Bucs Nation
The Buccaneers have had some contract news today concerning cornerback Jamel Dean. Originally, Dean was scheduled to be a free agent after the 2026 season, now that is not the case. Josh Queipo of Pewter Report first broke the news.
So, it is essentially a tradeoff. The Bucs get Dean at a lower number in 2025 in exchange for Dean being able to hit the free agent market after this season instead of waiting another year. For Tampa Bay, they potentially don’t have to cut Dean if they don’t want to and for Dean, he has a chance to get paid early.
Dean could end up being one of the top corners available on the free agent market and could end up getting paid good money on a long-term deal. This also allows him to hit the market when he is 29 years old, rather than when he is 30.
The former third round pick has been an up and down player for Tampa Bay. Dean was a part of the “grave diggers” secondary that played a huge role in Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl run. He even played well enough to earn a second contract a few years ago, but now with the team just selecting two corners in this past draft and re-signing Zyon McCollum, the writing appears to be on the wall for Jamel Dean’s future with the Buccaneers.
