The Buccaneers look sturdier in a lot of places after final roster cuts, but the secondary is still the spot that can make you squint.
Tampa Bay opened with an initial 53-man roster that feels deeper than the group it carried into last season. The defensive front has been rebuilt, the pass rush has more answers, and the starting offensive line is finally healthy. Even so, the back end remains the clearest weak link heading into Week 1.
The Bucs kept just eight defensive backs, which is a smaller number than the nine or 10 they usually carry. On the cornerback side, that group includes Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish, Benjamin Morrison, Keionte Scott and undrafted rookie Ayden Garnes. At safety, it’s Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith and Miles Killebrew.
There’s some upside in that mix. McCollum and Parrish both bring starting experience at corner, and Winfield and Smith could form one of the stronger safety pairings in the NFC. Scott adds another layer because of his versatility, since the rookie can line up in the slot or at safety.
The problem is what comes after the top names. Morrison missed a large chunk of camp with a hamstring injury before getting back on the field in the preseason finale.
Scott also came out of that game with an ankle sprain, though Todd Bowles has said it is not considered significant. Garnes played well enough in the preseason to earn a spot, but he’s still an undrafted rookie who hasn’t taken a regular-season snap.
Safety looks even thinner. Killebrew is listed as the third safety, but most of his career value has come on special teams.
Over his final two seasons in Pittsburgh, he played only nine defensive snaps. That leaves Tampa Bay short on proven depth behind Winfield and Smith.
The Bucs should eventually get Josh Hayes back after putting him on injured reserve with a designation to return, but he has to sit out at least the first four games. Until then, one injury could force Bowles to shuffle pieces around and push younger defensive backs into roles they weren’t supposed to take this soon.
That’s the part of this roster that still feels a little too familiar. Last season, that kind of emergency juggling helped fuel the second-half slide.
With the regular season less than two weeks away, another experienced corner or safety would make a lot of sense. Right now, the secondary is the one area where a single injury could change the whole defensive picture.
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