $5 million on their 2025 roster. The only one in danger of being released is Dean, though that's more a product of injuries than subpar play. He has yet to play a full season as a pro, and he has missed nine full games and significant portions of five more over the past two years because of injuries."

"He is a solid corner in a defense with a blitz rate that puts its corners in difficult situations on a regular basis, which will play in his favor, but the 28-year-old's $13 million compensation is unguaranteed. The Bucs might try to play hardball and ask him to take a pay cut to return."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean pregame before Carolina Panthers matchup. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The key factor at play is that Dean's salary is unguaranteed. The other thing working against him is Jason Licht's willingness to move on from players who haven't gotten the job done. Look no further than Dean's old running mate, Carlton Davis, who was likely to be cut before Licht ended up trading him to the Detroit Lions for a third-round draft pick around this time last year.

The other possible option, which Barnwell laid out in his article, is for the team to try and re-negotiate his contract. Jamel Dean's physical ability when healthy, combined with his familiarity with Todd Bowles' defensive system, certainly provides value to the team.

The bigger question is, based on his recent injury history, at what cost is he worth it?

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