JJ Roberts has a real opening in Tampa Bay, and it comes with a familiar blueprint.
The Buccaneers liked what they saw from the undrafted Marshall product last offseason. Roberts showed up in camp and immediately made himself interesting to Todd Bowles because he could do a little bit of everything in the secondary. Tampa Bay worked him at nickel, both safety spots and even sprinkled in some reps at outside cornerback.
That kind of flexibility had him trending toward a 53-man roster spot. For a moment, it looked like Jason Licht may have uncovered another undrafted free-agent find.
Then the momentum stopped cold. Roberts flashed in his preseason debut with five tackles and two passes defensed, including a deflection that led to an interception, but his rookie year never got off the ground. He suffered a season-ending knee injury before the team’s second preseason game.
Now he’s healthy again, back in training camp, and in position to fight for a role in 2026.
The path is there because the Buccaneers have already seen this formula work. Christian Izien, another undrafted free agent, became a valuable depth piece from 2023-25 thanks to the same kind of secondary versatility. He could move around, fill in where needed and give Bowles options.
Izien is gone now, leaving in free agency for the Detroit Lions, and that creates a lane for Roberts to step into.
If Roberts can handle deep safety duties, that gives Tampa Bay more freedom to let Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr. attack the line of scrimmage. If he can hold up at nickel, Bowles gets even more room to move Jacob Parrish and rookie Keionte Scott around the secondary.
That’s the whole appeal here: the more interchangeable parts Bowles has, the more he can shift them around and make life miserable for offenses.
Roberts has the skill set to be one of those pieces. If it clicks, he could become one of Tampa Bay’s most interesting depth options heading into 2026.
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Bucs May Finally Have A Backfield Edge They Can't Waste
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Gainwells pass-catching and protection ability make him a natural piece in those looks, while Tucker gives the group a more downhill edge when the Bucs want to change the pace. The bigger question is whether Tampa Bay actually commits to using all of it, because a backfield this balanced can be an advantage only if the team is willing to keep rotating and let the matchups dictate the plan. [Read more 🡒]