The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a strong second season from former second-round draft pick Benjamin Morrison. Veteran cornerback Zyon McCollum said that he has seen Morrison handle things this offseason that should point him in the right direction entering year two.
“He went into the offseason, he was very detailed about his work, and he got his body right,” said McCollum. “It is exciting, it gets me going too.”
Morrison did not have a strong rookie season and is looking to bounce back and prove that he can start in the NFL. At Notre Dame, a lot of evaluators saw a first-round talent when he was on the field. Morrison was not on the field enough to go in the first round, though.
He had a shoulder and hip injury end his college career on shaky ground, and his medicals were one of the main reasons he went in the second round. He appeared to have recovered from those issues, but suffered a hamstring injury in training camp and started the season slowly.
He had a few other bumps and bruises along the way and ended up only appearing in ten games and starting in just three games.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Expectations for Benjamin Morrison are Raised
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum.
To be fair to Morrison and the Bucs, they were not expecting much during his rookie year. The thought was that Morrison would sit behind both Zyon McCollum and Jamel Dean during his rookie year and learn while he recovered from his injury. The team moved on from Dean, and that is what would open the spot for Morrison in year two.
The issue is that Morrison did get on the field due to injuries to the starters, and he struggled when he played. Now Dean is gone, and the Bucs need Morrison to both stay healthy and show that he is better than what his rookie season displayed. McCollum saying that both his body and his mind are healthy for year two is notable.
The Bucs Have an Exit Plan if Benjamin Morrison is Not Ready
Tampa Bay has high hopes for their second-round pick, but they are not going to sit and wait for him to turn into a capable starter. The Bucs drafted Keionte Scott in the fourth round. While he does not play outside cornerback, he can play in the slot.
McCollum noted that slot cornerback Jacob Parrish has proven that he belongs in the NFL from day one. Parrish also played on the outside in college. So, the team could shift Parrish to the outside and start Scott.
They do not want to start a fourth-round rookie, and they would like to see Parrish continue to develop in the role that he is best suited for in the NFL. Of course, they would also like to see Morrison show that he is ready in year two. However, the Bucs appear to be just as skeptical as some fans and media members and are waiting to see what happens.
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