'He's pushing the starters' - Todd Bowles hits one of the Buccaneers' key camp battles with a plot twist no one saw coming

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has never shied away from challenging his players when it makes sense and he's done exactly that just a couple of days before the Bucs' first training camp practice.

The Bucs secondary has a lot of new pieces heading into 2025, the top two being rookies Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. They were selected in the second and third rounds, respectively, of the 2025 draft and based on Jamel Dean's recent disappointments and the changes at the nickel spot, many thought both had a very good chance of coming in and winning starting jobs with a strong showing during OTAs, minicamp, training camp, and the preseason.

Sure enough, Bowles made it very clear both players have a shot at winning starting jobs over the next few weeks. It wasn't limited to Dean, however. In a surprising twist, Bowles also mentioned Zyon McCollum as someone who should be looking over his shoulder/making sure he has a good camp.

"Zyon and Dean played very well (last year). They're very good corners, but we have a lot of competition at corner," Bowles recently told Joe Bucs Fan on the Ira Kaufman Podcast. "Camp will play out and we will play the guy we feel deserve to start. . . He's [Benjamin Morrion's] pushing the starters - him and [Jacob] Parrish."

The Dean news comes at no surprise. A few months ago, many were questioning whether or not he'd even be on the roster at this point. His job is far from safe and he's going to have to stay healthy and play well over the next few weeks if he wants to keep it.

The McCollum mention is quite interesting, however, especially when considering the fact Bowles labeled him the Bucs' "1A" corner back in April.

"I think Zyon [McCollum] is probably 1A, 1B because Zyon stayed healthier during the year," said Bowles. "Dean has to get healthy. He comes in and he plays – he can’t play half a year, every couple of years. He understands he has to stay healthy and he’s doing everything he can to be healthy, but we have to have some depth there just in case. If somebody comes in and competes with him, he’s going to have to compete.”

How likely is it that Zyon McCollum actually loses his job?

It may be possible, but I'd say it's highly unlikely. A world where Dean keeps his job, but McCollum loses his to Morrison during/after camp is a world no one would have seen coming and it would easily represent one of the most surprising developments if it came to fruition.

And, obviously, the above hypothetical strictly relates to the soon-to-be fourth-year player losing his gig because of performance, not injury.

There's a good chance Bowles' comments were mostly mentioned to get McCollum motivated ahead of camp. At the same time, though, he's not going to say things that can negatively impact/reflect upon his guys. He doesn't put his guys in a bad light in front of the media - we've seen him avoid that plenty of times in the past and it's kind of his M.O. when it comes to this context.

McCollum is a very good player and there's a good chance he receives a hefty extension from the Bucs after this year. Outside of injury, it would take a lot for him to lose his job to Morrison. Both from him and Morrison.

But, we know Bowles is adamant about wanting more from the secondary in 2025. And as long as it makes sense and results in the putting the best players on the field, he's going to do whatever it takes to achieve his goal. That easily makes this one of the top storylines to monitor before everything kicks off on Wednesday.

Where Jacob Parrish fits in

Now, Parrish's path to a starting job is much more clear and realistic. Tykee Smith, last year's nickel, is working on moving to safety, leaving Christian Izien as the top obstacle to overcome.

Izien has been solid for the Bucs over the last two years and has helped fill nickel responsibilities. But, he's certainly not an established starter like McCollum or even Dean. A strong camp from Parrish could quickly equate to earning the starting nickel position.

He's gotten off to a great start, too, by making big plays during OTAs and minicamp. If that extends into camp, well, this could turn into one of the Bucs' most heated camp battles when it's all said and done.