The Buccaneers have spent the offseason making sure most of their roster questions are already answered for 2026. Linebacker got a major overhaul with Alex Anzalone arriving in free agency and Josiah Trotter coming in through the NFL Draft. The pass rush and interior defensive line also got fresh faces, with Rueben Bain Jr. stepping in as a new starting edge player and A'Shawn Robinson added at defensive tackle.
That leaves one spot on defense without a clean answer: outside cornerback.
It may end up being the only real camp battle on the roster, and it’s a meaningful one. If that room settles the right way, the rest of the defensive rebuild starts to look a lot more complete. If it doesn’t, the Bucs could be leaning on a position group with more uncertainty than they’d like.
Jamel Dean has been Tampa Bay’s clear CB1 for the last two seasons, but that setup is gone now. The Buccaneers entered the offseason with Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison projected as the top two outside corners for 2026, though the order between them still needs to be sorted out.
McCollum has flashed at times, but last season was a tough one after he signed his extension. Morrison, meanwhile, was working his way back from an offseason hip injury and only managed brief opportunities to start.
That picture gets even murkier when you factor in Morrison’s injury history. He also dealt with a leg injury for much of OTAs and mandatory minicamp, while McCollum is still trying to prove he can bounce back from last year’s dip.
The Bucs did add another intriguing piece to the mix in-house. Jacob Parrish is moving from nickel to the outside, and his old role is expected to go to rookie Keionte Scott.
Parrish made a strong first impression as a rookie in the slot, finishing with two interceptions and two sacks. He also has outside experience from his time at Kansas State, which gives Tampa Bay another legitimate option in the competition.
That’s why the Bucs can afford to let this play out. They don’t need to force a decision before camp.
They can watch McCollum, Morrison and Parrish sort out the pecking order, and whoever comes up short could still be a useful rotational piece. With the injury concerns around Morrison and the depth already in the room, Tampa Bay has reason to feel better about this group than it might on the surface.
Training camp starts on July 28 in Tampa Bay, and that’s when the first real clues should start to emerge about how the outside cornerback picture will shake out.
In Other News...
Buccaneers May Have Found Their Lavonte David Successor After All
Training camp has opened in Tampa Bay with a different look in the middle of the defense, and the Buccaneers are already sorting through life after Lavonte David. The longtime linebackers retirement leaves a significant void, so the team moved quickly to add veteran Alex Anzalone and then used the draft to bring in Josiah Trotter, giving the staff two new options as it tries to keep the inside linebacker spot steady heading toward the 2026 season.
Anzalone brings a familiar kind of value for a defense that has leaned on instincts and reliability in the middle, even if his game is not built quite the same way it once was. Trotter adds another layer to the competition, and the next stretch of camp should start to show how Todd Bowles wants to deploy the group and whether Tampa Bay has found a workable answer for one of its most important defensive jobs. [Read more 🡒]
Rueben Bain Jr Gives Bucs Fans Early Reason For Real Optimism
EA Sports has started rolling out the top rookie ratings for Madden 27, and the early list gives Tampa Bay fans a little extra reason to pay attention. The game does not arrive until Aug. 13, but the first wave of ratings already includes several of the biggest names from the 2026 NFL Draft, with Jeremiyah Love and Caleb Downs leading the way at 82 overall and a cluster of first-round picks right behind them.
For the Buccaneers, the encouraging part is Rueben Bain Jr., whose place near the top of the rookie class stands out in a group loaded with premium talent. Tampa Bay has been looking for signs that its young additions can make an immediate impact, and Bains rating suggests the leagues evaluators see him as more than just a developmental piece. Early access to Madden 27 begins Aug. 6 for MVP+ members and Aug. 10 for Deluxe Edition buyers, so Bucs fans will not have to wait long to see how the rest of the rookie class stacks up. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Fans Had A Cool Reason To Smile At NFL FLAG Finals
The Ocala Bucs gave Florida football another reason to pay attention at the 2026 NFL FLAG Championships, rolling past the New York City Ravens 33-21 to win the Boys Under-14 title. Drake Eason set the tone early with two touchdown passes, and the Bucs defense helped swing the game with a pair of pick-sixes, turning a tight showcase into a statement finish.
For Colts fans, there was a little extra to enjoy after the final whistle. Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones was on the field for the trophy presentation, adding a familiar NFL face to a youth championship stage that already had plenty of energy. It was the kind of moment that connected the leagues future to one of its present-day quarterbacks, even as the Bucs celebrated a title built on big plays at both ends. [Read more 🡒]