When Todd Bowles took his annual turn at the NFL Scouting Combine podium on Tuesday, it was 15 days before the official start of free agency and 13 days before the beginning of the "legal tampering" period that precedes the open market. Unsurprisingly, one of the first topics tossed at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head coach was the pending free agency status of eighth-year cornerback Jamel Dean.
The Buccaneers drafted Dean out of Auburn in 2019, just a few months after Bowles arrived in Tampa to serve as defensive coordinator on Bruce Arians' new coaching staff. The two have enjoyed a close relationship over the last seven years, and Bowles was instrumental in the early development of the third-round pick, frequently engaging him in one-on-one film sessions. After Dean completely his original rookie deal in 2022, he signed a new contract with the Buccaneers on the day free agency was beginning. Now there's a chance he will test the open market for the first time.
Earlier on Tuesday, General Manager Jason Licht said the Buccaneers are "not closing the door" on the possibility of re-signing any of their 17 pending unrestricted free agents. As to Dean's career so far as it pertains to his potential run in free agency, Bowles neatly summed up the two sides to that coin.
"Dean had a very good season," said Bowles of the cornerback's 2025 campaign. I thought he came back and had a solid season. His whole thing since he's been here has just been injuries, kind of. He's had some injuries and availability has come into play, but he's put together a heck of a season this past season. He's earned his right to free agency and probably try to recoup and get some things back. So you never know how those things go, but I've spent my whole time here with Dean since we drafted him. It's never been a talent thing; it's always been an injury thing and an availability thing."
Those 17 players from the Bucs' final 2025 roster (including reserve lists) who could become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) would get their first shot on March 11. In the weeks between the Super Bowl and that kickoff to the new league year, we are taking a closer look at nine of those 17 players, examining where they are in their careers, what they have accomplished recently and what the free agency and the draft fields look like at their positions.
This is the full schedule of our 2026 Free Agent Focus rundown:
February 11: LB Lavonte David
February 13: WR Mike Evans
February 18: DL Logan Hall
February 20: TE Ko Kieft
February 25: RB Rachaad White
February 27: CB Jamel Dean
March 4: WR Sterling Shepard
March 5: TE Cade Otton
March 6: OLB Haason Reddick
This list is subject to change based on potential roster moves in the coming weeks. However, we continue this week with a player who had a sizeable role in the Bucs' offense over the past four seasons.
Player: Jamel Dean
Position: Cornerback
Age at the Start of the 2026 Season: 29
Experience: Entering eighth NFL season
How Acquired: Drafted in the third round (94th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Auburn.The Buccaneers initially traded down in the third round of that draft, sending pick number 70 to the Rams for the pick used to select and the 99th overall pick, which was used to select safety Mike Edwards.
Previous Contract(s): In 2019, Dean signed the standard four-year contract that all players drafted in Rounds 2-7 receive. In May of 2023, he inked a four-year extension that originally ran through the 2026 season. Shortly before the start of the 2025 regular season, Dean agreed to a reworked deal that negated the final year, making him a free-agent-to-be in 2026.
Rank in Pro Football Focus Top 250 NFL Free Agents for 2026: 5th. PFF excerpt: "Dean ranked fourth among all cornerbacks in PFF grade (81.5) in 2025 and allowed just a 46.9 passer rating on throws into his coverage, which was the best mark in the NFL. Now seven seasons into his career, he has never posted a PFF coverage grade below 70.0."
2025 Performance: Dean played in and started 14 games in 2025, with brief absences in Weeks Five, 12 and 18 due to hip and shoulder injuries. He finished with a career-high and team-leading three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown in the Buccaneers' two-point win over the New York Jets in Week Three.
In addition, Dean compiled 46 tackles, one tackle for loss, 1.0 sack, two quarterback hits, nine passes defensed and two forced fumbles. The sack was the first of his career and his two forced fumbles represented a new single-season high. In addition to the high grade he earned from Pro Football Focus, as noted above, Dean compiled a target EPA of -28.3 according to NFL Next Gen stats, the best mark among all outside cornerbacks in the NFL in 2025. He also allowed a completion rate of just 43.1% when targeted as the nearest defender and a completion rate over expected of -8.3%.
Career Accomplishments: Over his first seven NFL seasons, all in Tampa, Dean has played in96 games and made 77 starts. His career stats so far include 11 interceptions (returned for 167 yards and two touchdowns), 61 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, 1.0 sack, 359 tackles and seven tackles for loss. In 10 postseason games (nine starts), Dean has added nine passesdefensed, a forced fumble and 50 tackles.
Though he started only five games as a rookie, Dean racked up a career-best 17 passes defensedin 2019, along with two interceptions. He started half of the 14 games he played in his sophomore campaign and recorded a career-high 62 tackles while also picking off one pass and breaking up seven. He also had two interceptions in each of his next two seasons, and since 2022 he has started all 54 of the games in which he has appeared. He does not yet have a season in which he has played in all 16 or (since 2021) all 17 games on the schedule. During the Buccaneers' four-game run to the Super Bowl championship in 2020, Dean contributed 16tackles and three passes defensed.
Other Potential Free Agent Cornerbacks: Jaylen Watson (Chiefs), Tariq Woolen (Seahawks), Asante Samuel (Steelers), Rasul Douglas (Dolphins), Chidobe Awuzie (Ravens), Mike Hilton (Colts), Joshua Williams (Chiefs), Roger McCreary (Rams), Nahshon Wright (Bears), Montaric Brown (Jaguars)
Top Cornerback Prospects in 2026 NFL Draft: Mansoor Delane (LSU), Jermod McCoy (Tennessee), Colton Hood (Tennessee), Avieon Terrell (Clemson), Brandon Cisse (South Carolina), Keith Abney (Arizona State), D'Angelo Ponds (Indiana), Keionte Scott (Miami), Chris Johnson (San Diego State), Chandler Rivers (Duke), Daylen Everette (Georgia), Will Lee (Texas A&M), Xavier Scott (Illinois)
