Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean has been a staple in the secondary since being selected No. 94 overall in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
But that could be changing soon, per Bleacher Report's Alex Kay.
Kay believes Dean could be a cut candidate for the team, and it's not just for financial reasons.
"Dean conceded a career-high 69.7 percent completion rate in 2024 and allowed a concerning 66.1 percent completion rate the season prior. Those marks are well above the 54.2 percent completion rate he posted over the first four years of his career, meaning it could be time for Tampa to part ways with the soon-to-be 29-year-old," Kay wrote. While the financial incentives are strong, the Buccaneers also have plenty of reason to move on from Dean after landing two potential replacements in Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish on Day 2 of the 2025 draft.
"A change of scenery could do Dean well. He’s still on the right side of 30 and is just over two years removed from signing a sizable extension commensurate with his contributions. Any team lacking veteran depth should be interested in bringing Dean aboard if the Bucs part ways with the corner."
Dean is scheduled for a $15.1 million cap hit in 2025 and $15.7 million in 2026 to end his four-year, $52 million deal.
That's a lot of money for a guy who might be relegated to a backup role at some point. It's a big decision for general manager Jason Licht, and could be dictated by the performance of some of this year's rookie class.