The Buccaneers have made good use of the franchise tag in recent years but it does not appear to be part of their 2023 plans. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that cornerback Jamel Dean is not expected to be tagged ahead of this afternoon’s deadline.
Dean is the top pending free agent on a Buccaneers roster that won the NFC South in 2022 but is set to undergo at least a few major changes. One of those will be under center, but keeping the team’s secondary intact will be a key priority. Meeting that goal would include coming to terms on a long-term deal with Dean, but declining to tag him will all but guarantee his ability to test the open market.
The 26-year-old has taken on an increased role over the course of his four-year tenure in Tampa Bay. He logged 23 starts across his first three seasons but was a full-time starter for the first time in 2022. He saw a 90% snap share this year, operating as a key member of the Bucs’ secondary. The former third-rounder recorded two interceptions, eight pass deflections and 67 total tackles. His strong coverage numbers (including a 55.4% completion percentage allowed) continued from the previous year in particular.
That has Dean well-positioned to cash in on a new contract from the Buccaneers or another team. The franchise tag for corners is set at $18.3M this year, a figure which would be hard to swallow up front for Tampa Bay given their current financial situation. The Buccaneers are more than $58M over the salary cap at the moment and need to become cap compliant by next week when the new league year begins. A multi-year deal with Dean would allow the team to manipulate his 2023 cap hit to a lower figure as they try to retain as many core players as possible.
Dean is sure to be a priority, but the same is true of other key defenders like linebacker Lavonte David and safety Mike Edwards. By declining to use the tag, Tampa Bay will let those players and several other notable free agents test the market in free agency, a departure from their decisions with edge rusher Shaquil Barrett in 2020 and receiver Chris Godwin in each of the past two years. Both players spent one season on the tag before ultimately signing new deals.
Dean is likely to command a sizeable market for himself, as one of the youngest corners in this year’s free agent class. Veterans like James Bradberry and Marcus Peters have longer track records of ball production, but Dean’s coverage abilities could see him land a lucrative deal which Tampa Bay cannot afford to match. Should he depart, the Bucs would need to find a starting-caliber replacement amidst their other financial challenges.
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