Veteran Buccaneers CB accepts a pay cut

Team and player agreed to a pay cut on Monday, as first reported by PewterReport’s Joshua Queipo. The move has since been confirmed by Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, who notes Dean’s base pay for this season has been reduced from $12.5M to $4.25M. $750K could be earned back through playtime incentives.

Critically, the restructure also removed the final year of Dean’s contract. The former third-rounder was on the books through 2026 (although his scheduled compensation for that year was not guaranteed). Instead, Dean is now on track for free agency next spring. Given Monday’s news, it could certainly come as no surprise if a departure were to take place on the open market in this case.

Dean emerged as a starter for the Super Bowl-winning Buccaneers in 2020, and he’s maintained his starting spot over the past four years. Thanks to his production, the defensive back earned a four-year, $52M contract ($21.5M guaranteed) from Tampa Bay ahead of the 2023 campaign. He’s continued to produce under his active contract, with Pro Football Focus grading him as a top-30 cornerback over each of the past two seasons.

While the Buccaneers may be signaling that they don’t have future plans for the cornerback, the team is clearly relying on him for the time being. Once a candidate to get benched, Dean earned a 97% snap share Sunday. The 28-year-old finished the season opener with six tackles and three passes defended.

The organization clearly started preparing for a post-Dean secondary during this year’s draft. The team selected Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison in the second round before selecting Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish in the third round. With Zyon McCollum and Josh Hayes also still attached to their rookie contracts, the Buccaneers are clearly pivoting to youth in their cornerbacks room.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.