The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t mind letting cornerback Jamel Dean rework his deal to become a free agent in 2026, and who could blame them?
Dean signed a 4-year, $52 million contract extension before the 2023 season, and the Buccaneers got little to no return on the investment in the 2 years after.
Now, with Dean poised to cash in with another big free agent contract after putting up decent numbers in 2025, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport is warning teams against paying up, calling Dean the NFL’s biggest “free agent bust waiting to happen.”
“It’s not a great year to be an NFL team in need of help at the cornerback position,” Davenport wrote. “This year’s draft class isn’t especially imposing, and neither is the group of available free agents. But cornerback is a premium position, and the number of teams annually looking to upgrade in the secondary usually numbers about 32. That could lead to another common mistake made by NFL general managers in free agency—overpaying the ‘top’ player available at the position … however, there’s an old saying that the best ability is availability, and that has been a career-long issue for the 29-year-old, who has missed multiple games every year he has been in the NFL.”
Bucs’ Gamble Against Dean Backfired
Like any other financial decision Tampa Bay has made with its secondary in recent years, the move to bet against Dean backfired.
In 2025, Dean had 1 of the best seasons of his career, allowing under a 50 percent completion percentage and a passer rating of just 63.1, which was the second-best mark of his career.
Dean, who had 7 interceptions in his first 4 seasons, had just 1 interception over the 2023 and 2024 seasons and responded with a career-high 3 interceptions in 2025, including 1 interception returned for a touchdown.
Pro Football Focus predicts Dean will be the highest-paid free agent cornerback in this year’s cycle with a projected 3-year, $55 million contract.
“Entering his age-30 season, Jamel Dean has a resume of tremendous consistency that is rarely seen at the cornerback position,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote. “Coverage play is volatile, with even the best players riding through the peaks and valleys. Yet, Dean has been able to produce a PFF coverage grade above 72.0 in each of his seven seasons as a pro. Dean profiles as one of the game’s stalwart outside cornerbacks, with his 86.9 PFF coverage grade on the outside ranking fourth among all qualifying cornerbacks.”
Bucs Missed Playoffs For 1st Time Since 2019
The Buccaneers went 8-9 overall in 2025 and missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2019 and outside of Dean and defensive tackle Vita Vea, no one on the defense seemed like they played at an elite level.
Polymarket Sports’ NFL writer John Frascella has Dean ranked as the No. 9 overall free agent in the 2026 cycle. After struggling in 2023 and 2024, Dean bounced back with 3 interceptions in 2025 despite missing 3 games due to injuries.
Bleacher Report put Dean on its list of the “Most Overpaid Players in the NFL” before the 2025 season.
“The six-year veteran was frequently burned in coverage in 2023 and was not a No. 1-caliber corner last year,” Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote. “He isn’t much of a playmaker, either (three interceptions total in the last three seasons), and he’s simply not living up to a four-year, $52 million contract.”
Bucs’ $52 Million Star Called ‘Free Agent Bust’ Waiting to Happen