ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is reporting that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considering trading one of their two starting cornerbacks Jamel Dean or Carlton Davis III.
“Teams have also told me that the Buccaneers are open to potentially parting with either of their starting corners, Carlton Davis III or Jamel Dean.”
The Buccaneers drafted Dean in 2019. He signed a four-year $52 million dollar deal in March of last year. Dean is coming off his best season as a pro in 2023. Posting four passes defensed and 61 tackles while missing four games.
Davis was drafted in 2018 and heads towards the last year of his three-year $44.5 million dollar deal. In 2023 Davis posted 52 tackles, two interceptions and nine passes defensed.
While I know a lot of you have soured on both Davis and Dean, the reality is they’re both solid and well entrenched in Bowles’ system. Trading one of them now you’d have to ask, can the Bucs find the same level of player in free agency or the draft? Are you comfortable bringing in a veteran corner? Would a rookie be an upgrade over Davis or Dean? These are the questions bouncing around in general manager Jason Licht’s head. Tough call, but I’d think if one were to be traded it’d be the one with only one year left on his contract.
At the end of the day, this is most likely Licht putting out feelers to see if there’s a market for either player. That said, I can’t see the Bucs trading either, unless of course the offer is to hard to refuse.
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