One of the bigger losses for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason was nickel cornerback and safety Christian Izien. Izien left Tampa to go to the Detroit Lions this offseason and has been doing well in their offseason workouts, per Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien
Aug 1, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien (29) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Izien appears to be in two battles this offseason for the Lions — a battle with veteran defensive back Roger McCreary for the starting nickel cornerback job and a battle with players such as Avonte Maddox and Chuck Clark for backup safety responsibilities.
It should not be surprising, however, that Izien is not only thriving in Detroit but is being used in a variety of ways on the defensive side of the ball. During his time in Tampa Bay, Izien wore many hats regarding his role in the organization and Todd Bowles' defense.
NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien
NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien | Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
According to PFF's advanced stats, Izien played all over the field during his three years in Tampa. 41 snaps on the defensive line as a blitzer, 246 snaps in the box as a safety, 378 snaps playing free safety, 853 snaps playing slot cornerback and 64 snaps playing outside cornerback.
This snap spread shows not just the level of versatility that Izien brought to the Buccaneers and will bring to the Lions, but also shows the amount of trust that head coach Todd Bowles and the Bucs defensive coaching staff had in Izien and his ability to fill in wherever they needed him.
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Miles Killebrew
Dec 1, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Miles Killebrew (28) runs off the field after the victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
While the Bucs did bring in players to help on special teams in the secondary with guys like Miles Killebrew, Chase Lucas and Kemon Hall, they didn't bring in a free agent who can offer the same type of versatility that they were getting with Izien. However, they did draft former Miami Hurricane Keionte Scott in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Scott has a very similar build to Izien and should also play with a very physical style, giving the Bucs a very similar amount of versatility as the team saw with Izien during the past three seasons.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Rashad Wisdom
Aug 1, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Rashad Wisdom (38) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Bucs are also very high on former undrafted safety J.J. Roberts out of Marshall. Roberts is coming back from an injury that knocked him out of the 2025 season, and he should be in contention for not just a roster spot this training camp with fellow safeties Rashad Wisdom and Marcus Banks, but he could very well crack the gameday rotation for the Buccaneers when needed.
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