Where is Jacob Parrish playing?
Joe’s looking for clarity.
Maybe KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles honestly doesn’t know yet what he wants at cornerback? Maybe he’s using hackneyed 1960s high school coach gamesmanship, where the coach tries to hide who is playing where (like dumb old school coaches tried with having guys change jerseys every week).
If a guy practices at one position and one position only, Joe is sure he’s more likely to become proficient or at least play better at that position.
But Bowles on Thursday said he’s trying three guys at nickel corner: The incumbent, Jacob Parrish, Zyon McCollum and rookie Keionte Scott.
(The fact Bowles didn’t say he’s giving Benjamin Morrison a spin at nickel, does that mean Bowles is giving Morrison a gig at outside corner?)
Last year, for this Joe, there was no question who was the Bucs’ second-best corner. It was Parrish. So with last year’s best corner (Jamel Dean) gone, wouldn’t you want Parrish on the field every snap at outside corner?
Also, the fact Bowles has McCollum taking snaps at nickel suggests McCollum doesn’t have his starting outside corner spot locked down.
On Tuesday when Bowles spoke, he was asked about Parrish practicing both slot/nickel and outside corner.
“Oh yeah, him and Zyon both,” Bowles said. “We have mixed them in there, and Keionte has gotten in there as well.
“So we’re kind of mixing guys in right now, just to see what they know.”
Look, Joe isn’t against guys knowing how to play multiple positions because injuries can and will happen. And McCollum has played nickel in this defense. So Bowles has cutups of his performance there.
If it was up to Joe, Parrish would already be practicing at outside corner full-time and whoever wins between Morrison and bored McCollum gets the other starting corner gig.
You crowed about Scott enough after tha draft that he should be at nickel.
Boom. Done.
Why is Joe stressed about this? In case folks at One Buc Palace forgot, Week 1 the Bucs defense will face Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow on the road. Joe wants the two starting corners to get as many reps at outside corner as possible, beginning right now.
Joe has stated a couple of times on the “Ira Kaufman Podcast:” You know what you have if you have five nickel corners? You’ve got a two-bit secondary.